Search the internet and you will find plenty of information about road and gravel bike saddle setup, but far less specifically about doing it on a mountain bike. Although the average mountain biker won’t spend as much time in the saddle, given the extremes in gradients, variations in terrain, and dynamic nature of mountain bikes and riding, saddle setup is arguably far more involved than the static pedalling optimised position of drop bar bikes.

I’m not going to go deep into how to choose the right MTB saddle or the intricate science of bike fitting. Instead, this is a guide on how you can experiment with your current setup, gain a better understanding of the effects of saddle position, and maybe find a more comfortable mountain bike saddle position. So let's dig into it.

Let's start with the saddle

Saddles are a personal preference and what works best for one person won't necessarily suit someone else. The type of riding you do will affect the saddle you choose too so there is a fair bit of consideration when choosing the best MTB saddle. All the options can be a bit bamboozling if you aren’t sure what you want or don’t have access to loads of saddles to try out.

If you don’t want to change your saddle, there is loads of scope to experiment with your current setup to find a more comfortable position. Unless your saddle is causing you specific discomfort, I would recommend experimenting with your existing setup first, as even small adjustments to saddle height and angle can often have dramatic effects on comfort.

If you are choosing a new saddle, there are a few things to consider. Step one is determining what size of saddle you need. Most saddles, specifically those aimed at the pedal-lier end of mountain biking, will be available in at least a couple of different widths. These widths correlate to your sit bones, so it’s worth measuring those to get the right size. Some bike shops will have machines to do this, or you could pay a bike fitter for a saddle fitting. However, it's easy to get a rough sit bone measurement at home to get a ballpark guide to your required saddle width.

Unfortunately, from here, you are kinda on your own. Some people like long-nosed saddles, others prefer short ones, there are flat or curvy profiles, and more padding can be both more or less comfortable depending on the rider or riding. There are no right answers.

You also get discipline-specific saddles as well. Cross-country and trail saddles are focused on pedalling dynamics and are very similar, if not the same, as road or gravel saddles. Enduro saddles will be similar as well, but usually feature a burlier construction and some extra padding. Downhill saddles aren’t really meant to be sat on, instead, the shape is designed to aid bike control. E-MTB-specific saddles are interesting as they often feature a raised tail to help hold the rider in position when climbing super steep gradients.

It's worth noting that bigger bike shops may have demo saddles for you to try before you buy, so it's worth asking whether you can give one a test before you commit with your cash.

It’s not just about having the right saddle

Choosing the right saddle is important, but arguably, the setup of a saddle is more essential. Different saddles have different shapes which can affect how you fit them onto your bike. The type of riding you do will also influence the position, as will the geometry of your bike. This is where things start getting a bit confusing.

Saddles can be adjusted horizontally using the length of the saddle rails, while most seatposts give loads of angle adjustment. Even minor adjustments can have some significant effects on how comfortable you are on the bike. It's not just your bum either, changes to saddle position can also affect the back, shoulder, wrist, hand, knees, and feet too. What makes saddle adjustment so complex is that any adjustment has a cause-and-effect relationship, so you have to be meticulous and patient when making any changes.

Your saddle position is in direct relation to the position of your pedals, which means a saddle and saddle position that works on one bike may not directly translate to another. Seat angle, crank length, and suspension sag all affect your saddle position. For example, you will often see riders on bikes with slack effective seat tube angles (effective seat tube angle is the angle of the seat tube when the suspension is at its sag point) with their saddles pushed forward on the rails. This is because the saddle is effectively further back towards the rear axle. By pushing a saddle forward, riders are biasing seated weight towards the front which will reduce front wheel lift on climbs, although manufacturers are combating this with ever steeper seat tube angles on modern bikes.

Seat angle is set by the seatpost's saddle clamp and is usually positioned close to flat. That said, there are a few reasons why a rider may want to add a little more tilt. Gravity riders will often set their saddles with positive tilt (saddle nose pointing up) as it puts the saddle in a better position when descending. Conversely, riders who do a lot of steep climbing use more negative tilt for a more comfortable position on long climbs. Saddle shape will also determine angle, with some favouring more positive or negative angling.

Getting a basic saddle setup

The trick to finding the optimal saddle position is being able to self-diagnose problems and make specific changes to target any issues. Similar to suspension setup, adjustments are likely to be quite small, so if you make loads of changes at once, then it will be very hard to determine what the effects are. What makes it even harder is that, unlike suspension, there are no clicks, dials, or numbers for you to reference, although some saddles and seatposts will have guide markings, which can be a massive help when it comes to testing.

Again, I want to iterate that I am not a bike fitter and the below is only intended to help you get a better understanding of how to get a basic setup up your bike. With the below process, you should be able to get a ballpark saddle setup yourself, but if you want to be more specific, then you’re best speaking to a professional bike fitter.

The first step is setting the saddle up in a neutral position. I recommend trying to set the top of the saddle as flat as possible and the seatpost positioned in the centre of the rails. On curvier saddles, setting the angle can be a little more tricky as it's not clear which bit needs to be flat. Sometimes it is a case of taking a level measurement with a spirit level from the rear to the nose of the saddle while others will have a specific section that should be level. Manufacturers sometimes provide setup guides which are always worth consulting.

Once you have your saddle fitted, you will want to set your saddle height. It surprises me how often I see people with their saddle at the wrong height as despite being an in-depth subject all of its own, it's a simple process to get a good ballpark. For a basic initial setup, I recommend using the heel method as it is the easiest and generally fosters a decent result.

To do this, sit on your bike with your riding gear on while leaning against a wall. Place your heel on the pedal and spin your cranks so it's at its furthest away point from the saddle. It’s worth noting that this won’t be the 6 o’clock crank position due to your effective seat tube angle, the slacker the effective seat tube angle, the more rotated forwards the longest extension point will be. Adjust your saddle height so that at peak leg extension with your heel on the pedal your knee is almost locked out. Once you have set your saddle height you should now have a nice bend in your knee when your feet are level on the pedals in your normal riding position.

Experimenting with saddle setup

From here is a case of diagnosing any issues that may need to be addressed, with the most common being any pain, numbness, or instability when pedalling.

While numbness and pain may seem like the most important to address, instability or rocking while pedalling should be a priority. If you find that your hips are rocking from side to side while pedalling, this is a sign your saddle is too high. A saddle that is too high can be the cause of many other issues and even dropping the saddle by 5mm can take off a huge amount of pressure and alleviate knee, back, and hip pain or saddle sores. It’s not just undercarriage and joint problems, even symptoms like tingly hands and toes can be caused by restricted blood flow caused by a high saddle and fixed with a minor height adjustment. Lower saddle height isn’t a solution for all cycling ailments, but it's a great place to start.

If tweaking your saddle height hasn’t sorted you out, then it's a case of experimenting with other adjustments. Here are some common issues and adjustments that could fix them:

It's worth noting after each adjustment, assuming you don’t experience excessive discomfort, you should do at least a couple of decent rides to let yourself readjust as changes may feel a little off at first.

A mountain bike saddle has one important job, providing a comfortable place to sit while riding. However, finding the best MTB saddle for you can be a tricky process.

Personal preference and body shape will directly impact a saddle's comfort and performance. A perfect fit will give miles of comfortable pedalling, while even a little discomfort can quickly ruin a ride.

If you tend to find stock saddles uncomfortable, a narrower saddle could be the solution. A number of the saddles here are available in various widths. It's worth trying before you buy though, or measuring your sit bones to find out what width is best for you.

We've tested loads of mountain bike saddles and selected the very best for this guide. Our top choice is the SDG Bel Air v3.0 Lux-Alloy, while our pick for comfort is the Specialized Power Expert.

If you are confused about cutouts or pondering about padding, skip to the bottom for everything you need to know when choosing the best MTB saddle. Alternatively, see our article on saddle setup to find the perfect saddle position.

Best mountain bike saddles

Best mountain bike saddle overall

The SDG Bel Air saddle has been a classic since the original mid-'90s versions. The obvious change in the third-generation Bel Air is that it’s a lot flatter. That doesn’t mean the top profile has lost its subtly raised rear S-bend profile, but it’s nowhere near as deep underneath. If you get the measuring tape out, it’s also a bit shorter than before, but there’s still enough shuffling room without falling off the front compared to the latest stub-nosed setups. Its balance of sit-bone support and easy movement worked well for all our testers.

In terms of construction, the one-piece ATMOS ‘sonic-welded’ cover still gets protective corner bumpers, which is pretty rare these days. It’s really easy to clean, and in Guy Kesteven's testing, it survived several months of hard riding and several crashes without a scratch. The thin layer of EVA foam gives firm support over the flexible base, and the rails have a particularly narrow stance at the rear with flexible ‘free float’ anchors which we found increased mobility and helped reduce ‘bottoming out’ impacts.

Check out our full review of the SDG Bel Air V3.0 Lux-Alloy saddle.

Best mountain bike saddle for comfort

The Expert sits third in Specialized's Power range, above the Power Comp, (lighter but made with less durable materials), and below the Power Pro with Mirror (titanium rails and sophisticated 3D-printed cushioning), and the S-Works Power with Mirror (lighter, with carbon rails and shell and 3D-printed padding).

One of the saddle's key components is its lightweight hollow titanium rails, which are relatively rare at this price point. Even though at 230g, the overall saddle weight isn’t particularly low, the lighter rails allow the Power Expert to offset a decent level of cushioning without affecting the overall weight. The titanium also helps reduce vibrations through the saddle too. A cavernous central cutaway combines with a stubby, truncated nose, intending to ease pressure on your tender parts and making it ideal for long days out pedalling.

The Power Expert is definitely a comfortable saddle, as Sean Fishpool found out when he put it to the test. He noted that the "cushioning is firm enough to feel purposeful, but thick and compliant enough to be a genuine all-day companion, even when you’re shuttling between tarmac and rough ground. The short nose and the relatively narrow tip give a gloriously free-spinning, unencumbered feeling for your legs."

If you’re after a secure, comfortable all-day saddle, the Specialized Power Expert should be on your shortlist.

For info, check out our full review of the Specialized Power Expert saddle.

Best mountain bike saddle for women

Perhaps better known for its take on the best mountain bike tyres, WTB also does some great value saddles. The Koda was originally designed as a female-specific saddle with input from marathon MTB racer Rebecca Rusch, although it turned out to be popular with guys too. It comes in a Medium or Wide widths and a three different rail options – we tested the Cromoly version.

The standout feature of the Koda is its nose design. In our testing, we found the nose is wide enough so that you can comfortably sit on the front of the saddle on steep climbs, while also being short enough that it didn't get caught on our shorts. If you're not a fan of wearing MTB bibs with padding, we found the gel insert enhanced HLX padding to still be very comfortable.

After putting the miles in on the Koda, Guy Kesteven found the "slight raised rear, curved nose naturally puts you in the sweet spot too, with the same ‘just right’ grip from the perforated microfibre cover."

Best mountain bike saddle for XC

This is a true cross-country racer’s saddle, which saves the grams but you won’t be punished by their absence. Although the X-LR Superflow’s shape is discreet, that does not mean it lacks features.

The seat surface is upholstered in Fibra-Tex to give the saddle a durable finish and reinforced edges. Below that surface, the padding has two different levels which Selle Italia calls Dual Density, and is chosen to improve comfort.

Though the cushioning is thin and firm, we found it's surprisingly protective when combined with the little bit of natural flex in the carbon-infused shell underneath it, and it does have the magic feeling of being super purposeful and direct when you put the power down.

The real delight for our tester, Sean Fishpool, was the freedom of movement. He found the narrow front section gave plenty of room for unhindered pedalling, and the curved sides and relatively smooth materials made it super-easy to let the bike move under us when we needed to.

Check out our full review of the Selle Italia X-LR Ti316 Superflow saddle.

Best mountain bike saddle for gravity

The Spank Spike features a minimalist design meant for downhill and enduro racing, which means the saddle will stay out of your way when you're sending it at full speed. It's not the most lightweight saddle, but it's still pretty respectable considering it is ready to take on gravity duties.

The contact points and impact zones have been reinforced and optimised to stand up to aggressive riding. The surface finish of the saddle has a grippy texture to help maintain rider position on technical steep climbs, but we didn't find it so abrasive that it limited manoeuvrability and comfort. The broadness of the front section gave a stable grip for the legs when out of the saddle, and tester Sean found it a comfortable enough perch when riding further forward than normal while tackling steep climbs, too.

There are multiple colour options, including a Geoff Gulevich signature colourway, and the price of this saddle won't break the bank either.

For more, see our full Spank Spike 160 saddle review.

Best mountain bike saddle for narrow sit bones

The German company is a leading grip and saddle brand with designs that prioritise comfort. The SM series covers a wide range of saddles, which all come in two widths (144 and 156mm) for different-sized sit bones, along with male and female-specific options.

The standard SM saddle comes in three models at different price points with different construction and finishes – Sport, Comp, and Pro. It's also available in e-bike-specific, touring, enduro, and downhill versions.

I tested the 144mm SM Comp saddle, and the reduced width is a great match for my narrower sit bones. It's also proved to be a durable option after a year of regular use.

The orthopaedic foam is supportive and comfortable and hasn't shifted over time, while the microfiber surface has a hardy finish that is weather- and scuff-resistant.

A flatter design provides more freedom of movement to put down the power when riding in any position, and flanked sides reduce friction when pedalling.

How to choose the best mountain bike saddles

How we test mountain bike saddles

We test out saddles over several months, putting them through their paces on long, rough mountain adventures, fast trail blasts, and everything in between. We rate them according to comfort, maneuverability, robustness, firmness, weight, and durability.

Back to the top.

A saddle that suits your needs perfectly is one of the holy grails of cycling. That makes getting a saddle that complements your rear end one of the most important upgrades you can make. It can be the difference between enjoyable, comfortable rides and a very painful posterior, especially on long days in the saddle.

In an ideal world, it is best to try a new saddle before buying it. However, it's highly unlikely your local bike shop will have every option out there and even less chance they'll allow you the luxury of "trying before buying", even if they have a lenient return policy. So, where do you start?

One of the most important things you can do to aid you in your saddle search is to measure your sit bones, as that will enable you to look for a saddle that is the correct width. But, what are my sit bones, you ask? And how do I measure them? Read on to find out.

What are sit bones?

So firstly, if you don't know, the clue is in the name, but your sit bones, or to give them the correct medical name, the Ischial Tuberosity, is the V-shaped bone at the bottom of the pelvis that makes contact with a surface when you sit down. If you’ve ever sat on a hard seat for a long time, you’re no doubt familiar with this pokey bone and the discomfort you can get.

Bike saddles are designed to provide optimal support to the sit bones for maximum rider comfort. Too narrow and the sit bones are unsupported, causing the rider undue muscle and tissue stress. Too wide and the sit bones can rest awkwardly on the edge of the centre channel, where saddles offer little to no padding.

How to measure sit bone width using cardboard

This is both the most low-tech and the most accurate at-home method. Grab a flat piece of corrugated cardboard and place it on a flat surface. Sit down on the cardboard, and settle in so your sit bones make an indentation. You can even pull up on the chair to press your butt and sit bones into the surface.

Stand up and use a pen to circle the indentations. Mark the approximate centres with a plus sign, and use a ruler to get the distance between the centre marks. Make sure your clothing isn’t giving a false result; for example, jeans rivets poking the cardboard instead of your sit bones. A firm chair works best, so don’t bother trying to do this test on the couch. If you’re not sure if you did the test right, grab a fresh piece of cardboard and do it again just to make sure.

The cardboard sit bone test works similarly to the high-tech, pressure-sensitive devices saddle brands have at their disposal, so the results are generally quite accurate.

How do I use my sit bone width to find the right saddle fit?

Every brand provides slightly different information when it comes to saddle width. Some offer a range of sit bone widths for each size, while others simply give the overall width of the saddle. In most cases, your saddle should be wider than your sit bone width by 15 to 20mm. This will ensure you’re not right on the edges of the saddle, where your sit bones will be poorly supported.

If after purchase, you find that a saddle is uncomfortable even though it’s the right size, check to make sure you have the saddle positioned appropriately. For example, if it is installed too far back away from the bars, your sit bones could be resting closer to the nose of the saddle where it narrows. The saddle angle can cause similar problems if the tilt causes you to slide toward the front or back of the saddle and away from the widest spot where sit bones are supposed to rest.

Having done the test myself on two of my saddles, it was an interesting result. My Syncros gravel saddle shows a slightly narrow fit, while my Scott mountain bike saddle is wider with an almost perfect fit. Although there are only a few millimetres in it, and both saddles seemed fine to me when I rode, it was definitely worth checking and I've fine-tuned my saddle position as a result. It also means when I come to upgrade, I have the ideal saddle width in mind.

The SDG Bel Air has been one of the best mountain bike saddles since the original mid-'90s versions, which introduced the concept of funky camo, cowskin and other novelty covers. The current iteration keeps a similar overall profile, but is underlined with the latest construction tech to boost the comfort even further creating a fantastic feeling, if slightly weighty, saddle. Although you only get a hint of funkiness with the alloy-railed version.

The third-generation SDG Bel Air is a lot flatter than previously. That doesn’t mean the top profile has lost its subtly raised rear S-bend profile, but it’s nowhere near as deep underneath. If you get the measuring tape out, it’s also a bit shorter than before, but there’s still enough shuffling room without falling off the front compared to the latest stub nosed setups.

The shell drops under the snout to give the deepest padding when you’re on the rivet, and the top is flattened off for easy, effective seat-angle shifting. A ‘Peri-Canal’ groove runs from front to rear, with an ‘undercut’ pressure-relieving hole hidden in the center of the nylon and glass base to protect your plumbing. The rear of the saddle kicks up in the center to keep you anchored when you’re churning a serious gear, but drops away quickly over rounded flanks for a balance of sit bone support and easy movement that worked for everyone who tried it. If you’ve been finding seated salvation in a flatter, wider 150mm+ seat, this likely won’t include you.

In terms of construction, the one-piece ATMOS ‘sonic welded’ cover still gets protective corner bumpers, which is pretty rare these days. It’s really easy to clean, and it’s survived several months of hard riding and several crashes without a scratch. The rails are polished raw where they stick out from under the nose.

The thin layer of EVA foam gives firm support over the flexible base, and the rails have a particularly narrow stance at the rear with flexible ‘free float’ anchors increasing mobility and helping reduce ‘bottoming out’ impacts. This all sets up a seat that was universally loved by the wide range of riders who’ve been using our Pace RC295 host bike, but it’s shock shrugging enough that it’ll work really well on a hardtail too.

Verdict

The latest material tech and smart profiling mean SDG’s classic saddle gets even comfier and lighter. The V3 range starts with the basic ‘steel’ railed option, but with a claimed weight of 318g, it’s definitely worth upgrading to the Lux-Alloy tested here or even the carbon railed (181g) versions if you’re worried about grams.

Selle Italia’s X-LR SuperFlow saddles take the classic profile of its SLR and Flite saddles and give it a pure off-road focus, with scuff bumpers, a great shape, and a practical combination of cover materials to bring it in line with the best mountain bike saddles. Its curved profile and light padding won’t be for everyone, but for some riders it will be a fast and liberating ride. Here we’re reviewing the Ti316 model, which sits in the middle of the X-LR range.

Design and aesthetics 

The X-LR is an elegant perch, the rear wings cutting away quickly to a narrow front section and a significantly down-curved tip. The large centre cutout and the highly curved cross-section reflect its intent: it’s a minimalist saddle designed for a more aggressive, forward-tilted riding position, or for riders with a naturally forward-rotated pelvis.

The X-LR Ti316 sits on titanium rails, attached to a carbon and nylon undershell for stiffness and light weight. The cushioning is thin and firm, covered with a taut, hand-stretched cover.

The rear two-thirds of the cover is matt and moderately grippy, the front third with the sloping tip is deliberately shiny and smooth, to make it easier to get back into position when you’ve been off the saddle. Softer padding in the front section also helps the remounts.

Plastic side bumpers extend beyond the cushioning at the widest points, to protect the saddle in a crash or when it’s leaning against a rough wall. Every scrap of material on the X-LR seems to have earned its place, and there’s nothing there that doesn’t need to be.

The colour options are equally minimal, it’s black or black.

The X-LR comes in two widths. More significantly for your wallet and the weight of your bike, it also comes in three chassis materials: manganese 224g (the cheapest); titanium (tested), 176g; and carbon, 138g (the most expensive). Both the ti and carbon models have their own shock-absorbing qualities over the base version and have more durable Fibra-Tek covers.

Performance 

A narrow, curved, lightly padded saddle like the X-LR is a great advert for the benefits of getting a saddle that fits. Whereas it could have been incredibly uncomfortable, for me, my weight carried through my sit bones onto the curved edges in the right place, and the cutout was just right, even when perched slightly forward in the saddle for climbs.

Though the cushioning is thin and firm, it’s surprisingly protective when combined with the little bit of natural flex in the carbon-infused shell underneath it, and it does have the magic feeling of being super purposeful and direct when you put the power down.

The real delight was the freedom of movement. The narrow front section (36mm, compared with 47mm on the Spank Spike 160, for example) gives plenty of room for unhindered pedaling, and the curved sides and relatively smooth materials make it super-easy to let the bike move under you when you need to. That curved, shiny nose also helps maneuverability.

Verdict

Saddles are an immensely personal preference, but if you have the budget, we have no problem in suggesting the X-LR TI316. For cross-country riders in particular, it’s a great combination of lightweight, manoeuvrable form and surprising protection. Some riders would only use it for racing, few would find it ideal for long, rough, rocky days, but for others, it’s a great, fast, all-around option.

Spank wanted to make a race saddle for enduro and DH racers that was also comfortable enough for all-day training. For slower rides on the relentlessly rough ground, you might wish you had more cushioning, but otherwise, it’s a purposeful, manoeuvrable offering when compared to the best mountain bike saddles.

Design and aesthetics 

The Spike 160 is a relatively broad and flat saddle. The most race-oriented perch in the brand's four-saddle range, it has lean, low-profile cushioning that gives it a fast aesthetic. It has a generously sized pressure-relieving groove along almost the full length, which is wide and 6mm deep.

Its profile is flat front-to-back and side-to-side, so you very much feel you’re sitting ‘on’ it, with a broad taper at the rear edges which gives you side support when you’re wiggling to the side, without getting in your way. The covering is matte synthetic rubber, with light ridges for extra grip at the back and a smooth shape around the nose to help stop shorts snagging.

The Spike 160 comes in one width - effectively a medium - and the plastic underside comes in six colour options - our review sample is grey.

Reflecting its mid-range price point, the Spike 160 sits on hollow cromoly rails and a plastic base. The sides of the saddle are designed to have a little flex in them for comfort, though this is pretty subtle.

The whole saddle is constructed using a process called co-moulding, in which the skin, then the padding, then the base are put into a mould and compressed together with heat. The idea is that this gives the padding more durability versus compressing it by stretching the skin across it. Certainly, the skin and the cushioning are taut and look and feel like one uniform piece.

Performance 

Out on the trail, the Spike 160 combines a sense of robustness and security with a definite speed-oriented leanness.

You won’t forget that the cushioning is on the firm, purposeful side - firm enough to feel efficient and remind you that you’re on the trail to perform, but not so firm that you couldn’t stay out all day if you wanted to.

But it’s an easy saddle to live with, and an easy one to stay in the right position in. The cover is grippy but not too grippy, the centre groove comfortable - for my shape at least - and the broadness of the front section gives a stable grip for the legs when you’re out of the saddle. It's a comfortable enough perch when you’re riding further forward than normal while tackling steep climbs, too.

Interestingly, there was a little more propensity to snag shorts than the other saddles in our current crop, despite the ‘anti-snag’ edges. Maybe that was because of the shallow top section and slight lip between the skin and the base, but either way, it wasn’t a deal-breaker.

Verdict

Cross-country riders would look elsewhere since they’d expect a lighter weight for this amount of cushioning, and maybe wouldn’t need the breadth through the front end of the saddle. But for its intended gravity audience, the Spike 160 is a lean and efficient perch for a rider who wants to go fast.

Spank also offers a crash replacement discount for the first two years of ownership, which is a bonus considering saddles are vulnerable to damage when a bike is tumbling down a trail.

Being a professional bike tester means that you spend a lot of time riding a great variety of saddles. Some bikes arrive and my heart sinks - knowing I either need to mess about and swap saddles, or put up with an uncomfortable undercarriage - and some I know I’ll get on with. Having pressure-tested a load of shorts in the lab, I know that your saddle choice makes a far greater impact on your comfort than your shorts do, and getting the best saddle for you is about as important a component choice as any you’ll ever make.

It’s also a highly personal choice. There really isn’t such a thing as a ‘good’ saddle that is comfortable for everyone, which is why we rarely review saddles here anymore, as what works for me (any variation of a Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow) could be torture for you.

With the advent of 3D printing tech in saddle production, could a fully custom saddle made specifically to one’s rear end dimensions be different? Well, I must admit I was sceptical when I was approached by Posedla and offered just that. Happily though, I have been pleasantly surprised by the result.

The short version is that I don’t think it’s created me a saddle that’s more comfortable than my chosen favourite model, but it has created one that is as comfortable, and that’s really quite something.

If you’re staring down the barrel of trying to work out a saddle choice to suit your needs – which usually involves either an expensive bike fit, many trips to a saddle library, buying multiple models and trying to sell those that don’t work for you, or some combination of all three – then I think, in my experience at least, it can basically get you to the same end goal.

Design and buying process

Visually, the Posedla Joyseat 3.0 looks like most other 3D printed saddles. It’s black, full of holes (sorry to those who suffer from trypophobia), and consists of a 3D printed lattice of variably squishy filaments atop a rigid base. It’s got a slightly more rounded rear shape, and a really big cutout down the centre compared to commonly available off-the-peg models, but in essence it’s the same basic concept.

There are three tiers you can choose. Plus (metal rails), Pro (carbon rails and shell), and Ultra (carbon rails and shell, but even lighter). I have the Plus, but the way you end up at any of the three models is identical and involves sitting on a box of foam. Unlike the previous version that we reviewed back in 2023, the 3.0 version now comes in four flavours: Road (least padded, flat shape), Gravel (medium padding, medium shape), MTB (high padding, curved shape), and TT (flat profile, more padded nose with an extended cutout).

As a custom saddle, one must of course provide some measurements for Posedla to work with. It’s beautifully simple and quite easy: A box of foam arrives in the post, onto which you plonk your backside, take some photos of the resulting indents, and upload them. There’s no need to send the box back.

The top surface of the foam is crosshatched with fine grooves to form a grid, and the rim of the box is covered in QR-code-like reference markers. You sit (carefully) into the foam, take nine photos, upload them to the portal, and then begin filling in questions relating to your riding style and flexibility. It really is quite alarmingly simple, and this simplicity, I think, lulled me into thinking it was probably going to end up as just another saddle or a gimmick.

The questionnaire is relatively self-explanatory. There are 10 questions relating to your flexibility (I can just about touch my toes), what sort of riding I intend to do (gravel in this case, as it’s a better test), and the duration of my rides (I think I put in about four hours, a usual weekend off-road hack). Once that’s all in, it’s a case of waiting until your saddle arrives.

My personal one took longer than expected because (and don’t laugh) my bum was too small and Posedla didn’t have any narrow shells at the time. This isn’t the case now, but it was quite a funny text to receive and certainly did wonders for my body confidence.

All in all, though, the whole process from getting the box to getting the physical saddle was extremely easy. You have to be careful when doing the mould, but it’s all well explained in the associated instructions.

I’m not overly enamoured with how the thing looks. It’s not necessarily the most elegant form, but saddles shouldn’t be judged on aesthetics really, especially given that most of the time they are obscured by my (tiny) behind. The important question is: Is it comfortable?

Performance

I will preface this by again stating that saddles are a deeply personal component choice, and this is only my own experience based on the Gravel shape model. I can't speak for the Road, TT or MTB options, and I tend to favour curved saddle shapes over flat ones.

That being said, the Posedla Joyseat 3.0 did a pretty remarkable job of mimicking my chosen gravel saddle, the Selle Italia SLR Boost Gravel. It is perhaps convenient that my favoured saddle also has an enormous cutout, but I believe that a cutout really has no downsides, besides some issues around feminine hygiene that can result from spray from the rear wheel; this could be solved with a solid shell, however, which I do feel is perhaps an oversight.

So yes, it is comfortable, and after a four-hour gravel ride, it’s about as good as I would expect. It’s not more comfortable, it’s not given me a magic carpet ride or even the truly anatomical cushioning of a properly broken-in leather saddle (which is a joy everyone should experience at some point), but it’s certainly good enough.

There is an amount of breaking in, which I didn’t expect. The first few rides, it felt a little uniform and unyielding, but after three or four decent rides, it has softened slightly and is more pliant. I suspect there’s something along the lines of the filaments beneath the surface needing to move a little to break in, but in any case, if you do order one and it feels a little stiff out of the box, then give it a bit of time before making a final judgment.

With the ol’ thumb test, it’s clear how the saddle has been printed to provide different cushioning levels, in the same way saddles of old used sections of differing density foams, except here the transition is more gradual with less potential for ridging to occur at the transition zone. The area under my amusingly narrow sit bones is firm, the area directly surrounding it is less firm, and the nose is decidedly softer; perfect for those on the rivet sections on smoother ground in this case.

The cutout is large, larger visually than that of my chosen SLR, but the end result is the same insofar as I was never cursed with numbness in areas that I’d rather not go numb. I think the only real downside in this case, as a gravel bike saddle, is that it’s a little harder to keep clean.

I cannot yet speak to longevity. I have seen anecdotal evidence that 3D printed saddles don’t last as long as their standard counterparts, and this will likely be exacerbated with off-road use, but even with other 3D units I’ve tested, they haven’t exactly fallen apart instantly, but it’s something to be aware of.

Value

Compared to a normal, mid-range saddle the Posedla Joyseat 3.0 is more expensive. An SLR Boost is around $150, while the Joyseat $399. This is 2.5x the cost for a saddle that is 0x more comfortable, which is quite a hard sell. However…

I can totally appreciate that finding the right saddle can be an absolute nightmare. I am in the process of trying to help my partner find a saddle that suits her, and I am lucky in that I have access to a lot of saddles that I can take home and try, but even then, it can (and still does) feel like a totally impossible task. I also cannot count how many saddles I’ve personally tried before landing on the one. If I had to buy them all to find out, I would have spent an awful lot more than $399.

I don’t think it’s going to replace going to a good bike fitter if you’re really having issues, especially if they have access to a saddle library, but if you want something that (in my experience at least) will get you more or less where you need to be all while taking quite a lot of the guesswork out of it, then I think it does actually represent pretty good value.

Verdict

The Posedla Joyseat 3.0 isn’t the most comfortable saddle I've ever tried, but it can recreate the most comfortable saddle I’ve ever used… which is basically the same thing.

It’s an expensive solution, but if you want convenience and a one-and-done approach then it certainly was a success for me, and given how painful (physically and mentally) finding the right saddle can be it’s probably worth it for some of you, and a comfortable saddle is a far better use of a few hundred dollars than more or less any other upgrade of similar cost.

The need for speed is ushering in a host of new components that are making riders go faster than ever before, and Prologo is at the forefront in this regard. Known for its high-performance saddles and accessories, Prologo has created the world’s first integrated time trial perch: the Predator 01TT, which joins the T Gale and Dimension Tri families in the company’s Tri/TT range. It is the result of a meticulous 18-month research and development plan conducted in collaboration with WorldTour teams, including Ineos Grenadiers, UAE Team Emirates, and Visma–Lease a Bike.

The saddle has also been developed for triathlon use through Prologo-sponsored triathlete Sam Laidlow (2023 IRONMAN World Champion). Sam will continue to play a future role in creating new triathlon-specific products for the brand.

Many eagle-eyed fans would have already spotted the first Predator model aboard the Colnago TT1 of Tadej Pogačar at the 2024 Tour de France, and now the production version is adorning the bikes of the brand’s Innovation Technical Partners. In fact, the Predator 01TT has already earned a slew of significant victories, including the individual time trial at the Volta ao Algarve by Jonas Vingegaard and the team time trial at Paris-Nice, won by Visma–Lease a Bike.

Jonas Vingegaard played a pivotal role in the evolution of the Predator saddle from prototype to finished product, working closely with the Prologo team to refine and hone its overall performance throughout his winter testing. The result is a truly incredible saddle, now ready for purchase.

