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I have been using the SLR XP for around 6 years now, i tried a friends bike with one fitted and went out the next day and bought one. I find it molds well to me and is suprisingly comfortable considering its minimalistic looks.
Lightweight, comfortable and durable, possibly the best value saddle i have purchased
the RL is one of four Bel Air models, and we reckon it's the pick of the bunch for trailsters...the big change is the addition of what SDG calls a 'comfort cleavage'. This smooth groove - not a cut-out section like some other saddles - relieves pressure on your sensitive bits and allows you to stay seated for longer without discomfort.
SDG has done the seemingly impossible and made an ultra-comfy saddle even comfier.
We tested the Bel Air about a year ago, but this is a new shape.The ballistic nylon upper is hard-wearing but it isn't waterproof, and its camo colour didn't stay that way for long. Kevlar edging resists scuffing, along with a bolt-on plastic tail guard.
We liked the shape of the new RL; it's comfortable for all-day rides and offers great support. The colour is distinctive, but we reckon a leather cover will look less tatty over time.
Updated with a nad-pressurew reducing groove, the RL's padding is firm but forgiving; a comfortable combination for all day rides. Kevlar sides help prolong the life of the saddle, mine with its silver faux sharkskin has survived six hard months of riding and several flying bike moments without any noticeable damage. The Ti rails give it just enough flex to tame even the harshest hardtail, and no doubt save enough weight to calm the weight weenie within, if you're the type who worries about that kind of thing.
Contact points can make or break a long ride, the SDG Bel Air RL takes care of the main one to keep you in the saddle longer, and that's a good thing in my book.
Bel Air freeride/XC saddles have long been favourites of our testers for their all-round rideability, durability and general crash-proofness, and the RL is a new addition to the lineup that's designed to provide even greater comfort.The kevlar sides and injection moulded nose and tail bumpers give an air of rugged invincibility, while the classic dropped nose and upswept rear provide a stable riding position with comfort provided by firm-but-comfy padding and a shallow central groove. Utterly functional, this saddle performas exactly as you'd expect it to and works well either perched up front or sitting down for the long uphill haul, but we reckon it's more suited to those riders needing that extra bit of freeride 'grrr', as we found the kevlar rubbed us up the wrong way when either pedalling or moving around the seat.
Rugged, functional saddle that's more suited to a freeride style.
Episode 34 in the "Quest for the Perfect XC Saddle..." The 215g SLR Gel Flow is another of the myriad sleek saddles from Selle Italia.This one uses the company's split-hull Gel Flow technology to reduce pressure on the undercarriage, and while we can see what they're driving at, we have to be honest and say we don't find them any more comfortable than non-Gel Flow versions of the same saddle.The basics are all there, with a reasonably broad tail offering a good place to park yourself, narrowing to a shortish nose, which allows for some fore/aft movement. Given the small sweet-spot of the saddle, we found it was important to make sure you had it positioned in exactly the right place in the seat clamp, because anything more than minor adjustments in position would have you struggling for comfort.That said, once dialled in, the SLR Gel Flow was a pleasant enough place to sit and turn pedals, and certainly a saddle we'd use for training or racing. However, for really long rides we might opt for something more cushy, such as the Fizik Gobi.In the current Selle Italia line up, we still put the Signo Ti ahead of the SLR, because the Signo has a greater curve to the shell top, meaning we feel in, rather than on, the saddle.
Once dialled in, the SLR Gel Flow was a pleasant enough place to sit and turn pedals, and certainly a saddle we'd use for training or racing.
We see this saddle on more touring and distance riders' seatposts than any other. It's wider and more padded than dedicated race models, but still feels supportive and allows free pedalling movement. It suits a slightly more upright riding position and the padding's supportive enough to keep you happy on long rides. There's a long, wide, centre cut-out, the length is quite stubby and the nose doesn't seem to cause any rubbing. This years' version sees an update to the logos and styling, with bonus reflective marks and five colour options. An old Lady Gel Flow of ours has become faded and worn from two tours in the Himalayas, but the stitching and shape are still holding up really well. The upper is made of leather while the rails are manganese.
This is an excellent touring option thanks to the supportive padding.
