When I was staying at the Banff Y Hostel the couple of days before the race I shared a room with a number of other racers/riders.  It was incredible to see who had trained and who had not.  Would you know what I mean if I said that I could tell who was going to finish and who wasn't?     

Cool!  If I send you a picture could you tell me if I am going to finish?  Serious!

Fizik Pave'    I thought this saddle was just all wrong

Bontrager Race lux/lite /Ti - I used this saddle in the 2007 Paris Brest Paris 1200k with no problems.

WTB Silverado - Funny I just went on a two day ride (using this saddle) with DaveB and he was too polite to mention he hated the saddle.  I love the saddle but a bit firm for long rides. 133mm wide x 274 mm long

WTB Rocket V - May become my new bikepacking saddle.  I did a 600 bike packing trip with one this summer  127mm x 258

Selle Royal Respiro - I really wanted this saddle to work but it was just too wide.  A very COOL design idea - similar to the Selle An-Atomica (which I haven't tried)

I prefer a narrow saddles but these obviously won't work for people with wider sit bones.

Thanks N.I. - it was a great trip.  But quite a bit different from what we are planning in Vermont: http://xvtmbr.pbworks.com/   as every state needs a cross the state trail... not to be confused with the Cross Vermont Trail which is mostly road and too much of that nasty Vt State Rte 2.
and here is the first (partial) test ride/report: http://www.studiozoic.com/adventures/2009/xvt1/index.htm

Would love to check out your cross Florida Trail... perhaps in February?

Oh and I forgot to mention... because I am not really sure what is the "official Trans Canada Trail" route;  I have been on most of the 400 km of the Confederation Trail system in Prince Edward Island, Canada.  All rail trail all the time.  Does not see a lot of traffic and thus the surface is not too fast - a bit too gravelly and soft.  Stunning scenery.  The Heritage Roads in PEI are much more fun - but not much on the island requires more than a cross bike with 32 x 700c.

I rode a few hundred miles of this trail on my cross bike in July, 2009.  I started in the Mad River Valley of Vermont and took the Sentier Nature Tomophobia to Lake Massawippi.  I then rode around the lake and got on the Trans Canada Trail in North Hatley Quebec.  This section is called Des Grandes -Fourches.  There is a nice counter clockwise loop that can be done here - up to Sherbrook and back - very beautiful.  After leaving Sherbrook the trail follows the Bombardier Highway and Rail Trail to the St Lawrence - here I followed the bike route - mostly on road to Riviere Du Loup.  From RDL to New Brunswick the route is a very scenic and remote rail trail called the Petit Temis.  I saw the first legal campsite of the trip on this section.  Once the Petit Temis trail ended in New Brunswick - I lost the trail for a while.  I then picked it up along the banks of the St John River.  This part was absolutely stunning and much rougher than the Quebec sections.  Most of the NB trail was used by ATVs (they were banned on the Trans Canada Trail in Quebec) I only made it as far as Woodstock NB just outside of Fredericton when my kitchen pass expired and I had to rejoin the family on vacation in PEI.  I will post more details to www.audaxvermont.com soon.   I couldn't find detail info on this trail but found some nice maps along the way.  It would be nice to consolidate these.  For NB check out New Brunswick Backroad Mapbook outdoor recreation guide.  I would guess their entire series is good: www.backroadmapbooks.com

See my photos of the trip: http://picasaweb.google.com/parisbrestparis/TCT2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCO65rO7ir7DIVg#