Form follows function and the development of an icon

Italian design is world-renowned for adhering to the principle of form follows function, and the Predator 01TT is no different. While initially developed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software modeling, the Predator was validated in a wind tunnel, where the interaction between the saddle, bike, and rider was closely studied and refined. The carbon-fibre side wings on the base protect the squared-off rails and seatpost clamp from airflow, while the rear of the saddle acts as a diffuser, reducing drag and directing the air coming off the rider’s back. In fact, when viewed in profile, the rails are not visible.

At just 110 mm wide, the saddle's ergonomic shape supports maximum pelvic rotation, enabling an extremely aerodynamic position for longer. The padded section measures 170mm and features enhanced EVA padding, which, together with the wide PAS central channel (which runs the full length of the contact area), reduces pressure peaks on soft tissues and improves comfort.

Despite the saddle being heavily inspired by aerodynamics, Prologo has taken things one step further by dialing in details that make it visually appealing. As a result, the Predator 01TT adopts the same visual iconography as its stablemates, featuring a Prologo wordmark and symbol logo at opposite ends of the rear.

Revolutionary carbon plate and modular design

Unlike other saddles in the Prologo portfolio, the patented Nack (Nano Carbon Fibre) rail is a fully integrated plate that utilises a broader and flatter surface than traditional round or oval rails. This rail technology is claimed to improve maximum power transfer and handling, while enhancing the connection between rider and bike, maximising feedback and road feel through the frame.

Prologo, as a company, has environmental sustainability at its core, and the modular design of the Predator 01TT saddle ensures every component, from the plate and base, can be individually replaced, repaired, and recycled more easily down the line.

No compromise on comfort and weight

The saddle measures an ultra-compact 260x110mm (the EVA padding is only 170mm in length), and is available in two versions, both with the same dimensions but differing in nose width. There’s a 50mm narrow and a 60mm wide version, the latter of which is recommended for triathletes for longer seated time trial efforts.

To ensure it plays nicely with a range of seatposts, the Predator 01TT comes with a special 3D-printed titanium mounting clamp. And the weight? The narrow version weighs just 135g while the wide version tips the scales at 159g.

The Predator 01TT is available at a list price of £1,068 / €1,250. Visit Prologo now.

The road bike saddle has remained relatively unchanged over the years, but the rise of 3D-printing techniques has seen them improve in comfort and become even more dynamic in appearance. Prologo is no stranger to innovation – as a leading manufacturer of cycling saddles, the Italian company introduced its radical CPC technology in 2013 with conical 3D nanostructures on the cover of the saddle for enhanced grip and vibration absorption. It is no surprise that Prologo has naturally embraced 3D printing to boost its saddle portfolio even further with the exquisitely designed, high-performance Nago R4 PAS 3DMSS saddle and, now, the new ultra-comfortable Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS.

The Prologo Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS takes everything we know about the Scratch M5 platform - a saddle used by road professionals such as Jonas Vingegaard, Egan Bernal, Sepp Kuss, Wout Poels, John Degenkolb, Romain Bardet and Magnus Cort - and betters it in every way. Read on to find out all about why the Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS could be your next saddle, regardless of the terrain and bike you ride.

A saddle for all occasions and disciplines

Like the regular Scratch M5 PAS saddle, the new Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS can be used across disciplines - road, gravel, cyclo-cross and even mountain biking - also thanks to its rounded shape, which Prologo says provides extra support to the lumbar area of the lower back. We’ve already seen the platform used at the highest level of mountain biking, most recently by Alan Hatherly, who won the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Championships aboard the Scratch M5 PAS saddle.

The new Prologo Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS retains the same ergonomic T-shape and compact dimensions (250x140 mm) of the Scratch M5 PAS, and was developed based on studies and pressure tests by different types of professional and amateur cyclists. This data formed the foundation of the new saddle, which employs a 3D-printed cushion with separate double-layer sectors to further enhance comfort. These sectors adapt perfectly to different pressure areas and ensure maximum performance during all phases of pedalling on all surfaces and terrain.

All-new 3D Multi-Sector System (3DMSS) technology

The Prologo Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS is available in one size: 250 x 140 mm. That’s a good thing, as long-time users of the saddle can upgrade to the new model without needing to worry about dimensions and fit. The cushion of the Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS combines Prologo’s MSS (Multi-Sector System) technology with a 3D-printing process that uses digital light projection, oxygen-permeable optics and engineering-grade materials to produce polymer parts with exceptional mechanical properties, resolution and finish.

The Multi-Sector System now comprises 3D-printed double-layer sections: an upper and lower layer with different geometric shapes and densities spread over three separate sectors on each side of the saddle. These sectors can adapt to the individual pressure areas of your physiology.
 

To provide support when positioned on the tip of the saddle, the front section of the saddle uses medium-density Voronoi shapes on the surface and Kagome patterns near the base.

At the rear, high-density Voronoi shapes on the surface transition to rhomboid shapes towards the base to support the ischial bones that form the lower part of the pelvis. These shapes also aid in the pulling phase of the pedal stroke. Comfort for the soft tissue around the sitbones has been achieved by including a lower-density central section with Voronoi geometric shapes on the surface and tetrahedral shapes near the base.

The M5 PAS 3DMSS saddle also employs the unmistakable PAS or Perineal Area System, an open-channel design that reduces pressure and numbness in the most delicate areas.

Lightweight and comfortable platform available for all

In terms of weight, 3D-printed saddles are traditionally heavier than regular options, but Prologo looked at ways to trim unnecessary material where applied pressures on the saddle were lower. As a result, the corresponding areas use specific 3D geometric shapes that minimise the resultant material without compromising comfort or limiting saddle performance.

As a result, the Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS is an impressively light and supremely comfortable saddle – 176g for the Nack option and 209g for the Tirox. Together with the weight-cutting measures, the saddle also uses injected long-fibre carbon in the base to save a few extra grams, while also improving rigidity and compliance. There’s a choice of two rail hardware options: the Nack (7x9.3mm) made of carbon fibre, Kevlar and aluminium filaments and the Tirox version (7mm), constructed from light alloy steel, which offers an excellent weight-resistance balance and vibration absorption.

The Prologo Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS is priced at €390 (Nack carbon rail) and €290 (Tirox rail).

Prologo’s specially-designed, women's-specific saddles are here to provide maximum comfort for female cyclists at all levels, from the recreational rider to the world’s top professionals, and across road, gravel and mountain biking.

First launched in 2023, the EVA range is ergonomically designed to meet the specific needs of women’s anatomy, to support your body correctly and relieve any pressure in sensitive areas, with added padding for increased comfort. 

With targeted women’s construction, there’s no need to worry about numbness, discomfort or pain when riding. 

As a leading manufacturer of a wide range of unisex saddles, this is the brand’s venture into saddles made specifically for the needs of women, and it has worked with top road and MTB pros to develop options for all sorts of women, from road racers seeking high performance to those just looking for a comfier ride. 

Prologo are constantly working to improve the performance and quality of their products, and working specifically with female anatomy in mind has been the latest step in the advancement of their saddle technology.

Women’s bodies, and particularly the pelvic area, are of course vastly different to men’s, and therefore need different support from their saddles. From weight distribution to where soft genital tissue sits, Prologo have looked at all the intricate differences for female cyclists, and made subtle but important tweaks to their unisex models to better cater for all kinds of female riders.

The brand provides saddles for three top professional road teams – Visma-Lease a Bike, Team Picnic-PostNL and Uno-X Mobility – and has collaborated with those teams and riders to develop saddles that perform at the highest standard. 

Though the EVA saddles are used by the pros, they’re certainly not just for athletes. An EVA saddle can help make any ride more comfortable and more enjoyable, whether you’re riding a medium distance or taking on a longer challenge.

The EVA saddles come in two variants, the Dimension and the Scratch. The Scratch is a slightly lighter option, and both can be used across all types of riding and bikes – road, gravel, MTB, Prologo saddles can work on all terrain.

The Dimension EVA joins the existing Dimension line, but with its shape and construction honed to join the different measurements of a female body. To achieve maximum comfort, the tip is 13% wider than the unisex Dimension 143, the central channel is 18% wider, and the anatomical centre has been moved back to better support the ischial bones.

The whole saddle is also wider at 156mm across, providing more surface area to support the pelvis, and there’s thicker, low-density padding at the rear for a cushioned seat and less pressure on sensitive areas.

Pro mountain biker Jolanda Neff uses a Dimension EVA aboard her Cannondale MTB, so you know it’s comfortable for even the gnarliest of rides, as well as being a great road saddle.

Prefer a saddle without a cut-out? The Scratch EVA could be better for you, and it’s also totally suitable for road or off-road riding. Instead of a cut-out, the Scratch has a padded central channel, and like the Dimension, the whole saddle has been carefully tweaked to better suit female riders.

The padding is thinner in the channel where soft tissue rests, meaning there shouldn’t be any added pressure on soft and sensitive parts of the body.

Like the Dimension, the anatomic centre has been moved forward to align better with the size and proportions of a female body, and the tip is 2mm wider, which will make riding more comfortable even in more aggressive positions.

In the rear, you’ll find 125% more padding, with varying thicknesses at different points to really precisely support the sit bones and relieve any discomfort in the genital area.

Whilst the tip is wider, the rear isn’t, so the Scratch maintains the same compact design as the unisex model, which allows more freedom and movement when pedalling, but also works with all kinds of positions and set-ups, for the more recreational rider to the aggressive, aerodynamic racer.

For both saddles, there’s good news for the bike weight-conscious riders who want a light, rigid rail as you can get both EVA saddles with the Nack carbon fibre rail for maximum performance. Prioritising comfort over gains? Try the Tirox made of light alloy still that will absorb more vibration from the road.

Love cycling? You should give some love to your body too, and make sure you’re using a saddle that supports your needs for a more comfortable, and more enjoyable ride.

Like the Dimension, the anatomic centre has been moved forward to align better with the size and proportions of a female body, and the tip is 2mm wider, which will make riding more comfortable even in more aggressive positions.

In the rear, you’ll find 125% more padding, with varying thicknesses at different points to really precisely support the sit bones and relieve any discomfort in the genital area.

Whilst the tip is wider, the rear isn’t, so the Scratch maintains the same compact design as the unisex model, which allows more freedom and movement when pedalling, but also works with all kinds of positions and set-ups, for the more recreational rider to the aggressive, aerodynamic racer.

For both saddles, there’s good news for the bike weight-conscious riders who want a light, rigid rail as you can get both EVA saddles with the Nack carbon fibre rail for maximum performance. Prioritising comfort over gains? Try the Tirox made of light alloy still that will absorb more vibration from the road.

Love cycling? You should give some love to your body too, and make sure you’re using a saddle that supports your needs for a more comfortable, and more enjoyable ride.

Saddle weights:

• Dimension EVA – 183g with Nack rail, or 227g with Tirox rail
• Scratch EVA – 178g with Nack rail, or 226g with Tirox rail

Pricing:

• Dimension EVA and Scratch EVA, with Nack rail: €229
• Dimension EVA and Scratch EVA, with Tirox rail: €139

Mile after mile and year after year, cyclists spend countless hours and miles in the saddle. Over time, a good saddle provides support and comfort without a rider ever having to consider it; the saddle helps connect us to our machines and feel at one with the bike. 

The Prologo Dimension has been present in the Prologo range for a long time. The Dimension was a popular saddle and a cornerstone of the Prologo range, with a strong reputation for performance. Now, Italian manufacturer Prologo has refined things even further with the creation of the Dimension R2. The new model features a completely redesigned nose and weighs in at a superlight 135 grams.

The Dimension R2 takes the established Dimension saddle, which was the first ‘short’ saddle from Prologo and builds on it to increase performance and comfort for any cyclist, from the enthusiast rider to the professional racer. The Dimension R2 is the lightest and best-performing Dimension model yet, for the rider who demands high performance as well as comfort.

Short saddles are popular now and have been widely adopted because they suit modern performance bike geometries and allow cyclists to make power whilst in an aerodynamic yet comfortable position. Having lots of room on a longer saddle that perhaps helped disguise fit issues meant riders would potentially slide around or constantly creep forward.

A shorter and wider performance saddle like the Dimension R2 relieves pressure and numbness and helps the rider lock into the correct position, combined with the right bike setup.

Scores of professional cyclists also train and race on Prologo short saddles. The brand supplies saddles to seven WorldTour teams and some of the fastest male and female cyclists in the world, from the likes of Ineos Grenadiers, Visma-Lease a bike, to Team Picnic Post NL and Groupama FDJ.

Eritrean cycling star Biniam Girmay, winner of the green sprint jersey and three stages of last year's Tour de France for the Intermache Wanty team, chooses to race on the Dimension R2 saddle. 

The Prologo Dimension R2 is priced at €249 and is available in anthracite and white colourways.

 Weight saving and an overhauled design 

The Dimension R2 is 15% lighter than the previous version, with the saddle weighing in at a superlight 135 grams, a highly competitive weight by any standards. The Dimension R2 represents a great way to save weight on any bike, as well as boost performance. This new lower weight is in part thanks to the use of a new type of EVA foam, which meant the saddle foam thickness itself could be reduced whilst maintaining comfort regardless of whether a cyclist is using it on or off road. 

The saddle base and rails also save weight. The base is manufactured from injected long carbon fibre, whilst the rails are Prologo ‘Nack’ nano fibre, a combination of carbon fibre, kevlar and aluminium filaments. Nack rails can be found on top-end and performance-focused Prologo saddles.

Design-wise, the Dimension R2 is a unisex saddle with a length of 245mm and a width of 143mm. The front end has also received a large overhaul, which has seen the nose of the saddle increase to 40mm, an increase of 30% over the previous model. This increase, along with a more rounded nose profile, increases comfort. The mid-section of the saddle is flat, which is a change that will help facilitate more aerodynamic riding positions. The Dimension R2 also features an all-important pressure relief channel in the centre of the saddle, which helps minimise pressure on sensitive areas, boosting rider comfort. 

The Dimension R2 saddle is available in either black or white colourways and is priced at €249. Its stylish design and branding mean it will suit road, gravel and mountain bikes.  

Gravel cycling has rapidly become one of the most beloved branches of our sport, and off-road riding, racing and adventuring all put a smile on the faces of cyclists worldwide. Gravel provides exciting new riding experiences as well as challenges. That could be pushing your limits in a race, or simply exploring beautiful terrain and making memories with friends.

Prologo are saddle experts, and some of the biggest races in the world have been won by riders using the brand's saddles. The Italian company currently supplies 10 of the world's largest WorldTour men's and women's road teams including Visma-Lease-a bike and Team Picnic PostNL.

Away from the road, the brand's saddles are also used at the highest level for gravel and off-road riding. 2023 gravel world champion Matej Mohorič, 2023 Unbound 200 winner Keegan Swenson and grand tour stage winner Nicholas Roche all ride and race on Prologo. The people’s champion Lachlan Morton also chose a Prologo model for his record-breaking ride around Australia last year. 

Prologo has updated the AGX saddle range, AGX is an acronym for adventure, gravel and cyclocross riding, in case you were wondering. The brand has developed four new AGX saddles specifically designed to boost comfort, rider stability and performance when riding off-road. All riders are entitled to feel comfortable on their bikes, and the AGX saddles use a new, low-density foam and an innovative, grippy ‘slide control’ coating on the saddle itself as well as a range of fit options to help riders find that comfort and improve their riding experience. 

Have you ever felt yourself shifting around on the saddle or pushing yourself backwards as you slide forward, particularly off-road and on more challenging terrain? The AGX Slide Control technology is there to help counteract this feeling, providing grip and stability when riders need it. Think of shifting your weight around on a technical climb to boost traction, gripping the sides of your saddle with your legs whilst descending to aid control, or simply looking for all-day comfort whilst bikepacking or touring. The Slide Control coating, which takes the form of a series of grippy lines in strategic places on the saddle cover will add confidence and comfort when taking on these technical challenges.

The new, four-strong range consists of two separate models named the Scratch M5 AGX Slide Control and Dimension AGX Slide Control. 

The Scratch models use the Prologo ‘T’ saddle shape which aims to give more freedom of movement and ensure a comfortable fit in the area where riders' thighs tend to rub. 

The Dimension models use the Prologo ‘V’ saddle shape which aims to minimise frontal pressure and provide more support at the rear. Both models are available in two different widths to accommodate different riders' sit bones to achieve the best possible fit. 

The Scratch M5 AGX saddle is available in 140 and 147mm widths, whilst the Dimension AGX models are available in 143 and wider 153mm width options. 

Wider models are marked ‘Space’ for easy differentiation and have 2mm thicker padding, they are simply for cyclists looking for an all-road option that will remain comfortable for hours. If you aren’t sure what width or type of Prologo saddle you need, you can use the handy online MyOwn saddle identification system, or head to a MyOwn dealer for help. 

Prologo has boosted saddle base flexibility and incorporated a new kind of foam in the AGX design which aids vibration absorption when riding off-road. Scratch M5 saddle padding is broken up into visible sections, this is called the MSS (multi-sector system) and each area or sector on the saddle uses specific foam and single-cell padding for maximum comfort. 

This vibration absorption idea is key in gravel riding and racing. It minimises vibrational losses which can lead to fatigue can boost rider performance in the long term, whether that’s saving watts for a sprint at the end of a race or simply helping keep a rider fresher to make adventuring or leisure riding even more comfortable.    

All four saddle models feature Prologo PAS (Perineal Area System) technology. This technology involves a cutout in the saddles to help minimise pressure in sensitive areas and aid blood flow. Carbon or alloy steel saddle rail options are available, and if you want to mix things up and show off your new saddle, you can choose from stealthy black or the more gravel-orientated light brown colourway.     

The AGX Slide Control range is available now. Saddles are priced at €139 for Tirox (Light alloy steel) rail models and €219 for Nack carbon fibre and Kevlar rail options.

A few years ago, I went to the doctor because I was convinced I had cancer. 

Over a few weeks, a large, hard and painful lump had appeared in my groin. Initially, I dismissed it as an ingrown hair, but when wearing underwear became unbearable and sitting down too painful, I knew I couldn’t ignore it any longer. By the time I booked an appointment with my GP, the lump had grown to the size of a marble under the skin and was oozing a milky-white substance. 

The doctor who saw me had a brusque manner. ‘That’s not a tumour,’ she said, snapping her gloves at her wrists after - in my view an unnecessarily short - rummage in my knickers, ‘it’s folliculitis. A bacterial infection of a hair follicle. It will go away in its own time if you keep it clean.’ 

I left the surgery red-faced and ashamed that I had wasted the doctor’s time, and slightly embarrassed about my panic. But the truth of it was that I was new to cycling and no one had ever warned me that increased miles on a manufacturer-issued saddle could result in something that looked and felt like a tumour. Even amongst my fevered googlings late at night, I hadn’t come across anything that had explained the types of pain I might be facing. 

Since then, I’ve been acutely interested in women’s experiences of saddle soreness and discomfort, trying to better understand the landscape of our pain and figure out how and best to keep women on the bike. I’ll give you a bit of a spoiler: it’s all a bit complicated. 

The scope of the problem

While we generally seem to refer to saddle sores in the cycling industry, it is more practical and accurate to talk about saddle soreness, which can manifest itself through a whole host of symptoms from your basic run-of-the-mill tingling, numbness, bruising, chafing, to slightly more serious ingrown hairs, boils and abscesses, labial swelling, vulval tears, folliculitis - as mentioned above - through to cystitis (a urinary tract infection) and thrush, the production of vaginal odor or even pain when going to the toilet (caused either by excessive pressure on the urethra or infections).

Research suggests that 60% of women suffer from saddle soreness (University of Colorado, 2014). My gut reaction is that this figure is to be likely even higher in reality, as it isn’t clear how many women are totally lost from cycling after experiencing saddle soreness and therefore don’t ever self report, nor does it take into consideration the women who for a myriad of reasons don’t - or can’t - ever admit to suffering. 

I wanted to look a bit closer at this, so I conducted my own survey of 278 women, all of whom are active cyclists. I’ll talk more frankly about the results of this survey soon, but for me, one of the most gut-wrenching findings was that a significant proportion admitted they would never feel comfortable discussing their symptoms with anyone, not even with close friends, partners, or healthcare professionals.

This is a problem. A big problem. Not least because women are already extremely underserved by the cycling industry in the first place, and the reticence to discuss it further due to embarrassment, the fear of not being listened to, or the belief that women have a higher pain threshold and should ‘just get on with it’, compounds the issue further. The lack of discussion and research into these difficulties makes it harder for anyone to understand the problem, or to integrate women into the design process of products. As one unnamed male cyclist said to me, ‘I don’t even really know how much pain women are in, I don’t hear much about it’. 

Whether the industry is not understanding women’s pain or just not listening remains to be seen, but we are starting to uncover that the long term impacts of continuous saddle soreness isn’t looking good. One study found that amongst competitive athletes, persistent compression caused by conventional saddles could lead to sexual dysfunction (Greenberg et al, 2019), while another study found that approximately half of the women they surveyed had experienced sexual discomfort and pain following long bike rides (Harrison, 2023). Heartbreakingly, I found this in my own survey, where some women disclosed that they choose between sex with their partners and riding their bikes. 

What are women saying about their discomfort?

To better understand the realities of women’s experiences with saddle soreness and discomfort, I conducted a survey to gather real-life accounts. While I’ve spent years discussing these issues with my own friends, it was clear that my network, who are largely women of a similar age, fitness, and life stage to me, represented only a narrow slice of our cycling community.

The survey attracted responses from a diverse range of women from across the world, though most were aged between 26 and 45, had more than seven years of riding experience, and generally rode 21 to 50 miles a week. These are experienced cyclists, generally with more than 7 years of riding behind them, and nearly all of the 278 respondents reported suffering from saddle sores, often with multiple symptoms.

The stories they shared were, frankly, hard to read. Some described infected hair follicles developing into ‘grape-sized lumps’, with some requiring surgery. Others reported vulvar tears and labia swelling so severe that going to the loo for days after a long ride was painful, repeated instances of thrush or enlarged clitoris that became painfully sensitive. There were accounts of abscesses that burst, days spent unable to sit comfortably or wear normal clothes and underwear, and weeks off the bike to allow their bodies to heal.

Here are just a few of the experiences respondents shared:

• ‘I’ve had to quit events because I couldn’t sit on the saddle any longer and then couldn’t even pedal.’
• ‘I ended up with a large boil that was very painful, which meant I couldn’t ride. I had to take antibiotics to get rid of it.’
• ‘It became infected, and months later formed a cyst. The cyst capsule would fill with fluid on long rides for years and form into a hard lump. Eventually, I had the hair follicle removed by a plastic surgeon.’
• ‘During an ultra-endurance event, I developed small cuts around my labia. They became swollen and made it painful to pee. I had to scratch from the event.’
• ‘If it gets really bad, I’ll stop cycling for a couple of weeks. But now that I commute…I just have to push through, so it takes longer to heal properly.’
• 'I had a small split in my clitoris during an event'.

Many respondents expressed frustration at not knowing how to address these problems effectively. For some, the options are either to simply continue pushing through the pain to keep engaging in the sport they love or rely on for work or take extended breaks from cycling, never quite knowing if they’ll be able to return. These stories underline the urgent need for better understanding, support, and solutions for women facing saddle-related discomfort.

So what actually are the causes of so much pain? 

Let’s go back to the beginning for a minute. There are undeniably certain anatomical differences in women that makes us much more susceptible to saddle sores than men, but research is still unclear as to actually how and why women suffer so much, or indeed whether they suffer to any more extent than men do, or whether men are just better catered to by the cycling industry. It’s all a bit messy, and while studies into men’s saddle soreness seem relatively advanced, the same can’t really be said about women.  

When looking at women’s discomfort, it appears that there are quite specific patterns. Some women appear to have bleeding, pinching, tearing and swelling from excessive pressure, and others display more friction-like burns or tingling and numbness. The culprit for a lot of pain though, does seem to come from the vulva. A study by Harrison et al (2023) found 44% of women suffered with vulva or labia-specific pain.  

The role of the vulva

If we’re going to get specific, and I think we should, we all need to get on board with the correct terms for the soft tissue ‘down below’. The correct terms are vulva, labia majora, labia minora and clitoris, and these refer to the bits that are most likely going to bear an unnecessary amount of weight when on a saddle and are usually the parts that become swollen, pinched, or bruised. The vulva is the collective term for the external visible genitalia that we see on women - we’re not using vagina here because that’s the internal passage that connects the uterus to the vulva. Labia majora and labia minora are the outer and inner ‘lips’ respectively, and the clitoris is the nub of flesh at the top of the vulva. You also might hear a bit about the perineum, which is the small triangle between the vulva and the anus, and this can also begin to get sore or bruised. 

What makes saddle sores in women so much of a complex problem is the fact that there really isn’t a standard vulva - in fact, one study suggests there may be around nine different presentations of vulva, which makes designing a standardised saddle, bike, and components difficult for an industry that is looking to mass market the production of materials. Much of the research that currently exists into women’s pain is limited to the experience of competitive athletes. This is, of course, important work and imperative to ensuring parity in elite-level sport, but we know that athletes often use their bodies in very different ways to the average commuter. Understanding the role of the vulva and how the labia and clitoris might be supported by thoughtful product design is imperative to ensuring more women stay in cycling more broadly - which we desperately need.

The role of the cycling industry and women specific bikes

The mass market for bikes, in a lot of ways, makes things worse. It is perhaps unsurprising to most of you that the vast majority of bikes are not built for women, nor do many manufacturers seem to consider these differences in women’s anatomy during design. While there are some advancements in offerings such as those by Liv and Canyon, both of whom have developed specific women’s frames, research appears to be inconclusive about whether it’s a women’s specific geometry that is needed or just the availability and wider range of smaller frames. 

On the one hand, we know that women are generally shorter in height than men, with smaller overall muscle mass, and often much more flexibility in the joints which may cause a woman to move differently on a bike. A shorter or lower top tube, a smaller wheel set allowing for a smaller frame, narrower handlebars, shorter cranks and a cut-out saddle - all of which appear on women’s specific bikes - should theoretically offer more comfortable rides for women. But, anecdotally, when I tried the Liv Devote last year, I found the cut-out saddle that came as standard horribly uncomfortable no matter how much I adjusted, and the narrower handlebars made riding much more unstable. ‘Women’s specific’ doesn’t necessarily mean that women will automatically find the bike more comfortable.

This is supported by a study Specialized produced following data from over 8,000 bike fits, which demonstrated that the differences between men and women are actually not as pronounced as originally thought, encouraging us to consider more carefully the range of needs of all riders rather than just through a gendered lens. 

However, we’ve all seen the impact of the ‘just shrink it and pink it’ mentality in the industry, and though women-specific bikes might not totally fix the problem, they advocate for more inclusive design which certainly helps.

Will a saddle fix it?

In my survey, 68% of respondents identified that a poorly fitted saddle design was one of the root causes for their saddle soreness, with many reporting they’ve been unable to find a suitable saddle for their needs. On group rides of my own, I've witnessed at coffee stops women quickly swapping bikes to get a feel for different saddle fit. I spoke to Jenni Gwiazdowski, a saddle fitter and founder of London Bike Kitchen’s Saddle Library. 

‘We need a better diversity of options on the market,’ Jenni says as we begin to discuss her work, ‘but we also need to be teaching women the tools of comfort and offering the space and time to help them navigate these choices.’ She adds that it’s also important women are given the opportunity to listen to their bodies to learn what is comfortable and what isn’t. Jenni sees herself as a ‘guide’ in helping people understand their ‘journeys’ with comfort: ‘because it really is a journey’, she says. ‘I can’t tell people what the right answer is, there isn’t one. There is no one perfect saddle for every person, because all our bodies are complex, different, and prone to change.’ 

Jenni highlights the complexity of saddle fitting, noting that comfort isn’t determined solely by anatomy or bike components. Factors such as riding style, fitness level, sweat composition, weather, chamois choice, muscle imbalances, or even life stages can play a role. For example, she points out that menopause-related changes, like the thinning of vulvovaginal skin due to decreased estrogen, can increase the risk of saddle discomfort. 

‘Historically we’ve always thought about sit bones when we’ve thought about saddles,’ she begins, ‘we would take the width and correlate the width of the seat bones with the width of the saddle but they won’t think about how the pelvis rotates and moves. Everyone’s pelvises rotate differently.’ This oversimplification may have limited the effectiveness of saddle design. 

When it comes to saddle widths for instance, it’s always been thought that women generally have wider sit bones than men, however, research into external ischial tuberosity widths (the fancy science word for sit bone widths) studies present a much more nuanced perspective. Studies show that individual differences within each sex are much more significant than those found between male and female anatomies. This means that when we are talking about saddles specifically, it becomes less about ‘women's-specific saddles’ and more about a range of saddles offering different features for different needs - men, for instance, may just as easily find a ‘women’s specific’ saddle more comfortable than a man’s saddle’.

Jenni believes that manufacturers have spent a long time making products while only half understanding the needs of the individuals using them. I ask about the cut-out saddles we are increasingly seeing marketed as ‘women’s-specific’, skeptical of what seems a simple solution to an increasingly complex problem. ‘A lot of people get on with them,’ Jenni says, ‘and they’re certainly one solution.’ Cut-out saddles aim to reduce the compression of the labia minora and perineum by creating additional space and instead transferring weight to sit bones. They’re great for those who struggle with pressure on soft tissue but might not be as useful for individuals who struggle more with friction or burn-like saddle sores, once again reinforcing that just slapping the words ‘women’s-specific’ doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. 

Ultimately though, women still aren’t seeing a bike fitter for support in finding comfort, and the ones that do aren’t always reporting that they were useful. ‘It’s expensive and I didn’t feel like I was listened to,’ one woman responded in my survey. A 2021 study suggests that it is unclear whether modern bike fitting protocols are entirely appropriate for both men and women due to differences in anatomical structures and a bias towards men’s cycling, though acknowledges there isn’t enough research to argue either way. Interestingly, a proportion of women in my survey voiced concerns that their cycling wasn’t ‘serious enough’ to justify the cost and time requirements of a bike fit, despite many of them stating that they believe the cause of their saddle sores was poor fitting bikes and saddles. I wonder if we’re acknowledging wider societal issues and the prevalence of self-limiting beliefs in the issue of saddle soreness enough. 

How are people managing their saddle soreness?

In the small secrets shared quietly between women (and maybe this great article by Mildred Locke), there’s a rumbling debate between those who shave their pubic hair and those who do not, and those who wear underwear beneath their bib shorts and those who do not. You’re likely to be unsurprised when I tell you that there’s almost no research in favour of or against the efficacy of any of these things - we (again) unsurprisingly, just don’t know. 

Most of the research we do have examines how women are already managing discomfort, as opposed to understanding the most effective options. My survey seems to align closely with a study completed by Bury et al, which showed that good quality padded shorts, applying chamois and barrier cream and a women’s specific saddle were the most helpful in reducing saddle soreness. In my study though, sadly, 22% selected that they ‘have not found anything to manage their saddle soreness’, while significant ‘time off the bike’ was also reported as the only method to reduce pain or discomfort. Both are a worrying statistic. 

Bibs with an appropriate chamois have a lot to answer for when it comes to women’s comfort though. I asked Jenni Gwiazdowski whether a poor pair of padded shorts could negate any benefits gained in a saddle fit: ‘Absolutely,’ she says. This is reflected in the research, where Van den Stock et al found that wearing suitably padded shorts was almost as effective as changing saddle position.

However, it must be noted that not all bibs are built alike, and like the vulva, it’s impossible to find a standard pad to fit every body type. Personally, I know that a thicker pad in shorts or tights can lead to dryness and chafing of my vulva, while a pad too short in the front will cause bruising. Bagginess, or thickness at the back of a pad, will cause a kind of friction burn on my bum on longer rides, whereas ill-fitting shorts or tights can result in a combination. Jenni mentions to me that women will ‘often go for a thick, squishy pad’ in bibs, looking for that comfort against the jarring of the bike. ‘A squishy pad provides little support though,’ she says, ‘and so the body can move around a lot more and it can cause more problems in the long term’. It is, however, perhaps much easier for brands to market a squishy, thicker pad; they’re soft and logically it makes sense they’ll offer more comfort than something thin and structured, right? 

So do we need to see more diversity in the market to allow for such different presentations of the body?  ‘I still can’t find a pad that suits me,’ one of my survey respondents laments, ‘most brands look and feel the same. There’s no innovation happening.’ 

So what can we do about it? The Tl;DR

Speak to any woman in cycling and she’ll likely tell you the same thing as I am about to tell you - the cycling industry just isn’t offering enough diversity for women, or even probably for men. 

Saddle soreness is incredibly complicated and incredibly personal, and I don’t think we’re anywhere near fully understanding the landscape of women’s pain, nor how best to manage it, and that’s a problem if we want women to continue cycling. 

