Giant Contact SLR Neutral saddle

Giant's Contact SLR Saddle has a carbon shell and carbon rails, and comes in three shape options to suit your riding style. For £129.99 it's not a bad deal, as long as you can put up with its firm ride.

• Pros: Decent price for full carbon saddle, light too
• Cons: Might be a little too firm for some

So, I've mentioned the firmness a couple of times already and we aren't even 100 words in yet... so safe to say it's one of the defining factors of the Contact. Giant says that it was in development with top pro road and off-road teams during its design stage, and that translates to the finished product.

> Find your nearest dealer here

My first ride on the Contact was a 90-minute blast between the rain showers and the pace was pretty high; the harder the ride, the less weight you are putting on the saddle, as most of it is on the pedals.

I got on with the Giant quite well, arriving home without any numbness or noticeable pain. I liked the shape – the slightly curved profile as it swoops down from the rear – and the way the nose drops ever so slightly for when you are crouched down on the bars.

> How to choose the right saddle: 20 of the best

The next day, though, when I climbed aboard I had quite a bit of tissue soreness from the previous day, made worse by having to set off a little more sedately (more weight on the saddle). Things settled down a bit after a few miles, helped by the fact that the shape of the Giant means you don't need to shift about much, but if I hit a bump in the road I sure knew about it.

The padding is firm and not exactly thick, but after about 300 miles of testing I've got used to it and things have settled down. While I definitely think the Contact SLR is aimed at those riders who travel at a quick pace, it didn't quite gel with me.

As I mentioned, Giant, like many others – Fizik and Fabric, for instance – offers slightly different saddles depending on how you ride and your position. The Contact SLR is available in Forward, Neutral and Upright, the Forward for those who have good flexibility and spend a lot of time in a race position, with the Upright being aimed at those who like a more endurance-based position.

Even though I don't hang around on the bike, I don't spend much time in the drops, preferring to crouch low on the hoods, so the Neutral that we were sent should be a pretty good fit for me.

The main difference between the three saddles is the length of the pressure-relief channel running down the saddle. The Forward has a much longer channel than the Upright, for example, taking into account the position of your pelvis and body in relation to the saddle.

When it comes to value, £129.99 isn't bad for a saddle with a carbon fibre shell and rails.

The Selle San Marco Mantra Full Fit Carbon FX saddle that I recently tested costs £179.99, and for that you only get a carbon composite shell, albeit with a little less weight. I was a massive fan of the shape and comfort, though.

For the same money you could go for the Syncros Tofino 10 Cut Out Saddle. Admittedly it's a short-nosed design, but it has the same level of firmness and a full carbon fibre build.

> Buyer's Guide: 13 of the best high-performance saddles

If you aren't too fussed about the whole carbon fibre thing then you could take a look at the Contact SL versions, which use a carbon composite base and metal rails. They'll set you back just £69.99.

On the whole, the Contact SLR isn't really for me – I can forgive its firmness but the shape didn't quite suit. We are all different, though, and when it comes to build and quality, for the money it can't really be faulted.

Verdict

A great saddle for those who like to ride hard, and decent value too