TheThe Charge bikes Spoon saddle has been a favourite among riders, racers and bike journos for years. It’s light, relatively cheap and very comfortable. Part of that comfort came from the clever way in which Charge worked with its saddle factory to produce a perch that flexed well, while still keeping its shape.
However, Nick at Charge hasn’t been resting on his laurels and has been pushing an even more innovative saddle. The new Charge Scoop is due out in a couple of weeks and has a few clever things about it to shout about.
The basic shape is still recognisable as a Charge saddle, with a sleek shape that calls to mind the classic Flite. There’s a little more drop to the front of the nose, but that’s about it. The real innovation is evident when you turn it upside down. Whereas you’d normally see a stretched and glued or stapled cover, there is just a clean, smooth plastic base. In fact, the Scoop is only made of three parts. There’s the padded top – which has a tough and waterproof skin to it. There’s the plastic base and there is the pair of rails. That’s it. This should keep the Scoop flexible, while having fewer parts to wear – and nothing to come unstitched. As you’ll see from Fresh Goods tomorrow, we’ve got a couple of these to try out, so we’ll let you know how we get on.
The Charge Scoop will be out in a couple of weeks or so and will cost £40 for the cro-mo rail version and £60 for the titanium version. Ours weighs in at 255g.
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What’s the top made from? I love my spoons but hate the leather covering which gets knackered as soon as there’s a bottom => grit => saddle interface i.e. straight away in this country!
I hope that top is durable enough. The reason saddles are normally leather covered is that leather is more durable than padding…
Bet it’s made of EVA like this one:
http://www.ridepdw.com/goods/grips/dios-thronous%E2%84%A2-saddle
It’s not EVA. EVA would not meet the tolerances required and can deteriorate with exposure to UV. But we did consider it. The report is not entirely accurate as there is a outer skin on the foam that provides a tough and totally waterproof outer layer.
Self skinning PU foam?
tbh it looks nice and no nonsense with nothing to spit or stitching to wear. If it’s as good as a Spoon and a good price I’d be going for it to replace my Spoons when they eventually die (or I get more bikes)
Bill Oddie… It’s not EVA. EVA would not meet the tolerances required and can deteriorate with exposure to UV. But we did consider it. The report is not entirely accurate as there is a outer skin on the foam that provides a tough and totally waterproof outer layer.
Molgrips / Mad Pierre – rest assured we have extensively tested this new version. We too ride in the wet and mud on a weekly basis. The goal was to improve every possible part of the Spoon, including durability, weight and comfort. I’d say we surpassed that goal.
Story updated, Mr Chargebikes.
I should have explained it better Chipps – my fault.. The overall aim is to simplify even further.
If it works as well as it looks it will be a replacement of choice here…. very clean lines, love the underside. Does that make me sound odd?
is that the cro-mo ot ti railed one you have weighing 255g?
Hi Chargebikes
I love the comfort of the origional spoon but the width made getting over the back wheel a problem. Is the total width of this saddle any narrower and if so – could you please tell me the exact width?
Thanks!
Andy L …. 255g is Cromo rail.
Gravity Freak it’s 3mm narrower.
Sounds good – I will almost certainly try one when they’re available…. unless you want to send me one for test and review too? 😉 (I do have a web site for that kinda thing)
Just one thing, not specifically to do with the saddle, but –
“As you’ll see from Fresh Goods tomorrow….”
What happened to it? Is It just me or has it not appeared this week?
Hmm, I need a new waterproof saddle for my commuter……
Fresh Goods was unfortunately postponed due to Mountain Mayhem duties. We’ll be publishing 2 week’s worth of goods this coming Friday.