Madison Flux saddle

The Madison Flux is a classically shaped saddle with a good level of padding. It's one of Madison's best sellers, and has been aimed at mountain biking, but I found it fine for use on the road.

• Pros: Price, supportive and comfortable shape
• Cons: Not the lightest, only available in one width, some might prefer a cutout

First things first, it's important to recognise that saddle fit is a very personal thing, and it all comes down to the width of your sit bones, your bike fit, and your flexibility – that is, how much you rotate at the hips when on the bike.

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For me, the saddle shape is great, and is very similar to the Specialized Romin Evo that I typically use. The scooped rear provides good support for the sit bones, and the small channel at the back helps to alleviate pressure.

The length is good, allowing you enough space to shuffle forward a little when really putting out effort – getting 'on the rivet'. The one gripe I have is there is not a true cutaway down the centre of the saddle. Many saddles have this as a means of reducing pressure on the perineum, and I did find that on rides over four to five hours, I was starting to notice the pressure.

The cushioning is towards the middle of the range of saddles that I've used, which vary wildly from rock solid to akin to sitting on a pillow. It works well, as something too solid can bring on numbness, whereas too soft can fail to provide sufficient support and cause almost the same issue.

The rails are made of chromoly, a strong yet relatively lightweight steel, and a mainstay of saddles around this price, such as the ever-popular Charge Spoon. The saddle is easy to install on a seatpost using the standard dual rail system, and has plenty of fore-aft movement so that you can dial in your fit.

Aesthetically, the Flux looks good, with a classic shape and one-size-fits all matt black exterior. The white contrasting stitching is a nice touch to jazz it up slightly. It's also available in white, with contrast stitching.

At 280g, the saddle isn't the lightest, but stands up well against its closest competitor in terms of budget and shape, the Charge Spoon (£27.99), which weighs a similar 285g. The Genetic STV saddle is £15 more, but of similar heft at 282g.

One drawback of the Flux is that it's only available in one size. Many high-end saddles offer a variety of widths to suit your particular bodyshape, and this is becoming more common in the more budget options too, such as the Genetic STV referenced above.

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You can get lighter for a little more money – the Kinesis Elite is 252g, for £45 – but again it's only available in one width.

For a cheap saddle, I'd say this is a good option, particularly if it's for a bike you're not going to put in long stints on, maybe your commuting steed. If you're looking for something for your 'best' bike, you could shave some grams by spending a lot more money, although whether the size and shape suit you is still of utmost importance, whatever it says on the scales.

Verdict

A great option for an affordable saddle, but it's all very personal. All bums are different!