However, I fully endorse Jenni’s perspectives that we need to do better in supporting women to understand both their bodies and the options available to them, viewing comfort as an evolving journey rather than a final destination. We need: 

• More research: More independent and peer reviewed studies attempting to understand the root causes of saddle soreness and the most effective solutions.
• Diversity: The prioritisation of women’s needs in product design as a standard as opposed to an afterthought. Product specs should be grounded in research and real-world feedback from women
• Better tools to navigate choice: Saddle libraries with experienced bike and saddle fitters could offer more routes to comfort, especially as product offerings expand. 
• Opportunities to discuss: A more open, stigma free dialogue, with men contributing and listening too. 

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Fizik has claimed one of the most coveted spots in the world of pro cycling kit sponsorship, as it has taken on an official sponsor slot for UAE Team Emirates after the team's long partnership with Prologo has come to an end.

Prologo's Scratch and Nago saddles had become iconic as Tadej Pogačar saddle of choice, with the brand releasing numerous Grand Tour-themed special edition saddles in honour of the Slovenian's exceptional winning streak.

For 2025, though, rival Italian brand Fizik will take up the mantle for the UCI top-ranked men's team UAE Team Emirates XRG and women's team UAE Team ADQ.

The focus for the 2025 season will be the brand's 3D-printed Adaptive models and One-to-One range of racing saddles which are printed bespoke for each rider - matched both to body geometry and specific riding positions and styles.

The system, which was released in June 2024, uses a pressure-mapping fit process to design a 3D-printed lattice top for the saddle. At £499 / $599 / €499 it represents one of the most expensive saddle options on the market, fitting with UAE Emirates XRG's general premium kit selection.

Fizik says that it used the team's recent training camp in Spain to go through the fitting process.

Fizik already sponsors the Movistar men's and women's squads alongside Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, and Ceratizit - WNT Pro Cycling Team. However, the UAE squad sponsorship represents their highest profile presence in both the men's and women's WorldTour.

"We are incredibly proud to be partnering with UAE Emirates XRG and UAE Team ADQ," said Selle Royal Group Brands Director Riccardo Losio, "As they are among the most successful, exciting and forward-thinking teams in the sport."

UAE Emirates XRG Team Principal and CEO Mauro Gianetti added, "We are a team focused on innovation and development, and we always strive to be using the best materials and equipment on the market."

Colnago as a brand tends to create enough of a buzz on its own that a new model leaking on WeightWeenies would be a standalone story in its own right, but given that in recent years the brand has become inexorably linked with one Tadej Pogačar, the interest in a brand new model from the storied Italian brand is immense. It’s not a new version of an existing model, such as the V4Rs replacing the V3Rs, but a brand new machine entirely. 

According to Colnago in documents regarding the development of the new machine, “the V4Rs is the perfect all-rounder, but for specific races, we need a focused aero bike”. Given the palmares of the current World Champion, the V4Rs has hardly been holding Pogačar back, despite what Tom Boonen thought before hastily retracting his opinion, and as races get ever-faster we are seeing riders opt for aero bikes as the default more often than not. 

Alpecin riders basically only ride the Canyon Aeroad, DSM atop the Scott Foil (though with the new Addict, this may change in the mountains), and while the Y1Rs is ‘for specific races’, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it used as the norm throughout the season, with the V4Rs stowed away for the high mountains. Despite many brands sticking with a single-bike solution (Specialized Tarmac, Pinarello Dogma F), the pendulum of development is now swinging back towards multiple bikes.

Creating an all-new model clearly needs slightly more work than iterating on an existing one. At the time of this story going live, I will be in the air, jetting over to the UAE Team Emirates and UAE Team ADQ winter training camp to meet with Colnago and discuss in greater depth how this latest machine was developed. For now, here’s what we know from the press material we have received about what is, according to Colnago’s data at least, “the most aerodynamic UCI compliant road bike in the WorldTour”.

The front end

I’m going to start at the front and work backwards. Given this is an aero bike, the leading edges are the most important, and they are where most work has been done. To start with the cockpit, the Y1Rs has a brand new setup: The CC.Y1 handlebar. 

A Y-shaped bar is certainly not new, but it’s a departure for the brand. Cervélo has had a similar-ish option on its S5 for some time, as has the Bianchi Oltre. The theory is that the bar tops are relatively aerodynamic, being both narrow and hitting clean air. Getting the top sections up and away from the headtube, which is a ‘squat and turbulent’ body, in aero terms. Up and away with the bars also means cleaner airflow over the body of the bike, aided by a far deeper head tube than is seen on the V4Rs. 

For sprinters, prone as they are to wrenching hard on the bars, the cockpit is also “16% stiffer in vertical and lateral stiffness” compared to a ‘selected reference handlebar’, the model of which has not been specified. 

The bars, along with the bayonet fork which I’ll go into in a hot second, have resulted in a 19% reduction in frontal area versus the V4Rs. Front a front view they are quite reminiscent, though not nearly so extreme, as those seen on the TRED track bike of the Argentine team. It may not look like it can mount a computer, but at the base of the Y there is a bolt in order to mount an out-front computer. 

The Y1Rs has, as mentioned, swapped the traditional steerer tube for a bayonet fork, as seen on the Colnago TT1, and on the competitor Cervélo S5. This has the effect of extending the headtube forward, but according to Colnago it also “improves how the air impacts the frontal area of the bicycle”. It’s my suspicion that, in addition to a deeper head tube, the slight indent where the front section of the fork meets the headtube acts like a trip strip, inducing controlled turbulence and helping the airflow ‘release’ from the frame. It’s much the same theory as the Danish track cycling team employing strips of physio tape down their shins at the Tokyo Olympics.

The downtube, in its upper reaches at least, closely hugs the tyre, in a way reminiscent of the Specialized Venge ViAS. The lower section houses an integrated bottle cage, designed around a standard 500ml bidon. This is in contrast to the likes of the Trek Madone and the Cannondale SuperSix Evo, both of which have truncated bottles for aero gains. Colnago clearly favours practicality and its relationship with professional teams. Despite the Madone being designed with aero bottles, the riders of Lidl-Trek just use standard bidons regardless as they are ubiquitous, and also used by neutral service. The downtube also houses the Di2 battery for Shimano builds, as the seat tube design cannot. Simply unscrew the bottle cage and a couple of bolts underneath and there you go, a battery compartment. 

The back end

Ok, let’s get into that controversial - if you like to pore over Instagram comments - seat cluster. While it may appear to be an aero play only, it is apparently also a move to add compliance. Much like the cluster on the latest Madone, the seatpost is effectively cantilevered off the frame, allowing more deflection than a more vertical seatpost would be. 

Detaching the seat tube from the seat post in this way allows the seat tube to be raked at a much slacker angle, more completely hugging the rear wheel for an aerodynamic gain. What's more, it creates a smaller rear triangle, allegedly improving pedalling efficiency thanks to stiffness gains. 

The angle of the seat post does mean that any up/down adjustment is going to have a more significant impact on saddle setback, but according to the documentation, the seat post must be cut to size pretty accurately, with only around 1.5cm of adjustment up and down to play with. 

This difficulty in fitting has meant a slightly new was to design the frame geometry. Colnago sponsors four teams, two WorldTour and two lower level, and it took fit data from those four teams over the past three seasons and made sure the saddle and bar position were correct for the pros. Colnago says that while 97% of riders will be able to fit the Y1Rs, some will not in extreme cases. 

Wattage gains, weights, and pricing

Colnago has tested the Y1Rs against the ‘top aerodynamic road bicycle now on the market’. Our wind tunnel tests show that the most aerodynamic bike depends somewhat on the test protocol, and the yaw angle or angles being tested (yaw being the angle at which the wind hits the bike). 

The Y1Rs is allegedly 28 watts faster than the V4Rs at 50km/h across a full yaw sweep of -15 to +15º in bike-alone testing and 25 watts with a clothed mannequin. Gifting Pogačar a 25-watt saving is quite a terrifying prospect, but against the nearest competitor, the Y1Rs is ‘only’ a claimed 8 watts faster. This perhaps indicated that, while clearly no impediment, the V4Rs wasn’t quite a match for other bikes in the peloton in aero terms. 

It's worth noting that the 'top aerodynamic bicycle' differed depending on the scenario and yaw angle, rather than simply comparing with a single competitor. 

All this aero does come at a cost in terms of grams. A like-for-like build of the V4Rs versus the Y1Rs tops the scale in the direction of the Y1Rs by 242g. Geometrically the Y1Rs is steeper, both in the head tube and the effective seat tube to shift riders ever more forward over the front end. A longer reach, too, facilitates longer, lower, more aggressive positions. While the hugging of the wheels by the down- and seat tubes does appear to create a shorter wheelbase, it is only by 3mm.

The Y1Rs is available in five configurations as well as a frameset. At the time of launch, only two colours will be available, those being the team liveries of UAE Team Emirates, and UAE Team ADQ. Pogačar will have a rainbow model, of course.

The builds are as follows, with both the top Shimano and Campagnolo builds being more expensive than any other production road bike in the WorldTour. 

• Pro cycling needs to learn from Formula 1: Let's see bikes designed just for pros

• Campagnolo Super Record Wireless w/ Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO wheels: €16,500
• Shimano Dura-Ace w/ Enve SES 4.5 wheels: €16,200
• Shimano Dura-Ace w/ Dura-Ace C50 wheels: €15,000
• Shimano Dura-Ace w/ Vision Metron 45 wheels: €13,200
• SRAM Red w/ Vision Metron 45 wheels: €12,300

Redshift has carved out a niche for itself making, generally speaking, quite niche products. There are riser drop bars for those who need a taller stack than can be achieved normally, pedals with inbuilt lights, flared gravel bars with an inbuilt snack pouch, and extra long bar tape for those who like their bars wiiiiiiide. Here, though, I have three products that individually bring something to the table but collectively add up to something much greater. It all started as I was curating a ‘bikes of the Transcontinental Race’ tech gallery, and noticed a lot of the bikes were running a Redshift suspension stem, presumably to add comfort but also control while in aero bars over broken road and gravel.

To test out how effective this actually is as a system I called in a ShockStop suspension stem (the normal, non ‘pro’ version), as well as a set of the brand’s quick-release aero bars and a dual-position seatpost, which allows one to shift one’s saddle forward and upward on the fly to more comfortably use aero bars without being too stretched out. 

While the brand markets the aero bars and dual-position seatpost more as a triathlon setup, I wanted to see how it would fare more for the gravelly, ultra-endurance enthusiasts out there, so I fitted the trio of parts to my long-term Fairlight Secan test bike and bedded in for some long days in the saddle. 

Design and Aesthetics

Beginning with the most simple of the three, the quick-release aero bars, things are relatively bog standard here besides the more novel mounting system, which I’ll get to shortly. You get a pair of round cross-section extensions (L-bend or S-bend - I went for L) which can easily be moved fore/aft in their mounts and rotate to find your ideal position. A pair of forearm rests sits above the bar clamp, and these can be adjusted in and out thanks to a series of mounting points beneath them. Riser blocks and shims are available if you want to add up to 3cm of stack or fit them to different bar diameters, but these are sold separately. 

The mounting mechanism that makes this 'quick release’ relies on a pair of permanent on-bar clamps that are bolted securely with hex bolts, and then the actual extensions mount to these clamps by way of a shaped groove and what is effectively a quick-release skewer as you’d find on older bike wheels. Tighten the lever up and you’re good to go, though in my experience there is still a little play, but there is a hex key socket at the end of the screw meaning you can crank them tighter to do them up.

Remember, received wisdom is that unless your carbon bars say they are rated for clip on bars then it's best to assume they aren't. While it wasn't anything I'd necessarily worry about with an alloy bar, the fit of the brackets wasn't perfect and it did feel like I had to do them up overly tight to achieve a secure fit, something I'd never do with a carbon bar - even one rated for aero bars. 

Onto the stem, then. Mechanically the thing is pretty simple, and easy enough to fit. It does come out-the-box setup (oddly, in my view), with a positive rise, but all you have to do is take the faceplate off and flip the internals around and you’re back to a normal negative rise stem. Basically the stem is a hinge, pivoting just in front of the steerer tube, and modulated by a single or pair of elastomers that get wedged into the body with a preload bolt. If you want it firmer you just pop in a harder elastomer, or the opposite for a more plush ride. Very few moving parts, and relatively easy to install if you read the instructions.

The seatpost is going to turn heads, there’s no two ways about it. It is pretty ugly, but again it’s a very simple mechanical object. The seat clamp is mounted to the top of a parallelogram that initially sits rearward with a setback of 16mm, and is held firmly in place with magnets (and your body weight). Flip the head forward and your saddle moves 50mm further forward, and a small amount upward to maintain the same saddle height - moving the saddle only forward would effectively lower your saddle height.

Performance

Again, let’s get the aero bars out of the way first as they’re the most simple. They are fine. The quick-release clamp is novel, if a little ugly, but it does actually mean you can remove and install a set of aero bars in a repeatable position in a matter of seconds. If you’re swapping from triathlon to road riding all the time then they probably do make sense, but leaving the clamps on even without the bars still removes a load of real estate for lights, computer mounts etc. I was able to get a decently comfortable position, and they were very easy to set up, but I think out of the three of them these are the ones that’d be the easiest to swap out for another pair from another manufacturer if you wanted something more aero. 

There’s nothing wrong with them at all necessarily, but you’re paying for the quick-release system, and if you aren’t going to quickly release them regularly then you can save a bunch and get a similar pair of permanently mounted ones somewhere else, or some more aero, lighter ones. Once they were on I just left them on. Sure, you miss out on being able to ride in the tops, but other than that having a set of aero bars on your bike isn’t that great a hardship, and with an ultra racing viewpoint, if you’re training for or racing one then you’re likely to just have them on your bike all the time anyway.

The ShockStop stem is a funny one. The suspension feel is a little like having an underinflated front tyre when riding in the hoods, and there is absolutely no rebound damping, so the harder you bump down the faster you’ll come back up. It does, in the hoods, do a decent job of taking the chatter out of broken surfaces and light gravel, but on really lumpy terrain I found it would spring back up so hard that it would bang into the hard-stop. The other issue is that if you ride in the drops a lot, either generally but especially for lumpy descents, you get no suspension at all, as the way the forces act you’re effectively rotating the bars rearwards as you press down, acting against the way the stem wants to move. A parallelogram system should work better in this regard, though I have yet to try one out. It does also rotate the wrists forward as it sags, but in reality this isn’t something that proved overly annoying. There is, naturally, a bit of bob when climbing out of the saddle, and no lockout, but once you remind yourself that you haven’t got a flat for the umpteenth time it’s also not something that’s overly troubling.

Now, I didn’t like the stem on its own, but I can absolutely see why I saw so many bikes fitted with one for the Transcontinental. Aero bars over anything but smooth tarmac can be scary, even with gravel-volume tyres, but add in the ShockStop stem and things are improved immeasurably. I could happily stay in the skis on tame gravel, over potholes, over tree roots, and all manner of obstacles that would ordinarily see me have to get out and back onto the hoods. If you’re fitting a bike out with aero bars for anything other than an actual time trial, or even for a time trial, and want a little more piece of mind then this really is something worth considering. Redshift has recently launched a 55mm and 70mm option that use a slightly different mechanism, meaning that 55-120mm lengths are catered for, which opens up the system to shorter riders too.

Finally, the seatpost. This falls bang smack in the middle of the category labelled “if it looks stupid but it works, it ain’t stupid”. Yes, it’s ugly, and yes it works amazingly well. Set the saddle up in the rearward position at your normal saddle height and setback and it feels like a normal seatpost. There’s no chatter, no rattle, no movement at all, and you don’t even have to look at it, which is an added bonus. Hit a nice flat section and decide you want to get into the skis? Simply grab the nose of the saddle from between your legs and lift up and the whole thing releases and shifts into the aero position with ease and a satisfying clunk. Here it’s a world of difference from just using aero bars, and puts far less strain on your lower back.

When it’s time to get out of the skis it’s even easier. Simply clench your inner thighs together and you can hop the saddle back into its rearward position basically instantly. One thing to watch out for is that if, while in the skis, you want to move back in your saddle, it’s best to lift your bottom off the saddle and move it back rather than trying to slide, as a couple of times I accidentally flipped the post back into its normal position with a surprising clunk.

One added benefit that isn’t shouted about in the marketing material is that the seatpost will also make your gravel bike a far more adept climber. Steepening the seat angle as it does meant I could stay seated on steep climbs where I’d ordinarily have to get out of the saddle and risk losing traction. So good was it in this regard that, if you’re regularly tackling techy climbs, it’s almost worth considering as a standalone product here. It’s also Di2 battery-friendly, which a lot of unusual seatposts (mostly suspension and dropper ones) aren't.

Value

As a series of standalone products the value proposition isn’t all that great. I actually think for what you pay the aerobars don’t represent a great value proposition given you can get similar ones for half the price if you forego the quick release. 

The seatpost and stem on the other hand I think, provided you are actually using them with aero bars, add enough in terms of performance to more than justify their cost. They are specialist bits of kit, and while I wouldn’t necessarily buy the suspension stem on its own, as a part of the system it works excellently.

Verdict

Greater than the sum of its parts, is the short version. The aero bars worked fine but I didn’t find the quick-release aspect of them overly useful. The suspension stem has its drawbacks as a standalone item, but when used in conjunction with aero bars (these or any others) and the dual-position seatpost you create a system that allows you to stay aero and be more comfortable over far rougher terrain than would be possible with a nominally ‘normal’ setup. Specialist kit, slightly niche, but for its intended purpose it mostly works very well indeed. 

Tech Specs

• Price (stem): £189.99 / $189.99 / €219.99
• Price (aero bars): £199.99 / $199.99 / €229.99
• Price (seatpost): £199.99 / $199.99 / €229.99
• Weight: 400g (seatpost), 290g (110mm stem), 650g (bars)

Since 1897, Selle Italia have been at the forefront of bike saddle design, the Italian company having broken new ground and supplied the world's top riders for over 120 years.

Now, Selle Italia have taken another step, this time into the world of 3D-printed saddles with the SLR Boost 3D and the Novus Boost Evo 3D.

Selle Italia have designed and manufactured this innovative range of road bike saddles in their home factory in Treviso, using Carbon DLS technology – and a less wasteful manufacturing process – to develop a proprietary pattern.

This custom design means their saddles are moulded fully to the human body, providing a comprehensive level of comfort, cushioning, and support on every ride – in addition to the obvious weight savings involved in a 3D-printed saddle.

Selle Italia SLR Boost 3D

In 2022, Selle Italia made history with the launch of the SLR Boost 3D, the first saddle featuring a 3D-printed cover. The SLR Boost 3D brought a new dimension to Selle Italia's iconic SLR line, revered across the cycling world for its high performance and comfort.

Crafted using Selle Italia's proprietary Carbon DLS technology, the SLR Boost 3D's unique pattern ensures a level of differentiation across cushioning zones in the saddle. This innovative design means riders benefit from progressive cushioning across the entire saddle, adapting your body and offering you full support wherever it's needed most.

In addition to this, the SLR Boost 3D also features a Superflow cut-out, significantly reducing pressure on the perineal area in order to enhance comfort during those long training rides or races.

Available in idmatch sizes S3 and L3, and with a choice between TI 316 (246g) or carbon (210g) rails, the SLR Boost 3D is designed to cater to the specific needs of every cyclist to ensure an optimal fit and ride experience.

The SLR Boost 3D TI 316 costs £329.99 and the SLR Boost 3D carbon costs £399.99.

Selle Italia Novus Boost Evo 3D

Building on the success of the SLR Boost 3D, Selle Italia introduced the Novus Boost Evo 3D just last year, combining the best of traditional saddle design with cutting-edge 3D printing technology.

Like the SLR Boost 3D, the Novus Boost Evo 3D also benefits from Selle Italia's proprietary Carbon DLS technology to offer riders differentiated cushioning zones to meet your comfort and support needs during rides.

The  Novus Boost Evo 3D is well-suited to riders with posterior pelvic rotation who are seeking a more stable position in the saddle. Dual-layer padding is built into the saddle, too – this technology means the saddle has a differentiated cushioning zone which delivers the rider progressive cushioning across its surface, meeting your needs for both comfort and support. The proprietary design features a softer top layer for extra comfort and a more rigid layer below to provide optimal support.

The Superflow cut-out again makes an appearance in the Novus Boost Evo 3D to give you a pain-free riding experience.

Available in idmatch size L3 and equipped with either TI 316 (S3: 200g, L3: 205g) or carbon (S3: 166g, L3: 171g) rails, this saddle is designed to adapt to the individual needs of each rider.

The Novus Boost Evo 3D TI 326 costs £329.99 and the Novus Boost Evo 3D carbon costs £409.99.

Upgrade your ride with Selle Italia's range of 3D-printed saddles – the SLR Boost 3D and Novus Boost Evo 3D – and experience the future of cycling comfort and performance.s

Fikik has launched a new service called One-to-One, which custom 3D prints one of its Adaptive saddle models to perfectly fit you. It’s available on a range of saddle bases with either carbon or Kium alloy rails.

Many riders find even the best bike saddles difficult to get comfortable with. While a bike fit can sort out many sources of discomfort and cycling injuries, and suggest a new saddle for you, until now you’ve been limited to what’s ready-made on the market. You’re going to be sitting on your saddle for hours on end, so getting it right can be vital.

The new One-to-One service looks to address this by providing a saddle that’s custom 3D-printed to match your anatomy, bike set-up, riding position and the type of riding you do, whether that’s on the road, on gravel, mountain biking or time trialling. 

One-to-One uses one of Fizik’s existing Adaptive 3D-printed saddle models as a starting point, then forms a top surface to meet your individual needs.

Here’s how it works:

First up, a Fizik dealer equipped with the One-to-One system will complete a quick questionnaire and pressure map your current saddle across the full range of ride positions while riding your bike on a Wahoo Kickr Rollr trainer. This will allow them to choose the most compatible non-custom Adaptive saddle shape for you and your ride style.

They’ll mount this saddle on your bike and then use pressure mapping to see how you interact with the saddle across 64 touchpoints in a range of positions, allowing them to identify your pelvic tilt, as well as asymmetries, instability and pressure hotspots.

Fizik uses the saddle pressure mapping system developed by gebioMized, which it says is the system most widely used by professional bike fitters. It’s worked with the company to research and test its system, and says has taken three years to develop.

The One-to-One service then automates the analysis of the data to design the 3D printed saddle top surface structure to best match your needs. You choose between carbon or Kium rails, then Fizik will produce your unique saddle and ship it to you.

You can later go back to the dealer to see how the new pressure distribution compares to your initial saddle fit.

3D printing has the advantage over traditional manufacturing techniques that it can be used to manufacture one-off pieces, whereas producing a standard padded saddle requires the use of mass-manufacturing techniques with a high volume of standardised parts. 

It's already found its way into chamois pads and helmets, as well as a range of other components and even complete bike frames.

Saddle options and prices 

Fizik Adaptive saddles available in the service are the Vento Argo, Terra Argo, Vento Antares, Tempo Aliante, Transiro Aeris LD and Transiro Aeris SD, with all but the Transiro triathlon saddles available in two widths. Fizik offers the service for its R3 Adaptive saddles with Kium rails or higher spec R1 saddles on carbon rails.

The service is available for an additional cost on top of the standard price for the Adaptive saddle model chosen. That puts the starting price for a One-to-One R3 Adaptive saddle on Kium rails at £459 / $499 / €459, with the R1 carbon rail saddles priced at £499 / $599 / €499. 

CADEX has just launched the Amp saddle, which offers the clever tech of its Boost saddle to a wider audience, with a design that’s likely to appeal to even more performance cyclists. 

The CADEX Amp is the preferred saddle of Michael Matthews and other members of the Jayco AlUla WorldTour pro team. CADEX aims for “the pursuit of the pinnacle product”, with a design that’s premium and uncompromising in its performance and calls its new Amp saddle Performance Amplified.

The Amp is designed to work well for a broader range of riders, with comfortable support and compliance and a crowned shape that drops away quickly at the wings to offer more pedalling space. The rear curve design promotes a powerful and efficient riding position. The new saddle is also super-lightweight at 129g.

The CADEX Amp saddle’s top surface incorporates the brand’s highly elastic Particle Flow padding, which is placed in two pockets under the sitbones and helps to distribute your weight over a wider seating area and reduce saddle pressure. The Lightweight Reactive Foam padding covering the top surface has maximum rebound and vibration damping for excellent comfort.

The Amp saddle’s design incorporates an integrated carbon base and rails. This is formed using CADEX’s Advanced Forge Composite Technology, which uses lightweight SMC carbon and a high pressure injection moulding process to form the two piece all-carbon saddle base.

It’s a design feature that’s unique to CADEX’s Amp and Boost saddles and significantly increases compliance with no loss in efficiency.

Designed for comfort and support in an aero position

The new Amp has been shaped with an upward curve to the back of its top surface which is designed to allow you to push back when riding for greater ischial comfort and a more aero tucked position.

Meanwhile, a large central cut-out helps to increase soft tissue comfort. The Amp has a steeper drop at the wings than the Boost saddle and these are more flexible. Along with a smooth-edged truncated nose, this helps to avoid inner thigh rub and offers more riders the opportunity for smoother pedalling and optimised power transfer.

CADEX has also designed the carbon rails on its Amp and Boost saddles so that they meet the base of the saddle away from the main seated area, which avoids pressure points and again increases comfort. It calls this its integrated rail design and it also helps to dissipate road vibrations.

Dimension-wise the CADEX Amp saddle is 145mm wide, slightly narrower than the Boost saddle’s 149mm, and it is 245mm long. The saddle rails are 9mm wide and the saddle’s stack height is 44mm. Its 129g weight makes it one of the lightest saddles that you can buy.

We’re looking forward to testing the new CADEX Amp saddle. When we reviewed the CADEX Boost saddle back in 2020, we gave it a 4.5 star rating and commented on the locked-in riding position and immensely comfortable padding. 

The new CADEX Amp saddle’s redefined shape and its shared technology offers an alternative to the Boost saddle and increases the appeal of CADEX’s saddles to an even wider audience of riders.

Take a look at CADEX’s site for more details of the new Amp saddle.

When it comes to the best chamois cream, while it might not be the most glamorous piece of kit, it can make all the difference to your rides and how you feel afterwards. Chamois cream lubricates skin-to-skin and skin-to-saddle contact points, reducing friction and preventing chafing. That means you stay comfortable on the bike for longer, and don't suffer with any lasting saddle sores long after the ride has ended.

Cycling concentrates all your body weight onto a small surface area, while the constant pedalling keeps that area rocking and rubbing, creating heat and friction. It's no wonder that saddle discomfort is so common. It's even worse in the summer, as sweating creates a hot and humid environment for bacteria to thrive, which is exacerbated by doing back-to-back rides over multiple days.

Investing in one of the best road bike saddles, plus a quality pair of cycling shorts, and a good chamois cream, will all make a real difference in preventing saddle sores and keeping your undercarriage happy.

Below, we've listed 10 different options that we've got on with, from creams to solid bars. But hey, just be careful not to mix them up with your embrocation!

And if you'd like some more guidance, you'll find some FAQs at the bottom of the page that might help steer you towards the best chamois cream for you.

Best chamois cream

There are a lot of options out there, offering different textures, acidity profiles, packaging, and even fragrances. Some even come in single-serving size sachets, so you can top up on the go as required.

The good thing is that not only are they relatively cheap to try out, but they also last ages, since you don't need much. As with saddles and shorts, it's ultimately a personal decision, so you may want to try a few out before you settle on your forever cream, but have a scroll down to see our favourites, and some advice on how to choose.

How to choose the best chamois cream for you

If you've got this far and are still wondering what chamois cream is, or how it's used, then worry not. I'm going to unravel this most delicate of topics with as much tact as I can so that we all get out of here in as much comfort, both physically and mentally, as possible.

Choosing the best chamois cream for you will probably take a small amount of trial and error, but that doesn't mean we're going to send you out into the wilderness alone - we've got a few tips to steer you.

You should start by considering the riding you'll do. Firstly, how long for? If you're regularly doing all-day rides, something with a little more durability will be better than a less viscous cream that soaks into your skin and stops lubricating.

Secondly, how warm is a typical ride? Creams with added menthol or improved cooling properties will be better than those without.

Thirdly, will your ride be wet or dry? Wet weather will likely wash away more cream-based options, whereas those with a thicker consistency will stay the course.

Below, we have a few FAQ's which may help guide you further.

If you ask most cyclists about high-technology products on their bikes, it's unlikely that the saddle will make the list. If you look at our list of the best road bike saddles, you'll find that idea reinforced again. We have options for short or long and different weights but most of what is there is relatively traditional. Despite that, there's a bit of a revolution happening in saddles. 

The revolution that is pushing bike saddle technology is 3D printing and it started with Specialized. In 2020 Specialized was the first to use 3D printing technology from a California company named Carbon to create a saddle unlike anything else on the market. Since then, Specialized has moved on to a second generation, Fizik has put out two generations of saddles using the same technology, and both Sella San Marco and Selle Italia now have options as well. What all of those options share is that the technology underpinning them is the same. 

Depending on your choice of available brands, the approach is still relatively old school. There are advantages to the products those brands are offering but they are far from the truly custom future of manufacturing that 3D printing promises. Posedla is a small Czech brand that aims to change that. The Joyseat isn't just 3D printed, it's handmade and custom 3D printed to your body. 

Promises don't mean much though so I proposed an idea to put the saddle to the test. I flew across the world and spent 20 hours riding from Prague to Vienna on a Joyseat to see how it performed. Keep reading to see my thoughts on one of the most unique saddles available on the market. 

Design and aesthetics

To understand the design of the Posedla Joyseat you have to start with an understanding of the man behind the company, Jiří Dužár. If you dig a bit you can get him to talk about the technology behind his saddle company but that's not where the passion seems to flow. Instead, almost every conversation seems to start and end with a discussion of the land that Posedla Manufacturing calls home. 

While the bulk of the, very small, company calls Prague home. The manufacturing is set in a small area of Czech called North Bohemia.  Specifically, a brown, nondescript building that sits inside a small town called Varnsdorf. It's an area that was once home to lots of manufacturing but as border closures took their toll, people and the manufacturing disappeared. Jiří wants to change that one saddle at a time but the goal isn't to go back to the old way of doing things. 

Instead of the manufacturing of old, and the environmental devastation it brought with it, Jiří is bringing high-tech and sustainable manufacturing. In truth though, it's a mix of high-tech and low-tech. The low-tech side is where the manufacturing of the carbon fibre base and rails falls. 

Actually, manufacturing is only a loose description. As you walk into the facility. Everything is newly unpacked and there is lots of empty space. The production floor consists of a table where two women, who someone surely calls babička (grandma), sit with a mould each in front of them. The production supervisor helps get carbon prepreg out of freezers not much bigger than what you'd find in a house and these women lay it into the mould in front of them.

Each woman is working on a single side of the rail. When they've finished it goes into a vacuum bag at room temperature. When that process finishes, it comes out and a small tube of unidirectional carbon gets placed into one side before the second side of the mould gets placed on top and the two sides are bolted together. From there, the whole thing gets vacuum sealed again before finally going through a baking process. At the end, the finished rails come out of the moulds and go through a sanding and finishing step. 

Although the material is carbon fibre, the whole process is as low-tech as you could possibly imagine. This process is also the current opportunity for optimization and it's the reason for the long lead times. The three people working together can only manage 6 sets of carbon rails in an 8-hour shift and timing is always critical. Nothing can get started that isn't able to finish the same day so even a small disruption will adjust the whole schedule. It's possible to stockpile these parts but speeding up the process will be capital-intensive so there's an open question of when to make the jump. 

At the same time the low-tech side of the manufacturing is happening in Jiří's hometown, a very different process is taking place not far away. The 3D-printed upper half of the saddle is almost the complete opposite of the carbon fibre base and rails.  While one is low-tech and handmade, the other is high-tech and hands-off. 

At the same time the low tech side of the manufacturing is happening in Jiří's hometown, a very different process is taking place not far away. The 3D printed upper half of the saddle is almost the complete opposite of the carbon fibre base and rails.  While one is low tech and handmade, the other is high-tech and hands off. 

To complete the upper, Posedla gathers data and it's transmitted electronically to a German 3D printing partner in the Czech-German border area who has a fleet of HP printers and vast experience in automotive & sporting goods. The specific name of that partner is a trade secret but what is important is the high-tech nature of the process. The company uses the mould data and combines that with a patent pending 3d printed lattice structure developed by Posedla to create the upper part of the saddle without the need for virtually any human touch. When finished, the pieces head from Germany back to Posedla in the Czech Republic. It's fast, efficient, and hands off. 

