Have logged numerous ‘longer’ rides (even KOS) on the old Stealth without a wimper. The new version seems to have addressed the cracks which on mine appeared in the cut out’s cross braces which seem to be more robust now. Time will tell. I had to use an old Selle San Marco whilst awaiting my replacement. This is like night and day
One thing that bugs me is the phrase “toughen up” implying that riding with an unsuitable saddle is fine, you just need to be strong and withstand the discomfort. Maybe a really comfortable saddle is the holy grail, but there are lots to choose from, and one must have my name on it
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Very well phrased, @alchurch!
A needle in a needle stack. 
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I think that is the Fabric Line-S saddle. Only good for people in a very aggressive position I think.
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I’m not sure “toughening up” is the right description, but having ridden for many many years on/off, I gotta say that when I’ve been off a bike for a long time, it doesn’t matter what saddle I use or worked for me in the past, my butt will be killing me until I get reaccustomed to riding. Of course, riding an immobile trainer is a special challenge for the butt/saddle combo.
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I had a friend with this attitude that did ultra endurance. She put herself in critical condition in ICU with speticemia from saddle sores on a 400km ride. Then she nearly did the same and ended up getting the pus syringed out at every town and rode with drains inserted while she broke a world record for riding the length of NZ (3,000km in 6 days). She’s since changed saddles and never had a saddlesore since.
“Toughen up” can kill you.
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I got a saddle sore on a 4 day ride. I ended up with sepsis and nearly died.I rode so long out of the saddle Mr Cotty would have been impressed, but eventually I climbed off for a rest and found myself in an ambulance.
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Outdoor update: still really happy with the Shimano Pro Stealth. Two hours out on the road - first time this spring - no real discomfort, despite still breaking in the new saddle. Getting used to the “stubby” design and really enjoying it. I find it easy to adjust my positioning on the saddle w/o feeling like I’m slipping, and the design allows me to sit up on the rivets as needed, without feeling like I’m perched on the nose.
So yeah, a lot of effort and research over the winter, but really pleased with the saddle to date.
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I can talk to the local shop who carries this brand as to what would be the best saddle when the owner returns from vacation.
Isn’t it great? And it only gets better. Enjoy!
Try Gelu: Gelu – Gelu Carbon Creation
I bought the K4 model a couple of years ago and Im really happy. I’ve done some really large endurance rides on it incluinding several everestings with 12h to 16h of ridding including a couple of them indoors at Zwift and RGT. Expensive but lightweight and extremely confortable. Just need to get the model that suits you best.
So here’s mine… original circa 2013 Wattbike gym saddle.
I did try out all of my other (mostly Specialized, all comfortable outdoors) saddles ahead of my KoS ride back in 2015 but they all beat my ass on the Wattbike so decided to stick with the original. Reckon it’s got plenty of life left in it yet. And it goes well with my even older shredded chamois. And the red, white & black Sufferlandrian flag that hangs behind it 
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Meh, some duct tape and it has another 10-20 years in it. 
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Blimey - that sounds incredibly Sufferlandrian if I’m allowed to say that on the SYSTM forum. But quite terrifying. I hope you have changed for a safer saddle and are doing well now.
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Why change?
I use a variant of exactly this saddle on my training bike and have considered getting one for my road bike. It’s comfortable and you’d have to go some to get something lighter too…
As for my own saddle, currently…
I’ve just changed from a Selle Italia Model X that came with my bike and I thought was comfortable, but decided to replace as the bonding between the pad and the base was slowly chewing up bibs, onto a Selle Italia Novus Boost Kit Carbonio (quite the mouthful) which I have come to realise is actually a lot more comfortable (and so it should be for a near £300 saddle (which I got for a lot less than that)).
From this:
To this:
Which comes to look like this:
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I had come from lands end in Cornwall, the far south west of England. I was going through Devon when I was told a big storm was on the way.I could not find out if it was a wide front, narrow strip or which way it was going, so I tried to out ride it.Crash bang wallop, I was just north of Salisbury plain when I got completely surrounded by lightening and torrential rain, I got soaked but dived into a phone booth for shelter.I spent the night there. Riding on with wet clothes and dirty bibs, gave me the sore.I climbed off the bike for a brief rest thinking I would soon be on my way, but someone called an ambulance, in hospital I found out how sick I really was
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Okay - I’ve fallen out of love with my saddle. The Ergon SR Road had been treating me well but now, after 2 hours of spinning away, the flipping thing is killing me. No amount of shifting around seems to help. My bum is numb.
I recently tried old faithful - the Selle Italia Max Gel Superflow - even worse results. Numb after half an hour. And then I flirted with a SMP Pro saddle thinking if it’s good enough for the round the world attempt shown on GCN then surely I could manage 4 hours on it. Result - worse that the Max. So I’m open to suggestions. Appreciate it’s bound to be the user’s backside rather than any failing in the saddles but I just want to be able to ride without discomfort for 4 hours like everyone else it seems.
Get measured and get your saddle ‘fitted’. I found that a few degrees of tilt the wrong way can make your bum and sit bones REALLY sore in a hurry. The idea behind measuring is to make sure you are on the right width and type of saddle.
Thanks Sir Jim. As it happens I’ve a session booked for next week to look at that. I’ve had the mapping done previously and that’s how I ended up with the SR Road. But perhaps a tilting might help. If not, it’s back to the lottery of saddle selection albeit guided by the mapping system.
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So a weird thing I’ve been wrestling with: I feel like my saddle height is well-tuned for the road, but when I put my bike on my Kickr, I feel like the height needs to be a couple cm higher. But if I adjust up that 2cm, when I go out on the road it feels less comfortable, like I’m reaching.
Not sure what’s going on.
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