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review

PRO Turnix Gel Saddle

8
£99.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Competent, well-executed performance saddle but slightly pricey relative to the spec
Weight: 
278g

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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The PRO Turnix Gel is an understated looking saddle that, for me, has been perfect for long, steady road miles. It's also proved comfortable along unmade roads and less challenging trails.

  • Pros: Well engineered and comfortable
  • Cons: Pricey at full rrp

This gel version of the Turnix comes in two widths – 142 and 152mm – and with stainless steel rails. The rails are painted, with neat markings for easy setup. Some may feel steel is a bit low rent compared with titanium and carbon alternatives, but personally I reckon it offers the right blend of characteristics, without doing nasty things to bike weight or bank balance.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Staying with the underside, construction is precise and well executed. It's a screwed and slotted construction, pleasing but no less than I'd expect. More interesting are the curved carbon reinforced polymer base and lugs for accessories, such as an action camera and mudguard.

Pro Turnix Gel Saddle - underside.jpg

Sandwiched between the composite base and durable PU upper is comfortable EVA foam padding, while the rear of the upper is textured, with tiny dimples that enhance comfort.

Pro Turnix Gel Saddle - rear.jpg

The nose is leaner than some, the idea being to minimise chafing, which it does very effectively in every situation although most noticeably when going full pelt and hunkered low on the drops.

Pro Turnix Gel Saddle - nose.jpg

A break in the seasonal gloom saw me pluck my TT bike from hibernation and, with the Turnix installed, complete a favourite 16-mile 'blast' loop in 46 minutes, on three consecutive occasions. Comfort was every bit as good as the 140mm BBB Razer it replaced and, from memory, the 143mm Specialized Toupe Gel I'd used prior to the BBB.

At this time of year, the majority of my road miles are done on my fixed gear 'crosser, which has a more upright position than the TT bike, a more 'cross-typical cockpit height. Adding the PRO and extending rides from 20 to 30, 50 and 70 miles plus continued the same comfortable theme, confirming again that the millimetre differences were neither here nor there.

Aside from weary legs there's been no hint of soreness around the thighs or buttock. Tingling and numbness around the crotch have also been moot points over these distances and surfaces, although a titanium seatpost certainly helps on the fatigue and shock-absorbing fronts, especially across the washboard tarmac that typifies my local lanes.

> 9 ways to make your bike more comfortable

I like to shuffle about slightly and the cover has been very permissive of this, regardless of clothing. There's been no irksome slip either, which can strike with very shiny Lycra.

I've also used the saddle on my rough stuff tourer for 120 miles or so. This also sports a titanium post but the build's more upright stance puts more pressure upon the sit bones. I wasn't hugely surprised to discover some chafing of my right buttock after 45 off-road miles, but mixed terrain escapes of similar distances were abrasion-free.

> Buyer's Guide: 20 of the best saddles

In terms of durability, cover and finish are holding up very well. Although not rough with kit, I generally lean bikes by the saddle, but brickwork and other coarse surfaces haven't left any calling cards. Porting it between bikes hasn't made any impression on the black painted rails either.

Although comfort is very subjective, I've found the Turnix Gel an extremely comfortable road-biased saddle. On paper, the spec seems unremarkable – especially compared with, for example, the Selle Italia Novus Boost, which is £20 or so cheaper – but the build quality is very high. I've also seen it heavily discounted online.

Verdict

Competent, well-executed performance saddle but slightly pricey relative to the spec

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road.cc test report

Make and model: PRO Turnix Gel Saddle

Size tested: 142mm

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

There's little info about the Gel version, but PRO says this about its Turnix saddle, "At first sight you would not expect a fighter's heart inside. But our Turnix saddle is nothing less than a killer. Its narrow nose prevents friction when pedalling for victory, while its semi-curved shape provides enough comfort when endurance is needed. Don't stop fighting till you have won."

I'd describe it as a sporty saddle that caters for most genres of performance riding, on and off road.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

PRO lists these features:

Glassfiber reinforced base
Stainless Rail
Anatomic Fit

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well made, and finished.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Has performed well in all contexts – I've only noticed its positive qualities.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Cover and finish remain unblemished, despite being swapped between bikes and usual everyday carelessness.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10

Favourable, especially given the levels of comfort and use of steel rails.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
9/10

Very subjective, but I've found our 142mm version extremely comfortable.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

It's a bit pricey compared with similar spec saddles, but the build quality is very high. I've seen it heavily discounted online too.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The Turnix has proved a very comfortable saddle and has remained so when swapped between my cyclo-cross-inspired fixed, more traditional road builds and my rough stuff tourer.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The classic design. I found the shape, design and padding density perfect.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The price for the spec.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

On paper, the spec seems unremarkable for nigh-on £100. The Selle Italia Novus Boost is £20 or so cheaper, while BBB's Echelon represents even better value at £69.95.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Certainly worth a look.

Use this box to explain your overall score

A very competent, well engineered and, for me at least, comfortable saddle. It's expensive for the specification but it's good quality – and if it suits your shape it'll be worth the money.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 45  Height: 1m 81cm  Weight: 70kg

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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