Despite that difference though, it's not drastically different to the consumer. Both systems end up with a lattice structure that allows for precise tuning of the feel. Visually it's more rounded. While Carbon saddles use nodes and lines that look like triangles when finished, the Posedla saddle is a collection of rounded holes. The edges of the saddle mirror that look with a very rounded aesthetic to both the centre cutout and to the nose as well as the rear. There's maybe a little throwback to 90's design energy here but it doesn't impact the performance one way or the other. When everything is combined you end up with a 180-gram carbon saddle with a carbon base and 3D-printed upper. It’s on the shorter side, similar to Fizik and Sella San Marco, at 262mm and the final width will be between 136 and 162mm depending on your needs. 

The advantage of using BASF is more about the goals close to Jiří's heart. Instead of incurring the carbon footprint of extensive shipping, BASF is a local company. Also falling in line with company goals is the fact that it's possible to return the finished piece to powder form for reuse. Remember, sustainability and locality are both goals for Jiří. 

The custom moulding process

As with the discussion of the design, it's necessary to take a step back when starting the discussion of the performance. This isn't a saddle you'll simply pick out from a web page then attach to your bike and go. What makes the Posedla Joyseat unique, and special, is that it's made for you. There will be others in the world like it but none of them will be exactly the same. 

My journey with the Joyseat started, like everyone, with a simple question on the Posedla website. Was I choosing a road gravel, or mountain bike saddle? With that answered, the add to cart button added not just a saddle but also the Smiling Butt Kit. Then, with payment provided, it isn't a saddle that gets added to the shipping queue but rather the Smiling Butt Kit. 

The Smiling Butt Kit is as much the magic of the Joyseat as any other part of the system. The heart of it is a foam that you sit on to create an impression. You don't send the foam back to Posedla though, instead, there's a series of QR codes around the edges of the box that holds the foam. Once you've made an impression you just take a series of images, covering all angles and the QR codes, and the Posedla software depth maps the impression. The fidelity is 5mm and the process is similar in principle to landscape mapping.  

The pictures aren't the only part of the custom process though. The next step is a series of questions about your riding. Things like age and gender, there's a different profile for women, and things like flexibility and typical ride distances all play into the final design of your saddle. There are also purely cosmetic custom options such as a colour detail and engraving. When you've answered everything, the images will go through a check and when that's done, the foam isn't needed anymore. The process is complete and it's just a matter of waiting. If there was ever an issue, the two parts of the saddle are mechanically joined so it's possible to separate them and replace the upper.  

Performance

My own experience with the Posedla Joyseat was a little different from the norm. Although I went through the same at-home moulding process, I didn't get the saddle shipped to my house. Instead, I got on a plane and headed for Prague to test the saddle the way I like to test things, with a stupid long ride. In this case, the ride was 370 km / 230 miles with 4267 metres  / 14,000 ft from Prague to Vienna. 

I didn't immediately set out on that ride though. Instead, my first opportunity to take a look at the Joyseat was at a world-class bike shop just outside of Prague called SBCR. It's an excellent place to launch a big ride in Czech and for me, it was an opportunity to start things on a new bike, and a new saddle, with a bike fit. It also meant that I got to see not only my specific saddle but also a collection of other Joyseats. Right away, I regretted not adding colour to my saddle. 

It's a small thing that's not specifically related to the performance of this saddle but I have to mention it. The padding of the Joyseat is essentially a "U" shape. Starting at each rear corner, it comes to the front and follows the shape of the centre cutout before ending at the opposite rear corner. In the rear behind the cutout is a depression with a bit of plastic replacing the padding. That bit of plastic has a Posedla logo and during the order process, there's an option to pick a colour. As I said, it's a small thing but the colours are rich and really quite beautiful. The nature of my job is that I am constantly changing bikes and kit so I went with black for purposes of matching but when you order, pick a colour. 

The other thing I did when the saddle first got mounted to the Festka I was riding was push on it. I think everyone naturally does this with saddles but 3D-printed saddles are inherently different from traditional saddles. The reason saddle companies turn to 3D printing is that the technology allows for infinite variability, and pinpoint accuracy, in how the padding responds. Instead of general areas where the padding is stiffer, 3D printing allows for a huge range. The best 3D printed saddles make use of this by being softer in most places but still having the density you need under your sit bones. 

Posedla and the Joyseat exhibit the best of what you can expect in a 3D saddle. The nose is easily compressed under your thumb while the area under the sit bones is almost completely unyielding with a thumb press. The outer edges of the wings of the saddle are somewhere in between. 

Of course, all of this is unique to my Joyseat saddle. I ride around 16,000 km / 10,000 miles a year in an aggressive road bike position. I also don't rotate my hips forward all that much and though I'm flexible, I tend to do the bending higher up my back. That detail about my flexibility means my saddle has a slight wave to it. 

When I actually rode the Joyseat, it felt like an old friend. You know that saddle you've used forever and know you can depend on? That's what you get right from the first ride with the Joyseat. I found it easy to transition between standing and sitting and on shorter rides, where I move around a lot, I always seemed to be in the right spot. 

After 16 hours of pedalling, and 20 hours elapsed time, with the Joyseat those initial impressions didn't change much. On long rides, I spend more time locked in something approaching my TT position and this time, I never experienced any numbness. I loved how the slight wave allowed me to stay stable in my position even as the hours dragged on. I did notice though, as I was on a bike that was slightly too big, that the padding was so exact that I sometimes moved off the ideal spot for my sit bones as I subtly tried to correct the oversized bike. I wouldn't consider that a mark against the saddle but you'll want to make sure your bike is right for you. Given most people won't be on a borrowed bike a world away from home, I suspect you won't have an issue but it's worth consideration. 

Verdict

What sums up my experience with the Posedla Joyseat is that I spent 20 hours sitting on it and at the end, I still liked it. Yes, I was on a great bike with a great pair of bib shorts but those kinds of hours exaggerate any issues you might have. I didn't give myself an opportunity to back out of using this saddle, I just jumped in and put it to the test. Now that I'm back home, I'll be picking a different bike to put it on. That is high praise in terms of the actual performance. 

If we stick to a purely product-focused discussion about the Joyseat, my only real question is how necessary it is. It's an expensive saddle and, at least right now, it takes a long time to get it in your hands. I happen to find myself right at the top of the bell curve for most cycling products. That means if a company, like Fizik, is averaging the data collected from a range of customers, it's probably perfect for me. If that's you, it might not be necessary to go for a custom saddle. If you fall outside of that perfect placement, the Joyseat makes a lot of sense. 

The Joyseat also makes a lot of sense if you just aren't sure. If you've struggled to find what works and you've got a growing collection of saddles, maybe it's time to try something different. The Posedla system automates the whole process of finding the perfect saddle for you. 

There's another layer to the discussion though. The Joyseat is a great saddle but Posedla has an incredibly compelling backstory. It's a group of cyclists who started a company to bring sustainable manufacturing back to a region of the world that could use it. It's not just top-down either. When I spoke to a young road racer/customer service agent for Posedla, she told me she was also from the same area in Northern Czech. She also told me that the goal of sustainable revitalization mattered to her as much as it did to Jiří. If you like putting your money behind a great story, Posedla has a great story. I'd bet you could even follow in my footsteps and pick up your saddle in person, the area is worth a visit. 

Raleigh has relaunched the Chopper, probably its most famous model, in a new version updated to meet the safety requirements for all bicycles in the 2020s.

The new Chopper has the famous sprung banana seat of the original and even the top tube gear shifter, which was relegated to the bike’s bars in later versions of the Chopper, in deference to the march of health and safety. 

The MK 1 Raleigh Chopper was launched in 1969, but it was with the MK 2 Chopper, made from 1973 to 1985, that the bike really took off, selling millions worldwide and in the 1980s rescuing the Nottingham-based bike brand, which had once been the largest in the world, from near-bankruptcy. 

Subtle changes to meet modern regulations

The relaunched Chopper follows the design of the MK 2 Chopper, with a Cr-Mo steel frame and mismatched 20 inch rear and 16 inch front wheels.

As with the original, the 580mm riser steel handlebars are welded to the stem, so that they can’t be tilted backwards. Although later Choppers included derailleur gear options, the new bike replicates the three-speed hub gears of earlier models.

The "sissy bar" behind the saddle is there too, although it’s a few inches lower than on the original bike. As with that model, there’s the short rear rack to carry your frisbee or whatever and that funny mount in the headset to push your Ever Ready front light onto. Of course, there’s no sight of disc brakes, with rim brakes responsible for stopping power.

Adam Snow, Head of Product Management at Raleigh, says that the company purchased a number of MK 2 Chopper frames, which, alongside the original hand-drawn technical drawings, were scanned for new CAD design templates for the new bike and to build up an accurate scale model - a necessity for modern-day manufacturing processes and techniques. It then built a prototype in the UK and worked with Raleigh's Taiwan-based manufacturing partner to manufacture the frame and components.

According to Snow: "We had to change the height dimension of the saddle and sissy bar (saddle support) to meet modern safety standards and increase the gauge (thickness) of the frame and fork tubing to allow the bike to pass physical force testing. 

"There have also been some concessions to modern manufacturing techniques but all key features from the original bikes, we have tried to keep with this new model. For example, rather than braised joints, the new bike is welded, but to retain the authentic look the head tube has been CNC machined to a fine detail."

Snow points out that despite its beefed-up frame and components, the modern bike's 18.4kg weight is similar to the original. 

The new Raleigh Chopper frame comes in one size, 37cm and the bike is available in two colours, Infra Red and Ultra Violet, again reflecting two of the colour options of the original Mark 2 Chopper.

The recommended retail price for the new Chopper is £950. That’s quite a jump from the £32 for which the Chopper originally sold. 

Raleigh describes the new Chopper as a limited edition, so it remains to be seen how many it plans to manufacture or if the Chopper will take off with kids (and their parents who remember riding the original) and again becomes a blockbuster bicycle.

It’s also offering a range of spares for the new bike, many of which it says are compatible with the original Mark 2 Chopper, so it might be time to dust it off if you still have one lurking in your shed awaiting a restoration project.

The Chopper follows in the wake of other bike revivals by Raleigh, with a replica TI-Raleigh Team bike released in 2020 to mark the fortieth anniversary of its Tour de France win.

The new Fizik Vento Antares saddle range has a revised design with a lower profile than the older model Antares saddle which it replaces and which we rated among the best road bike saddles. 

Fizik says that the updated saddle is designed to allow the rider to shift their weight around more easily and adopt a wider range of positions. 

As well as its lower profile, the new Vento Antares saddle design has been given a wider nose and incorporates a central cut-out. Together, Fizik says that these changes help avoid pressure hotspots, allow you to shift your weight around on the saddle more easily and help you to maintain a tucked aero position.

The Antares is a popular saddle model with the pros, used by many of Jumbo-Visma's team amongst others, that’s not as aggressive as the Vento Arione. Fizik recommends it for road racing, cyclocross and XC MTB use.

The new saddle is available across the full range of spec levels from the top 00, through to the R1, R3 and R5.

Fizik Vento Antares 00 

Top of the range is the Vento Antares 00. It has 7mm x 9mm oval carbon rails and a carbon shell with injected EVA padding. It’s available in two widths, 140mm and 150mm, both of which are 270mm long. Fizik claims a weight of 118g for the 140mm width saddle and 124g for the 150mm width. 

Price for the Vento Antares 00 is £259.99 / $299.99 / €299.00

Fizik Vento Antares R1 

Move on to the Antares R1 and the carbon shell is replaced by carbon-reinforced nylon, although the carbon rails of the 00 are retained. Fizik uses double density foam padding, with softer foam at the nose than under the seat, while the sides of the shell are designed to flex as you pedal.

Again, there are 140mm and 150mm width options, with the 140mm saddle weighing 161g and the 150mm 166g.

Price for the Antares R1 is £179.99 / $224.99 / €199.00

Fizik Vento Antares R3 

Moving down the range, the Antares R3 has the same carbon-reinforced nylon shell and double density foam padding as the R1, but swaps the carbon rails for Fizik’s proprietary Kium rails. Claimed weight for the 140mm width is 195g and for the 150mm saddle 202g.

Price for the Antares R3 is £144.99 / $149.99 / €149.00

Fizik Vento Antares R5 

The entry-level Antares R5 retains the main features of the higher spec saddles, but sits on alloy rails. This makes for a small increase in weight to 210g for the 140mm width and 217g for the 150mm width saddle.

Price for the Antares R5 is £104.99 / $129.99 / €109.00

When it comes to modern high-end saddles, 3D printing is where the innovation has shifted. That doesn't mean that 3D-printed options are dominant in our list of the best road bike saddles, they continue to represent only a small part of the market primarily because of pricing. 3D printing for production is still very new and the pricing represents that. Put the price aside though and it's this small part of the market that is driving real innovation.

The latest company to join the group of options for 3D printed saddles is Selle San Marco. In November of last year, the brand announced the Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing saddle as a new range-topping option for the Shortfit 2.0 line of saddles. There are two options available depending on your preference for rail shapes and overall weight and we are just starting to see them both become available for sale. I recently had the opportunity to take the stainless steel rail option on an adventure through California while testing the FSA K-Force We 12s groupset and I'm ready to share the details about it. If you are considering a new saddle this summer, keep reading to see if the Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing saddle might be right for you. 

Design and aesthetics 

Selle San Marco isn't the first to market with a 3D printed saddle. In fact, the brand isn't even close as Fizik and Specialized have both already moved to second-generation products. There's also no unique new take on the process of 3D printing. Like others before, Selle San Marco is using a process that employs a process called DLS or Digital Light Synthesis from the Californian brand 'Carbon'. 

DLS differs from other 3D printing in a few important ways. Instead of laying down a layer of physical material, DLS starts by shining UV light through a dead zone at a liquid. As the light hits the liquid it causes a layer to form and the object moves away from the edge of the liquid leaving room for the next layer. Eventually, a finished part emerges from the liquid with minimal visible layering and no internal voids. The final step is heat curing which adds further strength. It seems to work well for saddles - it's recently debuted in helmet pads too - but, as mentioned, it’s not unique to Selle San Marco. 

Instead of focusing on a new production process, the designers at Selle San Marco focused their efforts on building from a known quantity. That starts with the same shape as other Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 options which, in the smaller S3 version, starts with a 140 x 255 size. That length slots in between the two major competitors for 3D printed saddles, the 242mm Specialized Power and the 265mm Fizik Vento Argo. If you'd prefer a wider saddle, there's also the L3 option at 155mm wide and both the S3 and the L3 are available with carbon rails and less weight. 

As you look beyond the dimensions, you'll find a slight wave to the Shortfit 2.0 3D. I warn you, it's slight so if you prefer a deep wave, you'll want to look elsewhere. Instead there is a pronounced rear kick then a slight dip and rise before a very slight descent begins and continues to the nose. In the centre of the saddle is a wide depression that starts in the rear kick then narrows slightly and continues as a teardrop shape almost all the way to the nose. The outer wings are steep and drop off quickly. 

One place where the 3D printing is dominant is the aesthetics of the  Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D. Specialized uses a rather closed outer in the Power Mirror and, while the first generation Fizik Antares Versus Evo is a bit more open, Fizik closed up the pattern further for the second generation Vento Argo. Selle San Marco eschews both with a much bolder design language that really shows off the 3D printing. 

As you look at the padding, you will see a series of three pointed shapes. Depending on your perspective it's a series of triangles or starbursts. In either case though, it's very open and close examination shows off the layers created in the print. Even with the open nature of the matrix though, you can't see any light through it. Every section of the padding sits on top of a carbon reinforced nylon shell. 

Performance

The very first time I got on the Specialized 3D printed saddle, I was in love. I wasn't necessarily in love with the shape but using 3D printing for the padding absolutely changes what is possible. The ability to vary the structure of the matrix very precisely allows a brand to tune softness vs stiffness in a way that's impossible with traditional foam. What you get, at least from Specialized, is a saddle that's much softer than you'd expect from a serious performance saddle. 

The next opportunity I had to experience a 3D printed saddle was from Fizik. The Fizik Vento Argo Adaptive is a second generation product and Fizik was quick to point out the greater ability to finetune the padding. In the end the shape is again not my absolute favourite but good enough that I've also spent thousands of miles on that saddle. One thing I'm always telling people though is that Fizik didn't seem to take the same liberties with the capabilities of a 3D printer. The padding feels a lot more traditional though still quite good. 

Now, after a few years, I've had the chance to spend time on the Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing saddle in the S3 size and I'm in love. While I'm generally a fan of the shift to a shorter saddle shape, I'm not as big of a fan of the loss of narrow saddles. I'm not a big person and my hips are narrow so I constantly want the narrowest saddle option for testing. 

While both Fizik and Selle San Marco quote a width of 140, the specs don't actually tell the story. The Shortfit 2.0 has a more pronounced wing design and the drop off is quick and steep on the wings. The result is that the section you actually sit on is around 60mm and roughly 30 mm narrower than the space on the Fizik. 

Selle San Marco also seems to have really understood how to put 3D print technology to the best use with the padding. There's none of the unnecessary stiffness you'll find in traditional foam. The combination of a narrow front and large cutout for this saddle leaves you essentially balancing on long straight virtual tubes of padding. That along with the wave and the kick keep you in a fairly static spot when sitting. It could amount to torture but the sections are softer than you'd get with foam and there's even give that comes from the nylon shell. For me, it's perfect. 

Verdict

A saddle is a personal preference and no saddle will be perfect for everyone. That doesn't change when talking about a 3D printed saddle. The only difference there is that 3D printing allows for much more precise tuning of the padding. A great saddle company can exploit this new tool to do what they've always done before just with more precision. 

What that really means is that you need to start by forgetting about the 3D print technology. If you are a small person that prefers a narrow saddle then the Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing saddle might be a good fit. You'll also need to be someone who prefers a little bit of a wave to help keep you in place while seated but like to stand with enough regularity that you appreciate a saddle that makes it easy. If that sounds good then take a look at the Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 and if you've got the extra money, the 3D printed version is softer without having to worry about chafing. 

My one caveat though is that it's worth going for the carbon version. It's a big price jump to get the 3D printed version but a relatively small price jump to make it carbon. The stainless rails and nylon work fine but they don't visually match the quality of the upper. If you are willing to invest in the 3D printed upper, take it a bit farther and add the bling to match. It's also a bit lighter in carbon though it's still not a featherweight saddle. 

Prologo has spent considerable time studying the anatomy of the female cyclist with the help of top UCI WorldTeams and UCI Continental teams, with the goal that every female cyclist could ride like a true champion. 

The new saddle is designed to offer an ergonomic option for women that sits alongside the wide range of unisex saddles that Prologo already offers for road, gravel/adventure, cyclocross, marathon and cross country. 

Once the initial research had been completed, field testing began in 2021 with the support of FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope and the direct involvement of one of the peloton's most successful riders, Marta Cavalli. Cavalli was involved from the very early prototypes used in training throughout 2021, helping to refine the shape and padding with her teammates until the final design was settled on. The prototypes were used in the biggest races on the calendar, including Cavalli’s biggest victories of Amstel Gold, La Flèche Wallonne, two stages of the Giro d’Italia and 2nd on the general classification.

From the iterations of the prototypes, the Prologo Scratch EVA was born, an ergonomic saddle with its roots in racing and performance. Designed to support the performance of WorldTour champions and the most demanding cyclists in the most demanding conditions. 

The design of the Prologo Scratch EVA is similar to the popular short-nosed Scratch M5, used by one of the peloton's biggest names; Tadej Pogačar. He used this saddle for both of his Tour de France wins, as well as to victory at Il Lombardia, Liege-Bastogne-Leige and Strade Bianche. Among the world's saddle producers, Prologo has a real racing pedigree, having had some of the greatest riders in history perched on them throughout their careers. 

With this as a starting point, the shape of the Scratch EVA has been designed to fit perfectly, with the centre point of the saddle moved forward this allows the seat to be positioned further forward providing more support for the pelvis. The EVA name refers to the padding used, the rear of the saddle uses a thicker, high-density foam to fully support the ischial bones whereas the middle and front use a thinner section utilising lower-density foam to minimise pressure.

The difference in thickness and density of the foam used creates a channel in the centre with a large, extremely soft surface, a targeted design choice to be adaptable with the aim of eliminating numbness, pain and improving circulation. 

The saddle's shell is Prologo's Active Base System, this has a centre cutout to provide more comfort and allow the EVA foam some room to deflect. The finishing touch of the shaping is a widened nose with a sloping tip to provide support in situations such as steep climbs. 

Fitting in with the rest of the Prologo range, the Scratch EVA is available with rail options to suit the rider's needs. For the more performance-oriented rider, the saddle is offered with Prologo’s Nack composite rail, combining carbon fibre, kevlar and aluminium as featured on all of Prologo’s top-of-the-line saddles. This brings the saddle to a competitive 183 grams in weight.

The alternative version is fitted with Prologo’s Tirox rail, made with a lightweight steel alloy, at 232g. This version offers more flex, in turn offering greater vibration absorption for those looking for more comfort over outright stiffness and performance.

The new Scratch EVA is already available online at www.prologo.it and at top Prologo dealers at the following prices:

Scratch EVA with Nack rail: €219,00

Scratch EVA with Tirox rail: €139,00

There are very few things in life I am evangelical about. Rim brakes being perfectly adequate, even preferable in some cases, is one of them, and leather saddles is another. Pop punk from the 2000s is also definitely on the list, but that’s not really relevant here. We have a guide to the best road bike saddles, and the best gravel bike saddles too, neither of which really showcase the advantages of a leather saddle, so I’m going to devote a whole guide to them here. 

I’ve tried a pretty wide array of leather saddles over the years, I’ve gone through the break-in process many times over, and I’ve picked up some tips and tricks that’ll help you on your way. If you’re leather curious, or you’ve got a new bike that’s come with a leather saddle and want to get the best out of it then read on and it might just change your riding life. 

Should I use a leather saddle? 

I'd never be so bold as to tell anyone what to do with their own bottom; saddles are a deeply personal choice after all, perhaps the most of any bike component. A saddle that’s a comfy armchair for one person may well be intolerable for someone else. It’s about finding the sweet spot of shape, padding, and your position on the bike. Personally and professionally I’ve tried more saddles than I can recall, and none of them, for me, match the comfort offered by a broken-in leather saddle. 

While synthetic saddles are a set shape, leather saddles work in a very different way. The upper-shaped piece of leather is suspended above the rails and held in place at the nose and the rear. Tension keeps it in place, but with age and use the leather softens and slowly the saddle forms to your specific anatomy, much like breaking in a pair of leather shoes. The leather is either riveted or bolted on, and this is where the phrase ‘on the rivet’ originates from; riders, while making big efforts, would literally be sitting on the rivet at the nose of their saddles. 

If you struggle with saddle comfort and you’re willing to take a hit on weight then a leather saddle may well offer a big improvement. From my own experience, I have always suffered from saddle sores on my right sit bones more or less regardless of the saddle I use. When I swapped to leather I noticed that the right side of the saddle became broken in far more prominently than the left, leading me to deduce that I have a functional leg length discrepancy from an old back injury. Using a leather saddle allows for this biomechanical quirk, and, once broken in, takes a noticeable amount of pressure off my right sit bone. The difference is so stark that I can happily ride my broken-in Brooks B17 for hours off-road without any padded shorts.

Every component decision in cycling involves some form of compromise. The main drawback, in this case, is the weight. In general, I’m willing to take the hit, but that’s something you’ll have to square away with the weight weenie part of your psyche. That and the fact that they can look a little out of place aesthetically speaking on modern road bikes.

Another benefit that’s rarely publicised is that more or less all leather saddles come with ‘saddle loops’. These are a pair of slots built into the saddle chassis, from which you can hang all manner of things, but primarily Carradice-style saddle bags. These are my preferred on-bike luggage options too; high capacity, limited sway when compared to teardrop options, and more aero than a bar bag. Plus there are size options from a couple of litres up to truly gigantic, pannier size options. Even if you don't use a leather saddle you can run one of these with an adapter like the Hobopieces Restuvus.

Is it hard to break in a leather saddle?

The main reason I hear that puts people off using a leather saddle is the break-in period. There are horror stories aplenty, but it needn’t be as bad as all that. Each manufacturer has its own recommended system, and if you dive into any forum or message board there are a tonne of leather saddle fanaticists, each with their own secret to breaking in. I’ve no doubt the following will enrage some of them, but this is my go-to method for breaking in: One coat of leather conditioner focusing primarily on the underside of the saddle, and one very wet ride of no longer than two hours. It is worth noting that some manufacturers like Berthoud pre-apply a grease before sale to aid waterproofing, so you needn't add any yourself for the first year. 

As we’ll go into in the section on ongoing care, leather doesn’t particularly like being wet. It’s an absorbent material, and if it gets drenched it swells and becomes drastically more pliable. I only really found this out after getting caught out by a thunderstorm. When I got home my B17 had sagged and formed to my posterior in a very noticeable way; not enough to need re-tensioning, but enough for it to become markedly more comfortable thereafter. If you don’t live somewhere wet you can give it a dunk in a bucket of water for a few minutes instead; a spray with a hose won’t really cut it, as it’ll not have time to absorb and soften. 

It's also worth noting that this will absolutely void your warranty, with Brooks expressly mentioning "riding a completely saturated saddle" in their warranty exceptions, so do so at your own risk. If you can this is all best done in a controlled environment. The absolute ideal would be on a turbo trainer at home, so you can stop once it has sagged to a degree you are happy with and no more. What's more, some saddles will sag faster than others; my Brooks Swallow formed within an hour, so the more careful and controlled you can be the better. A few short stints will be better in the long run than one long one where you overshoot the break-in point.

Brooks saddles ship out with a little sachet of ‘Proofide’. There’s a relatively common misapprehension that this is a waterproofing treatment, given its greasy nature, but it’s a leather conditioner. It will add waterproof qualities, but its job is to soften the leather to aid the break-in process. It should be used sparingly, as overdoing it will over-soften the leather upper and eventually lead to sagging over and above that which is optimal.

If you don’t want to get drastic with water the only real way to break one in is time. As mentioned though, don’t be tempted to overdo it with the leather softeners as it's a one-way street.

How to care for a leather saddle 

Now, contrary to what I’ve said above, leather saddles don’t really like getting wet, and you should do your best to protect them from the rain as much as possible. Fortunately, when you’re sitting on one you are doing a pretty good job of protecting the upper from the rain. The underside however is very vulnerable to tyre spray, and as such it’s recommended you use mudguards. If like me, you think mudguards are a vibe then this won’t concern you much, and you should take it as confirmation that you are also a person of great taste and distinction. If however you can't, or won't, run fenders then your options are a saddle cover, or a staunch refusal to ride in the rain. 

Bear in mind though that before synthetic saddles were developed, leather saddles were simply known as ‘saddles’, and were fitted to all bicycles and used in all conditions. They are hardy things, and the occasional drenching isn’t going to totally ruin them. If you’re regularly going to encounter wet conditions though, say you’re slapping one on your commuter bike or utility bike, then it’s best to take steps to protect them from regular inundation.

On one leather saddle that I have used for gravel riding I have had some success in waterproofing the underside using Fjallraven Greenland Wax, the same stuff I use to reproof my canvas saddlebags (yes, I know I’m really painting a retrogrouch picture here…). When the saddle is totally dry I scrubbed the wax bar all over the underside and melted it in with a hairdryer. Two coats was sufficient to make it more or less impervious to water, but again it should be noted this very much goes against manufacturer recommendations and you can say goodbye to that precious warranty.

Here’s the key bit to bear in mind if your leather saddle ever does get wet. Do not, under any circumstances, force dry it. Don’t leave it on or near a radiator. Do not blast it with a hairdryer. Don’t remove it and put it in the airing cupboard, nor deliberately pop it in a patch of the baking sun. Just let it dry off slowly to avoid any risk of the leather cracking and it will be fine.

Over time 'breaking in' will eventually become 'sagging', at which point you’re going to want to add a bit more tension. On nearly all leather saddles the rear of the leather upper is fixed in place, and the nose is mounted to a moveable sled. Pulling this sled forward by the use of a nose bolt increases the distance between the mounting points and re-tensions the leather upper. When it’s got too saggy for your liking simply add a bit of tension, a half turn at a time, and never, ever when the saddle is wet.

Leather conditioning products, as mentioned before, should be used sparingly. The regularity at which you’ll need to apply things such as Brooks Proofide will depend on the conditions in which you ride, but as a rule of thumb every half a year or so is ‘normal’. Don’t be slapping it on weekly, and don’t leave it for five years either.

These care tips also apply to a certain extent to leather-covered synthetic saddles. There aren't a huge number of them, but if you’re running something like a Selle Italia Turbo then you at least don’t need to worry about it sagging. Just treat the leather like you would a good pair of shoes: Give it a polish and a buff as and when it looks dry, and still avoid forced drying if it gets wet.

Shapes and models 

While synthetic saddles come in a bewildering variety of shapes, sizes and widths, leather saddles are remarkably simple in comparison. For starters there is no real requirement for exact widths as your own personal anatomy will dictate the final form. Generally speaking, though the shape of your leather saddle will be dictated by your riding style. A more upright position for touring or commuting would require a bigger perch as more of your weight is placed on the saddle and less on the hands. In contrast, if you’re riding a very aggressive position you’ll need a narrower option to account for the forward rotation of the pelvis and the fact that more of your weight is supported by your arms.

Many models are available with or without a cutout. In my experience, these aren’t as beneficial as they are for synthetic models, as, once broken in they're essentially redundant. However, they do make for a saddle with a little more initial give, as the removal of the central material allows the sides of the upper to sag inwards a touch, which can cause the side wings to flare out. This is why you’ll often see saddles with cutouts having a web of cord under to hold the sides in place. Perhaps think of them less as relief channels, and more as break in relief.

I’m going to stick to models I have experience with here, as going over all of them would take some time. I have been using a number from Brooks and more recently Berthoud. Generally speaking, I’ve found the break-in period for Berthoud saddles to be a little more arduous. The leather feels a little stiffer, and perhaps a smidge thicker too. Berthoud saddles do come in as the more premium option, but for that, you get replaceable hardware. When the upper leather eventually reaches the end of its useable life you can simply attach a new one, making it a more sustainable option. Brooks uppers are riveted in place by contrast, meaning once they have sagged beyond the point of no return they will need replacing. They are also available with a variety of rail options, from steel to lightweight titanium. 

Commuting/Touring

When you think of a leather saddle you’re probably thinking of a Brooks B17. It’s the classic shape, and for general use it’s pretty hard to beat. I use mine on my everyday/gravel tourer, and it’s only getting more comfortable. The break in period for the standard B17 is a little longer than with the rest of the range I’ve found, this seems to be to do with the extended side wings. As the upper presses down these want to flare outwards, but your inner thighs prevent this. 

From Berthoud there’s the Aubisque, which is marketed more as a ‘city saddle’. I’ve not used this shape personally, but to my eyes the shape is more similar to the B17 than the companies ‘touring’ saddle, the Aspin. I’d take these recommendations with a pinch of salt though. 

One thing I have had success with in the past is using the shorter nosed, nominally ‘women’s’ models of the B17 on bikes that put me in a more aggressive position. If you’ve got a bike where you are sometimes in an upright position for greater control, but also sometimes on aero bars (I’m thinking some gravel/ultra race setups here) then the short nosed models are definitely worth considering as you’ll get the support you need, and not have a long nose bothering your undercarriage when you want to get aero.

If you need a bit of extra cush there’s also the Flyer from Brooks, but it’s a bit of a beast at just shy of 900g thanks to the two giant springs at rear end. A significant weight penalty, but it may help if your commute is over particularly rough tarmac.

Gravel/General use

I’m loath to label any leather saddles as ‘gravel specific’ but to me, the Berthoud Aspin and the Brooks Swift, both of which have a relatively similar profile, make ideal gravel saddles if you’re unsure of what to opt for. Gravel bikes, unless you’re on a gravel race bike, generally puts you in a slightly more upright position than road bikes. Both these saddles have the longer profile of a classic road leather saddle, but with some extra width to support more of your derriere. If your commuter has a little more of a forward position these would work too.  

