nantman85

I have been on a rather long saddle quest for some time now. I have been looking for a saddle for long rides with cycling bibs but one that I can also tolerate for commuting (9 miles each way) and short slow rides with my kids.
the best long distance saddle I have is the brooks b17 which has 600 miles and very comfortable in bibs but not comfortable without.

I have demoed many SMP saddles which have been torture apart from my last throw of the dice which is the SMP Plus. I can actually ride this to work with no bibs, I am not uncomfortable but not comfortable either if that makes sense?! I guess it will be even more comfortable with bibs?

I get no numbness no sit bone pain but as you sit on or in these saddles differently I am getting irritation on my bum cheeks which I think is because the tail of the saddle anchors the back of your bum which is not what any of other saddle I have used before does.

so what I want to know is, is this sensation on my bum cheeks normal for SMP saddles and will they toughen up as I get used to it more? Or am I sitting on it wrong? I have a fairly upright position on my Marin muirwoods using an on-one OG bars. I am not sure if the SMP professional range are made for this type of riding but guessed the SMP plus is wider so could be used for this type.

I am fairly slim build too with 110-115mm sit bone width 74kg.

any advice would be great!!

Iride01 

How often do you ride? With only 600 miles on the Brooks, the saddle wasn't even broken in much less your butt. If you don't ride often, then your butt won't like a road bike saddle.

If you are doing short commutes, then a road bike IMO really isn't the right bike. Many of us that ride road bikes a lot will be comfortable on a road bike for commuting. But if you ride infrequently and then do several rides all at once, your butt will make you pay.... in saddles.

nantman85

Every other day I ride in the week but try to take a longer route home on a Friday night. Sometimes meet with pals and do a longer 35 mile ride.
My bike isn’t a road bike it’s probably what you would call a rigid mountain bike. Steel frame with 2.15” tyres. I sold my road bike as I didn’t enjoy being crouched over all of the time. This bike is very much upright with a slight forward position. Built for commuting and tame bridleway trails I would say.
I do have the sit bone dimples on my brooks, so would you say to give the brooks more of a chance? Given that it may get more comfortable?

Iride01 

Then don't be looking at road bike saddles and especially not the oddball looking things. Unless you have a really oddball condition that demands it.

I don't own a Brooks saddle, I looked into them a long time ago, but in the meantime my butt got used to regular road bike saddles with minimal padding. I could be comfortable on a split rail fence for a fair amount of miles. So maybe I'm a poor set of experiences to go by.

IMO, the B17 is a road bike saddle and it's intended for those that want to be in a road biking position. Which is less than upright to very aero. If your position is almost upright to upright, then something on the order of a Brooks B67 or B67 short would be what I'd suggest. Or some other saddle more typical of what is found on cruiser bikes.

Usually I'd go for something with minimal padding, but if you are doing short rides, then padding might be the more comfortable thing. For long rides, lots of padding tends to get in the way of moving skin and just rubs a raw spot giving those butt paste and chamois cream companies some revenue.

nantman85

thanks for your insight, I’ve found today the SMP only works if I change my distance to the bars which although may make me a bit quicker will be less than optimal for comfort.

I know what you mean when I first started riding and knew no better i rode a road bike and used a specialized toupe and could ride 30-40 miles in normal shorts with no chamois but never seemed to remember my bum complain! Figure that one out!

Iride01 

If the Specialized Toupe has less padding then I'd understand entirely. On long trips more padding is more uncomfortable. At least for me that has been my experience. And I've ridden several 100 mile rides with no chamois in my shorts.

The Power Comp saddle on my Tarmac that I got last year has some gel or padding of some sort in it that makes the first 20 or so miles very comfy. But when I go past 40 miles it's more annoying than the Selle Italia something or other I had on my Paramount. It was less padding and more comfortable for long rides.

But the Power Comp isn't a recommendation for you to try. It's still a road bike saddle and it sounds like you really want something for upright sitting.