Who says comfort has to cost the earth? With the Spoon, British bike brand Charge, have created an underdog perch that adds up to much more than the sum of its parts while knocking the socks off other, significantly more expensive offerings...
"Comfortable and durable for very little cash? That'll be the Charge Spoon"
Looking at the shape from the side alone, there appears to be something very familiar about this saddle. Yep, it looks just like the first-generation Selle Italia Flite. Viewed from the top it's a cross between a Fizik Aliante and a Bontrager Race X Lite. That's no bad thing because they're all held in high regard, especially the original Flite. Tubular cro-mo steel rails and just the right amount of padding underneath the synthetic leather covering keep the weight down, but the main areas in which the saddle scores are the quality(it's made by Velo, a huge saddle maker) and the performance. It's comfortable like an old, familiar armchair in a gentlemans club - you kind of sink into it and yet always find the same comfy spot in which to view the passing world around you. There's a Ti railed version with a proper leather cover for £51.99, but the weight saving is minimal and the leather will have to be looked after carefully.
Theres' not much to say about a fantastic saddle at a fantastic price.
The spoon mates to your nethers like the nocturnal hook-up that its name alludes to. Although fairly short, the pressure relief channel extending from the rear works well alongside a flat nose and padding that's sufficient to see off slimline XC arse aches. In indomitable Charge fashion, a perforated tan upper with embossed logo sets the Spoon apart from leagues of aftermarket alos-rans. Behind the scenes, finishing is about what you'd expect for a score - slightly haphazard medley of staples combined with plastic guard front and rear to anchor the carcass to the upper.
overall this is a cracking saddle for all-day trail action at a great price.
...this became the instant hit of the test. The understated features of light weight and padding, sleek profile and slight pressure relieving channel all combine to provide great all-round, cross country riding comfort. The Spoon felt great straight from the box, and whether we were climbing or dropping off the back, we really couldn't fault the feel. And even theough it's not women-specific, our female tester who 'borrowed' it for the day refuses to give it back - underlinig the fact that girls shouldn't confine themselves to trying female-only saddles to get the best fit.
An outstanding combination of both comfort and value.
The latest incarnation of the Flite saddle might look a little different to the original, but it still combines a reasonably light weight with huge comfort, which is what has made it so popular over more than a decade.The slender body and narrow nose provide ample support without being too bulky, and there's enough length to allow you to shift your position when you need to ease aching muscles. A little flex in the shell takes the sting out of potholes, while elastomers at the ends of the rails provide more absorption. The real star, though, is the silicone gel used in the upper – it moulds to your body to provide cushioning from vibration. We found the anatomical cutout really comfy, although, if you're not a fan of holey saddles, more traditional designs are available. Titanium alloy rails help keep the weight down – ours was 244g, which might not be ultra-light, but for this level of comfort it's impressive.
An updated classic that still provides a ton of comfort
Selle Italia have created the Diva Gel Flow to answer the specific needs of female riders, no matter what their preferred riding style.The 160mm-wide saddle has a breathable full grain leather cover, underneath which are different thicknesses of silicone gel inserts, zoned for maximum comfort at the sit bones and also around the generous cutout. It's pretty light at just 265g.In use, it's supportive, provides good pressure relief, even when working hard, and feedback is good, with little drop off in power. Though marketed as all-purpose, it's better suited to more upright riding, as the nose is a little unforgiving when on the drops.
Excellent build quality and long ride comfort
I've got to admit that I've got a bad habit. Other than picking my nose, I don't seem to be able to stop choosing saddles on looks rather than comfort. That was the story with my early brushes with the Fizik Aliante. I thought it was ugly, and after that insult it probably didn't like me either.My friend and epic cross-country fiend Mike Cotty always rode one and openly professed his love for this Italian drop nose perch. Eventually I got one to try and, well, pretty much anytime I have to ride for more than an hour I make a point of transferring one of my fleet of Aliante saddles to the bike in question.I've used all the models, from the base to the mountain bike-specific XM right up to the carbon railed version, and all of them are the business. The hammock effect is good from the start, but like all Fizik saddles, they seem to get better the more you use them.I've got the XM version on long-term test, which features deeper padding and the Fizik Technogel insert. It still has the bucket seat feel, but with a level of upholstery that's just the ticket if you've got a very, very long ride to nail.So far the uppers of the saddles are holding up well, although they are a little more fragile than some others so care must be taken when leaning the bike up against walls. The carbon rails are strong enough even for big clumsy boys, just try to mate them with a seatpost that has long, supportive lower rails, such as a Syntace or Thomson.
