Can anyone recommend a good saddle for mountain biking

Hi been round gisburn forest today and my sadle is very uncomfy its a ragley can anyone recommend a good saddle i could replace it with

Charge Spoon is popular on here. I like mine, and it’s cheap.

You’ll get two or three answers:

SDG Bel Air
Charge Spoon
Maybe a Specialized variant after you get your ass measured.

Lets get serious here. there really is only one choice:

Fizik Gobi kium.

Lets get serious here. there really is only one choice:

Yep, SDG I-Beam

WTB Rocket V.

However, the sensible answer is “whatever fits”. People have different shaped rears, so different people get on with different saddles. Find a decent shop that has test saddles, try them out, pick one you like.

Lets get serious here. there really is only one choice:

Yes indeed…

The only choice is the ONE THAT FITS YOUR ARSE!

And that means one of many many many different styles depending on your arse. Personally I can’t get on with many that some people find comfy, but then I really like others that some don’t. Try a few before committing to buy, most LBS’s will have a few you could try out before buying.

Have a Charge Spoon on the commuter & a Selle Italia SLR on the MTB.

Spoon is many times more comfortable and cost £20.

I’ve used Spoon-a-likes (same Velo 1205 mold available from a few brands) and I like them, but a WTB Rocket/Pure/Laser V is another level of comfort. Did 2 10-day plus bikepacking rides this summer on them in (relative) comfort.

It’s personal thing. Wish I’d tried a WTB sooner however, like 10 years ago..

+1 for mboy “The one that fits your arse!!!”
I’ve tried all the stw favourites and recommendations but after many tries ended up with a Syncros AM saddle. At the end of the day its all about comfort and the length of time you want to spend in the saddle!

the sensible answer is “whatever fits”. People have different shaped rears, so different people get on with different saddles. Find a decent shop that has test saddles, try them out, pick one you like.

This.
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For me the best is a Flite SLR, I have 5 of them and an SLR-TT. Longest continuous use was 25hr16min and still comfy.

Depends on your budget.

FWIW, I’d say ignore everything and get a Spoon. It’s better than the £80 Spesh job on my full susser and doesn’t cost a mint to replace.

I’ve not met anyone who didn’t love theirs.

Lets get serious here. there really is only one choice:

Fizik Gobi

To show how personal it is, the Gobi is one of the most uncomfortable saddle shapes I’ve sat on.

Same here for the Gobi done 2hrs on one and got off the bike feeling I’d been made someones bitch in a state penitentiary!!!

As above, such a personal thing, if you have a good lbs then they may well have some demo saddles. I’m a big fan of San Marco Zoncolans, and Fizik Ariones, but I know others who hate them.

I get on great with the bog standard on one saddle cost about £20.
Have you made sure yours is adjusted correctly?
Any saddle will be uncomfortable if not set up right.

fizik gobi for me, but i know lots hate them so you can pick one up cheap on here like i did, i’ve had two and easily ride all day without any issues, 12 hours in the saddle is pretty good test. some shops will do a sdg demo.

another vote for the Charge Spoon – I have one on my road bike, and will get another for the MTB at some point.
I think mine was about £15 in a silly sale at Wiggle earlier this year.

I’ve not met anyone who didn’t love theirs.

I don’t love mine, but we’ve never met. It’s OK, good for the money but prefer my WTB.

On the road, was Prologo Scratch, now Specialized Romin Evo.

I like ’em curvy.

I think the Charge spoon is too grippy, but that may be just me. The flite slr feels perfect (for my Rs) but is pricey. So I am going to try a Gobi next.

Another vote for the SDG Bell Air.

Dare I ask if youve done a lot of riding before? Sounds like you might not have done a great deal of miles in the saddle recently, and youve just got a new bike. In which case it dosent matter what saddle you use for a few rides. Until your arse has become acustom to sitting on a skinny saddle for a few hours its just going to hurt no matter what seat you have. It will get infinitly better within half a dozen good rides though. So If im right, just bare with it a little longer before you splash the cash.

I got one of these and it is really comfortable

WTB Pure V, never need to try another saddle, sorted now.
I tried the Rocket V and it was good but the Pure V wins hands down,

Had a Spoon and didn’t like it. Bought a WTB Pure V for less and it was so much comfier and probably lighter.

The fresh prince

SDG Bel Air!

Lovely saddle

I found the Spoon comfy when new but it lost its support really quickly. I guess a classic “you get what you pay for”. Much prefer the Specialized range.

Pure v

But try getting naked, sit on some corrugated cardboard, and measure the distance between the imprints your sit bones leave then go to a shop and match up the width of the saddle

I like the Specialized BG Phenom 143mm – fits my pelvis perfectly.

And there’s the hint….

Personally I have never had an uncomfortable saddle but these days choose something Italian, leather, expensive and light but no more or less comfy than the cheapo thing on my first Specialised Rockhopper in 2000 that I still commute on.

I’ve had a Bel Air for years and loved it. But I just put one of these on the road bike and it is really comfy

sdg bel air, on a hardtail,for long rides,on hard trails.suits you sir.

As an aside, has anyone tried the Ergon saddles?

Andy

Cheers guys going to keep trying mine have a play with position if no good think i may go for a charge spoon like you guys say cant go wrong as they cost next to nothing

I liked my Specialized Romin on my road bike so much I got one for the mountain bike. Very stiff and very thin, it’s very comfy! Make sure you get the angle right though, nose up a bit.

im sort of in a similar quandry,ive recenently climbed back on the saddle after a lenghty hiatus and for the first week or so my arse bone felt violated, yet persisting on i became quite comfortable on an arione tri,not having anything to recall in comparison,is their a huge differance in saddles re comfort or is it a case of getting used to it?
Then fine tuning….there do seem to be firm favorites(nopunintended)
Also can anyone enlighten me re; kium as opposed to ti ? is it a weight thing ?

FWIW, I’d say ignore everything and get a Spoon. It’s better than the £80 Spesh job on my full susser and doesn’t cost a mint to replace.

I’ve not met anyone who didn’t love theirs.

TOTAL crap

I gave a Spoon many many rides to see if I could finally grow to love it. They’re bloody awful IMO, but I do know a lot of people like them.

By contrast (and this pains me as I work in the non Spesh dealer in my town) the Spesh Romin/Phenom in 143mm width are things of utter loveliness to my backside! Shame I can’t get them cheap, or any trade discount etc…

Same here for the Gobi done 2hrs on one and got off the bike feeling I’d been made someones bitch in a state penitentiary!!!

Don’t think I lasted that long even on a Gobi! Bloody awful saddle, but I know people who love them.

Another vote for the SDG Bell Air.

Got on quite well with the Bel Air myself too. Though still prefer the Spesh saddles, but Bel Air is a close 2nd for me.

I like the Specialized BG Phenom 143mm – fits my pelvis perfectly.

And there’s the hint….

Touche!

Spoon has been one of my worst buys, not comfy, Slippy when wet and rails bent within months!
Next purchases have been a couple of the Madison saddles. 1st one was as bad as the Spoon, rails bent and was replaced by another model this was ok for a few months but has gone soft in the rails/ mountings and hits the seat post on hard bumps! On the search again
SDG Ibeam on fs bike is ok but the post has cracked! Saddle for sale if anyone wants it?
Best saddle was a Fizzi of some description yrs ago, one with tall rails?
Kona/WTB on fs cheap fron CRC is good but a bit short.

WTB speed V – about £25 bargain