Just browsing CRC and there’s dozens of saddles at around the ton mark or more.

I can’t imagine risking that much on something I’ve never sat on, and once you’ve used it it’s a few quid back on eBay at best.

Has anyone ever took a punt blind? How did it work out?

Not a chance. I’d buy one from a brand that lets you return it for something else if it didn’t work – Specialized and Trek spring to mind (most of my saddles are Specialized)
Some brands also offer demo saddles.

Often buy a cheap version to try it, or just wait for sales. Saddles often get very heavily reduced.

Buy the s/h ones on eBay and try them out.

They don’t drop in price much though, still end up paying >£75 for £100 saddles so you don’t loose much either way.

With a bit of thought you figure out what works, for me its anything narrow, flat and a small cut out, after that its just price and weight.

All that said, MTBing is more forgiving, so it tends to be whatever saddle I didn’t quite get on with on the road bike.

Took a punt on a lightly used but fancy carbon railed prologo model once that was featherweight but turned out to be a seat of pain. I’d had a similar model from the same company that I really liked but and was glad to sell this one on for little loss.

I haven’t found anything more comfy than a fabric scoop so I’ve got those on both my bikes now.

Had a roadie bike fit and found a suitable saddle, so just stick that on everything now.

£70(ish) on a Brooks Cambrium. It’s ace.

Buy used. Then when you’ve found your match, buy new.

I seem to be able to ride anything, mind.

@takisawa2 – +1 (or in my case 3 for all 3 bikes)

Probably sums up shopping online, the real bargains are when you know exactly what you want, I know a charge spoon works for me so I’ll order it, same as something that costs a heap more.l If there was a 100 quid saddle that I knew worked I’d have no hesitation from ordering one if that was the best place to get it from, same as I’d get a bike shop to order me in something.

Im in this situation, never known a comfy seat so have no clue what to order, use 3 different sadles on 3 different bikes, all uncomfortable and all give numb bits after climbing

About to order an smp and all are expensive so going to have to take a punt

Trek dealers have an “arse-o-meter” which can measure what width saddle you should buy, all the Bontrager saddles vome in at least 3 widths. This will give you a clue as to what works for your bottom

I had a Fizik that was pretty comfortable but creaked all the time , so took a punt on a carbon version, not the same though – it was one of the ‘V’ models with a cut-out down the middle. Have never got on with them before so it was a risk… and it’s erm, ok. Sit on the damn thing everyday, so convinced myself it is comfortable!
Annoying thing about saddles – whenever I’ve bought a fully built bike, whatever saddle is on it has been fine.. fizik, wtb, selle…. I build a bike from scratch and still haven’t found completely the perfect saddle for it!

I went with a brooks cambium as I’ve previously likes a b17 narrow and thought it was similar it wrecked me and was sold on very quickly at a big loss

I ended up with a smp but lbs is a dealer and let me try a couple of fizik and smp saddles for a week at a time til I found a happy perch 🙂

I wouldn’t, its a big gamble that you dont want to repeat twice really!

My local LBS do the Fizik demo thing, where you pay a deposit and then can demo any of the saddles, although the saddles are then bright yellow! I did this and settled on one with the cutout groove and was happy for last year, then did a lot of MTB over the winter and this year the saddle was what I imagine sitting on chainsaw is like.

I then went into the other LBS who do spesh saddles and then do a scheme where you buy and if you dont get on with it you can swap it. Now riding a spesh saddle which feels lovely for now…

I then went into the other LBS who do spesh saddles and then do a scheme where you buy and if you dont get on with it you can swap it. Now riding a spesh saddle which feels lovely for now…

Bloody annoying scheme as it assumes you’ll find a saddle in their range that works for you, which wasn’t the case for me.

I spent about 200 quid on a lovely Fizik saddle a while back for the road bike. I’d had a cheaper version so knew it was ok for me. Unfortunately I evolved my riding position a bit soon after and needed a new saddle to make it work. The 200 quid saddle is now sat in a box 🙁

ISM do a hire option to try a few of their weird but effective saddles – so minimal risk.

My local LBS has Fabric saddles in on 90 day try out basis.

Buy the s/h ones on eBay and try them out

+1. You will only lose a few quid or could even potentially make a few quid i.e. buy from auction ending at 11:00 on a Tuesday with a poor listing, re-sell with a good listing (proper photos etc,.) ending at 19:00 on a Thursday

I would, but I seem to have an accommodating arse…

The posh ones I’ve bought previously have just been whizzierer, lighterer versions of ones I’ve had before though, not sure I’d go for a posh one I’d no prior knowledge of.