Ergon SR Pro Carbon Men saddle

Ergon's new SR Pro Carbon saddle is specifically shaped for men and provides a comfortable, lightweight ride, though it's best suited to racy crouches – and it might mess with your reach to the bars.

• Pros: Comfortable, relieves perineal pressure, light enough for competitive rides
• Cons: Can stretch you too far rearwards, and expensive

Before we get into the specifics, I should point out the host of options: there's a 153mm wide version in addition to this 140mm, plus two lower spec/cheaper ones in the non-carbon SR Pro and SR Comp. Furthermore, Ergon does women-specific SRs (we tested the entry-level SR Sport Gel here and there's a review of the women's version of this Pro Carbon to come), so with this range Ergon covers everybody. Which is very lovely of them.

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I found the SR Pro immediately comfortable, but was disappointed to find pressure building up around an hour into my first ride. Eventually I discovered I was just sitting too far forward – it's easy to do, as you fall naturally into the (shallow) central dip. After that, both the 'wave' shape and the lined, grippy microfibre cover tend to keep you there. Shoving right back onto the broad, flat wings solved it with an immediate sensation of pressure relief and a return of comfort.

The slightly lumpy feel under the sit bones disappeared as the saddle broke in a little, though the profile's very flat – it didn't especially suit me, and led to a numb bum on long seated sections. You may be fine with it, of course, and comfort for your more gender-specific bits is good so long as you stay well back on the tail.

Unfortunately, I found the SR Pro worked best when I was too far back from the bottom bracket for efficient pedalling, and rather too stretched out as well. Slamming it right forward to the 'stop' on the clearly marked rails wasn't enough; if I were to run this permanently I'd be looking at inline seatposts at the very least.

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The shaping around the thighs is good as I still had no problems with rubbing. It's a design that suits aggressive positions and fast riding, and it's pretty light too. The nose is broad and supportive for steep, seated climbing, while the channel stays deep reasonably far forwards. I never gave it a thought on the climbs, which is exactly what you want.

If you suit its shape and can handle the jokes about the slightly odd square vent (enjoy the 'hilarity' about exhaust ports, wind tunnels and auxiliary sockets...), it's a good choice for longer training efforts, spicy group rides and sportives.

The benefit of that square vent is that mudguards such as the Mucky Nutz Road Butt Fender cover it completely, which is a boon in the wet. The carbon composite hull is – like the AirCell foam padding – firm-ish with a well judged spring to it, and takes the edge off rough roads despite the substantial, ovalised carbon rails beneath. Those rails spread and curve attractively into chunky mounts. 

You've got a fair range of choice at this level. The recently reviewed Star Lite from Astute may be £10 more and 42g heavier, but it's better finished and excellent for aggressive riding positions. Selle San Marco's Aspide Carbon FX is also worth a look, as it matches this Ergon for price, offers a similar approach to comfort and is impressively wispy at just 121g.

And at £190 there's the Fizik Antares R1 Versus Evo, which is lighter, fully-channelled, and extremely comfy however you sit. It goes without saying that saddles are very personal, though I still have to say it... and while the SR Pro saddle served me fairly well, I (personally) didn't find it as versatile as a full-length channelled one.

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Still, Ergon's SR Pro Carbon is a light, comfortable and tough-feeling perch that could meaningfully help those suffering from numbness – especially those with inline seatposts, or who like to sit well behind the pedals.

Verdict

Light and effective at managing pressure, but spendy and might mess with your reach to the pedals and bar