[Closed] Greatest saddle of all time..?

The one that fits your arse.

For me is's a Selle Italia SLR.

SDG Bel Air.

Spesh phenom, rival, toupe, avatar and alias in 143 for me which kind of makes the point that there is no universal answer. I used to use Flites but found speshs better when they were released.

charge spoon

2nd sdg bel air

for the money: charge spoon.

sdg bel air

Flite, followed by SI SLR, followed by Charge Spoon for me.

Flite since 91 and Aliante since 05.
Although a Turbomatic 2 has been very comfortable since 98.

Spoon looks ace and is good however its hard.

I've got a Selle Italia Oktavia Genuine Gel- that Ive never used (came on a bike and I took it off)- I may give it a whirl although it is heavy.

Edit- I have a specialized avatar 143 on my commuter/track bike. I didnt even know it was there or think about it until this thread. I remember taking it off a hardtail but I might just try it on my full susser. If you dont know its there -its definitely working isnt it?

Fizik Gobi. End of story.

My favourite has to be my WTB SST98 Ti which sadly had to be retired 2 years ago when it finally fell apart. Irreplaceable.

Another for the Gobi and of course the legendary Brooks B17!

Flite no question! In particular the transalp! Don't know what I'll do when this one dies.

Flite question- Are you guys light/heavy, using them on your mountain bike?

Saddle fit has nothing to do with being heavy or light.

Flites are narrow so tend to suit people with narrow sit bone spacing. Also, a flatter backed position will tend to suit narrower saddles (eg on a road bike)

i used to run a flite on all my bikes til i got a fizik arione i now have them on all my bikes great saddles (for my arse anyway lol)

sdg bel air

was WTB 98 till they died, tried the later version and hated it. Since then its been SDG Bell Airs

I had a sdg bel air - unless I really dipped the nose it always gave me cock-pinch.

SLR, SLR XC, Fizik Arione (road bike only) and SDG I Beam I Fly have all been good for me.

SDG Bel Air on the other hand was like sitting on a house brick.

I get on with Fizik Gobi's and SDG Belair's - either works for me.

Done 50 miles on my charge spoon with no issues.

Fizik Gobi for me, but I used Flite Ti's for years before I started having problems, I don't know if it was me getting older or the Flite design changing 😕

Flite followed by the original WTB SST

Flite question- Are you guys light/heavy, using them on your mountain bike?

I'm medium-ish weight, used a flite for years on road and off. ALthough they look narrow, the part you sit on is the same as most apparently wider saddles. Also the rails are so flexible they really provide some cushioning. Not tried any of the new style flites.

+1 gobi

spoon for me, although i haven't really used it in anger yet.

the greatest saddle of all time has to be the Flite, totally changed the way saddles are designed, it's irrelevant if you find it comfortable or not

runners-up have to be the Brooks, the Rolls, the Turbo and the Concor for longevity, and the Spec. BG for making the most of a hokey bit of 'research' 🙂

As this is a MTB forum I'll give you the Flite, begrudgingly. But in reality, the only answer is the Brooks B17. Or indeed any Brooks model you choose. Ti Swift? The question needs changed to "the greatest MTB saddle of all time" to avoid that answer.

Charge Spoon.

I also rather like the OE Boardman one on my commuter bike, longest distance is 62 miles with not a worry in the world, I think they're a Prologo copy or summit similar

I've found the SDG Fly Ti, although it looked really minimalist was pretty much as comfy as the Bel-Air. Contact points seem the same and you save weight, if that matters to you.

Currently using a really old Velo Titanium railed thing with a cut out on the road bike and it's great - looks like a torture device but works fantastically.

Used to use Brooks all the time, but in all honesty, I just can't be bothered any more, 'specially when bikes keep getting nicked after you've spent the last 4 months breaking one of them in......

Flite for being so radical in 1990 or 91 when first made and still looking cool today. Classic design and exceptional comfort - for me anyway.
My last one died a month back and's been replaced with a Charge Knife; so far so good!

