Looking at the saddle options available, ideally for longer rides on the HT which will be singletrack, byways, woods etc

I currently have a Fabric Scoop Radius which generally works well however on rides over 40 miles across mixed terrain sometimes the old sit bones throw a tantrum

I recently tried the Ergon SMC sport gel which was well received on bikepacking.com but hated it and sent it back – far too wide a platform for my liking

I appreciate that saddles are a very individual choice and you need measure your fit carefully however I’d be interested to hear what folks are running out in the real world…

Selle Italia SLR (superflow) ,that’s what fits my backside.
I also use a couple of old Flites that I haven’t worn out yet,they also(for me)work very well.

I’ve currently got brooks c13 cadmium carved (a mouthful), on all three of my bikes. Can’t say I’ve found a saddle that doesn’t massage my sit bones on repeated 50mile rides, but this is the best I’ve found so far for my posterior.

How old is the Scoop? While I always liked the shape of the Charge Spoon, I found that the padding gradually packed down. A year old Spoon was pretty much useless (for me). OK, they were at the cheaper end of the spectrum but it was still not cost-effective to be replacing them that often. My Specialized saddles are much more expensive but last much longer.

It’s often said , one man’s sofa saddle is another man’s razor blade. The only way is to try saddles until you find your sofa. I’ve been using the Specialized saddles on all my bikes for several years and get on well with them. I use the Phenom for MTB and CX. A lot of Specialized stores have test saddles you can borrow for a weekend ( my LBS has anyway).

SDG BelAir. Never been beat.

@thols2 – I have an SDG Bel Air 3 fitted to my full suss which is great but I’m not so sure about long days mostly sat in the saddle …

Saddles very personal. Selle Italia SLR variants here

But 40miles off road is a long day out on any saddle.

Selle Italia SLR XC flow and SDG Strange Fly Mtn (default orange saddle?) Have both worked well for me at 24/12.

Watching this thread with interest. I’ve used a Madison Flux (same design as the Charge Spoon?) for many years but I’m finding that it isn’t as comfortable as it used to be on long rides any more.

Specialized Power here. Short, so easy to maneuver around, great pressure relief, but very comfortable (for me at least – different bums may vary).

But 40miles off road is a long day out on any saddle.

Yeah, I think for longer distances/durations, your actual position on the saddle is important too, I found with saddles that were too scooped, or a position that was too upright, I was putting too much pressure on soft tissue around the ischial tuberosities, rather than being leant forward and spreading the pressure over the bony bits either side of the taint.

Good diagrams here

I ended up sore where the red tendon is shown attaching to the sit bone, not because my saddle was soft but because I was sitting relatively upright on a saddle with a very scooped tail, which put too much pressure on the wrong areas.

I’ve moved towards flatter saddles for this reason.

Could also just be friction etc. Are your shorts relatively new and good knick? Do you use chamois cream on longer rides?

Watching this thread with interest. I’ve used a Madison Flux (same design as the Charge Spoon?) for many years but I’m finding that it isn’t as comfortable as it used to be on long rides any more

See my comments above.

Ergon SM Pro works well for me – have it on most of my bikes. As above though decent and newish shorts also make a difference for me…

For long days I still hold on to a (2010ish) SDG Bel Air RL (cromo)

Multidays then the Brooks Team Pro Special keeps me cool and comfortable. Lovely bit of kit if it suits.

Brooks Cambium carved was instantly comfortable and has remained so, but then I have Ergon saddles on my MTB and Pro Turnix on gravel/road bike.

the Pro Turnix might be a good suggestion if you like a Spoon?

WTB Pure V and Rapha Brevet shorts. 🙂

Undershorts and riding gear are all in good condition. Overall the Fabric saddle performs well – it’s just those longer rides that I can feel pain in the sit bones. No chaffing or rubbing at all.

Maybe standing on the pedals for intervals will help the blood flow and offer some relief.

I think the holy grail of saddle sofa searching will continue and I will look into some of the options listed here

Cheers

I’ve used a Madison Flux (same design as the Charge Spoon?)

Well…my Giant road bike came with what appeared to be their own brand copy of a Selle Italia SLR. Same length, same width, same shape. I could not get on with it at all.

WTB Sliverado, and Specialised Phenom see to suit my arse

Brooks Cambium C15 was instantly comfortable on my rigid MTB.
Done some 50+km off-road rides on it, and it’s the comfiest saddle I own, alongside a Charge Pan on my gravel bike.

I did the same, went from the Radius to the Ergon and hated it. I have found the Radius has packed down a fair bit. That said it does have 1600 miles on it and the nose is wearing out a bit too.

I have just gone for the Radius gel which is great upgrade. More comfy but feels like what I’m used to.

There is no way that anyone on here can tell you what will work. They will know what works for you, but honestly I’ve tried some famously “comfy” saddles that have been hell.

Trial and error then stick with it.

My only mantra is less is more. My comfiest have been very minimal, apart from my spoon on the mtb

I had a revelation last year when I discovered the Brooks Cambium c17 – I now have them on all of my bikes.

Not too expensive if you do your research <£70 if you shop around which compared to many these days isn’t too bad

If you try all the cambium styles (13, 15, 17) you can always sell on eBay for more than you paid retail – that’s what I did to find the right fit!

SDG Bel Air has always worked for me, but everyone’s arse is different. One bike came with a Burgtec Cloud and for me that was a badly named saddle. Felt like I was being sliced in two. As others have said experiment with different ones or get yourself measured up.