On Saddle Sores

I made my most important and quite possibly my final purchase for the trip last night. Although I have read a great deal of information on bike touring over the last couple months, little has mentioned the exceedingly important impact of the bike seat on the tender points of contact on your backside. My Koga World Traveller comes standard with a stiff Brooks leather saddle. Rumor has it that once "broken in", it's quite comfortable. Eric Schwartz, owner of the Commuter Bike Shop in Santa Barbara, provided another option in the Selle SMP, which seemed to fit immediately.There is, however, no replacement for accumulated saddle time, and, of equal importance, adequate bike shorts. Personally, I find the road bike style shorts embarrassing and somewhat offensive to the general public; mountain bike style have a looser fit and would blend easier for touring purposes, but I haven't found any that provide the snug fit and padding necessary to endure long hours in the saddle. Defeated by extreme discomfort, the problem led me back to lycra Trek road shorts with plenty of chamois, supplemented by Chamois Butter to reduce abrasion when (not if) I can no longer tolerate the agony. I recommend the very best shorts you can find, consider it money well spent, and take a light pair of outer shorts if you can't tolerate the public exposure!