recommend me a new seat, also advice on what to look for

aripallaris

as above really guys and girls... my poor bum is starting to get a little saddle sore on the ultra bumpy north london roads...

really like the look for the san marco seats - im thinking a gel type of some sort.. looking for a balance of comfort / lightness / price - ideally in white too...

what should i actually be looking for in a seat? i see different sizes, shaped etc... unfortunately being a newbie have no idea what the difference is.. can you actually shop test a seat?

P_Tucker

Yes, some shops will let you test saddles. This is what you need to do - saddle fit is highly personal.

sungod

if you are new to road cycling, any road saddle may leave you a little sore, so unless you've been riding a lot for 3+ months i'd hang fire on spending money swapping saddles

gel/soft saddles can be much worse than a firm/hard saddle - a soft one conforms to your body and so applies pressure to the softer bits, whereas a firmer saddle can keep the load on the sit bones and the rest is left alone

my most comfy saddle is an ax lightness plain carbon fibre one, no padding, just a cf shell, when i started out i would never have accepted this was even possible, but i've tried saddles with cut outs, gel, softer, none are as comfortable for me

as P_Tucker says, it's personal, there's no reason why a saddle that's right for me will be right for you, but do be wary of spending money on squidgy saddles

gwillis

agree with above comments , its better to wait a bit before shopping. The fizik aliante is very popular and seems to fit most, cycling plus scored in highly in a recent test. The saddle is fairly wide and allies you to move around a bit if that makes sense.

rdt

If you have the money to spend, I wouldn't hesitate in buying an ISM Adamo seat: either the Podium or Breakaway(more padding) for normal road use. I have both.

They're shaped very differently to most seats: essentially, avoiding any pressure at all on your vulnerable soft bits, and placing all the weight on your sit bones. I find them to be miles more comfortable than other seats I've tried, including regular styled seats featuring cut outs.

http://www.ismseat.com/products.htm

cougie

I'd look out for the Charge Spoon. Very cheap and comfy in my experience. I'd not bother with white though.

blu3cat

San Marco SKN, comfy (for me), light and cheap

http://www.sellesanmarco.it/en/Collezione/Saddles/84/SKN%20Racing.html