Hobson Pro Hub X2 Saddle – Ultimate Long-Distance Comfort with Magnesium Alloy, Gel Foam Padding, and Water-Resistant Cover for On & Off-Road Cycling

I am in love with this seat, and I have been for over eight years. Nevertheless, you should read the negative reviews, too, because they make good points.If you are uncertain, then you really should try the saddle in person rather than ordering online. The trouble is: where? Bike stores don't carry these! So if you are mostly convinced that this seat is what you need, but you are just a little skittish due to the mixed reviews, hopefully my notes can help.********************************************************Briefly:In my experience, you *can* commute on this saddle, you *can* do long-distance, you *can* use it with both "slow, upright stance" bikes as well as "fast, tucked-down" road bikes.********************************************************[Also: it ain't just men that want bike seats to stop poking them between the legs. This review is by a female (me), and while I have no way to know how unpleasant it is to be male and sit on harsh saddles, I can say that as a *female* on a traditional saddle I was *miserable*.]I do think the negative reviews are thoughtful, honest, and well-written. However, for me, this saddle is pure bliss. This is the second Hobson "two cheek" saddle I have owned. The first is still sturdy and usable after countless miles, but it has been moved onto a stationary exercise bike, and I ordered this new "pro x2" for my current bicycle.I have never ever had a single complaint about these Hobson saddles.About me: I used this saddle on a mountain bike (for both city riding and "beginner" trail riding) for 2-3 years. On the mountain bike I had this seat nearly level, and I could still ride with no hands when I wanted to, just supported and balanced entirely on the seat.Currently I only own a road (touring) cycle, and now I use the Hobson with this touring bike (a 12-speed, with drop handlebars). I keep the saddle tilted forward. This means slightly more of my weight is supported by my upper body strength, but it keeps the seat comfortable for the more "tucked" stance of a street cyclist. (also, i vastly prefer to have this weight supported by my push-up strength instead of just by a thin seat-nose wedged right up you-know-where). On this bike, I can no longer ride no-handed, but that was never a requirement for me. I can still easily ride one-handed if I need to fiddle with my bike accessories or my water bottle with one hand.Some of the feats of cycling I have done since becoming a Hobson user:~ the 50-mile Rosarito-to-Ensenada ride;~ a four day 200-mile trek with friends;~ a weekend trip of 140 miles round-trip;~ one "century" (a 100-mile event);~ and also just my 12 mile commute to work on most days.********************************************************So why do some people LOVE this seat and some people HATE it?I think a big factor is how much you *hate* the "normal" saddle. If you have decided that you positively cannot *ever* spend one more minute on a normal saddle -- even if it means you just give up cycling altogether, then you should take a chance on alternative saddles before abandoning the sport. (That was me. Trying the Hobson restored all my joy for cycling.)If, however, you continue to be able to "tolerate" your current saddle but you are mildly uncomfortable and waiting to see if something better comes along, then you might find annoyances on the Hobson, too. If you tolerate your current saddle, then you might not have the motivation to get past the initial unfamiliarity of this Hobson.If you still cannot decide, then maybe you will call some local brick-and-mortar stores and give them some hints that they should stock these! That would help *everyone* -- both the people who will love these, and those other people that will be spared from difficult online return policies after *not* liking these.Final note: two other cyclists I ride with swear by another alternative, Ergo The Seat Ultimate Bicycle Saddle

I'm 100% convinced now that conventional saddles, with noses, are a terrible idea. Don't think that your saddle isn't hurting you, just because you don't feel totally numb down there, or you can still perform at some level in the bedroom. There are probably millions of men and women who have reduced sensation down there and (in the case of men) moderately *reduced* performance, not necessarily full-blown ED. But because the damage isn't total, it can be hard to say for sure whether there even is a problem - maybe you're just getting older? - let alone whether biking has something to do with it.I've been off conventional saddles for almost half a year now, and it makes a big difference. For most people I don't think the nose on the saddle performs much function at all, and it is harmful. Even moderate pressure on your perineum causes problems, and even with a "cutout" saddle you're still putting some weight on it. You need to have ZERO pressure on it, and with noseless saddles only touch your posterior, which is as it should be. I'm a pretty skilled mountain biker and I've found I don't miss the nose - I can still hip-steer the bike with my bum, which is mostly what I did before. Really, it didn't make any difference at all in terms of the experience on the bike, except now I'm not catching my shorts on the nose all the time.As far as this particular saddle goes, it's a clever design. The two sides pivot independently - not a lot, just a little - to match the motion of your legs and glutes. You can also easily adjust the width with a thumbwheel underneath to center your sit bones on each side, anywhere from the two halves being right against each other to a gap of about 1/2" between them. Installation and fit are different than regular saddles: you'll lower your seatpost quite a bit, and you need to angle it to slope downward towards the front of the bike. It takes a few attempts to dial in the angle just right (tilted enough that the back part of the saddle supports your weight, but not so much that you slide down towards the front), so plan on taking some time for that. One problem I have is that I like my saddle further back than most people, and I couldn't get this back quite as far as I'd like. This saddle may look really wide, but with this type of saddle you need more width to fully use your posterior, and not just your perineum, to support your weight.The bigger problem I had is that after an hour or two on the bike my right hip would start to hurt internally, a sensation that I've never experienced while biking before. I tried several different adjustments to height, slope and width, and couldn't make it stop. I suspect the gentle pivoting motion of this saddle may actually be causing joints and/or hip muscles to do weird things to compensate. At least for me it works better to not have my saddle move at all. I also have a noseless saddle from ISM (their Sport model) and have found it to be much more comfortable, despite being much firmer. I'm keeping the Hobson, but it will go on the cargo bike that my wife and I share. I'm still giving it 4 stars because it's a big step up from nosey saddles.Padding-wise, this saddle is a little on the soft side but still about the middle of the scale as far as bike seats go. It's not super-plush like the wide "comfort" saddles you'll see at the bike shop, but about the same as the softer standard-width saddles. If you're used to a WTB Speed V saddle or the softer versions of most of their saddles you'll find it to be comfortable. Definitely not a racing saddle, especially with the weight. It's not outrageously heavy though, probably about the same as a Brooks leather saddle, and I'd gladly live with the weight if it were comfortable for me on long rides. But since the ISM (ismseat.com) weighs barely half as much (despite being in their "comfort" range, not their "performance" range), costs about the same, can sit further back, and is way more comfortable for me personally, I'm going with it. Their popular Touring model is probably the most comparable to the Hobson in terms of width and padding, but they have narrower, wider, softer and harder models too.