Originally Posted by
msu2001la
Every now and then I'll run across someone on the internet claiming that their unpadded saddle is comfortable. I find this "hard" to believe, but I've never tried one. I do have a Selle Italia saddle that is very stiff (but still has some padding) and it's hard for me to imagine something with even less cush being comfortable for anything other than very short rides.
Many years ago, when my much-loved Avocet saddle wore out, I peeled off the plastic cover, peeled and scraped off the rotted, mildewed layer of padding, and was left with a bare (and hard) plastic shell. My local cobbler cut and glued on a thin piece of leather, and I used that saddle on a road bike for a few more years. It was a great racing saddle, as it weighed very little and was comfy for even the longest road races that I was doing at that time.