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TECH NEWS
2021 Bjorn Setka 3Check out ‘the lightest 3D printed pad saddle’, Bjorn’s 140g Setka
Moscow-based composite component brand Bjorn has launched the “lightest 3D printed pad saddle” at a claimed weight of just 140g. This is over 25% lighter than the Specialized S-Works Power with Mirror Saddle (193g).
> Video: How to choose the correct saddle for you and your riding
Designed by Bjorn together with Carbon Inc – the US company that also worked with Fizik on its Antares Versus Evo Adaptive 00 (£369.99), R1 (£299.99) and R3 (£249.99) saddles and with Specialized on its S-Works Power with Mirror saddle (£390), the Setka has been developed for “new levels of comfort”.
> How to make your bike more comfortable - check out our 14 tips
Oh and there's that very light weight…
The 3D printed pad features nine zones with different structures and densities that Bjorn says provides “unrivalled power transfer and allows the rider to experience the best comfort, no matter their position on the bike”.
Bjorn promises the Setka doesn’t compromise structural reliability. “It has 7- x 9- mm oval rails which are constructively joined to a new carbon core to offer the best compatibility with 3D printed padding,” says Bjorn.
The saddle also features a wide channel cut out for relieving pressure in the soft tissue areas.
Bjorn says that 3D printing technology enables engineers to adapt and change material density for superior sit bone support and soft tissue relief, all for improved comfort.
> How to decide on the best Specialized saddle for your type of riding
The 250mm long Setka is a touch longer than short-nosed 243mm Specialized 3D offering, and considerably shorter than the 274mm Fizik option.
The Setka will only be available in a width of 143mm to start with, but Bjorn says a 155m wide option will follow.
Bjorn's Setka costs $420, which currently puts the price a little bit under the £300 mark.
It'll be available from June 2021.
Latest Comments
- bensynnock 19 min 6 sec ago
You can't do around getting rid of grass verges. They provide much needed parking space.
- NotNigel 19 min 50 sec ago
I've found riding primary into upcoming blind bends certainly seems to discourage drivers from overtaking as they would have no choice but to cross...
- Kendalred 20 min 54 sec ago
"Put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply"
- ubercurmudgeon 28 min 9 sec ago
Kona makes practical, affordable commuter bikes and goes bust. Colnago makes toys for the affluent and it is booming. Just goes to show that the...
- Mathemagician 1 hour 49 min ago
To answer your question, yes you can sometimes feel the difference. Built a set of wheels for a friend and he installed them with new lightweight...
- Geordiepeddeler 8 hours 29 min ago
Cycling infrastructure does not force drivers to break the law, drivers are the reason they break the law, no one else.
- chrisonabike 8 hours 41 min ago
Ah but taking pictures of things to defy the man (avoid a fine) is righteous. Taking pictures of people to grass on them to the cops (perhaps...
- jaysa 11 hours 51 min ago
As a woman, this works great for me! My chain broke once, and a kind guy stopped with a chain breaker and sorted it all out for me. We stopped at a...
- andystow 12 hours 43 min ago
Same. I also have gone through a bunch of their tyres, and only the extralight disappointed (torn sidewall) but the standards are fantastic....
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8 comments
THIS WILL EAT SHORTS. Anything other than a smooth surface with hasten shorts wear
You can get lighter saddles if weight is your concern...and aren't padded shorts supposed to be the part which affords comfort to your sit bones.. I can't quite get my head around the idea of these 3d printed saddles, besides them looking quite interesting.. I don't see the point of them..
You could argue that padded shorts wouldnt be necessary if the saddle had the right padding to begin with. I guess the value that padded shorts give is that they move with your arse, rather than a saddle which has different pressure points depending on where you are sitting.
I would presume that as OYB mentions below it should be possible to evolve these saddles to provide the right relief to the pressure points from each changed seating position on the bike.
The other unspoken issue of course in cycling is that we've all been brainwashed to accept a degree of arse discomfort in pursuit of a lightweight racing saddle. Ideally your saddle should still be comfy after a 10hr double century, but there are very few of us brave enough to fit an armchair-like saddle to our race oriented pride and joys.
I had a vintage Rolls fitted to my first Gravel bike - I got more admiring comments about the saddle than I did about the bike. 1 of 2 best saddles that I have owned until the bike was nicked
Saddle padding is bike weight, but shorts padding isn't. It's the same with pedal cleats, except pedals are often not counted as being an essential part of a bike!
I must be an outlier. I cycle more than the average bloke, but not nearly as much as pros, about 10 hours a week, at least a bit nearly every day. I did over 120 miles on a recent Saturday riding just like I normally do: on my Brooks Cambium Carved with no padded shorts. No discomfort to speak of.
How long before someone combines one of those pressure mapping doohickies with 3D printing to produce custom saddles that perfectly fit any given person's sitbones and posture?
(or does that already exist?)
Is there a weight limit for this saddle? Otherwise somebody's going to get shafted, for want of a better word.
It's 120 kg.