Road/Aggressive positions

It’s a rarity to see nowadays, but if you want to run a leather saddle on a road bike, whether for a vintage look or for actual comfort benefits, your best bet is likely either the Brooks Swallow or the Berthoud Soulor. In my experience, the break-in period for these is noticeably shorter than with something like a B17. The longer nose means there is more leather to sag, and the lack of side wings on both allows the centre to push the edges outwards under your body weight more easily. The sides of the Swallow are tucked under and stapled together, while the Soulor are simply truncated. Thanks to the faster sagging rate these should be more diligently protected from water. 

Positioning and setup 

As with any saddle you want to make sure your weight is in the right place. One thing you’ll notice in pictures of bikes with leather saddles is they are often run with a slight nose-up tilt. Thanks to the leather uppers being quite slippery the upward tilt ensures you slide rearwards to a happy resting place where your thighs meet the flare at the rear. A flat setup, or worse a downward tilt, would see you sliding forwards so that your soft tissue is resting on the narrow nose, which isn’t particularly pleasant.  

Buying second hand 

Buying second-hand anything is an excellent way to be more sustainable, but if you’re leather curious (for saddles - for anything else just go to Berlin) you can dip your toe in by finding second-hand models online. I’ve noticed many bikes come as stock with a Brooks B17, and many owners remove them and sell them for a variety of reasons. It does tend to be mostly B17s, but if that works for your setup it’s a great way to cut some costs. Just make sure it’s relatively new; if you buy a heavily broken-in one you’ll have a saddle moulded to someone else’s anatomy, which isn’t a great recipe for comfort.  

In the world of bike saddles there's two distinct tribes. One group is all about leather saddles. Mostly that means Brooks but you might hear Sella Anatomica mentioned as well. The point of either is that they wear in instead of wearing out. Give it a bit of time and a leather saddle will form to your body. The drawback is that a leather saddle is heavy and the designs fixed in another time. That's where the kind of high-performance saddles that we include in our list of the best road bike saddles step in. 

The other bike saddle tribe is all about the latest technology. Brands use computer modeling and pressure mapping of thousands of riders to create precise padding zones. At the top end, carbon fiber is the material of choice and it allows for the lightest builds with shapes that would have been impossible not long ago. Over the last few years, the technology of pressure mapping and carbon layups has even started to come together and combine with 3D printing. At this point, the cutting edge is using 3D printing to create a level of different pressure zones completely unheard of with traditional manufacturing. 

Despite all those advances, the best saddles still aren't truly custom and so, the two tribes continue to exist. There's another option out there though. A Canadian brand called Reform has a high-performance carbon fiber saddle that you custom mold in your home. We put it to the test to see if it might finally be the answer to both sides of the bike saddle divide.  

Design and aesthetics 

The Reform Seymour comes in a wooden box that slides open. It feels special in a way I don't remember another saddle feeling. Despite that, once you slide it open, it looks pretty pedestrian. The description on the Reform website proudly claims "Black on black with a side of carbon" and that is better than any wordsmithing I can do here. The contrast is particularly stark in comparison to the continued parade of flashy 3D printed options I've been testing recently.

The upper is a simple synthetic without much detail. The design isn't split but there is a prominent depression that offers a similar relief channel without breaking the lower shell. Like many modern road race saddles, the upper stretches across a shortened profile and ends after 252mm. There's no dip in the centre but there is a bit of a curve at the rear. This is obviously a design for "on the rivet" riding. 

Flip the saddle over and you'll find things look a bit more exciting. You've got a clear view of how every piece of the upper is being supported with a carbon fibre shell. The weave is likely for aesthetics but you can see how the carbon helps facilitate a light, strong, finished product while managing the complex curves of the design. In particular, the wings have a rather steep curve and reflect an upper that's narrower than the 142mm spec would have you think. 

Below the shell, you also get a look at the carbon rails. In my Fizik Vento Argo R1 Adaptive saddle review I called out the brand for using a 7x10 saddle rail and calling it a standard. Perhaps the Reform choice to use 7x10 rails is an indication I was wrong and a standard is brewing? I don't actually think so and even if it is, be aware, 7x10 rails are only currently workable with certain seat posts. 

Jump back to the shell and you will find another detail. It's relatively small but it's not something you will find on any other saddle, a power plug. It's small, gold, and magnetic but this is what makes the Reform saddle completely different than anything else on the market. The power port, unique to the Reform Seymour saddle, is what each user will use to create a custom molded saddle in about 10 minutes. 

Performance

Along with the actual Reform Seymour saddle, the upscale packaging includes an A/C adapter and a pair of detailed instruction cards. The first step on those cards is to install the saddle in your preferred riding position. I chose to test the saddle on my trainer bike both because that's where the molding process happens and because there's perhaps no more demanding placement for a saddle. That meant that after years of slowly moving my riding position out of sync with my outside setup it was time to re-adjust. 

Once I had the setup matched to my favourite position outside, I read and reread the instructions. The process is simple but as with any custom mold process I had to know that I understood what to do. There is a list of forming times based on temperature in the room and there are times for both with and without a chamois. The first thing I wanted to check was which of those was optimal. It sounds like either will work but exposing your sit bones directly to the saddle will help with a distinct impression. 

With everything ready to go, I fired up Zwift and grabbed a phone for a timer. I changed into my underwear, a t-shirt, and cycling shoes and set a timer for 3 minutes and 54 seconds according to the temperature scale. As I stepped on to the trainer, I started the timer, turned on the switch, and started pedalling steadily in zone two. You can feel the saddle heat but it's not extreme. 

Once the timer goes off, it's time to start another timer for 6-minutes. During this timer the instructions say to change position every 30 seconds and rotate between the flats, the drops, and the hoods. Once that timer sounds, the process is complete and you can unplug the adapter. It is possible to complete the process again if needed, or return the adapter for money back, but I took the time to change into bib shorts and a jersey for another ride. 

The changes are almost imperceptible. I can't make out any new details visually but there is a change. If I run my hand along the central spine, on either side of the relief depression, you can feel the change. Small depressions indicate where my sit bones come into contact with the saddle. The left depression is slightly farther forward and deeper than the right but both are distinct. 

With the process completed, it was time to see how it felt. I had spent some time on the saddle before forming it to make sure I understood what the before feeling was. It's a firm performance saddle with a shape that is similar to the Bontrager Aeolus Pro it was replacing. If there wasn't anything additional to the review, I would have been happy although at 197 grams the price might have been questionable. 

After the molding process what I found was a feeling of extra softness. The padding obviously didn't get any softer but that's how I can describe the feeling. There's less pressure under my sit bones and the effect is a softness that shouldn't exist. It's not dissimilar to a 3D printed saddle and the feeling of softness they provide but this time it's specific to my body. 

Verdict

I can't tell you that I was having some ongoing issue that a Reform saddle fixed. I tend to do well with almost any saddle and rarely have issues with saddle sores or imbalances that are saddle related. What I can report about the Reform Seymour is that while it was comfortable before the molding process, it feels right after going through it. 

It's a bit of a nebulous feeling but it has that feel of a saddle that just works. It's soft where it should be and supportive where it should be. I can feel the indentations that appeared after heating it and the process was simple. I suspect if you have a greater imbalance, or are more sensitive to saddle difference, this would be a bigger deal. 

The other takeaway I have is that there's no downside. This certainly isn't an inexpensive choice but it's on par with other top-of-the-line saddles for price and it is weight competitive. It’s also the only option for a custom performance saddle you can mold in your home. Just make sure your seat post will mount 7x10 rails. 

Tech Specs: Reform Seymour Custom Moldable Saddle 

• Price: £332.00 with A/C Adapter / $399 with A/C adapter (return adapter for money back)
• Length: 252 mm
• Width: 142 mm
• Weight: 192g
• Rail: 7x10 mm

Saddles are very much a personal preference but there are broad industry trends. It hasn't been long since the concept of a short nose saddle hit the market and now they completely dominate our list of the best road bike saddles. It's a design that's been a hit with consumers even as some have grumbled about the loss of the nose as a way to control the bike. Then, on the manufacturing side, additive manufacturing, otherwise known as 3D printing, has been even more recent. 

So far 3D printed saddles have been more of a bit player in the overall market. They definitely haven't taken over the way that short nose saddles have. Part of that is so far the technology is only offered on the uber expensive models from the few companies offering it. There hasn't been much economy of scale and the design process was slow with a lot of limitations. The second generation is starting to show up though and things are changing. One of the offerings available in that second generation is the Fizik Vento Argo R1 Adaptive and we've had a chance to spend time with it. If you are looking for a seriously high-end performance saddle keep reading to see if this second gen offering from Fizik should be on your radar. 

Design and aesthetics 

Before we dive into the technical design details, there has to be a discussion of the aesthetics. Without a doubt, riding with a 3D printed saddle will get you noticed. Out of all the pieces people ask about, the 3D printed saddles come up almost more than anything else. The Vento Argo R1 Adaptive drops the greenish colour option that the previous Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive offered but it's still unmistakably 3D printed and it never fails to grab people's attention. 

Along with the other colour option on the previous Adaptive saddles from Fizik, there was also a distinctive strip down the centre that no longer exists in this second-generation product. As it turns out, that strip of carbon in the first generation is a clever solution to a manufacturing problem. The company that produces the saddles for Fizik, and for Specialized, is a Silicon Valley company that goes by the name 'Carbon'. 3D printing is still very much a cutting-edge technology and like anything, it continues to evolve. The first-generation technology allowed for the lattice style design that marks the soft but supportive feeling of a 3D printed saddle but there were limits to what it could do. 

The biggest limitation of the first generation was that the whole structure had to be the same density. Fizik takes pride in the extensive pressure mapping data the brand has built over years of experience creating saddles but in 2019 when the first saddles hit the market it couldn't make use of that data. In contrast Specialized solved the problem by creating a saddle in a way that worked with a single density throughout. 

As Carbon has continued to innovate its production capabilities, it's opened up tighter integrations with Fizik. The first saddle required a very slow back and forth workflow without much automation. Today there's a new design engine that helps to automate moving from the pressure mapping and testing data to a final design. 

It’s just one piece though, there have also been changes in the core production capabilities. Carbon is now able to change densities as needed. The combination of the tighter partnership and upgraded production capabilities means a more sophisticated saddle. Argo Adaptive doesn't need a cutout because it’s able to use softer padding where it's needed. That, in turn, adds structure to the whole design and leads to better pressure distribution and increased longevity. 

The Antares design is that of a more traditional saddle and it's an inherently limited approach to what's possible with 3D printing. At the time of release Fizik was clear that the Antares was a "first step into personal and athlete-data-driven design and engineering." The Argo is the next step along the same path.

Performance

Let's be clear, Specialized found a way to create pressure mapped zones in the S-Works Power with Mirror technology. It then refined that process further in their second-generation S-Works Romin Evo with Mirror. The Fizik offerings aren't completely unique in that respect, but they are different. Sit down on a Power with Mirror technology and the first thing you notice is how soft it is. For riders who have been using performance saddles that are hard as a rock, it's groundbreaking. The shape isn't something that works for everyone though. 

With the Vento Argo R1 Adaptive, Fizik offers a unique take on what a short nose saddle means. The simple way to say it is that it's not actually that short. The Specialized Power saddle is only 240mm long and the Prologo Dimension, another short nose saddle, is about the same length. For a point of reference, my favourite traditional style saddle is the Berk Composites Lupina and it measures 280mm. The Vento Argo is shorter but only by 15mm at 265mm long. 

Like I said, with the Vento Argo, Fizik is playing with the whole concept of a short nose saddle. It's short but not by much. The bigger difference is in how it's shaped compared to a traditional road saddle. The nose is drastically shorter if you readjust what the nose of a saddle means. In a traditional saddle, using the Berk as an example again, it takes around 150mm before it starts to swell from the nose to the seat area. The Vento Argo starts to sweep outwards almost immediately behind the tip. It also gets to the widest section about 40mm ahead of the Berk. 

The result of all this reconceptualizing is that there is a larger sweet spot in the saddle. If I get down low and really push my pace, I naturally move forward but with the Vento Argo I don't start to feel out of place. There's still plenty of room farther back though so if I mellow out for the last few miles of a ride I can also sit back farther and not feel out of place there either. This differs from a shorter saddle where you either move the saddle forward and change your fit or keep it farther back and essentially chop off the nose. 

This vision of what a short saddle actually means isn't unique to this saddle. There's both an Adaptive version, signifying a 3D printed manufacturing process, and a regular Vento Argo. The difference between them is that the Adaptive version is, like the Specialized Power with Mirror, softer. There's a lot of nuance in the Fizik Adaptive though. The edges are almost as stiff as the non-adaptive version while the centre is very soft. Another big change is that the Adaptive version doesn't have a cut-out and instead trades the missing material for the softest material in the design. Fizik says that it adds longevity, and given that cut-out saddles almost always fail around the cut-out, my experience says they are probably correct. 

Verdict

When it's time to sit on the Fizik Vento Argo R1 Adaptive what's important to understand is that it's not your typical short nose saddle. It is shorter than a traditional shape but mostly the nose is shorter and the saddle swells much earlier. If you like to move around on a saddle a lot it's a good choice. Choosing the Adaptive version gets you more specific padding where Fizik thinks it's needed and it means a stronger saddle without a cutout. 

The upsides are that it's less expensive than the Specialized Power with Mirror technology for the same 190 grams and carbon rails. It's also a lot easier to clean. The downsides are that it's not as soft. The biggest downside though is the size of the rails. 

There are very few seat posts that can fit a 7x10mm rail. Typically carbon saddles use a 7x9 rail and most brands have adapters for that size or use a clamping style that doesn't care. Working with 7x10 is very difficult and both the Orbea Orca Aero and Look 795 Blade RS I have available were not compatible. Enve is one brand that is compatible with 7x10 rails so if you are considering a new Enve Melee, all of the Fizik carbon saddles will work.  

Tech Specs: Fizik Vento Argo R1 Adaptive

• Price: £249.99 (plus import duties) / $299.99 / €299
• Length: 265 mm
• Width: 140 mm/150 mm
• Height at 75 mm width: 45.5 mm
• Length from nose to 75mm width: 114 mm
• Weight: 190 g / 196 g
• Rail: 10x7 mm

Few pieces of triathlon gear have a bigger impact on your performance than your saddle. Get it right, and you'll feel strong on the bike. Get it wrong, and you may find yourself stretching your back or pulling over in discomfort. When you're spending hours locked in the aero position, saddle comfort isn't a luxury; it's a necessity.

The right saddle can make or break both your race day experience and daily training sessions. The best triathlon saddles strike a balance between comfort, aerodynamics, and injury prevention, all while helping you maintain speed on the bike.

For this guide, we personally tested and rode a wide range of triathlon saddles before narrowing things down to our top 10 picks. We've included options for men, women, first-timers, and elite triathletes. If you're racing on a road bike, you may also want to explore our dedicated guides on the best road bike saddles and best women's road bike saddles.

Saddle shape plays a major role in fit and performance. Width varies significantly across different saddles, with our top pick being the ISM PN 3.1. And while no single shape suits every rider, wider saddles generally offer more contact points and support, which tends to benefit newer triathletes still dialling in their position.

Cutout design is another factor worth considering. Centre cutouts are common across triathlon and road saddles alike, but the ideal cutout comes down to individual anatomy and preference. We break down each saddle's specific design in our full reviews below.

Material and padding density round out the key considerations for a triathlon saddle. Riders with a more aggressive, forward-leaning position often do better with a firmer, textured surface that keeps them in place, while those newer to the sport may prefer softer padding that allows for easier adjustments in position.

Ready to find your perfect match? Here are the best triathlon saddles on the market right now.

Last updated 21st April 2026

Checked and updated the products to ensure all the saddles recommended in this guide are the best options on the market, up to date and available. Further general updates to formats and images were made to improve the overall feel of the guide.

Best Triathlon Saddles

Best overall

The ISM PN 3.1 is one of the most recognisable saddles in cycling. Its distinctive nose-less design can be found on everything from road and gravel bikes to track and triathlon frames. Riders love its narrow profile and abbreviated front end, which tapers away sharply rather than extending into a traditional nose. A deep central cutout takes pressure off sensitive areas, while added padding helps absorb road vibration and impact.

The main trade-off with the PN 3.1 is the same thing that makes it so popular — its unconventional shape. Riders who favour an extremely forward-shifted position may find there simply isn't enough saddle to sit on. If that describes your fit, the Pro Stealth Team saddle is worth a look. ISM also advises against the PN 3.1 for anyone who pedals with a straighter leg and minimal knee bend, recommending other saddles from their lineup instead.

Finally, the PN 3.1's narrow front end creates a healthy amount of thigh clearance, with slightly tapered edges that allow for a small degree of natural movement on the saddle. Not so much that you feel unstable, but just enough to micro-adjust your position through a pedal stroke or when navigating a corner.

Best flat design

The Watt TI 316 Gel Superflow is the embodiment of Selle Italia's reputation, creating high-performance saddles across virtually every cycling discipline. Where many triathlon saddles lean into cushioning and comfort features, the Watt TI 316 Gel Superflow takes a different approach. It is lean, firm, and flat, with no unnecessary extras. This is a saddle built for speed and performance.

That approach does come with a caveat: the stiff, minimal design won't suit every rider, and discomfort is a real possibility if you jump straight in for a three-hour ride. Performance-focused saddles are typically less comfortable at first, but that feeling dissipates quickly, giving way to serious performance improvements and long-term comfort. Few triathlon saddles can match the build quality here — the construction, material density, and surface texture are all top tier. The grippy finish deserves a special mention too, as it holds you firmly in place, and you'll stay planted on the saddle even when pushing hard on flats or climbs.

Best lightweight

The Pro Stealth Team is impressively light without sacrificing the support and width needed to accommodate a range of riding positions. It gives riders enough real estate to settle into their ideal spot on the saddle without adding too much bulk. The only problem is for riders who consistently ride in a forward position, as they may find the narrow nose lacking in support.

The cutout is generous, extending along most of the saddle's length, though it stops short of running through the nose the way ISM's designs do. For triathletes who prefer to position themselves toward the front of the saddle, that distinction matters. The saddle's design helps with comfort and positioning, and its semi-smooth surface is grippy enough to hold your position without feeling too restricted. Compared to other saddles, the Stealth Team is noticeably thinner and lighter, with less padding overall.

Built around a dense surface and a weight-conscious frame, the saddle prioritises speed and efficiency over beginner-level comfort. For triathletes who want a performance-oriented saddle without stretching to the top of the price bracket, it stands out as one of the better mid-range options available.

Best support with split-nose

The ISM PS 2.0 shares plenty of design features with our top-rated PN 3.1, but the differences are deliberate and meaningful. PS stands for Performance Short — in contrast to the Performance Narrow designation of the PN — and that shorter, broader build (10mm wider at the rear) makes the PS 2.0 particularly well-suited to short course triathlon efforts. The major trade-off is a smaller sweet spot compared to the PN 3.1, making it a less obvious choice for newer triathletes still experimenting with their position.

This saddle is mainly designed for athletes who have their aero position dialled in and don't shift around much in the saddle. Movement on the PS 2.0 is intentionally limited, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It means greater stability and less energy spent making micro-adjustments. As with all ISM saddles, the nose-less design reduces pressure through the sit bones, supports better circulation, and contributes to sustained comfort. That said, riders with an especially aggressive forward position may find the PS 2.0 uncomfortable or simply a subpar fit for their physiology.

One more distinction worth noting: the PS 2.0 uses ISM's 30-series foam rather than the 40-series found in the PN 3.1. The firmer, slightly thinner padding of the 30-series foam becomes more noticeable over extended efforts, something to note if you are looking for more or less padding.

Best fully-split design

The Bontrager Hilo Pro is one of the more distinctive saddles on this list, featuring a full split that runs from nose to tail rather than the partial cutouts you'll find on most triathlon saddles. For the majority of riders, that's a welcome design choice. Split saddles consistently get positive feedback compared to traditional solid designs, even if it's a significant departure from conventional saddle geometry.

The Hilo Pro's narrow profile runs consistently from front to back, which does narrow down your positioning options and leaves less room to find your ideal sweet spot. For most experienced triathletes, that won't be a dealbreaker, but for beginners, a limited sweet spot can be frustrating while still trying to find their ideal fit.

Hilo Pro's surface lands in the medium-firm range, with enough texture to keep you planted without feeling harsh. The dual-density foam padding isn't necessarily the choice you'd expect given the saddle's performance credentials, but it delivers a good amount of comfort without really compromising efficiency or performance.

Oversized carbon rails keep the overall weight impressively low, though their shorter length does restrict how much adjustability you have during fitting. If you're an experienced triathlete or long-course racer with a preference for split-saddle designs, the Hilo Pro is well worth serious consideration.

Best ultra-performance

The Prologo T-Gale Pas is built around a clear performance philosophy, developed in the wind tunnel with speed as the primary objective. It comes with Connect Power Control (CPC) technology, a series of small textured pads embedded into the saddle surface that grip the rider and help to maintain a consistent position to maximize power transfer. The shape is aggressively tapered, running flat from front to back while transitioning from a broad rear section down to a short, narrow nose that measures 4.5cm less than a conventional saddle. That shape helps support and amplify power output in the aero position, and that's a difference I felt immediately.

Comfort is addressed through Prologo's Perineal Area System (PAS) technology, which replaces the typical open cutout with a unique design. There is a small cutout present, but the more significant feature is the central channel that runs the full length of the saddle, working to reduce pressure and prevent numbness over longer efforts.

The dramatic taper does create a key limitation: the sweet spot is relatively small. Sit too far back and you're on an unusually wide platform; creep too far forward and the short nose offers little to work with. Finding that ideal position in the middle is key, and once you do, the saddle feels great.

Best affordable

The Fabric Tri Elite Flat is an affordable triathlon saddle that delivers a clean, flat profile designed specifically for the demands of triathlon. The saddle sits comfortably in the affordable price bracket, making it an appealing option for both age-groupers and competitive triathletes who want a purpose-built saddle without paying a premium.

The flat profile runs consistently from nose to tail, which suits riders who have settled into a stable aero position and aren't shifting around mid-ride. A central cutout runs through much of the saddle's length, relieving pressure in sensitive areas and supporting circulation. The surface texture is middle of the road — firm enough to keep you anchored in position, but not so tough that it becomes uncomfortable over longer rides in the aero position.

Fabric has kept the nose short and tapered, which helps with thigh clearance during the pedal stroke. The overall shape is streamlined to complement an aggressive riding position. Padding is on the minimal side, making it preferable to experienced triathletes rather than absolute beginners.

Best premium

The SMP T5 is the most substantial, comfort-focused saddle on this list. The carbon-reinforced saddle sits atop a 7.1mm steel frame that prioritizes durability and stability over weigh-saving. Rail choices come in either aluminium alloy or carbon fibre, with the carbon option saving nearly 50 grams. The saddle also comes with fixing plates, which reinforce the frame and increase durability.

The T5 is runs long and wide from nose to tail, giving riders plenty of room to shift, adjust, and experiment until they find the position that what works for them. A large central cutout extends nearly the full length of the saddle, stopping just short of breaking through the nose. This relieves through the sit bones and increases comfort throughout the sweet spot.

Padding is thick and supportive, prioritizing feel over weight. For beginner triathletes still working out their ideal position, the T5 is a fantastic starting point. The wide, forgiving frame allows you to find a comfortable fit, while the substantial padding and pressure relief makes the learning curve much easier to navigate.

Best aero comfort

The Fizik Transiro Aeris Long Distance R1 Adaptive is one of the most technologically advanced triathlon saddles on this list, and it's built for riders who need to hold the aero position for hours without sacrificing comfort or stability. Fizik's Adaptive 3D-printed padding technology helps create multiple distinct cushioning zones within a single piece of padding. Each zone responds differently to pressure and load, and the end result is a remarkably comfortable saddle, even in an aggressive riding position.

Rather than a traditional cutout, the Adaptive technology creates a soft central channel that improves weight distribution and pressure relief. Its surface is a no-slip grip that keeps you locked in and efficient. The wider nose is designed specifically for long hours in the aero position, which sets this Long Distance version apart from other Aeris models. The R1 build uses carbon rails, which help bring the total weight down to 190g, and that is an optional Aeris Link that can be added to integrate a rear water bottle cage.

How to choose the best triathlon saddle for you

• Which is the best triathlon saddle? There is no ‘one size fits all’ because a lot of the saddle’s likeness comes down to personal preference. The best triathlon saddle is the saddle that is the most comfortable, powerful, and efficient for you. It may take a few tries for you to find the best saddle, but most bike shops and manufacturers offer a trial period.
• Are triathlon-specific saddles worth it? In most cases, a triathlon-specific saddle is worth it compared to a traditional road cycling saddle, especially when they have a very small nose and mid-cutout, which improve overall comfort and increase the sweet spot area more than any traditional road saddle could.
• Do I need a carbon triathlon saddle? Carbon triathlon saddles are generally lighter and stiffer than comparable triathlon saddles, resulting in increased performance and improved power transfer. Since most triathlons are relatively flat, lightweight saddles are not as important as you might think. Casual triathletes and beginners should choose the most comfortable saddle regardless of its material.

Everything you need to know about the best triathlon saddle

How we test the best triathlon saddles?

We took each one of these triathlon saddles out on the road and tested them in both the time trial/aero position and the upright riding position. Among the metrics we measured, quantitatively or qualitatively, were overall comfort, grippiness in the aero position, variety of available positions, and power transfer.

We have ridden these saddles in both hot and cold weather, in the rain and in the dry. We’ve taken them up climbs and down descents, and powered in the saddle for extended periods on a flat road. It is important to test both the extreme cases and the more expected ones, such as the saddle’s feeling on a climb versus in the aero position.

Meet the testers

Take a deep dive into the best road bike seatposts and one word you'll find continually cropping up is compliance.  

While you may be tempted to think the cycling world has got a little bit too obsessed with ticking all the boxes in the safety manual (although that is, unarguably, an important aspect), compliance in this scenario is a measure of the elastic deformation the seatpost can endure – which a key contributor to comfort.

The introduction of carbon to bike manufacturing was a game changer for seatposts. Not only can it help to reduce the overall weight of the bike, but the way in which carbon components are manufactured – by building up layers of fibres – can be adjusted to give it the perfect blend of compliance and stiffness. From damping to deflection, the best carbon seatposts can help soften vibrations and take the edge off impacts.

But that doesn't mean carbon is the only option. You may be looking for a simple weight-saving aluminium option or, for those who like to hit the trails, some of the best gravel seatposts use rubber-cushioning elastomers or mechanical pivots and springs to smooth out the bumps. 

It is perhaps not as obvious a change to your set-up as the best road bike pedals or best road bike wheels but a new seatpost is a relatively cheap upgrade that will offer a perceivable difference – and it might just be what you need to take your ride to the next level. 

Scroll down for a round-up of our favourite options or, if you're unsure what to look out for, we have included a guide on how to choose the best road bike seatposts at the bottom of the page.

Best road bike seatposts

Rather than building in flex points and elastomers, the Syntace uses the layup, directional fibres and internal shaping of the shaft to create compliance. 

Instead of bonding a metal clamp head into the top, the latest version is a one-piece carbon post, which keeps it light and with great shock absorbing and damping, but maintains directional stability. Even without the type of mechanical techniques employed by the Canyon and Cane Creek options in this list, the Syntace post can achieve up to 20mm of deflection under load. 

Specialized's in-house component brand Roval has gone all out to make this seatpost light, claiming it is the 'lightest post we’ve ever seen that passes our standards'. Weighing in at 136g for its 300mm length (it also comes in 360mm) really does put it up there with the lightest we've seen too. 

It also comes with the same lifetime warranty Roval offers for its wheels and 'S**t happens' promise to replace or repair it for free if you damage it while riding within the first two years of ownership – subject to the company's T's & C's, of course. 

One thing it doesn't offer is much in the way of options, with only one diameter size (27.2mm), one colour (black) and one offset size (12mm).  

Not everybody has much to spend on a seatpost; many riders are just looking for something simple that they can forget about once it’s in the bike. For under US$100, the Zipp Service Course SL is about as good as it gets. 

First and foremost, clamp design makes the bolts accessible for quick angle adjustments, and the lower portion of the cradle has been extended to offer additional support for saddle rails if you slam yours all the way back. 

The Service Course SL seatpost is made from 3D forged aluminium and is claimed to weigh 259g in the 27.2mm, zero-setback option. 

Thomson's Elite seatpost has long been considered the gold standard for adjustability, strength and performance when it comes to supporting your seating arrangements – it’s also known for its firm ride quality. Made from a single piece of machined 7000-series aluminium, it weighs about 200g depending on the size and diameter – giving it a decent advantage over the budget-option Zipp we feature above. 

The Elite seatpost is available in both straight and setback versions; the brand says its design incorporates a bending fuse to prevent catastrophic failure, and the head clamp and upper tube can withstand 350 foot-pounds of torque.

Masters of everything uber light, the Tune Leichtes Stück tips the scales at 155g (340mm). The CNC-machined post is made with 7075 aluminium and features a latticed pattern near the top to further reduce the amount of material. This is claimed to save, as Tune puts it, ‘a whopping 40g’ – it looks pretty cool, too. 

Where it falls down against the Thomson Elite is that it’s only available in a 27.2mm diameter with zero setback. It does come with titanium mounting bolts – because if you’re already going to this kind of effort to save weight, every gram counts.

The Ergon CF Allroad Pro Carbon is most commonly found on a range of Canyon bikes as the VCLS. Both are the same, and are designed to soften hard edges on the road surface. The VCLS stands for 'vertical comfort, lateral stiffness' and that's a good way to describe its intentions. It offers a unique dual-tube design that splits apart into two narrow blades, creating a leaf spring and offers tangible improvements in comfort. 

For a carbon seatpost, it is a bit on the heavier side, the claimed weight of 220g makes it 84g heavier than the Roval option here, for example, but it's still much lighter than the Cane Creek featured below.

Adjusting your saddle angle is also more involved than a standard post, requiring it to be removed entirely from the frame. But, once the initial setup headaches are complete, it's smooth sailing – for your rear end at least. 

Cane Creek's seatposts follow a similar mechanical theme to Canyon's leaf spring system, but their alternative take uses a parallel-linkage system that absorbs the impact of bumps in conjunction with an elastomer to dampen the shocks. 

In their eeSilk+ model, which is designed for gravel, that all adds up to a claim of up to 35mm in compliance. 

Cane Creek offers a decent amount of versatility, too. There are both aluminium and carbon options in 27.2 and 31.6 mm diameter sizes and, if you want something that is more road oriented, opting for the standard eeSilk model shaves 28g off the weight (down to 295g) in exchange for knocking that compliance down to 20mm.

The elastomer, which is a rubber cushioning that sits in the middle of the parallel-linkage system, can also be changed to suit different rider weights.

Easton sought to make its EC90 seatpost more durable, but not by using the traditional method of adding material. Instead, it went back to the drawing board to rethink the clamp design by eliminating the pinch zone at the back of the post.

Easton came up with the RAD or Relief Area Design, where the material is removed from the area it would usually pinch, creating a flat edge and better-distributing clamping force. This will be a relief for those worried about damaging their components by over-tightening the clamp.

The seatpost itself is made from Easton’s top-end carbon fibre and, like the Syntace P6, the compliance comes in the construction of a single piece of carbon rather than engineered flex zones. 

The latest version also has Easton's independent saddle adjustment (ISA) technology for fine-tuning seat positioning without having to get your tools out. 

At 300mm in length, the Enve seatpost is available in 0mm, and 25mm-offset versions. While quite a few carbon posts have a metal clamp head bonded on the top, the Enve post is carbon through and through. 

The Twin Link clamp uses two bolts with expanding wedges to adjust saddle angle and is easily accessible from the sides below the rails. Part of the Enve Road range with the Enve Road bar and stem, it's unsurprisingly top-level componentry with a top-level price to boot. 

It comes in sizes from 24.5 to 31.6mm and is claimed to weigh 178g in the 27.2mm, 25mm-offset package – that's pretty light but not as light as the Roval. 

How to choose the best road bike seatpost for you

An all-new Canyon Ultimate CFR has been spotted at the Movistar team bus at the Critérium du Dauphiné. 

To be ridden by Enric Mas during today's mountain stage, the Ultimate is Canyon's lightweight climbing bike, sitting alongside the heavier, more aerodynamic Aeroad, and the more comfortable Endurace in the range. 

The sighting comes just days after a wild-looking new Trek Madone was also spotted at the same race. Compared to its prior incarnation, that bike saw a total overhaul and redesign with a radical seatpost design that included a hole in the seat tube. The Canyon Ultimate seen here sees changes that are much more subtle. 

