It's kinda hard to debate the "comfort" of cycle saddles any more than have a definitve conclusion as to boxers or briefs.
I used to be a Brooks man (B-17N which must the oldest continually made, largely unchanged cycle component of them all) but have long come to the conclusion that the Ideale 90 is the best racing saddle of them all. Shorter "nose" than Brooks and perfect width (I find the Brooks Pro too wide, certainly for anything resembling race riding). Ideale's consistency of hide was better than Brooks which had a LONG swath c. 1982-1986 of finding the toughest, most iron-hard bullock hides out there, producing saddles of uncompromising discomfort that, alas, will last forever. Nor Ideales need "breaking in" in my opinion. The alloy version is considerably less appealing for the obvious reason: alloy is brittle and unbending compared to steel and the "girder" design used is, to me, as unattractive as it is unforgiving. The best saddle ever made to me is the Ideale 90R titanium, as light as any leather saddle can be, and rides like the steel framed one.
One need only compare the prices Ideale 90s in all their varieties fetch on eBay to appreciate its reputation. And for me, it is yet another French component (like the Simplex Criterium front and rear derailleur, Mavic Monthlery rims, Lyotard pedals and Simplex seat posts) that simply works better first time, every time and defies being improved upon.
Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA