I know NOTHING about saddles really, always just used what was in the spares – but I am just finishing my new build and want to put a decent & extremely lightweight saddle on it, so……I am looking for your input in a couple of ways:

1. In your expereince which saddle has been the most comfortable on you have had for XC/AM?

2. Does anyone know what the best combination of weight & comfort is the best on the market?

Pleeeeeeease help!

Thanks
Leon

Charge Spoon!!!!!!!!!

spoons seam popular because they are cheap and reasonably comfortable. not light though.

I just bought a 2nd hand (but like new) selle italia SLR for £39 off here, it weighs 135g, ti rails, carbon hull etc it looks like it should be massively uncomfortable, but it's really not. I know alot of people using them for XC/enduro racing etc etc

Charge Spoon – good saddle for the money – looks good and it's understated – and comfy 🙂

Charge spoon here. Excellent value

Fizik Gobi fits my arse well.

Charge spoon is really comfortable. Personally I operate a SLR XC gel flow or XP for my XXXC needs.

Charge Spoon

Cheap/Light/Strong, pick all 3!

Ok, it's not THE lightest saddle, but at 260g for a cromo railed saddle, it's lighter than a lot of ti railed saddles out there. OK, it's not gonna find its way onto an XC race bike I doubt, but 260g is plenty light enough for most of us.

They're also pretty comfortable, which is important obviously. Oh, and they're a lot easier to move around on than most other saddles I've tried, which is important in the "being able to get your arse off the back of the saddle" moments to ride steep sections etc, which is where my SDG Bel Air (though it's very comfortable) sucks arse, cos it's not very easy to get on/off it in a hurry.

WTB Rocket V here.

I get on really well with a SDG Ti Fly, seems very light to me, combined with an i-beam post its pretty much as light as possible.Had a Bonty x-lite thing that was possibly the least comfortable saddle in the world.

Mmmmm….charge spoon gets a load of votes! I had an SDG ages ago and loved that, but just one person come up with that one? I had considered the WTB Rocket V……keep em coming, the more replies the better cross section I'll get! Cheers for the replies so far.

I had an SDG ages ago and loved that, but just one person come up with that one?

Like I said, I find my SDG Bel Air really comfortable, but it's a pain to get on and off it in technical situations. It snags on my shorts getting off or on, which has ended in my bollox getting crushed a couple of times! Not good… If you're the kind of rider that never gets out of the saddle, couldn't recommend one highly enough, otherwise get a Charge Spoon as it's nearly as comfy, but MUCH better for getting on and off… And the Spoon is less than half the price too!

SDG bel air Ti for my bikes

The syncros AM saddle is really comfy, one of the best i've tried. Also a fan of the SDG bel air saddles. Didn't get on with the gobi fizik. The charge spoon is great for the money as well.

SDG Bel Air for me, or Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow.

SDG Bel Air SL on an I-Beam post for me. Light, cheap and comfortable

Fizik Gobi… if you like "firm"

The syncros AM saddle is really comfy, one of the best i've tried.

Bizarre! That's what is on there now! I have tried it yet (broken foot), but thought I'd get something better? Mmmmm….interesting?

Best to start off cheap and experiment with different saddles to see what fits.

I too run a Charge Spoon and love it, the best compliment I can give it is that despite it being brand new, on my first ride I forgot it was there.

Personally, I also prefer minimal (but some) padding and a narrowish profile, however not everyone is built the same. It's worth also noting that Specialized make saddles in different widths and most dealers have an ass-o-meter to gauge the width of your sit bones.

I'm sure I've seen WTB advertising a "test fleet" of saddles, never tried it myself though, happy with my spoon on my FS, and my pure team on my HT.

oh here we go:- [/url]

+1 for the SLR. They're on all my bikes (road, commuting, MTB) and are exceptionally comfy. I regularly rack up 6 hour rides on them, and they never give me any aggravation. They are a bit of an acquired taste, though…

SDG Bel Air for me on both the mountain bikes. I had a Charge Spoon for a short while and liked that too. I have to say I didn't feel the weight benefits of the I-beam SDG saddles was worth it, as though they were crazy light, they didn't have the 'all day comfort' of the regular railed ones.

Love the spoons, gonna get a white one for my roadie in the new year

Fizik Aliante personally.

I've had 2 Ti railed Bel air saddles on my susser over the years. Really comfortable saddle but both didn't last well, within 6 months riding they developed creaks….which is bad considering how much they cost. I won't buy another.

I have a Bel air ibeam on my XC bike, can't fault it – I think I got it back when Merlin were chucking in a free post so really cheap for the weight saving. Maybe I've got an odd shaped bum but it fits me. I'm fine on it all day.

Spoon on the hack bike so cheap&comfy that I thought I'd try the ti fly. Winstanleys have them on offer for £32 if I remember rightly. Still awaiting the parcel 🙁

Aliante's are very nice but the leather is way too soft for regular muddy rides – summer saddle!

Spesh Phenom SL is great, wears well and is reasonably priced (compared to an Aliante…)

"nd the gobi mate legend of a saddle.

Spoon

I like the longish nose (bike's a handful uphill unless you sit on the nose)

Cheap too

I get on very well with my Spoon and my Knife, the Knife's more comfortable for me because it fits better but it's less padded and less shaped so some might find it uncomfy. It is, after all, called a Knife 😉 But it's light, cheap, and tough. Certainly can't see any reason to spend a penny more.

I'd be perfectly happy with a Spoon mind but the Knife just suits me that little bit better. Also, it's cheap and the used value is almost the same as new so it's not much of a gamble.

Some great suggestions people – thanks very much! I Will keep reading to see what pops up!

I have Spoons in cro-mo & Ti.
IMO Ti is slightly more comfy, but not worth twice the price.

Doh. I meant ti charge knife in my previous post not ti fy

For me the Spoon. The WTB pure V pro if I was flush. Weight not an issue for me.