The big news is that Canyon appears to have copied what it did with the Aeroad, by integrating a quill-style stem, built into the design of the integrated aero cockpit. In addition, the cockpit appears to have the same width-adjustment available, made available by separating the stem and tops from the hoods and drops. Like the Aeroad, the outer portions of the handlebars can slide in and out to three different settings (or removed entirely) to transition between three preset widths. It's unclear which setting Mas's bike is set to. 

Other changes appear at the seatpost and seat tube area. Where previously the seat tube was cut slightly to follow the curve of the rear wheel, this is no longer the case. The seat tube in this case appears to be straight from the bottom bracket to the top tube. The gap to the rear wheel also seems slightly greater, which would suggest the seat tube is either positioned further forward, or the chainstays are longer. Either way, the likely result is greater tyre clearance than the 32mm offered before. 

Separately, the new Ultimate appears to be fitted with a D-shaped seatpost, whereas the previous model was fitted with the rounded Canyon S13 VCLS CF post. 

The dropped seat stays remain the same as before, along with a compensation triangle in front of this junction, which also houses the seatpost clamp. Meanwhile, the 'CFR' branding atop the top tube confirms that this is the brand's highest spec of carbon fibre. 

Elsewhere, a slight edge can be seen on the crown of the fork as it angles downwards. The reasons for this are uncertain. It could be an aerodynamic play, or perhaps resulting from the widening of the fork to allow wider tyres. Looking at the image of the tyre clearance below, our guess is on the latter. 

Contrary to what you may believe, riding bikes does not have to be uncomfortable. Whilst saddle discomfort has long been an issue in women's cycling, this guide aims to help you find the best women's road bike saddle to keep you comfortable, mile after mile.

Saddle comfort can be a silent barrier to entry for female cyclists. Women come in all different shapes and sizes, especially down there. Therefore, what might suit one rider in testing may not suit another, as saddles are a very personal thing. As such, this guide includes saddles liked by different testers, not just one.

For example, one of our testers, Charlotte, has fairly wide sit bones (or ischial tuberosity to give the technical name), so she opts for around a 150mm width saddle. Relieving frontal soft tissue numbness and friction is her priority, so she tends to opt for a saddle with a decent cutout as well as a wider width at the back. This allows for forward hip rotation when riding hard and increased comfort when sitting more upright when relaxing or climbing.

These days, the best road bike saddles from most of the top brands will also often be an item you can buy and return within around 30 days to ensure it's right. Other companies will also offer saddle testing, where they will send out a test saddle (like with the Selle SMP saddles) and it's also worth asking bike shops and bike fitters if returns are allowed for saddles after a testing period.

It's also worth mentioning that finding ultimate comfort on the bike isn't just down to the saddle - the best women's bib shorts and a bike fit will also help with comfort.

Quick list: Best women’s road bike saddles

Best women's road bike saddles available today

Best women's road bike saddle

Designed with Specialized’s Body Geometry technology and crafted from titanium rails with a cut-out and the option of different widths, the Power Expert short nose saddle is a brilliant option for anyone wanting a specific width saddle with a decent size cut-out in the middle. Not only is this a popular option for women but a lot of men really like this saddle too, thanks to its ability to relieve numbness.

Full disclosure, this has been my saddle of choice for the last five to six years. When using this saddle, I noticed how much more supported my sit bones feel than other saddles I’ve used. Finding this one really was the turning point of no longer having to tell coaches I needed time off to rest my southern regions. With this saddle, I can easily perch on the nose, which makes it great for racing and riding in an aggressive position. I’ve also used it on my cyclocross and mountain bikes.

Not only is it my pick as the best women's saddle, but it's actually designed as a unisex option. Therefore it’ll suit the vast majority of people. In terms of pricing, it’s reasonable when compared to other similar saddles at £115.00 / €150.00 / $190.00. There are other versions of this saddle, namely the S-Works Power with FACT carbon shell and rails, but I really like the comfort of the titanium rail option.

Best carbon fibre saddle

The Pro Stealth Superlight is not the cheapest option because, as the name suggests, it is super light. Starting at 130g and consisting of a carbon fibre one-piece rail and base makes it a featherweight option. But so many women, in spite of it being a unisex saddle, seem to love this offering from PRO, so I just had to test it out to see what all of the hype was about.

I truly cannot believe how much I liked this saddle. I was really surprised by how comfortable it was to perch on the end, which is something I’ve often struggled to do or just found much too uncomfortable on other saddles. But when moving forward during efforts, it was super comfy thanks to the wide as well as flat nose and generous cut-out that runs fairly far along the saddle. I also found that the padding, which is fairly minimal, was so comfortable, even after 4 plus hours of riding.

All in all, I think this is a really fantastic saddle and I’d even go as far as to say I would purchase this myself. However, when fitting the saddle, it’s important to note that the rails are not standard size due to the oval shape, so you will need a different seatpost clamp that's compatible. The PRO Stealth is also available in a wide range of variations, so if full carbon is overkill for you, other Stealth options are well worth a look.

Head over to our Pro Stealth Carbon Saddle review for more details.

Best 3D printed saddle

We all know that if something is 3D printed then it’s automatically cool, right? Engineered using zonal cushioning and featuring carbon rails, the Fizik Vento Argo R1 Adaptive really is a beautifully designed piece of equipment. But, how does it fare after several hours of riding? Surprisingly well.

I was sceptical that this saddle would squash my vulva as it doesn’t feature a cut-out like some of the other Fizik Argo saddles. However, where the cut-out would normally be, the cushioning is much softer, similar to that of the Mimic.

Therefore, I didn’t feel anywhere near the pressure I thought I would, and the actual support of the saddle and overall cushioning effect from the 3D technology was very good. I moved around and found sitting more upright perfectly comfortable, it was just when trying to perch more forward that I was a tad uncomfortable due to the lack of a cutout.

It's also another saddle with oval rails, meaning you will need to have a seat post clamp that is compatible with oval and at £249.99 / €299.00 / $299.99 it is rather expensive.

Read more in our Fizik Vento Argo R1 Adaptive saddle review.

Best value

Featuring a combination of carbon-reinforced nylon shell and alloy rails, this saddle from Fizik has been designed specifically with endurance riding in mind. This is also another short-nosed option that benefits from Fizik’s proprietary Type 2 foam formulation, which is noticeably thicker around the ischial area at the back for added support.

I found it to be seriously comfy thanks to the supportive width (I used the 150mm). My sit bones felt well supported when I was sitting more into the back of the saddle. Then when I was doing efforts, I felt sitting towards the nose of the saddle to be no issue at all. In comparison to the other saddles, I felt the wider cut out (it has the widest cut out compared to all the other saddles of this style I tried) really improved numbness and pain in my soft tissue region at the front.

With regards to the pricing, I feel the £109.99 / €109.00 / $109.99 RRP is a great price for such a comfortable and high-quality saddle. The 241g weight for a 150mm width doesn't compare to the super light nature of saddles such as the PRO Stealth Super light at 146g, but that is considerably more expensive.

Guy reviewed the Fizik Vento Argo R5, but it still covers plenty of relevant points.

Best long nose saddle

Moving away from the popular short-nosed saddle with the LUCE, which looks a lot more like the classic longer-nosed saddles, but with the option of two widths, 145mm and 155mm. The saddle itself features carbon rails (oval again, so make sure your clamp is compatible) and a carbon-reinforced nylon shell for flexibility and comfort.

I personally prefer a short-nosed saddle with a much bigger cut out, but for a more classic style, it was much more comfortable than I thought it would be. I did notice the difference in terms of relieving pressure and preventing numbness thanks to the small cut-out section within the middle, and I felt that the wider width (I tested 155mm) was comfortable and supported my sit bones without any pain or numbness for hours. But in terms of perching on the edge of the saddle, I personally was not as comfortable, but this won’t be an issue for some due to body differences.

Based on my experience testing the LUCE, I feel that this saddle is a great option for road racing and general comfort. It's a really solid option that women should definitely try. It's not the easiest to find brand-new, but if you can find it, you'll likely get a bargain.

Best for padding

The SMP Well M1 is a generously padded saddle that still benefits from a middle cut-out, plus it's not that heavy either. With the option of either AISI or carbon rails (the latter allowing for weight savings), there's also some choice depending on your budget.

In terms of comfort, the gel padding and cut out of this saddle is something a lot of female riders will love, especially those who don’t necessarily need a lightweight, short-nosed option. It’s also important to note that this saddle is not usually yellow and red, this is just the test saddle in case that puts you off. On that note, you can demo the saddle from your local SMP dealer if you want to try before you buy.

For £115 / €120 / $150, I feel this saddle is pretty good value given the comfort and padding provided. A more generic, highly padded saddle would likely cost less, but the comfort is very unlikely to match that of the Well M1. Therefore, it’s well worth contacting Selle SMP to have a test saddle like this one sent out to you if you think this could be one for you.

Best narrow saddle

Not all women are built the same, which is why this narrower saddle (width 138mm) is a great option for women who have narrower sit bones and, therefore, aren’t going to fit the other saddles in the list. The Selle SMP Dynamic saddle features a cut-out that runs along the length of the nose, and with the option of either AISI 304 or carbon rails. The Dynamic is a bit of a cult classic in terms of women’s saddles.

From my testing, the pressure often felt on the soft tissue/vulva area was vastly reduced, thanks to the cut-out section. I was really impressed and could easily see why so many women have raved about how comfy they find this model.

All in all, this saddle is a great option for female riders with narrower sit bones. It’s not particularly padded either, which makes it a good choice for those wanting minimal padding. However, it is on the pricier side of saddles with an RRP of £205.00 / €210 / $270.00.

How to choose the best women's road bike saddle

• What saddle width suits you best? Whatever your gender, when it comes to choosing a saddle, first try to figure out what your needs may be. Getting your sit bones measured from the off will be hugely useful, as most saddles come in a range of widths to match up to your sit bone measurement.
• Do you need a cut-out saddle? Think about the issues you may be having with your current saddle and what features on other saddles you think may fix this. For example, if your current saddle does not have a cut-out and you suffer from numbness in your vulva region, then a saddle with a cut-out is a great shout.
• Can you get fitted for a saddle? Yes. Bike fitters and many shops have the equipment to measure your sit bones to decide which saddle width is best for you. Beyond that, you can utilise pressure mapping, which shows where you naturally sit on your saddle and apply the most pressure. Then the fitter can help you decide which types of saddle might suit you best.
• Can you try before you buy? As previously mentioned, a lot of retailers and brands will allow you to test out the saddles via a trial period or via a 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s worth enquiring to see if this is an option when looking for a new one.

Everything you need to know

How we test women's saddles

After an initial period of research, testing consisted of bringing in a range of saddles that were highly regarded by fellow female cyclists which were then tested and ridden, usually over several months, to get a clear understanding of their capabilities and limits.

Our testers used each saddle for a number of training miles to see how it felt: allowing for a longer period to get used to it and for any issue to crop up over time.

We are committed to a robust testing process as documented in more detail in our guide to how we test.

Pro is a subsidiary company of Shimano that produces finishing kit and componentry. Its saddle range is largely divided into traditional road saddles and triathlon saddles, with the Stealth model effectively bridging the gap between the two. 

Designed with input from Team Giant Alpecin - now known as Team DSM, the Pro Stealth Carbon saddle adopts a shape that will be familiar to many by now, with a short nose, a wide and rounded heel, and a particularly large cut-out along the centre. 

I’ve been using the Stealth Carbon saddle in a range of conditions over the past few months to see how it competes against the best road bike saddles on the market, so read on to find out whether it’s worth the investment.

Design and aesthetics

The saddle is constructed around a carbon-reinforced polymer in-moulded base, topped with mid-to-light EVA foam and a polyurethane (PU) cover. The model I tested came with carbon fibre rails, though there are stainless steel and titanium rail models available as well. 

As mentioned above, the Stealth straddles the line between traditional road saddles and triathlon and time-trial saddles. The short, snubbed nose is wider than similarly shaped saddles like, for example, the Specialized Power saddle, and is designed to alleviate pressure on sensitive tissues when adopting an aggressive ride position, helping the rider to stay in the drops for longer. Meanwhile, the wide and rounded back end of the saddle is slightly raised to provide more support through climbs.

One of the most noticeable features upon first glance is the huge cut-out in the centre, which measures 130mm in length and 35mm at its widest point. This sizeable channel is designed to alleviate pressure on the perineum while seated and pedalling, and the gap it produces in the surface of the saddle is reminiscent of split-nose TT saddles, which again harks back to that bridge between road and tri/TT.

The Pro Stealth saddle is unisex, and in my experience, it's a real contender for inclusion in the best women's road bike saddles despite not being a women-specific design. It’s also a pretty practical design that’s actually quite versatile. It may be racy, but it can serve just as well in a more relaxed position on the bike.

At the rear, you’ll also find mounts for Pro’s saddle accessories, which it’s designed to be compatible with. These include race number mounts, a camera mount, clip-on mudguards, and a mount for carrying CO2 canisters.

Performance

In the hands, it feels very stiff, but on the bike it strikes a good balance of stability and compliance, making it a surprisingly comfortable seat. The PU cover is smooth and seems to let Lycra slide over it without any friction, which allowed me to move freely and comfortably. The PU coating is also non-absorbent, which means when left out in wet weather it’s easy to wipe it dry after a downpour, and avoids that awful soaked chamois feeling that nobody enjoys.

The EVA padding is quite minimal but does an excellent job of absorbing road chatter. Anyone with a preference for thicker cushioning might find the Stealth Carbon a little intimidating at first, but I’ve found it really good to ride with.

At 173g, it’s very lightweight, while the stiffness of the carbon-reinforced base feels super stable while you’re laying down the power. The slightly lifted tail cups your rear end and holds you in place on the climbs, while the rigidity of the saddle helps to deliver efficient power transfer.

Having ridden some fairly long rides with it, I’d definitely recommend relegating it to the race bike for the most part - after a day of continuous riding, it did start to feel a bit rough on the delicate tissues, though I would argue that it’s no different to any other traditional road saddle. It’s not designed with long-distance riding in mind, but seeing as it can deliver a comfortable ride over the course of several hours, I’d argue that the Stealth Carbon is surprisingly versatile, whether you’re leaning right on the nose, or riding in a more relaxed and upright position.

After several months of use in a variety of weather conditions, it’s shown itself to be hardwearing and well-constructed, showing only very minor signs of wear and tear in the decals.

Verdict

Despite being designed with pro team input and marketed towards the racing community, I would posit that the Pro Stealth Carbon saddle is an excellent choice for many road-going cyclists, thanks to its well-made construction and considered design. It delivers a comfortable ride, supports the sit bones, removes pressure from more sensitive areas, and is plenty stiff for efficient power transfer while also sporting enough padding to absorb road chatter. It's a superb all-rounder.

While it shares much of its shape with the Specialized Power, which has proven to be immensely popular with riders of all genders, the Stealth’s nose is wider and therefore, I’d argue, more supportive of the pelvis. Meanwhile, that huge cut-out alleviates any perineal pressure and provides a lot of relief, as well as a decent amount of airflow.

It’s a solid option for experienced road riders who are used to using firmer saddles, especially those looking to get into racing and wanting to update their road bike setup to save some weight and wasted watts. 

Even better, it comes with Pro’s 30-day fit guarantee, which makes the pain of saddle trial and error that little bit more bearable.

Tech Specs: Pro Stealth Carbon saddle

• Price: £174.99 / $229.99
• Material: Carbon base, PU cover, EVA padding, carbon rails
• Weight: 173g
• Sizes: 142mm, 152mm (tested)

Since the late nineties, Italian brand Fizik has specialised in perfecting the contact points for riders, from bar tape and footwear to a wide choice of saddle offerings. The Argo gravel saddle joins the mountain bike Aidon and Alpaca models, all sporting the Terra name. Fizik launched this Argo range of saddles a couple of years ago now, and the Argo was born from an evolution of the brand’s road racing Vento Argo saddle but with a mixed surface twist, aimed to sit squarely alongside the best gravel bike saddles on the market.

Originally Fizik offered two metal rail options to complement its established gravel-specific Argo series. The entry spec Argo X5 saddle with its alloy rails, the middle option is the X3 with the Fizik proprietary Kium hollow alloy rail technology to shave some grams, and now there is this carbon rail option - the Terra Argo X1 - to perch at the top end of the line-up, offering a further reduction in weight over its siblings. All three models share the same carbon-reinforced nylon shell and shape that boasts flexible wings for all-road comfort.

Design and aesthetics

The flagship Fizik Terra Argo X1 model features a short nose to offer riders a planted position and an improved rider weight distribution. The shorter nose of the Argo allows riders to sit further forward in the seat without causing unwanted and potentially painful pressure on your nether regions compared to a traditional design. To accommodate this, Fizik allows a substantial length of rail to adjust fore and aft, enabling you to perfect your position on the seatpost. A study from the side profile will show a slight rise in the rear of the section of the saddle, providing a base to push into during climbing efforts.  

Fizik also claims to gather data and advice from medical experts and detailed analysis of the pressure points of riders whilst seated. All this research and development led to the ergonomic cut-out. The cut-out is plugged with a guard to prevent unwanted discomfort from debris being flicked up and it has a slot cut across it to prevent any water pooling. The Terra Argo comes in 150mm width (tested here) which is already pretty wide and it is also offered in an even wider 160mm to ensure you find the right fit for your shape and sit bone width. 

The carbon-reinforced shell is designed to offer riders a compliant ride with the Fizik 'Wingflex' sides particularly when pedalling. Simply put the design allows your butt to flex and move during your pedal stroke. This controlled elasticity also goes some way to absorbing road chatter and vibrations, improving rider comfort on long distance rides over unpaved roads. 

Featuring the Fizik Type 2 foam padding that is progressively cushioned, the upper layer has softer density than the lower foam layer. This is actually softer than the foam used on its racing saddles, and it's to provide all day comfort by increasing the padding particularly around the ischial sit bones area to support a more upright riding posture.  

The aesthetics are subtle and the branding is minimal, allowing the saddle to pair with any gravel bike colorway. The dark carbon rails complete the stealthy approach, no shiny metal rails mean you get an uninterrupted side profile from the seatpost to the saddle top for a crisper looking bike in my opinion.    

Sorry to say that there is no women’s-specific shape available in the Argo range and another point worth considering is that you should check to see if your seat post will take the beefy 7 x 9mm oval rails on this X1 model.

[Side note from Reviews Writer Mildred Locke: "I too have used the Fizik Terra Argo saddle and would argue that while there isn't a women's specific option on offer, the shape and design of this saddle naturally bodes well for most female anatomies. The short nose relieves pressure on the delicate tissues of the vulva, and the width lends itself well to wider sit bones, which women on average generally tend to have. I'd have no issue recommending this saddle to a woman."]

Performance

Finding the perfect perch can take an age and saddles are a very personal fit, making testing and review writing somewhat difficult. That said, I think the Terra Argo will tick a lot of boxes for a lot of gravel riders. It did however take a seat post change and a bit of time to tweak it to my preferred riding position before being able to take the Terra Argo X1 out on its maiden gravel voyage. 

Testament to the choice in materials by Fizik and its robust handmade construction, the saddle remains looking new despite there being no guards on the corners as found on some off-road saddles. So far I’ve not suffered any scuffs or damage to the upper even during testing in muddy winter conditions.

Having been caught out in the worst of the winter weather and faced off more than my fair share of mid-ride squally showers, I feel I have proven that the saddle is easy to clean, the simple and smooth material comes up good time and time again, unlike other saddles with a textured finish. A textured type is great for grip in the wet but is a complete nightmare to remove the ingrained mud and can often look tired quickly, but no such issues here with the Argo X1. The little mud guard in the slot serves its purpose well with no more than normal amounts of grit that you would expect on a traditional shape (without the slot) finding its way onto the top of the saddle.

The shape of this saddle will be fairly familiar to racy roadies, even if you're new to gravel. Combined with the Wingflex design, the shape is a blend that will appeal to a broad spectrum of gravel riders looking to spend more than a couple of hours off road. The padding might be a touch on the softer side than what I am used to on my gravel bike, but I never suffered at all with any numbness or discomfort despite a few rides in old bib shorts with a worn and thin chamois pad.

The 270mm length is about right on the money for modern saddles, allowing you some space to move either forward or aft in an attempt to change position on the longer extended rides. I consider myself converted to this snub-nose seat, and this is one part I will be leaving on for the foreseeable and I look forward to even longer rides in the summer.

If you are looking to justify the cost, remember this is a premium saddle that is handmade in Italy. If you can't afford to stretch to the price of the top spec X1, most if not all of the features and the saddle shape is carried over on the two cheaper alternatives in the Terra Argo line-up. However, you will be giving up a few grams of weight as a penalty, but the entry-level X5 and mid-range X3 saddles have the more conventional size rails so you wouldn't need to change up your existing seatpost.   

Verdict

Admittedly, at first, I was sceptical about trying a gravel-specific saddle, but after eventually finding the right position with a shorter nose design I have to say I have been proved wrong. The Terra Argo X1 is a lightweight and comfortable seat, offering the right amount of flex and cushioning to help take the buzz out of long, arduous days on mixed surface rides. 

If the price is a bit tough to swallow, check out the other two models in the Argo range for only a small hike in weight but with all the same impressive features.  

Tech specs: Fizik Terra Argo X1 saddle

• Weight:  214g (150mm width) 
• Length: 270mm
• Width: 150 (tested) or 160mm
• Price: £199.99 / €179.99 / $199

The Musette is Cyclingnews’ Friday series in which we take a quick look at some of the world’s best cycling gear. We’ll take a look at pro-level equipment, bikes and components, alongside some of the most desirable clothing and newest accessories in the sport.

This week the collective mailboxes of Cyclingnews have been straining under the burden of some slightly leftfield products. Not your usual slew of special-edition jerseys and high-end eyewear, instead we've been treated to personalised wall art, a backpack to haul your canine companion, a distinctly old school saddle and an exercise bike. To keep things sensible we've also got some fresh gravel kicks for your next adventure ride.

You know the drill by now - pour yourself a drink (coffee, rum, strawberry milk - no judgement) and ease yourself into the weekend with something a bit different.

Brooks Swallow

Leather saddles for bikes have been around for almost as long as bikes themselves. Until the introduction of plastic-based options they were simply known as 'saddles', and featured on everything from race bikes to sit-up-and-beg shoppers. The Swallow, Brooks' most racy saddle, is rarely seen on performance bikes outside events like Eroica, where they'll sit atop restored classics.

The shape has remained unchanged since 1937, which is probably a record for a road saddle in terms of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', but not as vintage in form as its B17 model, and will have been raced at the Tour de France back in its day.

So why test a leather road saddle nowadays, when there are lighter, more high tech options available in our list of the best road bike saddles? Well, mostly so I can go through the discomfort of breaking one in so you don't have to. I run B17s on three of my own bikes and they are extremely comfortable once they're broken in. They weigh as much as a mid-sized ferry, but once they formed to my unique posterior I can quite happily ride for hours without having to bother with padded bib shorts, even over rough terrain.

I've never tried a model as racy as this, however, and my aim is to find out over the long term how it compares to the more modern perches like the Cambium C15. Don't expect a short term review - the break-in period in my experience can be rather unpleasant, but old school tech might still offer comfort to riders who struggle to find a saddle that fits them.

If you see me walking around, legs akimbo, like I've been riding an unruly horse for a week then please be understanding.

Will Jones - Reviews Writer

Peloton Bike +

Given the obvious similarities, it baffles me that the 'spinning' cycle market (the one dominated by Peloton) and the indoor cycling smart bike market (dominated by Zwift, Wahoo, etc) don't cross over as much as they could.

With indoor cycling, specifically with regards to smart bikes (since they are more similar to Peloton's offering) you choose your smart bike from Wahoo, Wattbike, Tacx etc, then choose your indoor cycling app of preference. If you don't like the app, you can cycle through the dozens of others to try out them all. The best smart bikes benefit from a freewheel (ie, you can stop pedalling whenever you want) as well as market-leading cycling power meter tech.

The spinning market, meanwhile, does it differently. Here you buy into one connected system. You get the bike, the app and the screen in one go. You can only use the app with the bike of the same brand and vice versa.

In the case of the Peloton Bike +, which is admittedly one of the costliest options out there, that'll cost you £2,295.00 (or £54 per month for 43 months) plus £35 per month ongoing for continued use of the app (which you need for it all to work).I've been using the Peloton Bike + for a few weeks, so I will save my opinions for when I publish the full review, but going back to my original point of crossover (or lack thereof), wouldn't it be better for Peloton to either open up the bike to be used with other apps, or the app to be used with other bikes?

Josh Croxton - Senior Reviews Writer

TrailMaps

Based in Staffordshire, UK, TrailMaps is a print company that specialises in creating bespoke, commemorative art for cyclists of all disciplines. What started as a university project back in 2009 has steadily grown into a family-run business led by husband and wife, Aaron and Helen Tolley. As cyclists themselves, the couple understand the culture and how we, as bona fide gearheads, love to reminisce about previous epic rides, cycling trips abroad or special once-in-a-lifetime races. The TrailMaps concept aims to freeze that moment in time and package it in vividly detailed-yet-tasteful design to remind you of your achievements.

While the brand offers a range of services including a cycling-specific photo retouching and original cycling photography, design and illustration, it's the TrailMaps that got me rubbernecking. I first caught wind of the brand while browsing Instagram and was immediately hooked by the stunning use of colour and contrast, the beautiful typesetting and exquisite detail of the maps. All that is required is a GPX file or link to the Strava file and the TrailMaps team will take care of the rest. The artwork design is then printed on soft-touch velvet paper using the latest foil-printing technology, it looks incredible.

Having just participated in the 2022 UCI Cycling eSports World Championships for South Africa, a TrailMaps print of the course, route profile and elevation, and race date was something I was very keen to get produced. I contacted the team and we chatted about a bespoke design incorporating a few other elements to make it even more special. As a result, we settled on adding my name and photograph, my Zwift statistics from the official trump card series Zwift created ahead of the Championships, not forgetting the official Cycling South Africa emblem. I mailed over all the elements and left it to Aaron Tolley to work his magic.

Having not seen anything until it arrived in the post, I was totally blown away by the piece; not just the exceptional design execution but the quality of the printing and the framing, too. The framing is an optional extra and can be had with or without a mount - I suggest the latter as the white mounting board contrasts the black frame and map, adding another layer of refinement to the presentation. The print itself measures 30 x 40cm so it's just the right size - not too big or too small (40 x 50cm including frame).

The TrailMaps concept is a great idea. It makes the perfect gift for a cyclist who already has everything, and represents a novel way to commemorate an occasion or cycling achievement. Not only does TrailMaps offers bespoke trail map design, the brand also has a stock range of popular maps so if you're looking to re-live or celebrate conquering your favourite climb or trail park, there's a selection available on the website including maps of Ventoux, Alpe d'Huez, Sa Calobra and Stelvio to name a few.

In terms of pricing, there are various packages on offer and it all comes down to what you want - framing, foil and background colour. The TrailMaps piece pictured here will set you back £54.95 (mount framed), £34.95 (unframed). Current turnaround time on Design-Your-Own printed is 10-14 working days.

Visit TrailMaps to find out more.

Aaron Borrill - Tech Editor

K9 Sport Sack Knavigate

This might not be the most obvious product to add to your cycling arsenal, but for the dog owners out there who haven’t quite mastered transporting their furry friends while riding, the K9 Sport Sack Knavigate could well be the solution.

As the proud owner of a very fickle and girthy rescue Staffy, I’ve been wanting to take him further afield, but not owning a car often scuppers those plans, and I’ve tried him in a trailer and I’ve never seen him panic so much when it started moving.

So as a backup, I’ve decided to try him out in what I’m lovingly calling his ‘doggy backpack’. K9 Sport Sack started when the co-founders, Joseph and Jen Watson, found a puppy in the trash. ‘Dumpster Daisy’ as she’s come to be known, became their first pet and the couple wanted to find a way to bring her along on their bike rides without tiring her out too much. Over the years they’ve developed a series of dog-carrying backpacks that can be used for various sports, and these have become popular with dog-owning cyclists.

They come in an array of sizes, and feature lots of pockets and compartments so you can carry everything you need for your day out, including lots of treats, toys, and a lead for your four-legged friend. The carrier is designed in such a way that your dog sits on its hind legs with its front paws draped over your shoulder, so it can look around and enjoy the view as you pedal together.

We’ve only taken it for one test ride so far, but it was a resounding success, and I’m confident that I’ll be able to get my weird hairy 14kg son out on some longer rides pretty soon. Stay tuned for a full review, and head over to my Instagram page if you want semi-regular dog-carrying updates.

Mildred Locke - Reviews Writer

DMT GK1 gravel shoes

As most of my attention is on the muckier side of cycling, Italian shoemaker DMT doesn’t really show up on my radar. As far as I was aware the brand is predominantly focused on dainty road kicks as worn by the likes of Pogačar. However when we were at Core bike a few weeks back something caught my eye on the wall covered with DMT’s best cycling shoes.

To my surprise, it wasn’t just on-road but also a good number of off-road shoes on show. The ones that particularly caught my eye were the DMT GK1. Not only is the yellowy gold colour lovely but the neat design, soft upper and lace closure certainly ticked my best gravel bike shoe criteria and should be well suited to the summer ahead. The sole also looks great, DMT has worked with grippy rubber makers Michelin and it features a large chunky tread that should provide plenty of sure-footed confidence on hike-a-bike sections no matter the surface. Its dual-stiffness as well which should make walking easier too.

The most interesting thing about the GK1s is that they use a one-piece knitted upper. The tongue area has some stretch to it to help get them on and to offer a snug fit. The lace loops are actually sections of cord anchored from the sole which should help with durability and create an even closure across the foot when tightening the laces. 

We were lucky enough to get sent a set and are looking forward to taking them out on the trail to see how they ride when the weather gets a little warmer and drier.

Graham Cottingham - Senior Reviews Writer

Since debuting a 3D printed saddle in 2019, Fizik has only offered the technology in its Antares model. Now, with a preview at Sea Otter, it’s transferred the tech to its short-nosed Argo model, with the new Argo Adaptive. 

3D printed cushioning is a relatively new tech in the world of saddles, but not so new that we haven't already got a guide to the best 3D printed saddles. It is however a segment that is confined to either Specialized or Fizik, resulting in something of a low-key arms race to bring new options to market. This time it’s Fizik's turn, with an ‘Adaptive’ version of its short-nose road saddle, the Argo, to compete with the S-Works Power with Mirror from the Big S. 

Same shape, new padding 

Short-nose saddles are becoming increasingly popular on road bikes, particularly for those riders who like to maintain an aggressive position and ride ‘on the rivet’ for longer periods. The shorter, wider nose, in theory, reduces pressure on the soft tissue when chewing your stem. It’s not a shape for everyone however (the same could be said of any model) - we’ve tested both the Vento Argo R5 (with a cut-out) and the gravel-focussed Terra Argo X3 with mixed results, so will some new cushioning help? Fizik certainly hopes so.

The aim of both the shape of the saddle and the adaptive cushioning is to keep the rider locked in place and avoid unnecessary changes of position. The lattice cushioning can be designed in such a way that it provides more or less cushioning in certain areas to adapt to different riding positions (on the tops vs. drops, for example). Some saddles aim to achieve this with different foam densities, but that then runs the risk of adding pressure at the transition zones, which 3D printing aims to avoid. Also, being a lattice, it results in a lighter saddle too.

The zonal cushioning within the Argo Adaptive, Fizik claims, reduces the maximum pressure the rider will experience, and accounts for varying sit bone widths.

Models and pricing 

The Argo Adaptive will be available in two widths (140mm and 150mm) in both an R1 carbon railed option and a cheaper R3 version with K:ium alloy rails. These will retail at £299 / $299 / €299 and £259 / $259 / €250 respectively, and weigh in at 190g and 224g for the 140mm widths.

Both models are black, with no option for the opinion-splitting milky green as seen on the Antares, and will be available at the end of the month for consumers.

They’ve long been a staple of the mountain bike scene, and feature frequently on gravel bikes from the more adventurous end of the spectrum, but rarely if ever are they seen on road bikes. However, after Matej Mohorič won Milan-San Remo with a spectacular dropper-assisted descent, many of us roadies are now wondering: what exactly is a dropper seatpost? 

For those of you already familiar with the tech, perhaps you’re wondering if you need to head to your local bike shop and buy one to get the most out of your bike. We will attempt to tackle that issue too, later on.

What is a dropper post? 

The clue is very much in the name - a dropper seatpost in any form allows the rider to easily drop (and then raise) their saddle on the fly. Modern units are telescopic in nature, but the technology began with the Hite-Rite back in the early days of 26in mountain biking. 

