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review

Fabric Scoop Race Shallow Saddle 2020

9
£69.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Offering a very high level of comfort, with a classy finish and non-slip surface, the titanium-railed Scoop is a bargain
Very comfortable
Non-slip surface useful for cornering and climbing
Extremely reasonable price for this level of quality
Titanium rails have flex which aids comfort
Classy looks
Weight: 
261g
Contact: 

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The Fabric Scoop Race Shallow is a well-made, supremely comfortable saddle, with a non-slip surface and shock-absorbing titanium rails, and comes at an excellent price.

The Scoop has been around a fair few years now and has a well-deserved reputation for being a very comfortable saddle for smashing out the miles. This titanium-railed version continues the theme, impressing with its levels of comfort, build quality and value.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Undoing the cable ties from the sheet of cardboard it comes attached to – kudos to Fabric for not wasting resources on packaging – this version has a rather nice looking 'Fabric' logo running the length of the saddle. This isn't just for show, though, as it forms the grippy surface texture of the saddle.

The cover is moulded on top of a harder but flexible base that has just the right amount of give. The cover is bonded in a manner that curves over the top of the harder base, so that at no point do your legs come into contact with it and risk chafing.

2020 Fabric Scoop Race shallow saddle - underside detail.jpg

Mounting the titanium rails onto my seatpost was no issue, and with 75mm of fore and aft travel marked on the rails, I was able to quickly find my ideal position.

From the first 50 metres riding on the Scoop, I was very taken with it. It felt just right, and this feeling continued for the next month or so and 650 miles of testing.

I found the titanium rails gave a slightly sprung effect, so that any potholes or rough surfaces felt slightly damped. At no point during testing did I feel that it had been a harsh ride.

2020 Fabric Scoop Race shallow saddle - underside.jpg

I also really like the non-slip surface formed by the Fabric logo. When you pick a position, you stay stuck to it – to move backwards and forwards you have to rise up and move, rather than slide. I tested it on some of the really steep climbs around Bath – some over 30% – and found it really good for seated climbing. On descents, or fast cornering too – as long as a small patch of your posterior is on the saddle – you stay in position.

The Shallow in the name denotes the type of riding this version of the Scoop is intended for. In this case it's sportive or endurance type-riding, where most of your time is spent on the hoods, with the odd blast on the drops. As a rider who spends probably 90-95 per cent of my time on the hoods, I found this to be a pretty spot-on description. However, I did try a one-hour flat-out training session entirely on the drops, and it didn't restrict my ability to do that at all. It was still really comfy.

Fabric does a complete range of Scoop saddles at other price points and widths, to suit different riding styles, including designs for racier or more relaxed riding positions.

> How to fit and set up your saddle

I think the thing that impressed me most was that, during the whole time testing it, I didn't really have to think about it much at all – surely the sign of an excellent saddle, one that doesn't give any niggles, or uncomfortable numb feeling during the ride whatsoever.

Maintenance is also super-easy: it's just an easy wipe down to get rid of dirt or mud to get it looking like new again. The base is simple and easy to clean, unlike some saddles that have more complex undercarriages.

It was also easy to mount an Ass Saver or saddle bag to the rails.

> Buyer’s Guide: 21 of the best saddles

Looking at the Scoop's competition, Shaun found the PRO Turnix suitable for long, steady miles, but it is £30 more and has steel rails as opposed to titanium. The PRO is also slightly heavier. 

Stu found the Ergon SR Comp saddle had good pressure-reducing features, with rail flex that aided to the comfort, but the finish underneath was not as tidy as the Fabric's, and it's also £20 more. 

This makes the Fabric Scoop Race Shallow seem a real bargain in the marketplace, and a quick scan online shows it can be found for just over £60, which is an absolute steal for a titanium-railed saddle offering this level of comfort and quality finish. It is also designed at Fabric's headquarters in Frome, in Somerset, if supporting a UK business is important to you.

Verdict

Offering a very high level of comfort, with a classy finish and non-slip surface, the titanium-railed Scoop is a bargain

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Fabric Scoop Race Shallow 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?

Fabric says: "Enjoy unparalleled comfort and performance in a saddle shaped for you. Coming in three profiles, depending on your style of riding, the groundbreaking design reinvents saddle making to create an incredibly responsive, comfortable, light and durable saddle."

I found that to be the case, but would add that it is also great value and UK designed. I really enjoyed using the Fabric Scoop Race.

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

Fabric lists:

Rails: Titanium (7mm)

Base: Flexible nylon

Cover: Waterproof

Profile: Shallow

Weight: 261g

Width: 142mm

Length: 282mm

Mid rail to saddle topper 49mm

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

The construction is simple, but it's well made and showing no signs of wear after 650 miles of testing. The simple undercarriage of the Fabric Scoop means it's really easy to clean underneath, unlike some, and I was able to get it to come up like new each time.

