maybe a different saddle

The last two times I've ridden up Coppermine and then down Old Georgetown Road, I've had butt pain by the time I was riding back up Canal Road.  The first time, I thought it was that I had angled my saddle too far to the left (my right thigh is heavier than my left), so I adjusted the angle, and the pain dissipated, but when it happened again, I figured it wasn't the saddle angle... and the pain was relieved after I sat straight on the saddle for a while.  This suggests that either on the uphill of Coppermine Road (more likely) or the downhill of Old Georgetown (less likely) I'm not sitting straight in the saddle.

(The reason I suspect the uphill rather than the downhill, is that I tend to slide forward on the saddle on the uphill - forward onto the narrow part of the saddle, with less butt support.  On a steep downhill, I tend to slide back, onto the wider part. Given the slower pace uphill, I might be on the uphill two to three times as long as I am wailing down the downhill.)

So I'm looking at saddles again.  This time I'm taking a look at the Selle An-Atomica:

It's a leather saddle, and it's the only saddle of which I'm aware that makes a point of reacting to the motions of bicyclists in general, and particular idiosyncrasies of individual riders in particular:

(One of the things I like about this saddle is the flexibility - if anything, it's even more flexible than my old BG-2.)

Now, in my researches, I saw some reviews that the company was not quick to respond to feedback, especially after the death last year of one of the principals.  I called, and got someone at Selle An-Atomica; she said that they were now a (small) family company, and were trying to clean up some of the trouble from the past - but they were still selling saddles.

Selle An-Atomica saddles come in regular and "Clydesdale"; the Clydesdales were once sold for riders over 180 lbs., but my info today indicates that the Clydesdale model is to be the standard, and the others will either be phased out, or will be sold as specialty items to riders under 150 lbs.; in either case, even though I'm trending below 175 lbs. now, if I were to get one, I'd go for the Clydesdale model.  The "Watershed" leather is supposedly waterproof, and requires little care.  There are, however, a gajillion adjustments to get the saddle fit perfect (although the testimonials page is full of letters saying some variation on, "I just popped the saddle on and it's perfect; I plan to buy three more"), and I'd love another reason to be able to tweak my bike!

It's expensive (and that price doesn't include $30 for Express mail, or near $100 for Fedex/UPS/DHL). There are vendors who sell it cheaper than the website, but the company makes it clear on their site that they don't intend to be a cheap-saddle company (from the Product info page: "We do not want dealers selling our brand who believe that discount sales is the best method"). So it's a commitment if I'm going to go with it.

When I called, they asked me to look at an experimental new website (which looked good), with an experimental new slogan (which was too edgy for me). I've gotten an email back thanking me for my feedback and asking me to call when I want to order one, but 1) I'm not sure I want to order yet, and 2) if I can get it $50 cheaper elsewhere (or more, including shipping), I might want to do that!