Saddle advise

Pop in to your local Specialized dealer and get measured up and matched to a saddle that suits your position on the bike (sit up & beg / head down racer). If I recall correctly, if you don't like the saddle you can return it after using it.

Selle SMP, the saddle brand with the "beak."

You say you are getting rubbed between the cheeks, so my advice is.... pile cream (Germoloids triple action to be specific), cleared up my painful crack. It seems to create a lasting numbing effect - bliss.

You're welcome.

Thanks, just looked at the Selle SMP. I have tried a Selle Italia flite flow, which was very uncomfortable - painful...

The Selle SMP looks to have a more curved shape than the flite flow - might be worth trying, however is Selle SMP the same company that makes Selle Italia Flite? They might have the same saddle shape.

Castelli or Rapha bibs, start with something that’s actually going to work. Always found cheap bibs to be awful.

currently on phenom saddles on all the bikes, 80 miles this weekend and my ass is doing just fine. Few weeks ago we did 130 miles and 35kft in 4.5days, no complaints.

Specialized bridge is good as well, nose is too wide for me. Want to try a power arc as it’s a bit shorter on the nose.

+1 on speak to a good bike shop.

I'm struggling to get a comfy saddle - it used to be that a vaguely narrow SDG or WTB and I was just fine. I'm assuming with the years and bike changes, let alone saddle making changes, it's just not comfy anymore.
I spent a chunk of money yesterday on a new saddle from Synergy in Auchterader. It's basically on 'get on with it, we're all good. Don't get on and we will swap it and refund/pay difference until you are comfy'.

Fingers crossed... It's a Selle San Marco Open Dynamic Shortfit with extra supercomfort foam (catchy) 😎

The local bike fit guy round here has a cupboard with a bajillion different saddles, and seems to have a good strike rate of suggesting the right thing first time. Another avenue perhaps?

Sometimes worth looking at used saddles on the classifieds on ebay then it's cheaper to try saddles out.

As per oldnick. Find a bike fitter who does saddle fitting. As in actually tries you on loads and loads of saddles in a session. It's amazing how easily you can narrow down to the one(s) that fit you perfectly when you are testing them all in the one sitting. I can highly recommend Andy Sexton https://www.bike-science.com/

however is Selle SMP the same company that makes Selle Italia Flite

Not as I understand it, there are at least three Italian saddle brands called 'Selle ...'

I think Selle just means Saddle in Italian!

The local bike fit guy round here has a cupboard with a bajillion different saddles

As per oldnick. Find a bike fitter who does saddle fitting.

TBH, i'd go a step further, actually get a bike fit.

If your position on the bike is bad, or you have biomechanical oddities around hips/knees/spine, you might need more than a better saddle to get comfy.

Or as a minimum check your saddle isn't too high.

Note that your “perfect” saddle is not just the shape of your arse bones.  Position and biological padding makes a huge difference.

So if your position changes as you get tired on a long ride, then your saddle needs change. Not much but find the compromise between fresh as a daisy position and shoot me now position on the bike.

And speaking as someone who lost 3 stone during lock down (nothing to do apart from work, run and cycle) your required saddle and saddle height can change with weight and body composition.

As above get the position on the bike right first because even if it doesn’t cause any other problems the wrong position will cause you to sit strangely on the bike which will stop a saddle fitting no matter what.

+1 decent bibs and Specialized Phenom - cured all my saddle discomfort. Like you I tried all sorts of saddles before I found the right one. An extremely close second was a Brooks Cambium which might be worth a shot... Also as per others, make sure your saddle is the right height etc - maybe get a bike fit if you haven't already.

For me it’s been getting bike fit right first and foremost.

My saddle was too high, which was also effecting my pedalling efficiency.

It’s also been about both frequency and length of rides too. Frequency in that it helps to get on a bike every day, length in that some really long rides help things to break in too.

Last thing is, have you shown your crack to a doctor? You may have a skin condition that is causing this. At the very least they’ll be able to rule it out for you.

Sounds like some minor position/fit adjustments might be worth trying? Here’s my guide to getting comfortable: https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/are-you-sitting-comfortably-a-guide-to-saddle-comfort/

Good luck!

BTW, anyone who recommends you a saddle to try because it "fixed their issues" is almost 100% guaranteed to be completely wrong.

Height and angle are critical - probably at least as important as the saddle itself.

Fabric do most of their saddles in three different shapes, flat, shallow and radius, and different widths too, so should have something that suits.

worth having a google at ISM saddles, they works for many people, self included

I’d find a bike fitter who has a lot of trail saddles if possible. Book yourself for a bike fit and take your bike along so they can get a look at your position and workout any issues.

just buying loads of saddles is going to cost a fortune as you’ve found out.

Good bibs are important but it sounds like you probably have that covered. I’m assuming you already use liberal amount of chamois cream as that’s generally the solution to friction.

Have you tried a anything with a flatter profile and a more shallow cut out? May not make sense in theory but weirdly I found a harder and flatter saddle worked for me, despite having issues with pressure that a larger cut out should help solve. For me thr SDG duster works. Also get on ok with ergon. 75kg and narrow sit bones.

Read good things about specialized bridge so I'll try one of those at some point.

Op - what sort of bike do you have? Sometimes it can be due to a lack of compliance in the frame/wheelset.

I watch a lot of "bike fit James" on YouTube.

His general thoughts on such things are that sit bone measuring is more marketing than science and has most people on a saddle that's too wide.

If you struggle with every saddle you try, and you've tried a lot of good ones, then there's a good chance it's your position rather than your saddle.

A bike fit might work out cheaper than more expensive saddles.

Do you still have the Bel Air 2? I might be the only person who ever liked that saddle.