alpharalpha

It's always been hit or miss with bike seats for me. I can't justify spending more than $50 on a seat--though that may have to change--usually the seat that came with the bike determined if it was comfortable or not. I've purchased a couple but they weren't comfortable.
I'm setting up a trainer and for whatever reason I feel the pressure from the seat a lot more than when riding outdoors so am looking for a better seat for this use.

DownByLaw

I find the WTB Volt saddle that came with my Masi quite comfortable:

https://www.rei.com/product/168891/w...t-steel-saddle

Patrick

t2p

WTB Speed

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/biking/bike-saddle/wtb-speed

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ofajen

I ride a couple of the cheap Volts. I think of them as the generic “modern” saddle. One of mine was Kona-branded and I got it from the take-off bin at a LBS. They have worked well enough that I haven’t had to get into swapping them out.

Otto

BTinNYC 

Both those WTB saddles look good.

My butt's favorite cheap saddle is the Charge Spoon, though many asses disagree. 😉

Rolla

IMO, points of contact, especially the saddle, are not the places to be frugal. Buy once, cry once, and take the saddle with you if you change bikes. For me it’s Brooks all day and twice on Sunday, but lots of folks like the offerings of SQ Labs for comfort and general ergonomics. I like their bars and grips, too.

Paul Barnard

Thank me later. https://www.ebay.com/itm/13408603679...3ABFBMoJuVyqNg

veganbikes

Is your current saddle properly fitted to you? Is the height correct? Angle good? Setback good? That could be an issue and why you are having pain issues.

It could also be the saddle sometimes it is but sometimes it is just the bike is not fitted for you so things could be off and that is causing the issues not the actual saddle but the position of everything. I would see a fitter and get that set up and if the saddle is still problematic I would then talk with the fitter figure out sit bone width and what saddle might work well for you.

Rolla made a good point don't be frugal about touch points and yes the Brooks Cambium line is my favorite as well but every but is different.

Kapusta

I was going to recommend the same saddle. These come stock on a lot of bikes, and I find that they are my favorite saddle. There are cheaper and more expensive versions, but they all feel great to me.

rsbob 

This is an excellent saddle and is on sale. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075DJ624T...roduct_details

DownByLaw

I have one of those as well and my ass likes it fine.

​​​​​​​Patrick

KerryIrons

Be aware that just because somebody else likes a saddle doesn't mean it will work for you. I used to ride with two guys who constantly complained about their saddles, so they swapped. They both liked the "new" saddle that the other rider didn't like.

livedarklions

Butts vary at least as much as feet, so I always find these threads the equivalent of asking "which shoes will feel best on me?"

That said, my butt prefers the WTB Silverado, and the steel rail version of that is under $50.

alpharalpha

I should've mentioned is for a road bike, part of the time in the drops, so a more forward position.

Jeff Neese

I decided to try a Charge Spoon ($40) on my newest build because I was trying to keep the total cost down, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's one of the more comfortable saddles I've tried, at any price.

noimagination

I agree with veganbikes. Everyone is different, and maybe this doesn't apply to you, but for me the proper position of the saddle is far, far more important than which saddle I'm sitting on. I've ridden around 10 different saddle brands/models for thousands of miles each, and the only one that bothered me was the one where I wasn't paying attention and had the saddle too high (I was too stubborn and didn't check height first, I was sure I had it right). Once I corrected it to the right height it worked fine.

I've had saddles I liked better than others, but all of them were acceptable once they were set up properly. And be aware that the set-up can vary slightly from saddle to saddle. Although the differences may be subtle they can be very important. For example, my Brooks is set up noticeably lower than my Selle Italia, and the Brooks is more nose up instead of dead level. When switching saddles, you can use the set-up of your previous saddle as a starting point, but pay attention to how it feels and make adjustments as you go to get it right. When I get a new saddle, I ride with an allen wrench for a few rides and hop off when necessary to make adjustments. For me, although it's a pain it's worth it in the end (pun intended) to be finicky for a few rides to get this right.

I have the same experience as you vis a vis "riding" on a trainer. For whatever reason, when pedaling my bike on a trainer I seem to put more pressure on the saddle. To compensate, I've gotten into the habit of standing for 1 min every 10th minute that I'm on the trainer. I do the same when at the gym using one of the stationary bikes.

urbanknight

With that in mind, what angle do you have your seat at? Many people erroneously tilt the saddle forward thinking it puts less pressure on the front sensitive bits, but gravity does its thing and practically puts all your weight on them. Having the saddle close to level helps keep your weight on your rounder, wider, softer rear end.

FWIW I don't like to limit my budget on comfort or safety items like seat, shorts, or helmet. Of course I'll try the less expensive options first, but if they don't work I will suck it up and shell out a little more so I can actually enjoy riding.

Everyone's taste is different, but the following are fairly economical saddles which seem to get good reviews on the internet:
Fabric Scoop
Charge Spoon
Pro Logo Kappa
Almost anything by WTB
EC90 and other knock-offs of the Power
Knock-offs of the Turbo