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review

Selle SMP Dynamic

7
£205.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Ideal shape and design for performance riding, but heavy for the money
Minimal padding works for hard efforts
Lots of colour options
Durable upper material
Pricey for the spec
Weighty
Finish not as neat as some at this price
Weight: 
272g

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The Selle SMP Dynamic saddle is a striking shape and definitely one for those who like minimal padding – and who spend a lot of time in an aggressive riding position, thanks to the dropped nose. It's not the lightest, though, and it's on the pricey side.

Check out more options in our guide to the best bike saddles.

As we all know, a saddle's shape and padding are among the most divisive things on a bike, with different riders needing different things. As we always say in saddle reviews, what I find comfortable might, to you, feel like sitting on a bed of nails, or what is uncomfortable for me might make you feel like you're floating on a cushion of air. So this Dynamic is definitely not going to be for everyone. For me, though, it worked really well.

I like a saddle with a bit of a swoopy shape, especially one that kicks up at the rear as I find that it gives me a good platform to push against when climbing seated, something that the Dynamic allowed me to do.

2024 Selle SMP Dynamic - rear.jpg

I do prefer a short-nosed saddle, though, as I like to run quite a drop from the saddle to the handlebar, and the lack of material at the front means things don't get crushed when riding in the drops. The dropped nose here does help, though, without having to reduce the overall length.

2024 Selle SMP Dynamic - nose.jpg

The padding is also very minimal so it's a firm seat, but on the flip-side that does mean it holds its shape well, with no padding trying to squidge into the open central channel, again boosting comfort. The channel is there to reduce numbness, something that I don't really suffer with regardless of saddle shape, but I can confirm that I also had no problems here.

2024 Selle SMP Dynamic - top.jpg

Selle SMP groups its saddles into sit bone width sizings, with the Dynamic covering those with widths of 116mm to 150mm.

It's 138mm wide and 274mm long, and measured 272g on our scales, so it's no lightweight. Fizik's similarly sized and specced Vento Antares R3 is 205g, for comparison, and Ed described that as weighty. The Bontrager Aeolus Pro, which costs just a fiver less than the Dynamic, is 169g.

To find out if the Dynamic suits you before you buy, Selle SMP has a questionnaire style 'saddle finder' on its website, while the UK distributor also has a fleet of test saddles you can try.

The Dynamic uses a carbon fibre-reinforced nylon for the base, and a microfiber cover for the coloured options (of which there are 10) or real leather for this black version. Something you don't see very often away from the likes of Brooks.

You can get a carbon fibre-railed option, but we have the cheaper, heavier model with AISI 304 stainless steel rails.

Rail length is decent, giving you a good range of fore and aft adjustment, and its 7mm diameter will fit pretty much every seatpost on the market.

2024 Selle SMP Dynamic - underside.jpg

In general, the Dynamic is well made, and being leather the upper is impressively durable and scuff resistant. A lot of saddles have a cover plate, sandwiching the excess upper material between it and the base, which gives things a much tidier look and finish; Selle SMP hasn't done that, though, leaving the material and staples on display.

2024 Selle SMP Dynamic - underside rear.jpg

Value

The saddle works in terms of performance and comfort, for me at least, but it is the cost where things come a little unstuck.

For the same sort of money you could get the SQlab 612 Ergowave R Carbon that Mat described as being great for pressure relief and because of its shape could get away with being minimally padded. It's £199.99 and weighs just 130g.

The 174g Repente Spyd 3.0 uses carbon rails and its long, narrow shape gave Matt great comfort on even the longest of rides. It costs £164.99.

Smanie's GT 137 saddle has that swoopy shape I like, and a dropped nose which Shaun found very comfortable. It's a similar weight to the Dynamic at 267g, but it only costs £59.99.

Conclusion

If the shape suits, the Dynamic is a comfortable saddle, and with a firm base and minimal padding I found it great for performance riding. You can get much lighter saddles for the same money or less, though, and it's not as neatly finished as some.

Verdict

Ideal shape and design for performance riding, but heavy for the money

road.cc test report

Make and model: Selle SMP Dynamic

Size tested: One size

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?

