Troul 

We, riders, tend to look at the major expenses when it comes to this toy hobby, but how about the cost to meeting your comfort per bicycle? ... more specifically, the rump stop, saddle paddle, squeaky cheeky, natural gas plug, face seat or the oddily referred name "Saddle"

Typically the cost starts high then drops a fair amount if it is able to be repurposed to another bicycle and/or the uncomfortable saddle is still able to be returned under the retailers established policy.

Probably have $600USd into seats, a good 50% of it was able to be recouped from being able to return some, & then the remaining seats either are being used, were sold, gone when traded with another bicycle, or found a new owner from being stolen.

With that, I likely have about $150USd in assets left (two seats) & don't kick myself in the butt at all for the hassles it took to find the right saddles.


How about you?

base2 

My saddle cost is all over the place. I recently discovered Brooks B17, the cheaper firm rubber version of the C17. At $120 it's my most expensive saddle...It's only taken my frugal self 5 years to justify such an extravagance. Oddly enough it's quite similar in fit to a WTB Speed V (which costs much, much less than the Brooks.)

As a general rule, I get all of my saddles second hand. The high-dollar "premium" models like Fizik Antares or Arione's run $30-$40 locally. So my results will propably skew the curve a bit.

I don't know that there is a cost, comfort corrolation. Just what fits & what doesn't.

Germany_chris

My bike has a $300 saddle

Troul 

There's nothing to skew. The cost relative to seat comfort can vary greatly as some are very frugal & others may have a blank check.

I've accepted that buying used present risks that I may not want to take with some things. With seats, I would have a backup plan if buying used.

Barry2 

I've died and gone to saddle heaven.
Butt price of admission was several hundred dollars.

Although a lot of money, I'm now completely happy.
60 miles and no discomfort at all can't be beat.
I'm sure the leftovers will be reused, just not on my bikes.

Barry

Notso_fastLane

Not sure how to quantify that for me. I switched entirely to recumbent 10 years ago (bike and velomobile).

79pmooney

Let's see:

(1) Avocet 3 ($25, 1975)
(1) Fuji America ($15, 1977)
(2) Selle Italias, new ($30 x 2)
(3) Selle Italias, used, various brand names ($15 x 3)
(3) Specialized Body Geometrys ($35, $80 and $100)
(4) Terry Flys ($120 x 4)
Chamois Fat ($10, $15 and $8)
Bag Balm ($8 x 3)

Sub total - $890

I have two custom seatposts (for setback to offset steep seat tube angles that allow a more forward wheel position). I won't add those costs here but for each, I had a titanium post instead of aluminum for comfort so that is another $100 per post.

So $890 + (2) x $100 = $1090. I have a grand butt. (Wish I kept the receipts. )

Edit: this isn't entirely right. Those seats have carried me over 200,000 miles so even if I spent $0 for "comfort" I would still have had to buy, what, 8? seats just to not be sitting on the posts.

Ironfish653

My saddle (Ronin Evo) has a $300 bike

ofajen

Surprisingly not a lot. Rode a couple of Ideale leather saddles for many years. Got them both used for cheap from a local shop, like $10 each.

Lately, I decided to try more modern saddles and started with what strikes me as the generic modern saddle. Both bikes sport a WTB Volt saddle and they’ve been working well.

Otto

indyfabz

$250/year on waxing. Well worth it.

Troul 

It doesn't hurt to post those, as it is a function directly tied to the seat. Now if you spent $xxx.xx on a seat clamp, that type of cost would not only be irrelevant, but also be asinine!

Troul 

Have you tried a dri-slide lube?

mdarnton

25 bucks. Looked at pix on Ebay to find a shape that from experience I know works, zeroed in on a discontinued seat being blown out, read reviews of it, bought that seat, am happy. I guess my butt isn't too fussy. :-) My first good bike, 50 years ago, had a Brooks B17 on it that I could never get used to and kept wayyyyy too long. Since that, it's not been a big problem to get a seat that I like: wedge shape, on the narrow side, just a bit of padding, and I'm OK.

indyfabz

No need. But you do you.

Troul 

unaware to that slippery slope, but do, do tell if you take the plunge.

Trakhak

Had a Brooks Pro in the early '70s that I (perhaps unwisely) traded straight up for a Cool Gear "The Seat." Since then, I've used whatever came stock on the various bikes I've bought. When I've done enough miles on a saddle to wear it out, I've bought whatever plausible-looking racing saddle is cheapest as a replacement. The only saddles I don't get along with are heavily padded wider saddles and those with wide troughs in the center.

base2 

For sure, You can always revert back to an the saddle that got replaced if the candidate doesn't work out. In all my time I've only had one saddle that necessitated a bus ride.

As to the "skew" in the data set: There is 13 bikes in my my household. Counting the total number of dollars spent isn't really a fair comparison as most people don't have 13 bikes to keep up & running. TBH I really don't wanna know how many dollars that is in butt comfort.

What I'm getting at is there is no cost, comfort relation. The retail $25 Speed V & the $120 Brooks both are near equivalents to my rear end.

Maybe a better question is: "How much have you spent on a fashionable saddle brand & did reputation support the price you paid?"

Troul 

It is understandable where the information might skew someone's data, however, the information isn't being gathered for statistical purposes. Should someone use the information in there data, the information is at their own risk.

BF members might amaze you with how many N+1 they have.

Troul 

If it's able to be swapped out, that makes it count in my thread.

burnthesheep

The topic is specific to saddles, but in fairness I think a solid amount of butt comfort also lies in the shorts/bibs you wear.

So, for me.........I'll just pick my most expensive single combination:
-Fizik Mistica triathlon or TT saddle: $200
-Castelli bib: $150
Total: $350

Iride01 

Not much. I'm too cheap to spend a lot on saddles. Even when I played the saddle swap game on one bike long ago when I started regularly riding for 2 to 3 hours at a time 3 days a week, I only went through one purchased saddle for 60 bucks and three that I had from the past. My bike previous to the current bike I put a 60 dollar saddle on when I built it and then a year later put a better fitting 80 dollar saddle on it. Current bike has what it came with new.

I've found that if I rode a road bike in the slightly aero position that is intended for a road bike in, then saddle comfort was less an issue. It was only when I wanted to sit more upright on my road bikes that saddles ever bothered me much. Probably because the more upright I was the more weight I had on the saddle.

Koyote

I buy what I find to be most comfortable, without concern for the cost. Compared to the other costs of my cycling, and the importance of a good saddle, any price is trivial.

Many years ago, after wearing out an Avocet O240r, I looked all over for a replacement. Finally ended up on the phone with a guy at Avocet's importer, who went into their stockroom and found the last saddle of its type for sale in the US. Still riding it, but have since found other saddles that work as well for me.

But its me 

Prefer to remain ignorant of the cost over the years, probably make me cry.

That said, I am cheap!

Troul 

That is noticed when I do shorter rides & don't rest up while riding much. Longer rides, & I'll need the upgraded seat.

bruce19

My saddles on my road bikes work very well for me. I can't recall ever paying more that $100 for a saddle. The brands are Selle Italia, Fizik and Selle San Marco.