Swoopy saddle that does the business on long, epic rides
The UCI weight limit on bikes has changed how bikes have looked in recent times. Once deep section rims would not have been a consideration, even for the strongest of domestiques. Due to the 6.8 Kg weight limit the parts that save energy or give comfort have now been added to the Pro level riders bikes.So that brings me to the Selle San Marco Regal, or as I call it the Belgian sofa. Why, well take a look at the number of Classics riders and Sprinters that make this their saddle of choice. Because such luminaries as Boonen, Devolder and McEwen inspired me to try this out and wonder why it is so popular.Some of these riders are not sponsored by San Marco and so opt for a stealthy all black version minus the rivets. These look very non descript and so are unlikely to offend the sponsors, in that way everyone is happy.Once you start riding lots of saddles you can see the DNA or evolution if you will, even across brands, from some of the older models that are still popular today. Perching your bum on it for the first time is a bit like sinking into a nice Chesterfield. It has that instant comfort factor of 10. Having flitted between lots of saddles over the last 12 months, this has to be a massive bonus. Ironically this was not the same for the Zoncolan, the comapny's leggero of saddles, as this required much more ride time to give that instant comfort that the Regal offered.So what is it like? I found the shape to very comfortable, I liked the deep sides as they allowed my legs to have free pedal movement. The deeper sides also had an added bonus that they protected my shorts against my saddle bags velcro straps, which was welcome when you are riding £100 plus items. Due to my position I run the saddle far back on the rails, so I don't know if this added to the comfort as I am compressing the saddle more by doing so. In use in felt like the tyres were 10-20 psi lower, so cushioning the rider from the road more. For this reasone on it's own you can see why it is used on the harsh roads of West Flanders (it works as well on the crap roads around the home counties).I have ridden it on my light carbon bike and also on my winter bike where it now resides. On both bikes it adds comfort, on the winter bike is doesn't look out of place and on the carbon bike it looks kind of funny. But once your bum is on it any cerebration surrounding its look are soon dissolved in the first mile. I have always been of the opinion that the saddle comfort should be at the forefront and aesthetics and weight must be a lower priority.
Of course the Regal is not going to suit everyone, but if you are looking for a perch that is high on comfort and in the San Marco range a set of palmares second to the Concor, you know that you are buying both a piece of history and a great modern favourite. I am pleased that San Marco continue to produce this saddle, as the original designer managed to create a masterpiece which stands outside time.
Ritchey prove they've got a handle on saddle design with their new marathon model, which combines reasonably light weight and superb comfort.The 232g WCS Streem is unremarkable in most aspects, with titanium rails, nylon base, leather cover and padding that's neither pew nor pillow. However, it does a superb job of isolating your behind from the worst of the trail without rubbing or numbing, even after a full day pushing pedals.
It's worth a few extra grams if the comfort levels are this good
Once upon a time, bike saddles were made of moulded leather stretched over a steel frame. When it rained and they got wet they sagged. Too much of this and the saddle was ruined, which, given the time spent getting the saddle comfortable in the first place, was annoying to say the least.Then, sometime in the mid 1960s, someone had the bright idea of moulding the shell of the saddle in Rilsan plastic, which while perhaps not as comfortable as leather does at least have the advantage of being impervious to weather.Thus was born the legendary UnicaNitor, which in its earliest incarnation did not have the thin leather and foam covering with which most interested cyclists are familiar.That original saddle has now been recreated by Cinelli, the firm that did much to popularise the design. The new version has a 'calibrated technopolymer' shell, meaning presumably that it is thicker in some places than others to provide some sort of 'give', is offered in black or white and has satin-finished steel rails.The dimensions are identical to those of the original, as is the overall shape by the look of things. Perhaps the only obvious difference is the addition of the name 'Cinelli', which is inlaid into the top surface of the shell.
review to follow
The Concor is a classic racing saddle, and San Marco has very astutely re-released it as part of its Vintage 1935 collection(along with Rolls and Regal). San Marco has gone crazy with swatches palette too: there's a limited edition series, with the Concor available in each of the colours of the World Championship band.The cover is rich, black real suede and the padding has a supple, heavy quality. The rails are chromed steel and on the underside of the plastic mould is the legend 'made in Italy'. The workmanship is beautiful. It's not light compared with modern perches, as it weighs 314g.