Rate the product for performance:
 
10/10

Very high level of comfort, I enjoyed using it from the start. The non-slip surface is handy for steep climbs and hard cornering.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

No wear during testing. It seems like it will last really well.

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

For a £70 saddle, 261g is very good, and beats most of the competition.

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

For me it was flawless on comfort. I never really thought about it during riding, which for me is the perfect sign of a comfortable saddle.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

An RRP of £69.99 is great for a titanium-railed saddle that weighs 261g. 

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

Fabric says the Shallow version of the Scoop is for endurance, sportive or gran fondo style riding – those type of rides where you spend hours riding on the hoods. I found it perfect for this, but it was also comfortable riding in the drops.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The comfort, the sprung suspension from the titanium rails, easy to clean, UK designed, and a bargain to boot.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

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

It's £20 cheaper than the Ergon SR Comp, and £30 less than the PRO Turnix, both of which are slightly heavier. This weight and titanium rails are hard to find at this price.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Definitely

Use this box to explain your overall score

Offering a such high level of comfort, with a classy finish and non-slip surface, for £70, the titanium-railed Scoop is a bargain. For long rides on a variety of surfaces it was superb, hence scoring a 9 out of 10.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 181  Weight: 92 Kilos

I usually ride: GT Grade  My best bike is: Boardman ASR 8.9

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: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Add new comment

10 comments

Avatar
Danny Ku | 2 years ago
0 likes

Can I say Fabric Scoop is the Charge Scoop?

I used Charge Scoop, it's so comfortable that I can ride for 40 miles with just normal shorts. Also finished a 10-day, 625-mile ride with cycling shorts and Charge Scoop and barely felt anything.

And I just found that Charge Scoop was discontinued in August this year. So I start to worry because I tried Fabric Line Shallow and I can't find the sweet spot, discomfort even with cycling shorts.

Also tried Giant Fleet SLR and SQLab 612, again, not as comfy as Charge Scoop.

 

Avatar
Secret_squirrel replied to Danny Ku | 2 years ago
1 like
Danny Ku wrote:

Can I say Fabric Scoop is the Charge Scoop?

Same parent company so why not!  My bum likes both the Charge Spoon and the Fabric Shallow Sport if thats at all helpful.

I have a Shallow Sport on my smart bike and that is the least forgiving thing I have sat on since Lord & Lady WhiteAdder came to dinner.

Avatar
Danny Ku replied to Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
0 likes

cheers mate it's good to know. Just received Fabric Scoop shallow race with UK flag from wiggle and it seems to be bum-friendly

Avatar
amazon22 | 3 years ago
0 likes

Fabric have extended their range to a completely baffling extent and it's hard to see the difference between many models, for instance the model reviewed here and the Fabric Line Race Shallow, also reviewed here a few days ago.

Avatar
Miller replied to amazon22 | 3 years ago
0 likes

As I recall Fabric have three levels of saddle curvature with shallow being the middle one. 'Line' would mean the saddle has a central channel - I tried one of those and didn't get on with it but the concept is popular so I guess that was me.

However I have this reviewed saddle and it's really excellent. It's a nice classic saddle.

Avatar
RobD replied to amazon22 | 3 years ago
0 likes

Once you get the basic principles it's quite straightforward, scoop has no cut out, line has the channel, the radius, shallow or flat is how curvy they are, then it's the elite/race etc moniker that denotes the spec level, such as rail material.

I have the steel rail version of this and the Line with Ti rails, very happy with both of them to be honest, unless I wanted something super light I don't know why I'd go for anything else (maybe one of their ALM saddles perhaps)

Avatar
RobD replied to amazon22 | 3 years ago
0 likes

Once you get the basic principles it's quite straightforward, scoop has no cut out, line has the channel, the radius, shallow or flat is how curvy they are, then it's the elite/race etc moniker that denotes the spec level, such as rail material.

I have the steel rail version of this and the Line with Ti rails, very happy with both of them to be honest, unless I wanted something super light I don't know why I'd go for anything else (maybe one of their ALM saddles perhaps)

Avatar
check12 replied to amazon22 | 3 years ago
0 likes

I agree, quite bewildering, highlighted by the wrong model name being used here, this is the team version (has fabric written on the saddle) unless I'm more confused than I thought I was?...

SCOOP RACE TEAM SHALLOW = https://fabric.cc/products/saddles/scoop-race-team-shallow/

 

Avatar
amazon22 replied to check12 | 3 years ago
0 likes

I'm quite happy drilling down through information when it's well set out, but their site gives minimal information about each saddle, certainly not enough to compare one version of one type with another. When there are 20 versions of the Scoop, 10 versions of the Line and 6 versions of the Line-S plus 4 more model lines, buyer fatigue sets in and I give up. That said, this review is useful and perhaps highlights the pick of the very large bunch.

Avatar
amazon22 replied to check12 | 3 years ago
0 likes

Yes, you're right, rather supports my point!

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