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The Bontrager InForm RL WSD saddle is available in three different widths - each with its own curvature, too - to help foster a better fit and a more comfortable ride.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Bontrager uses a deep depression up front for the InForm RL saddle instead of a full-blown cutout.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The sharp V-shaped cutout at the rear can snag clothing during steep downhills when mountain biking or during 'cross remounts.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
This test bench is used to measure the distance between your sit bones to determine the proper saddle size.(Image credit: Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor)
Sitting on the viscous pad reveals a color-coded marker below, which easily identifies the suggested saddle size for your pelvic bone width.(Image credit: Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor)
Bontrager's InForm RL Women's Specific Design (WSD) saddle has proven to be a very comfortable perch over several months of testing, even during a six-hour mountain bike race – on a hardtail – over an extremely rocky course in Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania. It's also felt good on road rides of various lengths where you're more typically confined to one position for extended periods of time.
Credit goes to the well tuned variable density foam padding, a contoured depression – rather than a full cut-out – in the mid-section to relieve soft tissue pressure, and three available widths rather than the more common one-size-fits-all methodology. Each of the sizes isn't just wider, either: in addition to the additional span, the curvature is also adjusted to help distribute pressure more evenly across your butt.
Note that the widths are meant to correspond to pelvic bone spacing, not external dimensions. Selecting the proper saddle size involves a visit to your local Bontrager dealer's special gel-topped bench that measures your sit bone locations and easy color coding then helps you choose the correct size.
The saddle's fore-aft profile makes positioning more important than usual as there's a definite 'sweet spot' but even when properly located, the V-shaped notch on the back of the saddle posed a few problems. The sharp edges can snag even non-baggy mountain bike shorts or form-fitting jersey when riding down steep trails and can also impede smooth remounts in cyclo-cross. The InForm RL WSD is also a bit shorter front-to-back, too, so some riders might also miss the extra length at the nose when sliding far forward to tackle a steep climb.
Our sample's white synthetic leather cover has held up very well though riders in particularly nasty climates might experience otherwise. For those folks there's a black option available, too, and in either case Bontrager offers an "Unconditional Comfort Guarantee", which means you can try this saddle without worrying about being stuck with it if it doesn't work out.
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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
