[Closed] £290 saddle: Specialized Power Pro with Mirror

Argh! Trypophobia!

Shudder. My skin is leaving the room. I may never manage to read anything about this saddle unless there is a text only version of this story. And I may have to request that it’s put in a special safe box in the office so that I don’t accidentally lay eyes on it. Shudder.

I think a mirror is required, to take a good long look at yourself, for anyone that is considering paying £290 for a saddle (doubly so on a mountain bike that's going to crash from time to time.)

how does specialized propose one gets the mud out of all of those tiny holes?
252g when new (not very light is it?) but probably 500g once it's been ridden in the mud.

I'd never hears if trypophobia, so consider me educated

the "SWAT attachment potential" image should be on the Ah my eye! thread

Good watch.

I think a mirror is required, to take a good long look at yourself, for anyone that is considering paying £290 for a saddle

Honestly? I think saddles are an area that we should all spend more on, at the expense of Gucci carbon/endless tyre swappage etc.

Maybe less so for MTB but I've been dicking around with saddles on my road and gravel bikes recently and the difference that the right saddle can make is huge, in terms of performance gain/£££ I'd say it's a hugely underrated upgrade.

Still wouldn't pay £290 right enough 😂

Trypophobia

Ah, you say the damndest things, Marina.

Honestly? I think saddles are an area that we should all spend more on

Pedals, shoes, saddles, grips, bike fit, shorts. All the bits that connect you to the bike.

I'm not saying to go with a £7.99 saddle (though I would if comfy). But I see a distinct difference between £100-150 which I have paid for comfort + made in Europe not China, and £290.

Imagine if Hannah's £450 dungarees got ripped by the nose of a £290 saddle..

With saddles, it's more about the 'profile' and how it suit's your ass.

Selle Italia work for me, as do some Fizik's and the Charge Spoon. I suit a 'flat' saddle, cut out's or not. Two saddles with cut outs, and 2 without.

I don't know how a saddle with extra edges (ie, the ones round the gusset hole) can ever be comfortable. I tried one once, and it was just more points to cause pressure and/or rubbing. But I guess it must work for some cos they still make em!

I too am having issues with a) scary holes that hide who knows what, b) price and c) HOW MUCH MUD collection?

Oh, you don't live in SoCal? How quaint.

Charge Spoon or Madison Flux under £30 job done 😎

That's one expensive shit collector.

I've got the s-works version, seems comfy enough no complaints on rides over 100 miles and seems well supported on the front when "pushing on" and shifting position to the front, but it's a saddle, very person specific

I reckon it looks like a great idea. Not overly worried about it getting full of mud because I use mudguards. Of course I'm not going to fork out for one, but I'm wondering if I could 3D print such a thing.

Maybe I'll start a 3D printing service where you start with a base design and I'll tweak it for you if you want a bit more or less support in certain areas. You heard it here first, folks.

As a fan of Spesh saddles I get that some will resent this much money on one. If however you're riding epic long rides where an ache free bum would benefit I'd get one (an investment so to speak). I have to say I run the Spesh Mimic Phenom (which I believe has a more forgiving platform for female riders) and it's so dam comfy it's not true. The guy at Spesh said he gives most male riders these saddles now and they're less than half the cost of a mirror one.

I take it for £290, adaptors are included for mounting my Carradice saddlebag to those SWAT threaded inserts?

Normally when you pay a lot for a saddle you paying for it to be light weight - with this one, unclear what you're actually getting for your money - a pretty heavy saddle for an awful lot of money?

Such a lot of fuss about this. If it's really comfortable, and you have the money, then it's worth it. Looking at how it's designed, I can see how it would be lovely to sit on.

I mean we're MTBers, people are paying a hundred quid for a bit of foam to go inside their tyres. It's really not that big of a deal. If you're a keen long distance road rider then I can easily see how a really comfy saddle is worth this much money. People spend three or four times that on wheels to gain a little bit of zing on a climb or a few seconds off their 25k TT time.

But there are loads of really nice comfy saddles at around the same weight for under £50?

With saddles, it’s more about the ‘profile’ and how it suit’s your ass.

I ride my Ass bareback so the saddle is irrelevant.

But seriously, i don't get the fuss. I find any bike saddle comfortable, longevity is the only thing that really bothers me.

But there are loads of really nice comfy saddles at around the same weight for under £50?

You've never had any kind of discomfort on a road bike after any number of hours in the saddle? I suspect you're in the minority if so.

I'm not saying it's good value for money, necessarily, but like most expensive stuff - if you have the money, why not?

But seriously, i don’t get the fuss.

There isn't any fuss except from people like you complaining about how expensive something that you don't want or need is.

But there are loads of really nice comfy saddles at around the same weight for under £50?

Loads? I've spent years and years doing this (and thousands of pounds on saddles), and found very very very few comfortable saddles, at any price or weight.

I'd pay that much if it was guaranteed to be a comfort revolution. If Specialized offered a deal whereby e.g. you could try it for a month and get a full refund if you decided it wasn't worth it then I'd happily try it. I'd be happy to do a trial on a used test one.

(Road bike) saddles are a bit like mattresses - it's totally plausible that spending a big chunk of money could be the best value ever, but it's impossible to know until you've tried it for a month. Test saddles are a great idea, but not that easy to come by in reality.

I have a brooks B17ti on 2 of my bikes.
£245rrp. Although I didn’t pay anything like that.
Worth it?
Dunno, but i can tell you i never get any discomfort while riding.

And here's me having to ride home stood up after 20km on a B17... (that i didn't pay anything for, thankfully)

Yeah, not every saddle suits every person. Bummer.

@gray I believe Spesh do this, you get a 30 day period in which time you can swap it for a saddle of the same price.

They certainly used to that, dunno if they still do. But if you pay £290 for a saddle that turns out to be uncomfy, then there aren't many other £290 saddles to swap it for...

Yeah, not every saddle suits every person. Bummer.

I see what you did there...

then there aren’t many other £290 saddles to swap it for

Just get 10 normally priced saddles and sell the ones you don't want 🙂

You’ve never had any kind of discomfort on a road bike after any number of hours in the saddle? I suspect you’re in the minority if so.

I’m not saying it’s good value for money, necessarily, but like most expensive stuff – if you have the money, why not?

But seriously, i don’t get the fuss.
There isn’t any fuss except from people like you complaining about how expensive something that you don’t want or need is.

I’m not complaining. And I haven’t ridden a road bike since I was about 12. But no, I don’t get discomfort from bike seats. I don’t know why.

Will look sick on my Inspired.