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review

Charge Bucket saddle

8
£16.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Great value retro perch with some modern colour options
Weight: 
372g
Contact: 
www.chargebikes.com

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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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 16 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 – 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.

Verdict

Great value retro perch with some modern colour options

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Charge Bucket saddle

Size tested: n/a

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
6/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 190cm  Weight: 98kg

I usually ride: whatever I\'m testing...  My best bike is: Trek 1.5 with Ultegra 6700

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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1 comments

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bicycleworld | 14 years ago
0 likes

Ive used the Bucket seat it is great..Nearly as good as their other saddles.The spoon & the Knife.Great products,much more comfortable than the average kitchen implement.

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