We traditionalists would go for the Concor, call us square, but we're suckers for a slice of Italian heritage.
E' Tornata, they trumpet: it's back. The Selle San Marco Concor is regarded by some as a revolutionary perch; the original 1978 design was based on anatomical principles rather than simple aesthetics, a novel idea back in the day. It's a different shape to a modern saddle but very comfy and just the thing to complement a period bike or fixed iron.Thirty-odd years of ergonomic research later and we're sitting on wider, flatter seats, and even the new Concor designs have only a nod to the high back and scooped sides of the earlier models. But the Concor Vintage is the real thing: cast from the original mould rescued from a dark corner of the factory, and finished with high quality padding and a supple suede cover. You even get the splendid original rear sticker with bulbous font and jaunty World Champ stripes. It's a fine looking thing indeed, but is it just retro navel-gazing, or is it actually a good saddle?The first two things you notice about the Concor are that it's beautifully made, and quite heavy. This isn't one for the racing snakes, it's built on a solid base that extends right down the sides, with a full leather cover and generous padding. It is one for the aesthetes though. It's a lovely looking thing, evocative of its era but strangely not out of place atop a modern road bike. Actually getting it atop my modern road bike wasn't easy, as my seatpost has a side-access tightening bolt that was more or less completely obscured by the low sides, but eventually it was on and level, and time for the first test ride.I was particularly keen to test the Concor Vintage. Problems with my lower back mean that I tend to ride with the saddle angled slightly down, and the Concor seemed to offer the best of both worlds: the elevated rear gives a bit of a downward trajectory even when the saddle is mounted flat.My first impressions were that it was a bit squidgy - there's a bit more padding than I'm used to - but I soon forgot all about that, which is what you hope for from a saddle. It is a noticeably different shape to a modern flat perch: comparing it to something like the Specialized Toupe it seems a world apart. The most noticeable differences are the back, of course, and the central section of the Concor which is wider and more rounded than a modern design. For a while the latter felt unusual and I was worried it would lead to numbness but it never did. I think this is partly because a bit more of your weight is supported further back on the scooped rear section. And yes, it did seem to help me with my back even when mounted flat, so a thumbs up on that front too.The suede cover is very tactile and should be hard wearing. It makes changing position a bit more tricky as you tend to stick to it, but by the same token you don't slip about when you're putting the power down either. You'll need to look after this seat if you're going out in the rain, but there's no reason why it shouldn't last for many seasons.
The spiritual home of the Concor Vintage is adorning some 1970s or 1980s Italian hand built frame. But it's a comfy saddle in its own right, and if you, like me, prefer your perch at a bit of a tilt then it's certainly one to look at as a day-to-day option too. It's not light and it isn't brimming with technology, but if you find it comfortable you'll have bagged yourself a good looking, well built saddle that'll last for years.
