[Closed] Your Favourite MTB Saddle?

Old skool Selle Italia Flite, I have one on every bike I own.
Not overly padded mind you.

SDG Bel-Air

WTB Volt for me.

Fizik tundra

Was Charge Spoon

Then Fabric whatever (same company as Charge)

Now Ergon SM-PRO. It’s pretty firm to start with but after a few rides, it’s the most comfortable saddle I’ve had.

Also liked SDG Bel-Airs back in the day.

Problem is the only way you can see if you like a saddle is to try it.

I bought a Burgtec Cloud which I expected to be perfect. It’s now sat unloved in the spares drawer and will only be exhumed if someone I don’t like very much asks to borrow a saddle!

The old SDG Belair.

Madison flux isn't too far behind (ahem) but not quite as good.

Brooks Cambium C15

Fabric Scoop Radius for me. I have the widest version on the mountain bike and the standard width on the road bike. The wider saddle works for me even though I’m an 8 1/2 stone pipe cleaner

Have you measured your sit bones, to make sure you are on the correct width saddle? As it can make the difference between sitting on a comfy sofa and sitting on a swords edge!

I quite like the Specialized Phenom that came on mine, very comfy and not in rush to change it. Before that The WTB high tail was quite comfy. I have a narrow arse.

As others have said though choosing saddles is really too personal for recommendations other than build quality or colours

@andykirk let me know if you're interested in selling the sq labs saddle, I'm interested to try one but full price is out of my price range.

The best saddle I've found so far is a Tioga Spyder Stratum, no padding but plenty of flex.

My phenom feels like i'm sitting on a square edged block of wood!!!

I used to love the charge knife, but can't get them...

I've got a fabric on one bike..should really give that a go again.

I'll be honest, I'm a serial saddle swapper... but actually, then longest running saddle is an old specialized lightweight saddle that is VERY similar to the phenom, but MUCH more comfy...might see what that is!!

DrP

Prologo Kappa, with cutout or not, no matter what rails. They are often on sale on various sites, I think I'm on my fourth - the cover wears through eventually but I haven't broken them otherwise.
It has very flat profile as I can't get on with WTB type saddles.

Was a committed Rocket user but trying a chrome railed Burgtec Cloud just now. Didn't notice it first ride so that's a good sign.

Evans FWE Trail, have them on all my bikes now.

Think it's similar to a Spoon

@kula72  - if you want another one let me know 🙂 I could not get on with it at all

I've got a crank brothers one that I decided I really liked and then found they'd stopped doing them. The Charge Spoon is a very comfortable saddle and is also cheap as chips and available in a range of colours. However, cheap is reflected in the quality of the build, cheapnplastic base with the cover material stapled into place. Easily snapped in crashes too as I discovered. However easily replaceable and very cheap, Merlin doing them for £17 at the moment. Width is 142mm (I think) which makes them good for most people's sit bones

WTB Volt for me - also found their calculator of great help prior to choosing. Ergon do some great saddles as well.

@Alex Early days and not done a long ride yet. It was an impulse thing as it seemed good value while was shopping for other stuff on the site.

hmm... tempoted to try an ergon sm pro and sr pro... but £160 for a pair of saddles of not yet tried... hmm....

DrP

What makes a saddle MTB?

Always liked Concors, though my MTB has a road saddle (Spesh Power?), Wide and flat as I'm weaning myself off bib shorts, though the concor isn't uncomfortable without bibs for the distances I do.

....and for a different perspective, an ISM PM, which is the MTB version of their slightly odd looking perches..

I swopped to ISM about 6 years ago, a few months before going for prostate surgery. And have never looked back, have them on all the bikes.

I always keep coming back to an SDG Bel-air (the original, not the 2.0) I've come to the conclusion that the curved nose is what makes it comfy for me. If I ride another bike with a flat saddle it makes the owd chap sting when I have a pee.

One of these Enduro Mag Test: San Marco Dirty Zero Pro

It's super light and comfortable without cutting into the inside of your thighs because it's so thin.

They don't make them any more and I wish I'd bought 2 or 3. A saddle for life.

G

Got Spoons on all my bikes - mtb, road, commuter and gravel.

Another for the original SDG Bel Air. So comfy. Also quite rate old Bontrager ones.

Charge Knife and SDG Circuit, very similar actually.

Brooks Cambium C17 works for me (I have wide sit bones), narrower options are available.
I have done long mtb rides and my legs gave up before my rear was sore.

I went thru a stage of constantly swapping saddles after I started doing longer (6 plus hours) rides. The Charge Spoon was replaced with a plethora of 2nd hand eBay purchases and settled on the SMP Hell with the huge cutout and big curve. Was ok but after I did a couple of 24 hour solos my sit bones were really sore. I had talked myself into believing the hype about cut out saddles and the benefits but am now finally settled with WTB Volt 150mm and Ergon SM4 Large and have just got the newer SM Pro Large too. All have been really good and I think that even though I’m skinny my sit bones are quite wide so as others have said measure them and take it from there. A good pad in your shorts makes a big difference too.

Another SDG Bel-Air here. It’s such a difficult thing to recommend though. I also get on with a Charge Spoon. Burgtec Cloud and Chromag Trailmaster both almost broke me.

hmm… tempoted to try an ergon sm pro and sr pro… but £160 for a pair of saddles of not yet tried… hmm….

I read a few reviews before taking the plunge. I also used their website to find out if I was ‘normal’ or ‘wide-arse’. The saddle is a smaller foot (arse?)print than the Fabric it replaced. Lots less give in it as well. I was not convinced when I fitted it or after the first 5 hour ride!

Since then tho, it’s been fantastic. Put in a lot of miles in all sorts of conditions. I’m going to replace my other two MTBs with these when they wear out. Bit at £80 a shot, not before….

Spoon for me

Old skool Selle Italia SLR for me. Like a Flite with the spare bits chopped off. A side benefit is that it weighs naff all.

…and just to prove it’s all personal - I borrowed a demo bike with a Burgtec Cloud on it. First time I’ve come across a cloud with a housebrick inside it! Horrible thing.

I don’t have a favourite yet but recently bought a Fabric Scoop Shallow Elite.

Two rides in, the first was a short one and it felt good. Second ride, after about three hours it started to feel hard. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Brooks Cambium for me. Comfy as on the mtb and commuter

Ergon SME (I think) and SDG Formula Ti are my current MTB perches and both are great for me. Never give them a moment's thought, which is what you want, eh?

Selle Italia C2 Gel for me, I've had it 11 years and I keep trying new saddles then going back to the old one.  I may buy a new one, but I have read many people raving about the Ergon saddles, so tempted to try one.

Used an ergon sm pro for a week of 12hr+ days sat on it. Was good enough to convince me to buy an sr pro for the road bike. Both are well built and still like new.

As I understand it, the road one has a droopier nose to make being in the drops more comfy (which it is).

Currently have SDG Circuits on two bikes. Did have a Charge Spoon which was OK but didn't last long.

Fizik Aliante on every bike - road, MTB, town bike. Works for me.

None of these were bad, but in order of comfort
SDG Belair.
Madison flux.
Charge Spoon.

The Spoon took more bedding in.
Spoon and Flux both cheap.

Just don't clean a Flux with Isopropanol....

OP I have used the SQ Labs in the past and it always took a few rides for them to feel their best - not sure if I adapted or whether they ‘break in’.

Ergon SM Pro was good.