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review

Morgaw Shock Absorbers (soft)

7
£27.99

VERDICT:

7
10
You'll need these if you weigh under 65kg and want to benefit from Morgaw's shock absorbing saddle design
Weight: 
31g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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If you are tempted by the Morgaw range of saddles, such as the Forsage or the Trian you may need to consider changing the shock absorbers to suit your weight. The soft bumpers here are recommended for flyweight riders, under 65kg.

Morgaw Shock Absorbers - soft.jpg

As the other reviews show, Morgaw's innovative system for taking the sting out of the ride seems to work pretty well, while still allowing them to keep the overall weight down. The secret is in these simple elastomer inserts, which separate the saddle shell from the rails. The saddles are supplied with medium density shock absorbers, which Morgaw recommend for riders between 65kg and 80kg. Over 80kg and you should be using the hard elastomers. If you are over 95kg, by the way, these saddles are not for you.

Swapping the elastomers is pretty straightforward but cannot be done without removing the saddle from the clamp, which is a pity if your seatpost is as fiddly as mine to get level. There are four T25 torx bolts which hold the rails on and four more which hold the elastomers to the saddle shell. These are T25 too but don't mix them up with the rail bolts as they are different.

I would recommend using a torque wrench to tighten these to the recommended settings, particularly the shell mount bolts; they only need doing up to 1.25Nm which is not a lot. The rail bolts take 6Nm. Too tight or too loose, in either case, could result in damage or injury.

It would be nice if Morgaw offered saddles with different density shock absorbers off the shelf, as the £27.99 outlay for the replacements adds a fair bit to the price of the saddle, but I suppose that would just put up the price for all the users who will manage OK on the stock medium buffers. Swings and roundabouts.

Verdict

You'll need these if you weigh under 65kg and want to benefit from Morgaw's shock absorbing saddle design

road.cc test report

Make and model: Morgaw Shock Absorbers (soft)

Size tested: Black, Soft

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 soft shock absorbers are recommended for riders up to 65kg using the Morgaw range of saddles.

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

Elastomer shock abosorbers, mounting to the saddle shell with 4 torx T25 bolts and to the rails with a different set of 4 t25 bolts.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
10/10

Good clean moldings, accurately sized

Not for me to say as I don't weigh under 65kg! However, the medium shock absorbers were effective for my weight.

Rate the product for durability:
 
10/10

Hard to see how these could go wrong.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

It's a substantial addition to the price of the saddle if you do need to change shock density, but the only ones out there.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Well made, easy to fit

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

price

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? yes

Use this box to explain your score

Great if you need to fine tune the ride of your Morgaw saddle, but these take away some of the value for money the saddle represents.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 50  Height: 6'2  Weight: 73kg and rising

I usually ride: Cannondale CAAD10   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: touring, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

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