Fizik have a good track record in recent years, bringing us the Aliante and the revolutionary-at-the-time Arione. The Antares sites between the two in terms of shaping and is billed as the third dimension, an evolution of the two. The outcome of the marriage is a very light, comfortable road perch with a good depth of padding.When it comes to saddle choice one mans food, as we all know, can be another mans poison. I have tried a great many saddles over the years and have, more often than not, ended up riding one of Fizik's saddles as my first choice. Their road bike saddles have always been known for their comfort, but have not always been the lightest options out there: The two seem to rarely go hand in hand.The Antares is designed to address this. I tested the K:ium railed version - Fizik's own titanium alloy - it also comes in a braided carbon railed version. The first thing I noticed was that it was very light, weighing an impressive 175g, with its lighter carbon railed sibling weighing a svelte 145g.The nose of the saddle is nice and wide and doesn't flare noticeably until it reaches the main body, which is quite wide and flat. It is a much more minimal saddle than its two stable mates, with the carbon reinforced shell cut away much higher on the sides than the Arione or Aliante. The cover is a striking white microtex (synthetic leather) body with black sections diagonally across the rear corners where the Fizik name is emblazoned; it's available with the stripe colours inverted too. All in all this makes a very attractive saddle design with colourways that should complement most bikes. It also shrugged off dirt and grease easily, a nice feature for a white saddle if you want it to remain white!The padding feels firm but it's quite deep for such a slimline saddle and even before sitting on it you can feel noticeable flex in the shell when pressing it with your thumbs. I was hopeful that this was going to be a more comfortable saddle than the weight suggested.I found it best to set it up level across the whole length of the saddle - unlike the Arione which tends to work best set level across just the nose - this gave the Antares a slight dip in the centre of the saddle, and combined with ample flex in the shell proved to be the sweet spot as far as comfort was concerned. Your weight is carried primarily on your sit bones which are easily supported by the wide rear section, but the dense foam and flex in the shell do a good job of cushioning the road shocks and vibrations. The padding remains thick all the way up the nose, allowing you to move forward for those long turns in the drops or big climbs in comfort, a welcome change for a lightweight saddle.Fizik have chosen not to include the wingflex design of its other two road saddles, a series of cuts through the shell of the saddle in the thigh area that allows the shell to flex at the edge more easily when pedalling. This is a shame, as it's a feature I have always liked on their previous saddles.On long rides, after several hours on the saddle I found that it was noticeably firmer than the Arione (my saddle of choice), and as with many of the saddles that bear your weight primarily on the sit bones, I found I needed to stand up every now and then to relieve the pressure there. For rides of a couple of hours or less this wasn't an issue and felt nice and supportive.
Ultimately the Antares fills the gap in Fizik's range for a lightweight road saddle, and manages to retain a fair amount of the company's trademark comfort. A combination of lightweight, comfort and good looks is sure to make this another success for Fizik.
If you saw last week's CW you'll know that the Charge Bucket is a reworked Selle Italia Turbo, made in Taiwan for the UK company Charge and available in black, white, brown, pink and green(now also ltd edition Wiggle orange too). But is t as good as the original Italian saddles, like the San Marco Concor also reviewed, which has been newly revived for the retro craze?Charge's coat of arms is sewn onto the top of the perforated vinyl cover, right where you plant your backside - a nice, self mocking joke. The cover is stapled to the underside of the shell in a fairly rough and ready way.You're not going to care about the weight if you fit a retro saddle, but for the record the Bucket weighs 324g.
You could buy three and a half Buckets for the price of one Concor.
Hipsters, BMXers and fixed aficionados have long been seeking out nice looking retro perches and the Selle Italia Turbo has always been high on the list. The Charge Bucket is basically a new Turbo, made on the same last, and is none the worse for that. And at sixteen quid a pop, you can have two of these for what an original Turbo fetches on Ebay these days. And they make 'em in pink.The saddle itself is a no-frils steel-railed, plastic-bodied, vinyl-covered, foam-padded affair and though it's nothing special it's solidly made with decent attention to detail. The cover is fairly hard wearing and resists scuffs pretty well, and the padding is generous and fairly firm. If you've got a seatpost with a side-access bolt you may well have trouble fitting the bucket as the sides extend down over the rails, but with a standard 'post it's not an issue.We've used the Bucket on the daily commute and short rides, and I also did an hour of Cyclocross racing on it â€" that's normally a fair indicator of whether a seat is comfortable for me or not. I'm pleased to report that it's been very agreeable - with thicker padding than a race perch it's better for more general riding but it's not a heavyweight. The shape is less extreme than some of the Turbo's contemporaries (the Concor, for example) but it still slopes down when set with horizontal rails, which tends to put more weight over the front of the bike. This is amplified by the fact that the rails are fairly short and a long way back compared to a modern saddle: if you like a laid-back saddle position then the Bucket isn't for you.The Bucket definitely is for you, though, if you're looking for a well made, good value new seat with a retro look. I can't vouch for everyone's backside but I found it very comfortable (though not as comfy as Charge's excellent Spoon) and it's kept its good looks despite some mud-and-roots-based abuse.
Great value retro perch with some modern colour options