SDG Bel Air Ti-Fly

The flite has to go down as THE classic saddle.
But, I used flites on all my bikes till the SLR came out, and since have been using various versions of that plus the odd San Marco Aspide
Weirdly, I cant sit on any Flite for more than a few minutes now, without it feeling like my perineum is being ground away.
Very strange...

Fizik Gobi:
I get on OK with SDG Bel Air too.
But then I've only tried maybe 5 saddles.

Bel air for when i used to sit down....

Another vote here for the Flite.
Classic, minimalist design offered comfort and strength far in excess than it's looks would suggest. Often copied but never bettered.
Used them on all my bikes since 91 although recently defected to the Specialized camp (Phenom SL).

has to be the SDG bel air

I remember sitting on a Flite when I was a teenager and feeling severely violated - guess I've got wider sit bones
always liked WTB saddles, but recently a bike came with a minimal Selle San Marco saddle with a split tail which was a revelation

Fizik Gobi. So much better than any thing else I've tried.

Spec toupe's feel like they were made just for me.

SDG Bel Air RL for me.

Spoon for me - first saddle I've had that I don't notice it's there.

+however many for the Sdg Bel Air, though Ti here!

"why is it that all Specialized 'Body Geometry' stuff somehow fails to ever fit my body so...?"

Maybe your using the wrong size? Theres 2 or 3 different sit bone spacing sizes for each saddle they make. If your sit bones are an extreme spacing for eg and you've only ever tried the 'average' size then of course you won't get on.
Go into a specialized dealer and get measured

I didn't get on with an SDG Bel-Air Ti, too narrow and 'pointy'. Lacking in width over enough of its length. For hovering over the saddle descending though I think they are a bit more out the way than some others
I get on with specialized though
WTB Speed Vs are okay, but are bum-numingly wide for any length of sat down riding

I used to be a massive fan of the WTB Speeds, but mate lent me a Charge Spoon for a a week a while back, and I'm a complete convert. However seeing that Winstanleys had the Charge knife on for a good price a while back, I gave that a try and I love it. Not quite as much padding as the Spoon, still as comfortable, but 100grms lighter. Got them on 2 bikes now.

SDG Bel Air Ti.

SDG Bel Air fan here, Yet to try a Fizik Gobi though.

Everyone here is of course talking rubbish.

It's the Raleigh Chopper saddle.

i now declare this thread officially closed.

Flite since the start of time, on and off road.

Never really got on with Flite, but have never put real miles on one. B17 for the tourer, WTB SSTX Ti on the MTB, and a very similar shape Ritchey on the hardtail. On the roadbike it's more about the shorts than the saddle for me. Both the WTB and the Ritchey are looking pretty tatty, so I may have to start experimenting again.

Brookes Ti shame its not an all weather item 2 years old and fits like a glove
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Flite since they came out.
Current flite TT is now into its 8th year.

I'm not sure why there's even a debate - the question isn't which is your current favourite saddle, or even which is your best saddle of all time.

Is there anybody who hasn't actually tried a Flite?

brooks all the way!

I love my Charge Knife. It's cheap for what it is, it's light, it's durable, it's comfy and it looks brilliant. Makes pretty much every other saddle I've used look pretty silly really.

Brooks Pro big rivet, still got mine from 1984.

Oh and the Viscount VT2 on my road bike is super comfy.

What difference does a saddle make on an MTB, you never sit on it long enough. Ahem.

bakes. Again, could you stop referring to me as 'the flite' please.

brooks b17 mmmmmmm 😀

Brooks B17 Narrow great.
Brooks Ti Swift greater.
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I used to have my Swift on my Swift when I had my Swift. Lovely.
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Cheers, al.

Talk to me about Brooks ti. Im guessing you have to break them in? (no bakes).

When you say not all weather- the leather would become sodden in rain etc?

I use mine in all weather. And as long as you get the dubbin stuff it doesn't take long to break in. Smells good too (got citronella in it).

Cheers, al.

i use mine all weathers (wi a bit o dubbin). 🙂