Selle SMP says, "Forma's older sister that enhances the rigidity joined by extreme comfort. Designed for medium-large pelvises."

I liked the shape and comfort, but the spec is lower than most for the money.

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

From Selle SMP:

For which cyclist

Gender: Man, Woman

Sit bones width: from 11,6 to 15,0 cm

Pants size: M, L, XL, XXL

Use: MTB, Road, Gravel / Cyclocross, Commuter / Fixed

Type of bicycle: Traditional, E-Bike

Padding level: Thin

Dimensions and weight

Width: 138 mm - Length: 274 mm

With AISI 304 rail: 290 g

With carbon rail: 235 g

Materials and colors

Padding: Foamed elastomer

Cover: Real leather (black), Microfiber (colored)

Body: Carbon reinforced nylon 12

AISI 304 rail: AISI 304 stainless steel tube Ø 7.1 mm

Carbon rail: Unidirectional carbon fiber 7.1 x 9.0 mm

Colors: black, white, red, yellow, yellow fluo, green IT, green, light blue, blue, black lady, white lady

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
4/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

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

As a saddle for performance riders, the shape and minimal padding worked very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

I got on well with the shape.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Weighty.

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

It's pricier than simialrly specced saddles. Most at this price have carbon rails and possibly carbon bases, which means they are much lighter too.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, I found it comfortable.

Would you consider buying the product? Probably not because of the weight for the cost.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

If you get on with the size and shape then it works well, and the real leather upper is a bonus. It is heavier than most of the competition, though, so overall it's a 7 for good rather than an 8.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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5 comments

Avatar
Pot00000000 | 3 months ago
0 likes

Depending on your frame and seatpost, the seat tube angle might not allow you to get an SMP in the correct position. 
 

in my case I ran out of adjustment to get the nose down to where I needed it.

obviously a niche case, but something to be aware of before dropping the money.

Avatar
leedorney | 3 months ago
0 likes

I've been on an SMP for over 10yrs now and for me they're well worth the cash, I started on an Extra which are quite cheap then went to a lite209 and now I'm on a t(t)5. I initially bought one because I was racing & pushing hard into the saddle at 25mph was giving me numbness so that very night I bought 1 & upon pushing into the saddle I didn't have that numbness tho you do have to set it up quite good - either way the company which is a family run company in Italy close to Padova has really invested & investigated the human pelvis and what works, i'd confidently say it's got to be the most dynamic (no pun) saddle company around with a whole plethora of saddles to suit any ass ! A friend tried my bike once and commented afterwards that he felt 'their was nothing there' as per sitting on, it's quite a relevatory experience sitting on an SMP, you'll wonder how you put up with a standard saddle.

Avatar
Destroyer666 | 3 months ago
3 likes

Sorry, but this is quite a lazy and narrow-minded review: How about actually trying to discover and explain what the point of such a saddle design is? Like at least mentioning something about the scientific research behind it that goes quite a bit further than to give a "good platform to push against when climbing seated". Perhaps that might give some explanation of the price? Or the fact that the saddle is 100% made of Italian materials and in Italy? And might I be so bold to claim that weight could contribute to the saddle being more longer lasting than the lighter models instead of simply being a negative factor? Or how about asking the people at SMP why they don't make a 130g version? And oh, rails on these saddles are much longer than in any of the ones referred in the review and longer than in most in general, so describing that as "decent" is ridiculous.

Avatar
Shermo replied to Destroyer666 | 3 months ago
1 like

Agreed, tried many saddles, now have Selle SMP ones on both my bikes as they are by far the best for my posterior.

I honestly don't care about 100g if it means comfort on the bike!

Avatar
cyclisto replied to Destroyer666 | 3 months ago
0 likes

Agree, I don't have a SMP, but I have a one which is quite similar, back then when saddle makers said your soft parts are fine and not using huge cut outs like they most do now. I don't do many miles, but if I did more, I would definitely try it.

Their only bad for me is of course price given their premium character, as I have bought cheaper whole bikes, (but have seen many ridiculously priced saddles here) and usually bad taste graphics.

Here is a good starting article https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/09/all-about-smps/ already

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