Saddles

The Selle Royal Lookin saddle is a very unique and surprisingly well made perch for the money but one attempting to be all things to most riders, which risks an identity crisis.

In this age of gender specific design, I was surprised to discover it described as Unisex, especially given the long 278mm nose - and although 159mm width might appeal to some ladies, in my book it's one better suited to mountain biking/rough stuff touring males.

According to the ultra enthused marketing copy, the Selle Royal Respiro Sport saddle is literally blistering with supportive space age technology. Respiro means 'breathe' in Italian and that is precisely what the faux leather microtex cover is designed to do.

With no breaking in period, I've not been conscious of anything but chafe and numbness free, lightweight support.

Fizik have redesigned the humble saddle from the rails up to give riders the Fizik Kurve range - a more comfortable, tuneable place to sit and pedal the miles away - but it doesn't come cheap.

Fizik have carved out a position as one of the more forward thinking saddle companies, and their launch of a range of elite level saddles, dubbed Kurve, proved the point with a ground breaking series of design concepts all aimed at making sitting on the saddle a more comfortable and efficient experience.

Whyte's Sport Saddle offers nothing particularly exotic about construction or materials used but it's been music to this tester's derriere, if you catch my drift.

The cover is a sturdy weather resistant affair available in black, white or brown. Manufacturers sometimes cut corners where they cannot be seen but I was pleased to discover it neatly bonded and stapled to the base.

It might be expensive but the new Fizik Arione R1 saddle is lightweight and very, very comfortable.

Fizik released the first Arione back in 2002 and it has become a modern classic loved by many. It's a little risky, then, to redesign it, but Fizik have released three new models: the 00, this R1, and the R3. For details on the range, check out our previous story.

Part of the 3 Action range, along with the Titanium Misy version tested a little while ago, the steel railed Arte Selle Misy AX 3 Action saddle here is cheaper, heavier and more padded.

Just to recap, the 3 Action idea is one that separates the saddle design into three parts. A raised rear for climbing, a flat section for the less lumpy stuff and a dropped nose for when you're head down giving it the beans.

I'd not come across Arte Selle before their Misy 3 Action Titanium saddle turned up at road.cc HQ - but after a bit of research it seems the Italian company knocks out a whole range of saddles to suit pretty much every riding style, carbon race jobbies through to full on padded armchairs.

A lighter, firmer and slimmed-down version of the ever-popular Spoon, Charge's Knife saddle is a comfortable choice.

You could say the saddle is the most important component on the bicycle, because if you're not comfortable you're really not going to get very far at all. Pleasingly the Knife adopts a simple shape that most will find just works.

It's well known that saddles are very much a personal thing, but there are some saddles that, in general, offend the buttocks less than others. In that category should be included the Ritchey WCS Contrail saddle.

The Prologo Scratch saddle is the most comfortable saddle I have ever tested. It has a traditional rounded profile that proves to be comfortable no matter how long the ride. And it's the same saddle that Sir Chris Hoy uses, too. If it's good enough for him, then it must be good enough for us, right?