This design was somewhat rudimentary, using a simple spring with one end attached to the seatpost clamp, and the other clamped to the seatpost itself. When the quick release seat clamp was opened, mountain bikers could drop their saddles and descend sun-drenched Californian hillsides, before releasing the clamp again (with their weight lifted off the saddle) to have the seatpost spring back to normal height.

Fast forward a few decades and the rigmarole of reaching down to open a lever to drop your saddle is long gone (in most cases). Nowadays the majority of dropper posts are actuated remotely from the handlebars, either by a cable or electronically, though some simple units opt for a lever tucked under the nose of the saddle that riders can operate much like an office chair.

Modern dropper seatposts consist of a telescopic unit much like a single leg of a suspension fork. The outer sleeve slides into your frame and deals with the clamping forces, while the inner piston is free to move up and down a set amount, depending on the model. The amount of height variation is known as stroke length. 

In a similar way to the aforementioned office chair, and usually through pneumatic means, if you depress the dropper lever at the bars with your weight on the saddle you will press it down. Press the lever while it is unweighted and it will return to its original height. Without going deep into blueprints and exploded diagrams, that's really all there is to it.

Do I need a dropper seatpost? 

There’s a good reason dropper posts are ubiquitous in mountain biking and common in the world of gravel: they make life easier when descending. Lowering the saddle allows you to move the bike more underneath you, making for better handling, and also has the added benefit of lowering your centre of gravity. It means you can throw your weight rearward more easily, facilitating better braking, and allowing a more aerodynamic position on the straights.

While these benefits are well understood off-road, where top tubes are more heavily sloped and the stroke of the posts can be larger, do these benefits translate onto the tarmac? Is a dropper post going to improve your riding experience?

In an isolated case of a single descent from the point of view of speed it will in all likelihood improve things for you by reducing your frontal area, but by how much is impossible to quantify without a short wind tunnel session. So if absolute speed downhill is your goal then it may be the right choice for you.

Despite the potential speed gains downhill, dropper posts are all based on round tubes, and so if you have an aero bike you’ll probably struggle to install one into your frame, as most modern aero bikes have proprietary seatpost shapes. Some might also contend that any additional time gained descending would be negated over the ride as a whole by replacing an aero-optimised tube with a round one, but this is also purely speculative without a much deeper dive into the data.

Aesthetically, they are also going to split opinion. Road bikes are all about clean lines nowadays, and adding another button to the cockpit along with a more bulbous option beneath your saddle might not be the look every budding pro wants. What’s more, if you’re running an internally cabled bike there simply won’t be ports drilled to accommodate a dropper, meaning you’d have to opt for a more expensive wireless option.

In my opinion, the best use case for a road dropper is for those who find descending an ordeal rather than a joy. Many of us have had our confidence knocked after a crash while descending, and having the option to improve the handling of the bike when the road points downhill may be just what we need to get back on the horse, so to speak. They can be particularly effective at reducing that feeling of being pitched over the bars when things get very steep, and the additional braking benefits will help too. 

So a dropper post may offer a little more confidence, and perhaps speed, downhill. But it will also bring with it aerodynamic and weight penalties that may slow you down elsewhere on the road.

If you’re dropper-curious, our sister Bike Perfect site has guides to the best dropper posts and the best short-travel dropper posts.

Following Matej Mohorič's dropper seatpost-assisted victory at Milan-San Remo on Saturday, the UCI has issued a statement clarifying regulations on the usage of the equipment.

The Slovenian's super-tuck position which saw him lower his body to the top tube while descending was banned by the governing body just over a year ago, but his latest innovation won't meet the same fate.

In a short, matter-of-fact statement issued on Sunday morning, the UCI stated that dropper seatposts had been approved for use back in 2014. However, saddle setback regulations still apply whether the seatpost is dropped or in its regular position.

"The UCI Equipment Commission approved the use of dropper seatposts in road cycling competition in 2014," read the statement.

"Their use is subject to the minimum 5cm setback rule of article 1.3.013 of the UCI Regulations, i.e., when the dropper seatpost is set to its highest or lowest setting, the saddle setback must be in full compliance with article 1.3.013."

Article 1.3.013 states that 'The peak [front] of the saddle shall be a minimum of 5cm to the read of a vertical plane passing through the bottom bracket spindle', a rule which in theory limits how far a rider could drop their seatpost during a race.

Mohorič used the Fox Transfer SL Performance Elite seatpost to great effect while descending off the Poggio on Saturday afternoon, combining the post with his elite descending skills to eke out a gap to a chasing group of favourites, including Tadej Pogačar, Wout van Aert, and Mathieu van der Poel.

The Slovenian said after the race that he and the team had worked on that specific plan through the winter. He also noted that using a dropper seatpost – which allowed for greater manoeuvrability and a lower centre of gravity – was a safer option while training, too.

"Due to the UCI rules we had to use a dropper that was on the market and so went for a MTB model," Mohorič explained. "We tested a 12cm dropper but that was too much and meant the pedalling wasn't efficient anymore, so we opted for a 6cm device.

"I had a grip shift on the bars and lowered and lifted it several times on the descent of the Poggio. People have long dismissed the idea of using dropper posts, but the technology is more advanced now and they don't weigh much more than a regular seatpost.

"Maybe next year all the bikes will be available with a dropper. It's safe in traffic too and so in training. You can brake better. I think it's a big advantage in racing too."

The humble bicycle saddle is something often overlooked, but it is key to riding comfortably. Even the best-fitting road bike won't feel like it should if your saddle isn't suited to your riding or positioned correctly.

And the power of a saddle isn't just for elite riders. It doesn't matter if you're a weekend rider, a commuter, or a professional; getting the right fit is crucial and can save you from more than just mild discomfort.

Finding the best road bike saddle is easier said than done in a market saturated with different options. That’s why we've tested a wide range of saddles, from short-nose racing options to comfort-focused designs, including the best picks for men and the best women's road bike saddles too. And, if you're an avid gravel rider, be sure to check out our guide on the best gravel bike saddles as well.

We’ve tried, tested and reviewed dozens of models hands-on, covering a variety of shapes, widths, padding types, and price points. Our top recommendation is the Fizik Vento Argo R1 Adaptive, which stood out to us in testing as a fantastic all-rounder that offered comfort, tech and versatility.

If you're not sure what kind of saddle you need, scroll to the bottom for our How to Choose and FAQ sections, where we explain sizing, pressure relief, rail types, and more.

Best road bike saddles 

Best overall

As soon as we rode the Vento Argo R1 Adaptive saddle, it was clear that it's a major upgrade from its predecessor. An improved manufacturing process allows for multiple densities throughout the saddle, and the result is a saddle with softer support in the areas where you typically need relief and firmer areas for stability with no need for a cutout.

In terms of value, it's less expensive than Specialized Power with Mirror technology for the same 190 grams and carbon rails. We also found it was a lot easier to clean than some of the other 3D models we'd tested, which is good news for those of us riding all year round. Aesthetics-wise, this saddle definitely catches the eye and has an unmistakable '3D printed' look to it.

Where the Vento Argo R1 Adaptive is marked down is in the rails. There are very few seat posts that can fit a 7x10mm rail. Typically, carbon saddles use a 7x9 rail, and most brands have adapters for that size or use a clamping style that doesn't work. Working with 7x10 is very difficult, and both the Orbea Orca Aero and Look 795 Blade RS we had available in testing were not compatible.

Check out our full Fizik Vento Argo R1 Adaptive saddle review for more information.

Best women's saddle

Picked as our best women's road bike saddle, the Specialized Power Expert utilises the brand's Body Geometry technology to create a cut-out option with several different widths to choose from. It's not only popular with women, though, as plenty of men prefer having a cutout to help to relieve any numbness.

The shape of the saddle is quite short, which makes it easy to perch on the nose without it putting too much pressure on your nether regions. This means it's great for aggressive riding, similar to the style of the Pro Stealth saddle which was originally reserved for time trials and is now popular across many disciplines.

In terms of pricing, the Power Expert retails at £115 / €150 / $190 so it's not the priciest but it's also not a budget saddle. There are other options in the Power range, but they don't offer the titanium rails of the Expert.

Best budget saddle

The Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 Sport Saddle is a bit of a mouthful, but it isn't a wallet-ful. As our pick of the budget saddles, the Shortfit 2.0 Sport still offers plenty of features but at a more budget-friendly price.

The shorter nose design is the same as Selle San Marco's premium Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing saddle, the shape doesn't keep you locked in, but does enough that you won't be constantly readjusting when riding. The padding is reasonably firm without feeling harsh if you're using it on a gravel bike, and the Open-Fit cut-out distributes pressure across the saddle to relieve any soreness downstairs.

The aforementioned premium model comes with fancy 3D printed padding and carbon construction, but the Sport version keeps costs down with steel rails and a glass fibre shell. That means it's not the lightest saddle, but it's still comfortable and uses a modern design which will suit a wide range of riders.

Best performance saddle

3D-printed saddles are becoming all the rage at the premium end of the market, and now Selle San Marco has thrown its hat into the ring with the Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing Saddle. And, after spending time on the S3 version, we can confidently say it deserves attention.

Aesthetically, you'll see that other brands have opted for subtler outer designs, whereas Selle San Marco has really leaned into the 3D-printed aesthetic. You get a bold, starburst-like pattern that proudly shows off the layers of the printed matrix. The shape itself features a noticeable rear kick and a subtle wave through the midsection, which helps lock you into a stable position without feeling overly restrictive. In testing, we appreciated this on both short and longer rides.

If you prefer a wider saddle, there's also the L3 version at 155mm. Both sizes are available with carbon rails, and honestly, if you’re already spending this much on a saddle, the small upgrade to carbon is worth it. It not only drops some weight but brings the build quality of the base up to the same standard as the excellent upper.

We’d also recommend the Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D if you’re a smaller rider looking for a narrow, supportive saddle with the comfort-enhancing benefits of 3D-printed tech. Plus, if you've got the budget, we'd absolutely suggest you upgrade to the carbon version.

Read our full Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D review.

Best lightweight saddle

As the OEM brand of Giant bikes, Cadex can sometimes go under the radar a little. But the reality is that Cadex produces high-end componentry used by the likes of Team Jayco–AlUla in the WorldTour.

When it comes to design, the overall shape of the Cadex Boost curves a bit more than more uniform saddle structures like the Specialized Power Pro and Prologo Scratch M5. In testing, we found this provided an even level of support that we found comfortable and easy to settle into. Then there's the raised rear end, which encourages you to shuffle forward into a more aggressive riding position. This, paired with the concave transition onto the saddle's shoulders, means greater power can be transferred to the pedals.

In testing, we found the ETPU-particle-padded areas remarkably comfortable and there was no sign of potential discomfort for longer rides. While the Boost is only available in one size and 149mm might be a tad wide for some, we had zero issues with set-up and found a slight elevation of the nose to offer a comfortable riding position. All in all, we think this is a fantastic contender for riders looking for a lightweight saddle.

Read our full Cadex Boost saddle review to find out more.

Best comfort

Perhaps the most famous short-nose cut-out saddle available, Shimano's PRO Stealth is a solid performer that's ideal for riders chasing an aggressive, aero position on the bike.

One of the most noticeable features is the huge cut-out in the centre, which measures 130mm in length and 35mm at its widest point. This sizeable channel is designed to alleviate pressure on the perineum while seated and pedalling. In terms of design, it's a unisex design and we think it's a great contender for best women's road bike saddles despite not being a women-specific design.

At 173g, it’s lightweight, while the stiffness of the carbon-reinforced base feels super stable while you’re laying down the power.

It is a solid option for experienced road riders who are used to using firmer saddles, especially those looking to get into racing and wanting to update their road bike setup to save some weight and wasted watts. Plus, it comes with Pro’s 30-day fit guarantee, so you can test it out with peace of mind.

Read our full Pro Stealth Carbon Saddle for more details.

Best versatility

Another short nose saddle, the Prologo Scratch M5 is designed to suit a range of cycling disciplines, including off-road and TT/triathlon. In testing, we found the rounded profile combined with the MSS padding was comfortable on rides varying from short hour-long training rides to longer six-hour epics.

When nosing off the front, there was plenty of freedom for pedalling and the shoulders gave a secure, locked-in feeling when sitting towards the rear of the saddle for climbing. Vibrations felt dampened and evenly distributed across the saddle rather than focused on a single point.

While some saddles require some tweaking to find their sweet spot, we found the Prologo Scratch M5 to be comfortable right out of the box. In a flat orientation, the saddle accommodates a range of seated positions. We found it easy to settle into the desired orientation without much thought. Overall, we think this is an impressively versatile saddle and would recommend it for both endurance and gravel riding.

For more information, check out our full Prologo Scratch M5 PAS review.

Best Tech

Another company jumping on the 3D printing technology bandwagon is Posedla, a small Czech brand that offers handmade saddles 3D printed and designed to your body.

In terms of design, the optional colours are rich and beautiful and the carbon base is a handmade piece of art. Aesthetically, we thought the 3D printing of the Selle San Marco had slightly more visual appeal, but that's a subjective detail at the end of the day.

We tested the Joyseat on a 370 km / 230 miles ride from Prague to Vienna. It's safe to say the custom, 3D printed fit delivered as our tester didn't experience any numbness or discomfort, even in a TT position, it felt locked in with no need to shift weight while riding.

The padding of the Joyseat is essentially a "U" shape. Starting at each rear corner, it comes to the front and follows the shape of the centre cutout before ending at the opposite rear corner. In the rear, behind the cutout, is a depression with a bit of plastic replacing the padding.

We'd recommend the Joyseat if you're a fan of innovative saddle tech and have the money to invest in a handcrafted saddle. Interested in heading down the custom route?

Check out our review of the Posdela Joyseat.

How to choose

How we test the best road bike saddles

For this guide, we tested a total of 9 different road bike saddles. Obviously, the best saddle ultimately depends on your individual body type and preferences. With this in mind, we tested each saddle across different members of the Cyclingnews team. Furthermore, we tested on both long-distance and shorter rides to give an accurate representation of comfort and performance in different cycling contexts.

Testing saddles involves positioning and riding. Positioning is somewhat unique to your preferences as a rider, whereas riding takes into consideration how well the saddle distributes pressure across your backside. Testing is the backbone of the tech department at Cyclingnews and we take it seriously. To find out more, check out how we test here.

Italian grand tour legend, Vincenzo Nibali, might be in the twilight of his professional career but the Shark of Messina will be looking to add to his Palmarès as he closes out his final chapter as a cyclist. After two seasons with Trek-Segafredo, Nibali finds himself back at Astana Qazaqstan - a team that helped him win both the Tour de France (2014) and Giro d'Italia (2016). As a result, he's on another bike - a Willier - and with it a new finishing kit and accessories. As the saddle sponsor of Astana Qazaqstan, Nibali will be using a Prologo Scratch M5 saddle for the entire season, and we've managed to get our hands on a one-of-kind signed version. Let's take a closer look at what's broadly considered as one of the best road bike saddles around.

Design and aesthetics

There's nothing intrinsically new to see here in terms of visuals. Apart from the black display box which adds a little theatre to the whole experience, the saddle is standard Scratch M5 when it comes to the design blueprint and colourway. It's fairly understated save for the Prologo and model nomenclature which is finished in a contrasting white hue. 

The big talking point is the signature - personally signed in white permanent marker by Vincenzo Nibali himself. As a signed item, it's something worth keeping in a collection but theoretically could still be used - the autograph happens to run across the PAS covering so it's out of the way of any significant touchpoints. The autograph itself is white in colour and picks up nicely on the other references, not to mention the textured pattern on the rear foam cushioning of the MSS (Multi Sector System).

The undercarriage and shell comprise carbon composite while the railing system uses the company's Nack carbon rail system (7x9mm) as a weight reduction and performance measure. 

Object of Desire series

• Titanum MyTi 3D-printed titanium pedals
• CeramicSpeed 3D-printed Ti OSPW system
• SRM X-Power power meter pedals
• Corima 47mm MCC DX tubular wheels
• Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle
• Rudy Project The Wing TT helmet 

Specifications 

The Scratch M5 can be had in one configuration only (140 x 250mm) and is unisex in application thanks to the T-shape design. This also means it could potentially double or triple up for use across mountain biking and gravel riding, such is the versatility of the medium-nose layout. There are two rail options available - Tirox (a titanium alloy) or Nack (carbon) pictured here. There's not a massive wright discrepancy between the two but the Nack version will save you around 30g, as well as provide a little more pliancy and comfort.

As a non-PAS model (PAS meaning Perineal Area System) the Scratch M5 comes without a central cutout but utilises five segmented panels for pressure distribution. These panels have been mapped in collaboration with the Politecnico of Milano, offering individualised densities that compress independently from each other - not to mention the overall rounded shape which promotes pelvic rotation, stability and lumbar support.

In terms of saddle weight, the Nibali-signed Scratch M5 tips the scales at a scant 164g.

Verdict

We're massive fans of the Prologo Scratch M5 platform. We've tested the Prologo Scratch M5 PAS saddle and came away impressed by what it offered - even in a slightly heavier Tirox guise. The saddle pictured here, however, is more of a collector's piece and should be treated and stored as such. It will serve not only as a reminder of his Grand Tour victories but perhaps represent something of a swansong, too, as he closes out his career at the team that elevated his status as one of the greats of the sport.

A standard Prologo Scratch M5 saddle retails for $149 / £175 / €205, which isn't cheap. Add a certified Vincenzo Nibali autograph and all the history that goes with it and a saddle like this will increase in value over time.

Keep your eyes on Cyclingnews' tech channel to find out how you can win a Vincenzo Nibali-signed Prologo Scratch M5 of your own.

Tech Specs: Vincenzo Nibali-autographed Prologo Scratch M5 saddle

• RRP: $149 / £175 / €205
• Weight: 164g (actual)
• Dimensions: 140x250mm
• Rails: Carbon
• Shell: Carbon composite
• Colours: Black

To many, the idea of a gravel bike saddle will sound like a marketing department that has jumped onto the gravel bandwagon in order to sell a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. 

However, a saddle is one of the most personal things on a bike, and the right saddle for you will come down to a multitude of things, including bike fit and the type of riding you are doing, which is why the best gravel bike saddle will differ from the best road bike saddles.

It's important to continue your quest for the perfect saddle because you can have any of the best gravel bikes and wear the best cycling shorts available, but pair them with an ill-fitting saddle and your ride could be reduced to discomfort, pain, and worst of all, walking. 

If you're the sort of person whose backside seems to agree with every saddle shape and size available, the best gravel saddles can offer something for you too. In the same way that neither your road wheels nor your mountain bike wheels are quite right for the job of gravel riding, the best gravel bike saddles are designed to offer that 'goldilocks' balance between weight, comfort, durability and comfort. 

The needs of a road cyclist or a mountain biker differ from the needs of a gravel cyclist. Unlike a road bike saddle, mud, dirt, trees, traction, hard impacts and branches come into play for gravel saddles. A mountain bike saddle will be a better fit than a road saddle for gravel cyclists, but even these aren't perfect for the job. These can be heavier, built to withstand much harder impacts and incidents than a gravel cyclist is ever likely to need. 

And even within the gravel cycling umbrella, there is a huge range of different types of riding. If you are a gravel racer your needs are going to be a lot different than that of a bikepacker. If you like to take on the most technical trails a drop-bar bike can handle, that warrants a different type of saddle again.

Whatever your needs there are some general ideas to consider, which we run through at the bottom of this page, but first, we've gathered our pick of the best gravel bike saddles to help you find something that will work for you.

Quick List

Best gravel bike saddle available today

Best gravel bike saddle

Prologo Scratch M5 PAS saddle is a versatile saddle that has found itself at home across many of my gravel bikes and has been used for all types of riding from sharp and pointy efforts to more relaxed leisurely days out. 

Easy to set up, I found the short nose shape to be very comfortable and provide an efficient pedalling platform no matter your bike fit or position. The panelled design offers plenty of support and the rails absorb a decent amount of vibrations. Durability has also been impressive, showing little wear over the four years of use despite spending most of its time on my gravel and mountain bike.

Prologo offers several different iterations of the Scratch utilising different rail materials, padding and cut-out (PAS) or non-cut-out (Active Base). The only minor gripe is Prologo only offers a single 140mm width which may not suit everyone.

For more details, read the full Prologo Scratch M5 PAS saddle review.

Best performance

The Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing saddle stands out with its futuristic 3D-printed design and excellent comfort. Its short, narrow shape with a noticeable rear kick helps lock you into the perfect riding position, while the central cutout does a great job relieving pressure. Thanks to the 3D lattice structure, the padding has been precisely tuned so it's firm where you need power transfer, and forgiving where it counts for comfort.

What really sets this saddle apart is how smart the cushioning is. Different zones provide targeted support, meaning whether you're hammering on the road or cruising gravel trails, it keeps you planted and comfortable. Even on longer rides, it holds up well without feeling too harsh.

The only real drawback? The price might make you pause, and the base materials (like the steel rails and nylon shell) don't totally match the high-end look of the 3D-printed top. Still, if you're willing to spring for the carbon rail version, you're getting a lighter, sleeker setup that feels much more premium. If you're serious about performance and comfort, this saddle is definitely worth considering.

For more details, read our full Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing saddle review.

Best comfort

Specialized has released a multitude of saddle innovations over the years. The short-nose shape of the Power saddle, the grippy-yet-comfortable Elaston, the soft-tissue-supporting Mimic tech are just three, and they all feature here. 

The Mimic variation of the Power saddle line-up replaces the cut-out with a depression, paired with a much softer padding at the front. For gravel riding, this kind of saddle is going to work best for riding that falls into the all-road umbrella as opposed to drop-bar mountain biking. Gravel races with long hours of hard riding, where aerodynamics matter, is an ideal use case.

Check out our Specialized Power Pro Elaston Mimic Saddle review for more information. 

Best for size options

A saddle for everyone runs the risk of being a saddle for no one. The Verse line of saddles from Bontrager targets men and women and all surfaces and it works. Trek, and its accessory company Bontrager, is a company with a culture of data. An extensive dealer network helped Bontrager hone what was working for people.

Sales, returns, and fitment data from the dealer network showed the way forward. The most popular sizes and configurations of previous saddles have come together in a saddle designed for everyone. There's a wide nose paired with a wide midsection and a generous central cutout. To further broaden potential users the Bontrager Verse saddle has four sizes available and an extra-long usable mount area on the rails.

Best value

The SR Pro Carbon uses a design targeted at men who ride in an aggressive position. Most companies who use a relief channel use a deep channel that splits the shell from the nose to the rear of the saddle. With the Ergon SR Pro, the channel is shallow with a rearward bias. Ergon claims this better reflects male pelvis tilt but it also maintains the integrity of the saddle. With only a small spot for water to drain the saddle is stronger and mud and dirt don't have a way to get through from below.

A carbon composite shell and carbon rails can make for an expensive saddle. The Ergon SR Pro Carbon is a rare offering at just over $100 for top-of-the-line materials and low weight. 

Best for wider widths

When it comes to saddles there are few brands with the name recognition of Fizik. Like most brands though, it has made a real push to meet the needs of modern drop bar riders who are looking to push beyond paved roads. 

With the Terra Argo X3, Fizik understands that the requirements of traction on loose surfaces call for a more planted stance. There's a centre cut out and it's a short nose design that's 5mm longer than the short nose design of the road version. The shape ensures you're planted but keeps the saddle out of your way when you need to descend. On steep climbs when you need the nose for control there's just enough purchase available. 

The saddle has a bit more padding which works really well if you are planning a long adventure, however, those looking for performance will likely prefer a more svelte saddle shape and weight.

For more details, head over to our Fizik Terra Argo X1 review.

Also consider

There's a certain mystique about Brooks saddles. It's just one of those brands that seem to show up on the bikes of the coolest people. Unfortunately, the traditional leather construction of Brooks saddles isn't suited to off-road riding. The Cambium C13 is an answer to that need.

The construction of the Brook Cambium C13 is different from most of what's out there. Instead of a shell with padding and a cover, there's a carbon fibre frame covered with a thick piece of rubber. The unsupported nature of the rubber provides all the necessary shock absorption with more durability.

The Cambium C13 is so durable we can't imagine it ever wearing out, even after a crash.

Selle San Marco's AllRoad Carbon FX saddle is better suited to those whose gravel rides are more 'all-road' than drop-bar mountain biking. It's lightweight at 160g, and comes with a waved profile to provide a locked-in feel. There's a wide cut-out, medium padding and a carbon-reinforced nylon shell paired with carbon fibre rails. That all combines to create a saddle that's good at taking the sting out of the rougher roads, without causing undue soft-tissue damage. 

San Marco has also given this saddle reinforced Cordura edges which shrugged off all of our untimely falls during testing. It's only available in one size: 146mm wide, which means if you have particularly narrow or wide sit bones, then this won't be for you, but for those it will fit, the AllRoad Carbon FX saddle is a great option. 

Read our review of the Selle San Marco AllRoad Open Fit CFX to find out more.

Weighing in at 209g the Prologo Dimension AGX is not what you would call heavy but the concept hinges more on comfort than outright performance. As a dedicated gravel saddle, the Dimension AGX is all about comfort and the Italian company has made a concerted effort to improve foam density by tuning the padding structure which is 10mm thick - all of which help negate high-frequency gravel-road vibrations.

As a visual package, the Prologo Dimension AGX gravel saddle looks rather refined and should complement your bike's aesthetic pretty easily. The only thing missing from the recipe, however, is the paucity of saddlebag integration which has almost become a prerequisite on rival gravel-specific perches from Fizik.

For more information, check out our Prologo Dimension AGX gravel saddle first-look review.

We have already featured a Selle San Marco Shortfit saddle however the premium price point of the 3D technology is probably more than most can justify. Luckily Selle San Marco has more affordable options with traditional padding like the Shortfit 2.0 Racing.

It shares the same waved short nose fit as Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing which we found promoted an efficient and comfortable pedaling position. I found the large cut-out did a good job of relieving pressure and ensuring good blood flow.

Although you don't get the fancy 3D cushioning, the padding is still effective and, along with the Xsilite stainless steel hollow rails, does a decent job of filtering out chatter and vibration from gravel. 

Velo Saddles is the manufacturer behind many of the saddles from other brands on the market. It produces over 15 million saddles a year and is the largest manufacturer of bike saddles in the world. Despite that, until recently, they were almost unheard of and actually purchasing one was near impossible. New distribution avenues hope to change all that and if you haven't taken a look now is a good time.

The Angel series of saddles is the highest performance saddles that Velo offers. The Angel TT starts with the Velo Angel Glide and shortens it. The two saddles are exactly the same, except that the Angel TT is wider and shorter. That means the same stiff padding and the same Y shaped cut-out that lets the shell flex with your hips.

How to choose the best gravel bike saddle

How we test?

Testing is the backbone of the tech department at Cyclingnews and how we test is taken seriously, so read on to find out more.

Saddles are a very personal item, a saddle might be the peak of comfort for one person yet someone else may have an entirely different experience. Luckily, the Cyclingnews team has reviewed and ridden saddles from every manufacturer so while we can't guarantee a saddle will be comfortable for you, we can offer a recommendation on what saddle may suit you based on your preferences and our real-world experience.

Testing saddles involves time in the saddle, whether it's long or short rides and over a variety of different terrains. Bike fit also plays a massive role in saddle comfort so all saddles are used across a variety of different bikes to determine how they perform.

Regular readers of the Object of Desire series will know carbon-fibre exotica gets our hearts racing here at Cyclingnews and we've featured some pretty amazing things over the past year - including the outrageously light 38g Gelu K-3 carbon saddle. 

What we've got here, however, is one of the world's lightest mainstream saddles, the Selle Italia SLR Boost Tekno Superflow saddle. Selle Italia is no stranger to crafting super-lightweight saddles. The Italian brand's SLR C59 and SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow saddles are two of our favourites and, despite lacking any dedicated cushioning, the latter remains impressively comfortable - even on 100-mile rides.

The Selle Italia SLR Boost Tekno Superflow saddle pictured was designed in collaboration with former professional rider, Fabian Cancellara, to commemorate the 2021 UCI Road World Championships in Leuven, Flanders. Packed with the company's rich understanding of ergonomics, touch-point performance and carbon-fibre construction, the SLR Boost Tekno Superflow will appeal to the weight weenie in us all.

• Best road bike saddles: Our top road saddle picks, and guide on how to choose

Design and aesthetics

There's nothing that particularly points to comfort when examining the SLR Boost Tekno Superflow, is there? It is, after all, merely a bare-bones carbon-fibre shell set upon carbon rails but Selle Italia has experience when it comes to stripping things down without affecting comfort and performance. The company's alliance with Veneto-based carbon-fibre specialists, Dallara, has ensured the design brief was met with precision. Based on the regular SLR Boost saddle, it's been carefully dialled back to a point where form and function operate at the very limit. 

Visually, there's no denying it's a thing of beauty. Like its siblings, the SLR C59 and SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow, the saddle's stealthy facade comprises a richly detailed matte-look Textreme weave. Less prominent, however, are the wordmark logos of Selle Italia which take up residence on each side of the rear. The only real contrast comes from the yellow Dallara logo on the nose and red Tekno wording on the base. Flip it over and examine the undercarriage and refinement levels are less refined than the shell. That's not a criticism but rather an observation. That said, the Textreme carbon fabric layers are clearly visible and textural, and the handmade fabrication represents a unique and personal take on the best road bike saddle concept.

As a Superflow model, it inherits the central cut out that not only helps reduce weight but also improves blood flow and pressure around the pelvic area.

• Best 3D-printed saddle: A Fizik vs Specialized head-to-head

Specifications 

Let's look at the details. Firstly, as mentioned, each saddle is handmade but also individually numbered on the underside of the monocoque base - our test sample is number 34. According to Selle Italia's Marketing and Communications Manager, Federico Mele, each of these saddles are specially made to order and are not available as an off-the-shelf purchase.

The saddle is available in two size options based around the company's 'idmatch' sizing philosophy: S3 and L3, which differ by way of width. The S3 measures in at 130mm x 248mm and 95g while the L3 adds an additional 15mm across the rear section at 145mm x 248mm and 96g. The two sizes differ by only one gram with our L3 sample tipping the scales bang-on the claimed 96g figure.

While we're yet to put it to the test in real-world riding conditions, the carbon construction of the cover together with the 'Hi-Tech' carbon rail should provide some element of pliancy and help minimise road buzz and the like. In terms of long-term maintenance, a saddle of this nature is prone to more damage and scuffs than regular cushion-based options - particular around the edges - and should be looked after and stored accordingly.

Verdict

Incredibly light, stiff and achingly beautiful, Selle Italia's SLR Boost Tekno Superflow certainly isn't for everyone but it's an intriguing saddle nonetheless. Who will it suit? Well, its geared more to the racer than recreational rider but something this light might find its way onto the hill climb bikes of weight weenies looking to drop grams without comprising functionality. I mention functionality as there are lighter, albeit less reliable options out there that can't be raced week-in, week-out owing to their fragile constructions. This saddle was designed to perform at the highest level.

Having used its sibling, the SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow, for over a year now, I have no doubts as how it will perform; both in terms of comfort and performance but we'll follow up on this when the full review rolls out in the next couple of months.

As expected, something this extreme and exclusive, comes with a sticker price to match - namely, £430 / €449 / $545 or a staggering £4.50 / €4.67 / $5.67 per gram.

Tech Specs: Selle Italia SLR Boost Tekno Superflow saddle

• Price: £430 / €449 / $545
• Weight: 96g (actual)
• Dimensions: S (130mm x 248mm) / L (145mm x 248mm)
• Rails: Carbon
• Shell: Carbon 
• Colours: Raw carbon

Object of Desire series

• Rapha Explore Powerweave shoes
• Titanum MyTi 3D-printed titanium pedals
• Campagnolo-equipped Pinarello Dogma F12 Disc
• Rotor ALDHU Carbon cranks
• Mathieu Van der Poel's race suit
• The hidden gems on EF's new jersey
• Rapha Classic shoes
• CeramicSpeed 3D-printed Ti OSPW system
• SRM X-Power power meter pedals
• Corima 47mm MCC DX tubular wheels
• Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle
• Rudy Project The Wing TT helmet 
• Tadej Pogacar-signed Prologo Scratch M5 saddle
• Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle

The 3D-printing revolution is well underway and Specialized is a leading proponent, having already launched the mightily impressive S-Works Power with Mirror saddle in June last year. This new technology has literally turned the best road bike saddles segment on its head, achieving levels of support, comfort, and performance that were never before thought possible. 

