By riding pants, I mean protective gear. I'm not going to get on a gear soapbox, but it's gear that's made to protect you in case of a fall. The Aerostich stuff is made in Duluth, protects you from a fall, and doubles as rain gear since it's Goretex..
Anyway, I never heard of Top Saddlery until I got on this forum. I'm sure it's better than stock, but to get real comfort I'd suggest you look into seat makers that make a seat to fit you. Russell, Mayer, and others actually build a seat on your seat pan to fit you. They'll take your measurements, photos of you in different positions, and build a seat that you can ride all day long in comfort.
When you have a comfortable seat, you can think about the ride, rather than your butt. :thumbup:
Corbin's a big player, too.. They have AWFUL customer service and the seat quality is lacking, while the price isn't.. They're as expensive as Sargent, uncomfortable, hard, and if you have an issue with the seat, just pull your wallet out because it's going to cost you.. I was burnt by them once and I know others who have been burnt too.. I'd rather be uncomfortable than give them a dime..
One other thing to think about is the fact that a local upholstry place in Madison can cut in new foam on your factory seat for less than $100.. Check around at some of the shops and see if they're interested in the work. Seat recovering is very easy, since the cover's just stapled onto the plastic. Trimming out foam and replacing it with better quality and supporting foam only requires gluing it in and trimming it with an electric knife before tossing the cover on and stapling it back into place.
