PRO Sirin Sport Saddle

The PRO Sirin Sport Saddle is the cheapest Sirin, a range aimed at women who ride and race competitively. The characteristic short-nose design and pressure-relieving cutout will appeal to many and, though it didn’t suit me personally for long fast rides, it worked well for shorter ones and more relaxed positions. The weight is a little high, however, and the looks are a little basic even for the entry-level price.

All three Sirin saddles share the same core design, with the pricier Performance and Team models using premium weight-saving materials. The Sport uses Cromoly rails and a nylon base, and the 152mm-wide version I tested tips the scales at 288g. There’s also a 162mm model.

The Sirin has been developed from the ground up for women, rather than adapted from a unisex model. PRO took input from bike-fitting data, a pelvic floor specialist, and a group of female test riders – though despite all this, PRO is quick to highlight that it may well suit some men too. 

The Sirin’s packaging doubles as a rudimentary saddle positioning tool – it’s a piece of cardboard that identifies a particular width on your old saddle, allowing you to get the right fore-aft setup based on width alignment. The Sirin’s 245mm length is significantly shorter than my usual saddle, so I found this helpful.

You’ll also want to check saddle height. I needed to raise my seatpost – the Sirin profile is lower than my usual saddle. Conventional rails meant I could fit a Topeak saddle bag to the Sirin Sport without issue.

For short rides (think less than 90 minutes) I found this comfortable, though not game-changingly so. Anything longer and I began to suffer. I’m used to a full cutout and the Sirin’s long channel didn’t provide sufficient pressure relief over extended periods for me.

I persisted for a few weeks in the hope things might improve, but that didn’t happen. PRO offers a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee on their saddles, so if you find yourself in the same situation as me, you’ve not lost anything.

Having switched the Sirin to my touring bike, I found it more tolerable for longer rides. The slightly more upright riding position helped take pressure off – good news, but not ideal when PRO says the Sirin is ‘Developed to help you, a competitive women’s cyclist, to not only get the most out of your riding and racing, but to enjoy every pedal stroke.’

I didn’t suffer from chafing anywhere, or discomfort in the sit bones, so this was something positive about the saddle for me, at least.

The Sirin is not a saddle for me, but I’m certain it will have fans. It’s similar in design to Specialized’s Power Range, with the Power Comp being the closest to the Sport for specification

While the Sirin doesn’t have a full cutout, it is at least longer than the one found on Specialized’s S-Works Power Expert Mimic, a saddle Tass found could cause irritation. The Mimic’s padding around the cutout is softer, however, if that’s a key factor for you.

Value

At £99.99 the Sirin Sport is reasonably priced, though it’s not a clear standout, and some rivals beat it for weight and looks for not much more money.

At £95 Specialized’s cheapest Power saddle undercuts the Sirin Sport by a fiver, and the claimed weights (227-234g, depending on width) all beat the Sirin’s 288g handily. Fizik’s Tempo Argo R3 is more at £149.99 but has a similar design and is also lighter at 229g, while Selle Italia’s Novus Boost Evo Lady TM Superflow is 242g and £114.99. However, while it’s same length as the Sirin, it only comes in one width – 145mm.

Overall

This may not be the lightest or most refined saddle out there, but it worked well for me for short (under 90 minute) rides on a road bike and – ironically – better still on a more upright touring bike. As ever with saddles, though, comfort is very personal, so while it didn’t work for me for the long, fast road rides it’s intended for, it may well work for you. If it does, and you don’t mind the rather basic looks and slightly high weight, it’s a solid choice.