While others have followed suit, including the likes Fizik with its Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive saddle and Bjorn Cycles to a lesser extent, the Morgan Hill-based company remains focused on refining its saddle recipe by using its Body Geometry philosophy together with the almost limitless levels of tunability afforded by 3D printing from a liquid polymer.

The company has just unveiled its latest instalment in its 3D-printed saddle portfolio, the S-Works Romin Evo with Mirror, a perch it claims possesses unprecedented levels of sit bone support and performance. Let's take a closer look...

• Best 3D-printed saddle: A Fizik vs Specialized head-to-head

Aesthetics

While it shares its design blueprint with the regular Romin range, there's no mistaking it for anything but a 3D-printed saddle, what with its ornately structured lattice upper. Unlike the S-Works Power with Mirror saddle we tested last year, the lattice is more detailed and sculptural in appearance with the outer cover used only on the main areas of contact. This measure not only reduces unnecessary material but also unlocks the visual design intricacies that would otherwise be covered up.

Like its sibling, colour choice is limited to black - a proven hue that holds up well to scuffs and dirt not to mention complements all bike colourways, too. Like its stablemate, the nomenclature is minimal. In fact, there's nothing that pertains to its make or model except for a solitary 'S' that resides in the bottom rear section of lattice webbing - a touch that should see the saddle used more by riders of rival bike brands. The intricate, exposed webbing runs the entirety of the central channel and flows into the base and then around the flanks of the saddle. And while this webbing looks incredible, it does bring with it the possibility of irreparable damage in the event of a crash (The S-Works Power with Mirror saddle's outer cover is more comprehensive and protective in contrast).

The 3D-printed lattice padding is affixed to a concave-shaped, flex-tuned carbon fibre shell complete with oversized 7 x 9mm ovalised carbon rails. The Textreme base and rails not only look the part providing a complementing aesthetic to the boldly-styled padding but they also double up as a compliance measure.

• Specialized S-Works Power with Mirror saddle review

Specifications and riding experience

The Romin Evo is a long-nosed saddle that is narrower (from wing to nose) than many of the options in Specialized's comprehensive lineup. It's 260mm long and can be specced in one of two widths: 143mm and 155mm, depending on your sit bone measurements. Of course, the overall weight is dependent on which width you opt for, but Specialized claims 190g for the 143mm option. On our scale, it weighed in at 185g, nine grams lighter than the S-Works Power with Mirror. 

Looking at the design attributes, Specialized has managed to use a thicker Mirror print, thanks to the concave shape of the Fact carbon shell. What this has allowed is the real estate to dial in an extra 8,000 struts and 2,901 nodes over its sibling (22,000 struts / 10,700 nodes vs 14,000 / 7,799). What this does is essentially unlock more travel within the 3D-printed lattice which, in turn, provides better comfort and compliance.

The saddle length and shape is geared more towards riders who like an aggressive riding position. As such, the rear section ramps upwards but the nose area still offers ample padding and support. To further improve blood flow and support - specifically around the perineum area - the 3D-printed, web-covered cut-out helps distribute weight across the cushion rather than the soft tissue around your sit bones. 

As a fairly slight rider (175cm/62kg) who prefers the more granular, aggressive riding position afforded by a long-nose saddle, one of the first attributes I noticed was the support levels of the cushion structure. Most of the time, the lack of support - particularly when riding on the tip of the saddle - can cause numbness and pain but the low-speed compression around the nose (and flanks for that matter) has added an extra layer of compliance that helps prevent having to constantly move around to find a comfortable position.

Another area that stood out is the way the lattice cushion and carbon base/rails work together as a system to soften road imperfections. Often, saddles with regular foam padding and a stiff carbon base have a propensity to buck a rider when hitting expansion joints or road dips. The Specialized S-Works Romin Evo with Mirror saddle helps soften these jolts to a certain extent, keeping you planted to the saddle and more in control of what's happening underneath you. In that regard, the S-Works Romin Evo with Mirror might be a genuine option for gravel riders, too.

Early verdict

At $450 / £350, the Specialized S-Works Romin Evo with Mirror saddle will set you back as much as its 3D-printed snub-nose sibling. It's also $210 / £175 dearer than the Romin Evo Pro with Mimic saddle upon which it's based.

While some will argue it's an unnecessary upgrade based on the marginal performance gains on offer, the comfort with performance levels are a tangible step up from foam-based alternatives and rivals, allowing you to become more at one with your bike rather than merely a passenger. 

The S-Works Romin Evo with Mirror brings next-level support, pressure alleviation, and communication and transforms the way you feel, move and work with the bike - regardless of how much time you spend in the saddle.

Tech Specs: Specialized S-Works Romin Evo with Mirror saddle

• Price: $450 / £350
• Weight: 185g (actual)
• Width: 143mm (tested)
• Rails: Carbon, 7 x 9mm
• Shell: Carbon 
• Cushion: Digitally printed polymer lattice
• Colours: Black

It’s been almost three years since Specialized rolled out its Power saddle with Mimic technology — designed specifically to gently cushion the soft tissues of the vulva — in a bid to improve its already popular Power model.

For those of us with a vulva, getting a saddle right can be a painstaking exercise in trial and error but thankfully saddle technology has come a long way over the past few years. Many of us have felt drawn to the truncated shape of the Specialized Power, with its stubby nose, wide flanks and proportionally large cut-out, which has proven popular with all genders despite being originally marketed towards women cyclists.

The US brand doesn't shy away from experimenting with new saddle technologies in an effort to provide more comfort, and earlier this year, Specialized released an updated version of the Power Pro saddle, which not only featured Mimic, but also its similarly successful Elaston technology.

With two comfort features built into this already exceedingly comfortable saddle, is the new Specialized Power Pro Elaston with Mimic the best women’s road bike saddle? Read on to find out what we think of ours.

Design and aesthetics

Very much resembling its ancestor, the Power Pro Elaston With Mimic saddle features Specialized’s Body Geometry design that consists of a stubby nose up front and a wide back-end to support the sit bones. The central cut-out, proportionally large in relation to the size of the overall saddle, is filled with the Mimic technology that also graces the front end. Besides being squishy, Mimic is recognisable by its shimmery silver-on-black patterning.

Meanwhile on each of the flanks you can see the more subtle appearance of Specialized’s Elaston technology, which it describes as “1,000 miniature pillows”. Looking closely at the surface, it’s possible to spot the mottled texture beneath, signifying the small beads expanded into the foam that makes up its construction. Compared to Mimic, Elaston is a lot more firm, although it has a lot of give. Mimic, on the other hand, feels very soft and is easily compressed with a thumb.

Covering it all is the brand’s Super Stretch material that it claims is capable of prolonging comfort by preventing friction. To the touch, it feels slightly tacky, which explains its ability to maintain grip and stop you from sliding around.

Underneath, the Mimic foam is visible inside the cut-out, coloured bright green. Holding it all together down here is the Specialized’s Fact carbon-fibre shell, designed to provide compliant support while keeping the weight down, and further to that the whole thing rests on hollow titanium rails. Speaking of weight, the Power Pro Elaston with Mimic tips our scales at 239g, putting it in line with the Fabric Line-S Elite Flat Saddle, and 140g lighter than the ISM PM 2.0 Saddle.

The saddle base also features integrated SWAT mounts, allowing you to connect a number of the brand's accessories, should you wish to.

Performance

During the testing period, I tried the saddle with several of the best women's cycling shorts I have to hand, to see how well it works with a variety of chamois types. While I had no problems with any of them, I definitely recommend a less bulky chamois for all-day riding on this saddle, such as the one found in Velocio's Ultralight Bib Shorts.

Riding atop the Power Pro Elaston with Mimic, and pretty much everything promised is delivered. I’m already an avid user of the original Power saddle, as well as the version with Mimic, so adding Elaston into the mix is just begging for a five-star rating.

First off, as someone with a vulva who experiences pain when riding on unisex saddles with a longer nose, I really appreciate the truncated nose on the Power. It enables me to ride in almost any position — I’ve used it atop road bikes and touring bikes — without feeling pain or pressure on my labia and soft tissues. Adding the Mimic foam to this area, as well as the central cut-out makes this even more dreamy. The softness of the Mimic foam perfectly cradles those delicate parts in a way that doesn’t crush or rub, and allows me to cycle for hours without discomfort.

Why fill the cut-out with foam as well? I know that when using the original Power saddle for hours at a time, I would occasionally feel the edge of the cut-out pressing against my nether regions in a way that wasn’t painful, but noticeable. Having the central Mimic section actually softens those edges while maintaining the pressure relief the cut-out is intended to provide.

Meanwhile, the wide flanks — I tested the size 155mm — perfectly support my sit bones without creating any undue pressure at the rear.

Resting your weight on your sit bones on the rear end of a saddle, however, does require a little extra padding in the middle just to keep your undercarriage adequately supported. There is a danger though, of having too much support in the way of thick foam cushioning that can end up cutting off your circulation. It’s a delicate balance and Specialized gets it just right with Elaston, which covers the rear half of the saddle. It feels a lot softer than the PU cover of the original Power saddle, and the expanded beads beneath the surface work their magic by softening and supporting your weight, then springing back into shape after use.

It’s true that over time, foam cushioning can become worn down, but having pedalled countless miles atop this saddle, I can confidently say it still feels good as new, while the Mimic section at the front has moulded into shape.

What results is a saddle that I am happy to come back to again and again.

Verdict

The Specialized Power Pro Elaston with Mimic is an incredibly comfortable and supportive women’s saddle that feels just as comfortable in an aggressive ride position as it does while relaxed and more upright. It is built to last, and has so far given me three months of almost daily use, with countless all-day rides and who-knows-how-many miles covered.

As an advocate for women’s cycling I am forever recommending the Specialized Power with Mimic saddle to people who ask, and now I will be adding the word ‘Elaston’ to that recommendation.

Tech Specs: Specialized Power Pro Elaston with Mimic

• Price: £200 / $275 / AU$400 / €260
• Weight: 239g
• Sizes: 143mm, 155mm* (*tested)
• Rails: Titanium

We're always on the lookout for tech exotica here at Cyclingnews and recently stumbled upon Gelu Carbon Creations, a boutique carbon composites company founded by Anghel Ivanof in 2013. The Portuguese company boasts an array of lightweight carbon components ranging from handlebars and seatposts to saddles - just like the one pictured here. Despite the outrageously light items on offer, Gelu prides itself on creating products to go the distance, in fact, many cyclists use its components during competition. While comfort is always going to be the first thing affected by pushing limitations of weight reduction, the notion behind Gelu's rhetoric is to retain functionality at all times or so the company claims.

• Best road bike saddles: Our top road saddle picks, and guide on how to choose

Design and aesthetics

Few can dispute the beauty of Gelu's K-3 saddle, it's a work of art. It's handmade from carbon pre-preg weave fabric - a recipe known for its aesthetic merit but also lightweight properties. This particular layup is proven to be slightly more resilient than unidirectional carbon fibre and should help it withstand any jolts and road imperfections.

Minimalist on all fronts, the lack of any clear coat or varnish is evident, a measure that further keeps weight to an absolute minimum. I guess, the matte finish also adds a sense of refinement to the package, besides clear coats do have a propensity for showing up scratches and imperfections.

Looking at the design characteristics there's nothing that points to comfort - the carbon shell is appreciably thin yet impressively stiff. Like many contemporary saddles, it features a large central cutout - granted this is more of a weight reduction than pressure dissipation measure. There's also a series of 26 drilled holes (13 on each side) which - we'd argue - add to the visual drama. The embossed Gelu and K-3 logos are barely visible but that's part of the stealthy design philosophy, with the only brazen advertising coming in the form of a white logo on the rear bridge area of the rail configuration. Gelu does offer a level of saddle customisation where buyers can personalise it through the use of various colour combinations, names and personal logos.

In terms of presentation, the saddle comes in a Gelu-logo-adorned orange carry bag complete with an instruction booklet. The booklet comprises eight tips to ensure you install it correctly and provides insight on how to look after it - unlike conventional saddles the lightweight nature of the Gelu K-3 makes it prone to damage if neglected.

• Best 3D-printed saddle: A Fizik vs Specialized head-to-head

Object of Desire series

• Rapha Explore Powerweave shoes
• Titanum MyTi 3D-printed titanium pedals
• Campagnolo-equipped Pinarello Dogma F12 Disc
• Rotor ALDHU Carbon cranks
• Mathieu Van der Poel's race suit
• The hidden gems on EF's new jersey
• Rapha Classic shoes
• CeramicSpeed 3D-printed Ti OSPW system
• SRM X-Power power meter pedals
• Corima 47mm MCC DX tubular wheels
• Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle
• Rudy Project The Wing TT helmet 

Specifications 

Let's get down to the baseline number you all want to know - the actual weight.

Gelu quotes that this particular saddle can weigh anything between 38 and 59 grams. Put to the test on Cyclingnews' scale of truth, the saddle came in at 39g. Impressive indeed. To put things in perspective, the Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow saddle we featured last year, tipped the scales at 117g - that's a 78g disparity. The Selle Italia is, however, a little chunkier and, dare I say, more 'utilitarian' when compared to the K-3.

In terms of specifications, the saddle is exceptionally narrow measuring 122 x 242mm. Again, to keep weight down, the ovalised carbon rails also take on quite a diminutive shape - 6 x 7mm, something that will undoubtedly affect the ride quality. A saddle of this nature, however, will make an alluring case for itself in the hill climb scene where attributes such as ride quality and comfort play second fiddle to mass reduction. The Gelu K-3 has already been spotted on the Cannondale SuperSix Evo of two-time British hill climb champion Dan Evans - a nod to its featherweight reputation.

There is some fine print worth noting, particularly when it comes to max rider weight. According to Gelu Carbon Creations, the K-3 has a maximum weight limit of 80kg, which is in line with other superlight saddles such as the Selle Italia SLR C59. As a matter of fact, the SLR C59 was considered the lightest road bike saddle in the world at 61g. Not anymore I'm afraid...

• Object of desire: Tadej Pogacar-signed Prologo Scratch M5 saddle

Verdict

It's worth putting things in perspective before making any rash decisions here. This isn't something you'd purchase for long-distance riding or any type of Gran Fondo-style race or event. It serves a particular purpose and will undoubtedly be employed by the hill climb brigade given the discipline's shorter duration and focus on weight reduction.

Despite what it says on Gelu's website, the K-3 and its flat and narrow dimensions are not going to work for everyone. While it's achingly beautiful to look at and admire, it's been stripped of all comfort and compliance but that's also a large part of its appeal. It also represents a brag-worthy statement piece, especially for the gram counters among us.

Then there's the price. With anything this exotic and artisanal in execution, the price is always going to be greater than something that's mass-produced for broader consumption. As a result, the Gelu K-3 saddle will set you back £430 / €495 / $590.

That's a monumentally expensive £11.02 / €12,69 / $15.13 per gram. 

Tech Specs: Gelu K-3 carbon saddle

• Price: £430 / €495 / $590
• Weight: 39g (actual)
• Dimensions: 122 x 242mm
• Rails: Carbon
• Shell: Carbon 
• Colours: Black. Custom colour combinations, names and logos are available

Known for producing some of the best road bike saddles around, Prologo loves to celebrate the success of its athletes. As such, the Italian company is known for creating beautifully designed, limited-edition saddles and accessories commemorating various milestones or victories. Last year, we featured Alberto Bettiol's Tour of Flanders victory-inspired Lion Scratch M5 saddle - and the perch pictured here isn't any different. 

To honour his overall victory at last year's Tour de France, Prologo has revealed the Tadej Pogačar Special Edition. Based on the standard version, the Scratch M5 saddle you see here represents the Slovenian's personal choice for both training and racing. 

Two versions of the saddle are available: a special-edition 'personal' model limited to only 10 (and available for purchase on Prologo's website) and the 'celebrative' saddle (pictured), of which only 100 have been produced. While the limited-edition model comes with an autographed card, our saddle is arguably more unique, in that Pogačar himself hand-signed it.

• Best road bike saddles
• Prologo Scratch M5 PAS saddle review

Design and aesthetics

Both celebratory saddles come affixed in a special display box. Slide the Prologo-adorned packing apart and you're greeted by a bold, yellow postcard and matching band. It all looks very refined. Inside resides the saddle itself which pops quite vividly against the black backdrop of the display box.

Functionally, the saddle follows very much the same design ordinance of the standard Scratch M5 saddle. That means it retains the basic architecture which spans the cushioning layout, carbon rails and composite body. The differences, however, come in the way of a series of tasteful design elements which reference the nationality and Tour de France victory of Tadej Pogačar.

While the cushion and its segmentation remain unchanged, the two rear 'sit bone' sections are quite different in that only the yellow half possesses the textured surfacing of the original saddle. This maillot jaune-flavoured section also doubles up as hommage to his La Grande Boucle victory with pepperings of his own personal logo as well as the words, 'Tour de France Winner 2020'. As you can see it's also been personally signed by the man himself, in black permanent marker. The other half is smoothed off (no texture) and features a Prologo emblem filled with the Slovenian national flag.

Other than those personal additions, everything else follows very much the same refined and sophisticated Scratch M5 recipe.

• Inside Tadej Pogacar's Tour de France-winning Stages Dash M50

Object of Desire series

• Rapha Explore Powerweave shoes
• Titanum MyTi 3D-printed titanium pedals
• Campagnolo-equipped Pinarello Dogma F12 Disc
• Rotor ALDHU Carbon cranks
• Mathieu Van der Poel's race suit
• The hidden gems on EF's new jersey
• Rapha Classic shoes
• CeramicSpeed 3D-printed Ti OSPW system
• SRM X-Power power meter pedals
• Corima 47mm MCC DX tubular wheels
• Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle
• Rudy Project The Wing TT helmet 

Specifications 

The Prologo Scratch M5 saddle can be used across myriad disciplines thanks to ergonomically-designed T-shape and rounded profile which also makes it suitable for both men and women. It's available in one size only with dimensions of 140 x 250mm - this particular saddle utilises Nack carbon rails (7x9, 3mm) to keep weight to an absolute minimum, 155g to be precise.

While it appears bereft of the company's PAS (Perineal Area System) technology, it does still use an open base to help thwart pressure points - the only difference being the covering which doubles up as protection against mud and other elements. As previously alluded to, the MSS (Multi Sector System) has been implemented to improve comfort by using five individually tailored cushioning zones that operate independently from each other. Designed in collaboration with the Politecnico of Milano, Prologo claims it helps further promote better circulation by alleviating pressure spots.

• Object of desire: Mathieu Van der Poel's race suit

Verdict

The Tadej Pogacar Prologo Scratch M5 saddle is a celebration of the Slovenian's amazing display of talent, maturity and grit at last year's Tour de France, which came down to a nail-biting final time trial where he usurped fellow countryman Primož Roglič to secure overall victory. 

Unsurprisingly, it's better suited to a collector's cabinet than bicycle, based purely on its special attributes and hand-signed autograph. While the 'personal' model is already sold out there is, however, limited stock still available of the 'celebrative' saddle like the one you see here, sans the autograph of course. (And no it's not for sale, this one is going straight into my vault).

At £299 / $299 / €299, it's not cheap either but, if you're a sports memorabilia collector like me, it will make a great addition to your collection. 

Tech Specs: Tadej Pogacar-signed Prologo Scratch M5 saddle

• RRP: £299 / $299 / €299
• Weight: 155g (actual)
• Dimensions: 140x250mm
• Rails: Carbon
• Shell: Carbon composite
• Colours: Black, with special logos, colourway and Slovenian flag

Selle San Marco has released a new range of saddles that caters specifically to off-road markets including mountain biking, adventure riding and gravel.

The new saddles are an evolution of Selle San Marco's GND saddle, which is another off-road specific saddle in the brand's range. Where the new Ground saddle differs is in its dimensions. The Ground saddle comes in two widths, narrow (140mm) and wide (155mm), which are 5mm wider than the corresponding GND widths and have a shorter length of 255mm. This results in quite a curvaceous shape to the saddle.

Short-nosed saddles have gained increased popularity in the road and performance gravel markets, with many brands adding snubbed saddles to their ranges. Selle San Marco claims that reducing the saddle length by 7mm to make it more compact improves performance and comfort when riding over technical terrain.

• Best gravel bike saddles: Comfortable and durable saddles for your off-road adventures
• Best road bike saddles: Our top road saddle picks, and guide on how to choose

Raised at the rear

Selle San Marco has made some off-road specific design considerations with the Ground range to better optimise it for dirt riding. Off-road riding often involves climbs that are far steeper than you would find on a road ride - and which require the rider to stay seated in order not to lose traction - so Selle San Marco has given the Ground saddle a pronounced raised section at the tail to offer better support when pedalling up extreme gradients.

All the saddles feature a cut-out for pressure release and use Selle San Marco's Pullfoam to offer variable thickness padding for comfort and  vibration absorption.

Selle San Marco will offer three saddles in the Ground range. The Sport is an entry-level saddle with carbon steel rails, which weighs a claimed 350g and will retail for €49.00. The manganese-railed Dynamic and DNA Carbon-railed Carbon FX saddles reduce weight to 290g and 215g and will cost €79.00 and €149.00 respectively. 

• Best gravel bikes: Fun and fast adventure bikes for your next off-road ride
• Best budget gravel bikes: Gravel grinding without breaking the bank

To coincide with the 105th running of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Selle Italia created a limited-edition saddle with input from the 2020 race winner, Alpecin-Fenix's Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman has been using these saddles for the past five years as part of a sponsorship agreement between Selle Italia and Alpecin-Fenix and has taken quite a liking to one model in particular - the Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow, a saddle he uses for both cyclo-cross and road racing. The Flite Boost model pictured here is unique in that it combines the lightweight chassis and performance attributes we've come to expect from the best road bike saddles with design cues and personal details as provided by Mathieu van der Poel. 

• Best road bike saddles
• Selle Italia Novus Boost Evo Kit Carbonio Superflow saddle - first ride gallery

Design and aesthetics

The Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle comes in a special box with a magnetic closure system. There's a lot of fanfare going on here but it's all very sophisticated and refined. The box doubles up as a display case as well as celebrates Van der Poel's cycling successes featuring his Palmares across road, mountain bike and cyclo-cross disciplines. There's also a fact file on the saddle outlining its specifications and full nomenclature which is a bit of a mouthful - Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow.

Naturally, the saddle is predominantly white in appearance. While not the most practical colour when it comes to cycling - and this spans everything from kit and bikes to components - few can dispute the clinical precision white as a colour provides in spades. As an evangelist of this particular hue, Van der Poel is one of the very few professional cyclists who can properly pull it off, especially when it comes to items such as bib shorts and skinsuits. 

It is a rather striking saddle. The bold and expressive black graphics are a contrasting addition to the design, which softens the dominating white to a certain extent. Like the model on which it is based the padding is set upon a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic base complete with TeXtreme carbon rails. Compared to the standard-issue Selle Italia Flite Boost, the MVDP Edition is almost a complete inversion but retains all the hallmark design features including the Boost central cutout, Selle Italia wordmark on the right flank and Flite logo on the nose. 

There's no localised dimpling texture on this particular version. Instead, a flat Fibra-Tek sheath provides the canvas on which van der Poel applied his design - a simple-yet-effective MVDP graphic with letters arranged in a clockwise direction. A Mathieu van der Poel name and signature are set on opposite ends of the longitudinal cutout to further validate the saddle's credentials.

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Specifications 

The Flite Boost MVDP is available in one size only and is constructed according to the company's 'idmatch' L3 sizing philosophy with dimensions of 145 x 250mm - the large central channel is designed to improve comfort and pressure dissipation, ideally suited to cyclists with high pelvic rotation. It follows the same flat-top profile of the Flite range providing enough surface area for most ischial bone arrangements. 

Weighing in spot on with the claimed 162g, the Flite Boost MVDP represents one of the lighter saddles on the market. Much of this comes down to the central cutout, liberal use of carbon composite in the base structure and TeXtreme fibres in the rails, the latter of which doubles up as an aesthetically pleasing design trait.

In terms of the Fibra-Tek sheath, the fine microfibre surface will provide decent enough traction when seated, even though it lacks the dimpled texture of the original Flite Boost saddle. Another thing to take into account is the maintenance required in keeping the saddle clean. Not only is white known for exacerbating scuff marks and the like, but it also's prone to becoming stained and discoloured from fall out and road grime.

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Verdict

White isn't the most practical colour around, especially when it comes to touchpoints but the Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition is a beautifully designed saddle - minimalist yet striking in appearance. It's light too and features some of Selle Italia's novel attributes such as Boost and idmatch, the combination of which makes it a performance-enhanced option that still supplies some semblance of comfort.

This saddle, however, is best suited to the collector rather than racer based purely on its limited-edition nature. At £300 / $499.99 / €349.90, it's not particularly cheap either. In fact, you can pick up the exact same saddle sans the ornate MVDP garnishing for £25 / $15 / €35 less, in the form of the regular Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow. 

Tech Specs: Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle

• RRP: £300 / $499.99 / €349.90
• Weight: 162g (actual)
• Dimensions: 145x250mm
• Rails: Carbon
• Shell: Carbon composite
• Colours: White

Selle San Marco has been making saddles by hand in the foothills of the Dolomites since 1935 and was one of the pioneers of the plastic hulled bike seat. 

The AllRoad is one of the brand's newer additions. It's designed for ‘adventures on- and off-road,' and Selle San Marco has designed a saddle to cope with the increased impact and vibrations a rider will experience over the course of a full day of mixed-surface riding. 

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Design and Aesthetics

While your typical road saddle will work for a gravel ride, you may come away with sore sit bones and lower back from the increased shock and vibration experienced simply from riding over rougher surfaces. Gravel saddles typically see a bit more cushioning and a less plank-like hull to help your derriere cope. 

The sage advice surrounding saddles has always been the less padding, the better; as soft foam won’t provide the support needed for extended periods - and when it squishes under your weight it will distribute pressure onto your soft tissue. However, with advancements in technology, we see saddles that utilise new foams or various materials and densities to provide support while also offering comfort and vibration damping.

Italian saddle maker Astute is the leader when it comes to this foam, San Marco’s version is called BioFoam.

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According to San Marco, the ‘Biodynamic structure’ of its foam moves with your pelvis as you pedal and is a closed-cell, meaning it won’t take on the water should you tear the cover. The AllRoad is shod in a generous layer of BioFoam, which feels soft when you press your thumb into it but has a firm feel when seated. 

The AllRoad is covered in what San Marco calls Micofeel, which the brand uses across many of its saddles. The matte finish prevents you from sliding around, even when it’s wet and San Marco says it's lighter, more abrasion-resistant and subject to ‘less deformation’ than similar saddle coverings. 

Given this saddle is designed to be bolted to a bike that is headed on roads less travelled, San Marco has preempted the inevitable rubber-side-up incident that leads to torn microfiber saddle covers, using a Cordura-like woven material on the edges that will hit the ground first. 

The saddle's base is carbon-reinforced nylon, which gives it a bit of longitudinal give, while the oval 9.8mmx7mm rails are carbon and may not work with all saddle clamps.

Speaking of the rails, San Marco builds them around what it calls Dynamic Node Action, which sees the rails form an ‘X’ beneath the nose, which is said to prevent twisting while allowing a more extended clamping surface, 90mm in total.

Measuring 146mm at its widest point and 268mm long, it tapers down to 43.19mm across the nose. San Marco classifies the AllRoad as an ‘open saddle’ hence the sizable gap running two-thirds of its length. It also features a waved profile with a kick up at the tail. If you subscribe to San Marco's ID Match fit system, which takes into account the distance between your sit bones, the diameter of your upper thigh and your pelvic rotation measurement, the AllRoad is an L3.

The AllRoad CFX tipped my scales at 160g. 

Ride experience

As I previously mentioned, saddles are a personal choice, so what fits my butt might be something akin to a medieval torture device for you. 

The San Marco AllRoad has similar proportions to the Fizik Vento Argo R5, which has been my saddle of choice for about two years. It’s not exactly the same, as Vento stays wider for longer and sees a border cut out, but the kick in the tail and the waved shape are not all that far off, and the overall dimensions are almost bang-on. 

With that, it should come as no surprise that I got on well with the AllRoad. The wave profile locks your sit bones in place as you cruise along. With this locked-in position, I didn’t experience any discomfort or undue pressure points or pins and needles with elbows bent, chewing stem trying to keep my chest out of the wind. The sizable kick in the tail provides something for you to push against as you fight a steep climb or into a headwind.

It’s a short saddle by comparison to a few others I have lying around in the office - the Specialized Phenom, Bontrager Montrose and Fizik Terra Alpaca X5 to name a few. Still, I wouldn’t call it snub-nose like the Power or the Vento Argo. Given its intended use is mixed-surface and off-road riding, the extended nose section provides room to slide forward when you need a bit of extra leverage over the front wheel on a steep climb. The nose is relatively broad, so when you do move forward, it doesn't become instantly painful. 

I find saddles with a longer nose also improve my ability to steer with my hips when things get spicy, something I came to appreciate about the AllRoad on more than one occasion. 

With a large portion of this saddle devoted to the centre cutout, there was no undue soft tissue pressure or numbness downstairs. There is a bit of give or shock absorption with the nylon hull, which I appreciated when the road surface became increasingly broken, but it still maintains its rigidity from side to side as you pedal.

Verdict

Saddles are as unique as the butts that sit on them and the San Marco AllRoad works for me. The wave front-to-back profile, the kick the tail and sizable cutout are all features I look for in a saddle; combined with the shorter overall length and 146mm width.

The longitudinal flex in the hull, padding thickness and density takes the sting out of uneven road surfaces but doesn’t fall into the territory of causing soft-tissue pressure. 

San Marco has just updated this saddle with the reinforced Cordura edges, which will vastly improve its longevity. During my test period, which included a few untimely falls, the woven material proved hardy and shrugged everything off with ease.

Tech Specs: Selle San Marco AllRoad Open Fit CFX saddle

• RRP: $215.99 / £179.99 / AU$299.95 / €210
• Weight: 160g (actual)
• Dimensions: 268x146mm
• Rails: Carbon fibre
• Shell: Carbon-reinforced nylon
• Colours: Black

Brooks introduced its natural rubber Cambium saddles a while ago as an instantly comfortable alternative to the legendary perineum patience-testing leather saddles. The range is literally wider than ever now and the C17 Cambium delivers incredible, colour-optioned comfort if you’re not watching the grams. 

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Performance

For full disclosure, I’ve been riding Brooks leather saddles since the early '90s so there’s some personal ischial bone investment in the brand and I’ve been on an original Cambium since it first launched. The fact it’s always on the bike that I’m doing the most distance or roughest rides on is definitely significant, not least because I’ve generally got a crate of alternative test saddles to select from, many of which are half the weight. That’s because the steel-railed format of this C17 (based on the shape of the classic B17 leather saddle) weighs in at just over a pound. That’s due to the mix of natural rubber-infused organic cotton that creates the smoothly-flexible-but-still-supportive body of the saddle. The fact it’s riveted - rather than bonded - into place on the frame adds weight, too, but again that’s a deliberate link to the iconic leather saddles. 

The latest Cambiums get bag loops on the rear frame, too, which is a rare thing these days. The C17 comes in nine different colours, centre slot ‘carved’ versions, ‘brass look’ and copper rivet versions plus carbon-railed options for weight watchers. The C17 here is 164mm wide across its shallow curve but there are C13, C15, C19 and C67 versions to support a full span of pelvis widths and genders, too. The vulcanised rubber not only removes the many miles of breaking in required on a leather saddle it also makes the Cambium totally weatherproof.

Most importantly it makes the Cambium instantly comfortable in a uniquely fluid and mobile way that takes a lot of sting and buzz out of any surface from road to XC/Gravel. The fabric element gives just enough grip to stop you sliding about and they’re not sweaty either. We’ve put thousands of miles into Cambiums without any obvious signs of wear beyond slight wear fading (think favourite jeans) and as you’d hope for the price, there’s no creak or frame separation either.

Verdict

All of Brooks' Cambium saddles weigh a ton (unless you get the carbon-railed versions) and they’re pricey, but the amount of riders who’ve found saddle salvation and bought their own after trying one is far ahead of any other saddles we've tested, and that speaks volumes. 

Tech Specs: Brooks C17 Cambium saddle

• Weight: 468g 
• Sizes: 275 x 145mm (C13) to 268 x 200mm (C67)
• Colours: Navy blue, Black, Mud, Orange, Octane, Brown, Silver, Yellow, Natural
• Price: From £95.00 / €120.00 / $110.00