Prologo Kappa Dea2 Saddle

Prologo lists its women-specific Kappa Dea2 saddle under ‘Enthusiast’; it's narrower and with less padding than a ‘comfort’ saddle aimed at more casual cyclists. If you're looking to spend more time on your bike, the Kappa Dea2 is a good step towards keeping things happy on longer rides – it’s light enough, comfortable with its cutout and central groove, and it looks the part too.

The trick of this saddle is the groove that runs from the tip of the nose right to the rear, with a cutout in the centre. Not only does this add to the sleek look of the design, it means reduced pressure – something that you'll appreciate after a few hours in its 'embrace'.

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Prologo saddles come as flat, round or semi-round, referring to the shape of the top. This one is 'semi-round', with, as you might guess, a slight curve to it, and it feels quite a natural shape for sitting on. The saddle is smooth to the touch and feels well made and solid throughout. The lower part is made from nylon, with the upper made of a microfibre covering over 'Light PU' padding.

It's 263mm long, which isn't the longest, but it does give some wiggle room, so to speak. You have the option of moving forward very slightly for sprints, but the curved nose does make you prone to sliding off if you go too far. Or you can just sit back on the more comfortable lightly padded rear, for lower paced riding, hill climbs and the like.

Prologo has just two women-specific saddles in its range, and both are 147mm wide. Some saddle manufacturers offer two or even three widths, to help match your sit bones (all Specialized's road saddles for women, for example, come in 143 and 155mm widths, and some are available in 168mm too). If 147mm fits your anatomy, the Kappa Dea2 is a good option – not lightweight but not too heavy either (though lighter on the road.cc scales of truth than Prologo lists).

My sit bones seemed to be in the right places, and I found that on longer rides this saddle really did reduce pressure. There isn't too much padding, a little more than my regular saddle, and I found it particularly comfortable, with not much unwanted pressure at all.

>> Check out our guide to the best cycling saddles for men and women here

The only downside I had with the Kappa Dea2 was when it came to fitting it: the markings on the rails aren't very clear. In fact I had to get my phone out and turn the torch on to be able to see the number markers to set it up correctly for my riding position.

Overall, it's a good all-rounder at a fair price. It ticks the boxes for comfort and reduced pressure over longer distances, though it could be longer, with a straighter nose...

Verdict

A women-specific saddle with a comfy cutout – if it suits your sit bones it's a very good all-rounder