Could this novel take on the bike seat really improve your cycling comfort? A first ride (and a pressure mapping test) on the bizarre-looking Mornera ONE

But cyclists, and male cyclists in particular, can have issues with their prostate and some, like Mornera, have pointed the finger at saddles.

I can see why. They’ve got barely any padding, most of your weight sits on it and bike rides can last for hours.

I’ve tested a lot of saddles in my life and ridden loads of test bikes with saddles from different brands. Some were really uncomfortable for me. I’ve experienced a few that caused me quite a bit of pain, and now I have a small list of brands whose saddles you couldn’t pay me to use.

But thankfully, I’ve never had an issue with my prostate. Mornera says that some riders do have issues with their prostate, taking it from something the size of a walnut up to something much bigger. 

> Cycling Health Q&A: Prostate problems – time to talk about men’s health

Of course, discussions about the prostate naturally prompt discussions of prostate cancer, and I’m very happy that we’re talking more about it. But there is no evidence linking saddles and cancer.

Certainly, your saddle won’t be the cause of something like prostate cancer. But a bad saddle can still cause you lots of pain in this general area.

Now, I’ve heard experts say that numbness and pain for one ride isn’t something to worry too much about, but you should be looking to do a bike fit or try a different saddle if the pain persists.

So, I guess the first thing to do is to test if this thing is comfortable.

So, is it comfy?

Liam saddle pressure mapping 9 (credit: Liam Cahill)

The nice thing about testing a saddle is that if it isn’t going to work for you, you’ll generally know quite quickly. Even numbness should become apparent after only about 30 minutes, so it won’t take long to spot a problem.

Having used the ONE/1 saddle for a few rides, I could feel the lack of pressure through the perennial area. However, this is largely where the positives end.

The shape of the ‘wings’, as Moerna calls them, means that you almost perch on the saddle, causing me to feel like I was forever tipping forward. 

Not only did this feel unstable, it redirected a lot of my body weight forward, meaning my hands, wrists and shoulders were under more pressure than usual. This quickly became uncomfortable.

Liam saddle pressure mapping 4 (credit: Liam Cahill)

Sat upright on the tops, the saddle felt a little better, leading me to think the ONE/1 is best suited to far more upright riding positions.

The absence of a nose section of the saddle because apparent in two places. Firstly, and somewhat unexpectedly, I felt less confident when cornering. This is likely due to the way I weight the bike through the saddle and outside pedal, but the bike felt nervous and unsteady.

Secondly, when trying to tuck down into a more aerodynamic riding position, the lack of a nose left me sliding forward and off the saddle. Having stability when trying to put down some power is crucial. If you’re all over the place, watts are being wasted.

At €310, this is also right in amongst some of the most popular saddles on the market, from established brands.

Does it work?

Liam saddle pressure mapping 10 (credit: Liam Cahill)

The primary purpose of this saddle is to reduce pressure on the soft tissue, so to find out if it does what it claims, I went to see Brian McCullough at The Bike The Body, who has a pressure mapping kit. This will allow us to see exactly how pressure is being distributed.

Saddle pressure mapping device (credit: Liam Cahill)

The first issue was mounting the pressure sensor to the Mornera ONE/1. Its width is unlike any other saddle I’ve seen before, measuring 290mm at its widest.

With the sensor mounted, the software showed that the saddle was working as intended, with absolutely no pressure through the centre. At the sitbones, only small areas of pressure registered.

Liam saddle pressure mapping 6 (credit: Liam Cahill)

However, this pressure hadn’t simply disappeared. Brian noticed how my position on the bike had shifted, with my hands shifting back to stabilise my upper body. My shoulders, too, had shrugged to cope with the additional load.

Analysing the tracking camera footage also showed a dramatic increase in pelvis movement, which is evidence of the lack of stability found with the ONE/1.

Initial verdict

Monera ONE/1 saddle 2 (credit: Andrew Sykes)

While the intention of the Mornera ONE/1 is good, I don’t think this is a viable solution.

Having no nose on a saddle not only leads to the feeling of slipping forward, but it also places far too much weight through my hands, which becomes uncomfortable, even on short rides.

Town and city bikes with an upright riding position may suit this design better, but the lack of lateral stability will still be an issue.