Coming on like the lovechild of a Charge Spoon and a WTB Silverado, the Peaty’s Monarch saddle rules OK.
- Brand: Peaty’s
- Product: Monarch Saddle
- Price: £69.99 CrMo 4130, £89.99 Ti-MX (tested)
- From: Peaty’s
- Tested by: Benji for 2 months
Our rating
For something so hugely important to the enjoyment (or otherwise) of cycling, there isn’t much you can really bang on about in a technical sense. Ironically, the saddle brands that do bang on about ergonomic and techno stuff have never made a saddle that I like to sit on for very long.
Saddles are personal. Broadly speaking they typically go into two design camps: ‘rolling pin’ or ‘bar stool’. Or round-top versus flat-top, if you will. Personally speaking, neither rolling pin nor bar stool have been perfect for my arse cheeks, sit bones, perineum et al. I do generally get along with flat, bar stool style ones much more than rolling pin saddles.
To cut straight to the point, the Peaty’s Monarch is perfect. For me. It’s like a rounded-off flat-top. With a teensy bit of rear ramp. There’s a modest pressure relief channel to reduce pressure on sensitive areas. The padding is ‘Goldilocks’; not rock hard but not overly squishy. And it’s a nicely made saddle too. There’s also a modest ‘grab handle’ beneath the rear of the saddle to help lift your bike. Which sounds a bit tragic and Eeb specific but I’ve found similar handles on other saddles to be really useful. Sorry.
I shall not be taking up Peaty’s ’30-Day Rider Comfort Guarantee’ which allows riders to return it if it doesn’t so the job. Not that I paid for this saddle, but you get my point.
The USP of this saddle is that it can be taken apart a bit to deal with any dirt ingress etc that can cause annoying saddle creak. Using 2mm and 3mm Allen keys, you can disassemble the saddle, clean any muck/grease, lubricate the moving interfaces and reassemble it.
Also, The PU cover is waterproof, seamless and made using 24% recycled ocean plastics apparently. Which is nice.
This is the version with a blue underside. Other colours: black, orange, red, grey.
Overall
You can call it rash if you want, but I’m going to come and award the Peaty’s Monarch saddle full marks. It’s a true all-rounder saddle (xc, trail, enduro, eeb, whatever). It works great. Looks great. Has a great ethos (serviceable). And the price is pretty good for a premium saddle. Peaty’s continue to be the kings of contact points in my opinion. Recommended.
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Yep, anything that’s serviceable is good imo.
But by heck, that looks like my SDG Bel Air V3
I saw Guy Kes talking about it. Looks very much like my bel air. Maybe a bit wider on the nose? I’d like to compare the 2.
Replacement rails is a good shout.
I’d like to try one, but don’t get on with the Bel Air V3, too much scoop at the back. This doesn’t look like it has quite as much though
I had a few Charge Spoons backintheday(tm) and the last one is on the turbo. I really like the WTB saddle that came with my Santa Cruz. Strangely I have gone off my previous go-to Ergon SM.
That Peaty’s one sounds like a combo of my favourite saddles so I’m going to give it a try. I’m a big fan of the Monarch grips so hopefully have a similar experience with the saddle.
I’ve got no reason to replace my current Fizik saddle, but I’m very tempted by one of these. Looks like a cross between a Fabric and SDG, which are two of my favourite saddles. Assuming Peaty’s just create the design for their hard goods and gets them made elsewhere?
I’d assume they look at a catalogue of saddles and add stickers
Quite a few people assuming the sane on various forums, but Peaty’s did a bunch of 3d printed prototyping, you can see early versions in Guy K’s review. It’s their own design. even if the construction is very similar to Fabric saddles of old
Pretty much every saddle manufacturer does the same.
As mentioned, thought it looked just like my Bel Air 3. That’s not a bad thing.
Are Fabric still a thing? I really get on with their saddles and was recently wondering about picking up a new one to go on an incoming new bike, but I thought I remembered something about them disappearing. Their website is still extant though and looks like it’ll sell you things.
If not, maybe this Peaty one is worth a spin.
Doubtful as their products aren’t generic looking.
Wouldn’t surprise me if they get someone like SDG to make their grips and saddles though since SDG do both, but obviously to Peaty’s own design.
I think they’ve missed a trick. I’d put some lines across the central recess so you could put some muddy water in there and level the saddle like a spirit level
They are now branded as Cannondale. I picked up a few on SportPursuit recently to stockpile as were about £20 and they still have them available.
But is that any better than a flushing spray of gritty trail much through a permanently open gap….
You are right, I’ll take the mud trap over a gritty enema every time
Any news on how much the replacement rails will cost as a service kit?
“They are now branded as Cannondale. I picked up a few on SportPursuit recently to stockpile as were about £20 and they still have them available.”
Thank you, two bought!
Think they look really good.
similar to bel air which I get on well with.
Might try one next time I need one – their grips are also excellent. I like the fact they’re quietly launching new things but slowly instead of just rushing things to market.
Fitted mine. I do like the way all the packaging (and it’s nice and minimal) is recyclable. Only ridden up and down the lane to get it to the angle I like. Shall report back after a proper ride.
Have also taken a punt on this, still havent found my ideal saddle so hopefully this will do the job. Again, will report back when i’ve had a decent shot of it.
I’ve just been given a saddle to.try as my OLD WTB has got a split on the cover which I’ve patched for years but is dying. Not sure the donated one will work for me. If it don’t I think I’ll be trying one of these.
If those Cannondale branded scoops are still cheap on Sport Pursuit they’re worth a try. I think they’re effectively a fabric scoop gel elite with cro-mo rails