Merano Corsa saddle

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?

The Merano Corsa saddle is billed as blending a mix of comfort and speed. It's creator and the owner of Merano, Andrew Keith, wanted to create a saddle that was comfortable on long rides, but also fast and light.

Merano says, "The Corsa saddle was designed with comfort and speed in mind. With a carbon fibre shell and rails, along with super-light memory foam and fine leather skin, the saddle weighs only 155 grams. It is amongst the best in class in terms of weight and in a league of its own for ride quality."

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

The Merano Corsa has a carbon fibre shell with a leather cover fixed by adhesive. Under the leather is a thin layer of memory foam.

Length: 28cm, Width: 15cm

5.5cm of marked adjustment fore and aft on the saddle rails.

There is a very slight increase in height at the back, and cutouts at the rear and in the central channel for additional comfort.

The rails are also full carbon fibre. The saddle weighs in at slightly less than the advertised weight of 155g. The road.cc Scales of Truth showed it to come in at 151g dead on.

The Merano Corsa looks very similar to the Specialized Toupe, and I had comments from several people who thought it was made by "the big S".

The Merano Corsa saddle feels well made; the leather shows no signs of wear after 400 miles of use, and appears well fixed to the carbon shell. The lugs into which the carbon rails are attached are certainly substantial, more so than other carbon saddles I have used. I had no worries about any aspect of the saddle failing with repeated use.

The Merano is stiffer than most saddles I have tried. If you are looking for a very rigid saddle, this should be on your shortlist. As the saddle is relatively flat, I found during seated climbing I did not have enough support to push against. However, for flat riding it was fine, and I was able to move around fore and aft in the saddle depending on how aero I wanted to be. It is a saddle for getting deep in the drops, and this was where I felt I got the most out of it.

No issues with wear and tear during the test. The saddle top and carbon rails remain unmarked, despite being moved a few times to get the correct fit during testing. The Merano Corsa is well made, and there's nothing to suggest it won't last well.

Really good weight for the price.

Saddle comfort is subjective – what works for one person may feel completely the opposite for another. I found the Merano Corsa to be overly hard and stiff, with not enough padding or flex in the central area. Wondering if it was just me, I got other riders in my cycling group to give it a go and everyone commented that it was a very stiff saddle. I can't help thinking that it could appeal to a greater number of riders by adding another 4-5mm of foam padding depth, and enabling the central area to flex a little more.

It stacks up well against the Giant Contact SLR and Syncros Tofino, both £129.99; £95 for a 151g saddle is a good price.

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

Merano rates the Corsa as comfortable for rides for 70 miles or so. Personally, because of how hard and stiff the central area is, I found my sit bones started to ache after about 25 to 30 miles. Saddle comfort is subjective, though, and people who like hard and stiff saddles might get on with it better than I did. The Merano seems most suited to riding on the drops and on a good road surface.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The saddle looks really nice, and has a quality finish, both in the leather cover, and carbon shell and rails. It definitely looks the part. Merano has a decent and fair returns policy too – let Merano know within three weeks from date of purchase if you intend to return and it will provide a full refund.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Personally, I found the Merano Corsa too stiff for the riding I do – mainly commuting with longer rides at the weekend. I could feel each bump and pothole in the road, despite running 32mm tyres and on a relaxed gravel bike. With 4-5mm of additional padding and more flex along the central cutout area, comfort could be improved.

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

At £95 including free shipping to UK based customers, it's pretty good value.

The Giant Contact SLR, which also comes with a carbon shell and rails and which we also rated as a stiff saddle, is £129.99 and slightly heavier at 188g.

The Syncros Tofino also costs £129.99, and comes in at 184g; it too features a cutout and a firm ride, as well as a carbon-reinforced shell and carbon rails.

Use this box to explain your overall score

I wanted to like the Merano Corsa – it really looks the part and is well constructed. However, despite the central cutout, I found the lack of flex and stiffness too much for longer rides. For me it would be a 6, but I'm giving it a 7 overall because saddle comfort is subjective, and it is a high quality model at a good price.