New saddle for gravel bike

I’m looking for a new saddle to replace my Spesh one on my old Camino  (all I know is that it’s 155mm).

Budget £50-60 to fit my fat arse and 95kg wobbly fatness

What can you recommend that works for long road sections and bits of easy bridleway (out of saddle at times)?

I’ve put an Ergon Core SRbon my bike which I really like. Depends if you get on with flat saddles

Why are you replacing the existing saddle?

I’ve played around with wavey saddles (Power Arc, Selle San Marco Allroad) and flat saddles (Antares, Selle Italia Flite) but I found I was getting really uncomfortable on long rides, basically all over.

Moved to 155mm Antares which improved matters. On the road bike I’m lower over the front so I’m trying an SQLabs 612 which has a step so it takes a lot of pressure off the soft tissue up front. Feels good so far so am tempted by their gravel one too which has a bit more padding.

Would have been tempted by an Ergon too.

Not a popular option but I love brooks flers.

Plus points

Comfy, durable, springs to take shocks out your spine.

Minus points

Heavy. Half a kilo more than a normal saddle.

Expensive, you would need to be second hand for your budget, which means someone else has part broken it in for you.

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m18b0s144p679/BROOKS-Flyer

Or a brooks b17. No springs but still comfy (for me).

I have one of these on my road bike

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335329531430?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=TXGkaGOoTQm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=a9M6NJdMTVq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

It did say it would take 600 miles to break in. After100 and pushing the top in the shed it’s ok. Cheaper and lighter than a b17. Too early to tell if it’s comfier

The leather saddles can be tightened or loosened to give a flat or hammock shaped top.

I’ve never liked the Spesh saddle but it was better than the Wonder one the bike came with.

I’ve swapped mine for a Spesh Phenom – it’s the only saddle of theirs I really get on with.

it’s considerably more comfortable than the one that came in it or the PRO Falcon carbon one from my roadie.

I’ve been enjoying this on my grav

Ergon SR Allroad Core Saddle Review

See you can find a “beaky” Selle SMP on sale. I got a white Extra for £37 from Amazon back in ’20.

I’m a fan of Brooks Cambium saddles.
The first was a C17, which was really comfy, but a little wide at the back.
Now I have a C15 which is perfect. Can ride all day without knicks, it’s that comfortable.

I’ve got a Fabric Line-S on both my bikes. Nice relief channel in the middle and it’s not too long.  Think they still have them on Merlin for around £40?

Fabric Line-S Race Flat Saddle | Merlin Cycles

I love my fizik terra Argo. £77 on bikeinn at present.

I just got a Bontrager Aeolus Comp on my road bike and I love it. I am a big fan of these snub-nose “boost” saddles and this one was cheap but comfier for me than a Spesh Power Saddle for example. I might get them for all my bikes after a few more months testing. Not sure it would be great on the enduro bike position right enough.

Obvs saddles are the most subjective thing about a bike so take anything with a grain of salt.

Prologo Kappa RS here, semi round and traditional size, not a shorty. Cheap too.

It replaced a grabby rubber thing that ate shorts and stopped you moving. Selle Italia Model X.

Looks like we’ve figured out what the best saddle is lads. Great work! ?

More seriously, find an lbs that has some test saddles to try and see what fits you because your arse is yours and yours alone.

I think I’ll try an Ergon one.

If it doesn’t work I should be able to sell it

Looks like we’ve figured out what the best saddle is lads. Great work!

Lol! (I miss the laughing emojji…).

I think OP needs to identify the actual Specialized saddle he has which he doesn’t like, and what’s uncomfortable about it.

Found it in my mail archive !

It’s a 2016 Specialized Toupe Sport (155) – it’s feels too hard all day long and maybe not flat enough

+1 from me for @rOcKeTdOg and the Ergon above, but I’m on a similar Ergom SM Enduro on the mountain bikes also,

Whatever Prologo do at the right price in the correct width for me. I run the prologo proxim 650 on the gravel bike and lower spec ones on mtbs. Also got a Prologo Dimension Space Tirox 153 on the road bike which I like but would go for the proxim again I think. Managed to pick the dimension up for £35 on eBay 2nd hand and looked brand new.

I normally fit a Ergon SR Allroad, but my Revolt came with a Giant Approach SL saddle and I’m finding it really, really comfy.

good to know

Thanks

I find the Giant Approach on my Revolt great for up to an hour and then depending on fueling and fatigue it can feel like it cuts my circulation off to my legs, leading to calf cramps or just general discomfort. Other times I just get a sore arse (not chafing)…

This is only on longer rides (80km+), and I find that if I get my fueling right it’s much less of an issue, and often passes, which suggests it’s more of a me thing than necessarily a saddle thing….

I’ve a Brooks B17 on my commuter which I rarely ride these days.

Is there such a thing as an all day comfy saddle that doesn’t weigh a kilo+?

Booo. SQLabs was very comfortable under bum today but much like a Power Arc (and combined with my short hip flexors) the curved ramp at the back rotates my hips forward too much I think and dumps weight on my arms, elbows and triceps in all sorts of hurt after 100km!

Flat saddles for the win it would appear

I mean, it’s does what it says on the tin saddle

WTB Gravelier Saddle Review

Ergon sm here

what saddles have worked for you in the past?

This is a hugely personal thing (and for me does not depend one but on bike type or terrain).