In reply to Flicka:
> (In reply to Tim Chappell)
>
> Presumably you need to try a load in order to find "the one"!? How are bike shops for letting you do that? And how do you really know without riding around on it for a bit first?
If you nip out and get the tightest lycra shorts you can find, get a picture of your arse, then post it on here, we might be able to help you figure out what size of saddle you need??
Alternatively try a respectable bikeshop, and they won't need a picture of your lycra clad arse (having the real deal to check out in front of them!
Seriously though from my experience, and pretty much every cyclist I know, male and female, minimalist is the way to go. I would never buy another padded saddle again!!! And I've even ridden on it in combat trousers with no shorts (though shorts are a must if you're notching up the miles, and don't give a damn what anyone else says, lycra makes you think you want to ride fast whereas baggies make you amble along).
Not convinced about one poster who said you only needed to spend £15 - £30 for a good saddle. IMHO the place you want to spend the most money on (apart from the frame, though I think it is wise to spend proportionately moreso on a saddle) is the saddle. It's like you wouldn't run a race in £10 supermarket special shoes, you'd go for the £50 ones you got in a sale, or whatever. As I say the Selle SLR isn't cheap (think from memory you're talking somewhere around the £50 - £70 range), but it is a damn good saddle, and remember a decent hardwearing saddle you can always transfer from one bike to another if you decide to upgrade the rest.