Soft Gel Saddles
 

I am on the hunt for a good soft gel saddle. For some background - I have a Brooks Flyer Special saddle that I've been riding with for years. With regular bike shorts it is a great system for me.

However, without padded bike shorts I need some extra cushion.

A few years ago I did a tour of a few weeks (in 2 parts) and I wanted more saddle options to switch around if I got to that point. So I found a gel saddle cover that slips over the Brooks. For areas where I needed to jump back on the bike to go to a latrine at a trail head it worked OK.

Fast forward to most of this season - I have been using my touring bike as my commuter about 90% of the time. So I am not switching in and out of bike shorts on either end of my commute I've been using the gel saddle cover. For the short (under 3 mile) runs each way it has been comfortable enough. I wouldn't want to do a day trip on the gel cover, but I am not on the bike long enough each way for any soreness to develop.

That having been said - the problem I do have with the cover is when I stand up off the saddle (such as crossing grass/curbs between parking lots) I knock the cover a bit and it doesn't sit right on the Brooks underneath. That makes it quite uncomfortable.

So what I am after is a gel saddle that has the same type of soft gel the cover does, but in a fixed saddle that won't shift around on me.

I am not opposed to a relatively narrow saddle in the form of the Brooks Flyer, for example, but I wouldn't mind trying a bit wider saddle for something different. Considering it isn't for performance or distance - strictly commuting comfort - I am a bit more flexible with what I'm after.

I will say that I did order a saddle a couple weeks ago from Amazon. What I got is not a soft gel saddle. It is padded, but I find it still too hard for comfort.

Thoughts? What should I consider that is actually soft gel?

You're probably best off going to a physical retailer and poking the saddles with your fingers.

If at some point in the future you want to give leather saddles a second try, I'm a fan of the Selle Anatomica saddles. They are soft from day one and don't have a leather break in period. I've been using this brand for almost ten years now.

Gel saddles and saddle covers are from the Devil's sweatshop. This is the saddle the o.p. be wantin' argh. I'll brook no truck with naysayers.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8613463079.jpg
Selle Royal Lumia
This clunky looking saddle came on a used bike I picked up, and it's surprisingly comfortable. That cutout near the back shows the "gel" material underneath. I've put it on my commuter and it works well with regular bottoms. I haven't done rides longer than 25 miles on it, though.