Opinions?

I’ve been using various 143mm Specializeds and the Charge Spoon for a while but just looking to see what else is out there. I know saddle preferences are all a bit personal but just wondering what these are like in general.

If you like the Spoon, you’ll also like the Bel-Air.

Also try the Madison Flux.

Had a bel air for years until one of the rails finally snapped. Now running charge spoons on both bikes. I find the spoon just as comfy and certainly cheaper.

Love em. My default saddle choice.

I started using one after my ancient flite ti died. Was a good touring saddle for many years. Might go back to one.

Also running various spoons on various bikes.

I’ve gone the opposite route. Bel-Air’s for a few years and now 143 Spesh Phenoms. Personally I much prefer the Phenoms but like you say its a personal thing.

I’d agree with wallop. I have swapped between the spoon and the bel-air over the years. I now have a scoop which I prefer above either.

I’ve had a couple over the years and have always been more than happy with them comfort wise from quick local blasts to all day epics.

Have found they tend to creak a bit after a while but that may just be lack of tlc on my part.

That said the Whyte branded saddle that came with my T129 is very nice too.

Previously had a Spoon and an WTB something or another which were ok but I never got on particularly well with Gobi’s fwiw.

Try a Scoop. The radius one.

My opinion on Bel Airs is they are as comfy as any other saddle, I found most saddles comfy for MTBing. THey look like shit though, so I’d never put one on a bike again.

I have an SDG Bel air arse. Nothing else is as comfortable, including the bel air 2.0.

Q-Labs. Very comfy; you have to measure your ar*e sit bones to get the right size!

Used to be my go to but the spoon was about the same and significantly cheaper

Bel air or Madison flux for me.
Swore by the bel air until I did the South Downs Way in a day … it ran out of support after about 10h in the saddle … went with the flux from then on.

For MTB the Flux makes better sense than the Spoon (Kevlar reinforced corners) however I prefer the original Bel Air over both of the above, would like to try the Bel Air 2.0.

Been through a few bel airs – they really work for me. 2.0 no way near as comfy

Had Brl airs, changed to spoon due to them being cheaper, now back on Bel Air as they are just more comfortable.

Ti railed Belair here.

I’m not bothered by Ti stuff usually but got this saddle in Ti to take a little sting out off the ht….. Got a bad back you see.

As a seat is very comfy. Other bike has a spoon but on long rides the Belair is far nicer. Bought off eBay do so didn’t cost a huge amount either.

Ti rail only, the chrome railed ones are a totally different proposition.

Colin, I had Bel Airs on all the bikes for years and found them very comfy. Moved to ISM’s as you know for health reasons and on the way tried various Spesh ones, using the fitting tool. The Spesh ones were never as comfy for me as SDG. Having been on ISM for over a year I won’t be changing !

Awesome saddles , got 3 bikes and all 3 have Bel Airs , and tough as old boots .

As peepingtom, but they can be creaky

Used to run them and yes they are comfy, but got fed up with them squeaking and creaking, one after only 6 months.
Now run either Brooks or charge.

Used ti railed BA for years, but they kept getting more expensive. Now use Madison flux, looks better, feels exact same and cheap as chips.

Used BAs for years. Tried a spoon and didn’t like it.

Thanks folks. Seems like they’re not a million miles away from what I’ve been using so I’ve ordered (a Ti railed) one to see what I think.

Lots of love, again, for the Spoon/Flux/Gusset R. I do like these and they are pretty cheap, but I find the padding doesn’t last as long as, say, a Specialized.

Bel Air’s are very comfortable, creak like hell and then fall apart. I have owned 6 of them all did the same.

In fact I can’t remember owning an MTB saddle that didn’t either cripple me, creak like hell, fall apart, snap or all four.

didn’t find the bel air 2.0 as comfy as the origional one.

Quite like Bel Airs on the MTB, picked a Ti railed one in a sale a couple of years ago that would have gone really well with the Solaris I was building in my head in THAT green.

Looks a bit odd on the black Soul it ended up on, but it’s comfy

“25%” off the Ti ones in CRC at the moment.

It’s the best ‘sit and forget’ saddle I’ve owned so far – just the right size and firmness. My Phenom comes close, but is too hard at the rear edge. My Gobi is great, but not quite soft enough for long rides in winter.

Note, there are at least 3 rail options with Bel Airs: Cr-Mo, Ti-Alloy and Solid Ti.

My Bel Air is one of these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sdg-bel-air-rl-ti-alloy-collection-saddle/rp-prod134697
A lot of the gold on the rails and the logo on the top cover rubbed off on my first ride with it, so don’t expect it too look nice if you ride in gritty shit.

I also own an SDG Formula MTR, which is the comfiest of them all, but the top cover is a bit fragile. If it’s comfort you want, this ones the best in my opinion:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sdg-formula-mtr-ti-saddle-2012/rp-prod51942