Seeking saddle advice...

Matt O'Toole said:

My saddle (Vetta TT) has probably seen better days, so I'm thinking about a new one. I'm looking
at the Flite, Max Flite, and Turbomatic 4. Also Avocet Air
40. Mostly I wonder if the gel is worth having, or if I should stick to plain smooth leather,
which will probably last longer. Any thoughts?

I recently bought a plain Flite Ti saddle and like it a lot. Previously, I had used Rolls, and
various Turbos/Concors. The only saddle I didn't like was an early gel model (Vetta I think).

One thing I noticed with the Flite, I had to raise my seat post about an inch (!) compared to the
Rolls. Also, I could just barely get the Flite level (with my old LaPrade post).

Art Harris

Matt O'Toole said:

My saddle (Vetta TT) has probably seen better days, so I'm thinking about a new one. I'm looking
at the Flite, Max Flite, and Turbomatic 4. Also Avocet Air 40. Mostly I wonder if the gel is worth
having, or if I should stick to plain smooth leather, which will probably last longer. Any
thoughts?

Recently I replaced the Fizik Nisene which came with my newest bike[1]. And two days later, glancing
through ebay 'new today' listings, I saw a used Fizik Nisene. And then another, and another, and
another... and I sort of grinned.

Saddles, let's face it, are personal. And if you find you don't like a saddle, you take it off your
bike. And quite a lot of people, when they take something off their bike, try to sell it on ebay. So
one way to find out if a saddle is actually any good is to see whether you can find used examples on
ebay. If you can't, either (a) it's a very rare saddle, or (b) everyone who has got one likes it.
But if, on the other hand, you find half a dozen, you know no-one likes it - so don't buy
it.

Currently on ebay.co.uk there are five used Flite Titaniums, three used Fizik Nisenes, one used
Brooks B17 Titanium, one Avocet (claimed to be new but out of its packaging) and no used
Turbomatics. That looks to me a very strong vote against the Flite.

[1] yes, with a Brooks Professional. Hey, I like them - you don't have to.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

Wise man with foot in mouth use opportunity to clean toes.
;; the Worlock

Harris <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Matt O'Toole said:

My saddle (Vetta TT) has probably seen better days, so I'm thinking about a new one. I'm looking
at the Flite, Max Flite, and Turbomatic 4. Also Avocet Air
40. Mostly I wonder if the gel is worth having, or if I should stick to plain smooth leather,
which will probably last longer. Any thoughts?

I recently bought a plain Flite Ti saddle and like it a lot. Previously, I had used Rolls, and
various Turbos/Concors. The only saddle I didn't like was an early gel model (Vetta I think).

One thing I noticed with the Flite, I had to raise my seat post about an inch (!) compared to the
Rolls. Also, I could just barely get the Flite level (with my old LaPrade post).

Saddles are such a personal thing. I mean why else would so many people like those heavy, hard to
care for Brook Leather saddles?

I've tried a flite and really wanted to like it as it was light and had that "look". However, my fat
behind didn't like it. I traded it in for a turbomatic something.

Recently I tried an Avocet O2r, the narrowest one and like it. I want to check out one of the
wider ones 02m or 02w to see if there is any difference. Find a good LBS who will let you test
ride and "swap out" different saddles. You may pay a little more, but once you find one you like,
its worth it.

Simon Brooke said:

Currently on ebay.co.uk there are five used Flite Titaniums, three used Fizik Nisenes, one used
Brooks B17 Titanium, one Avocet (claimed to be new but out of its packaging) and no used
Turbomatics. That looks to me a very strong vote against the Flite.

But there is an invalid assumption behind your conclusion that makes it meaningless. How many Flites
are out there versus how many Nizenes, B17, and Avocets? If there are ten times as many Flites sold
as B17's for example, then the B17 is the one that folks are "voting against." Actually your entire
argument is based on a statistically insignificant sample size and, even if the saddle populations
were the same for all saddles, which they obviously are not, would be invalid.

If you keep track of all the saddles offered over a one year period and then normalized the number
for sale with respect to the saddle population, there might be some meaning in the results, but
trying to justify your saddle choice as being 'the right one' or anybody else's as being 'wrong'
ignores some important variations in human anatomy! Until we all have a standardized set of sitbones
and the same riding style, a saddle that you hate may be a saddle that I love and vice versa.

Mark <www.cs.unca.edu/~boyd/bicycling.html>

PS Yes, I ride Flites <grin>!

Simon Brooke said:

Currently on ebay.co.uk there are five used Flite Titaniums, three used Fizik Nisenes, one used
Brooks B17 Titanium, one Avocet (claimed to be new but out of its packaging) and no used
Turbomatics. That looks to me a very strong vote against the Flite.

I disagree with your logic. I'll bet there are a LOT more Flites in circulation than Fizik
Nisenes. So I'd guess that proportionally more Nisenes are being dumped (based on the numbers
you're seeing on eBay).

Art Harris

Harris said:

Simon Brooke said:

Currently on ebay.co.uk there are five used Flite Titaniums, three used Fizik Nisenes, one used
Brooks B17 Titanium, one Avocet (claimed to be new but out of its packaging) and no used
Turbomatics. That looks to me a very strong vote against the Flite.

I disagree with your logic. I'll bet there are a LOT more Flites in circulation than Fizik
Nisenes. So I'd guess that proportionally more Nisenes are being dumped (based on the numbers
you're seeing on eBay).

My tongue was just the teensiest bit in my cheek. I mean, there are, presumably, some people out
there who actually _like_ Nisenes. That is, _other_ than investigation agents of less scrupulous
regimes, and devotees of the more extreme varieties of erotic thrill-seeking.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

do not sail on uphill water
- Bill Lee

I've ridden SM Rolls for the last 15 years or so, and have tried many different brands, ultimately coming back to my Rolls. (Guess thats just what my Bum has become accustomed to...) The most recent trial was with a Flite Gel, and as you guessed it, it didn't work for me. The main difference I perceive between it and a Rolls seems to be that the Flite is 'flatter' across the sit bone section of the saddle as opposed to the Rolls which is ever-so-slightly sloped from the center. My 2¢. (Hope it helps!)