Six of the best road cycling saddles – Are you sitting comfortably?

Six of the best road cycling saddles – Are you sitting comfortably?

No matter your bike, if you aren’t comfortable in the saddle then your riding isn’t going to be enjoyable. So we delve into the review archive for six super comfy saddles.

Brooks England Cambium C13:http://fave.co/2pvKWh6
Specialized Ruby Expert: http://fave.co/2Gg0qiO
Fizik Arione R1 Versus Evo: http://fave.co/2DKdMP4
Prologo Dimension Nack: http://fave.co/2DNmtII
Fabric Scoop: http://fave.co/2GcwLao

High performance saddles guide: http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/195560-10-best-high-performance-saddles-%E2%80%94-improve-comfort-save-weight-one

Comfort saddles guide: http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/217686-19-best-saddles-%E2%80%94-seats-improve-cycling-comfort-men-and-women

50 Comments

  1. M Lee on July 30, 2019 at 1:58 am

    Silly “review” every saddle covered was comfortable…..sell sell sell…



  2. DavidUKesb on July 30, 2019 at 1:59 am

    Can’t beat Brooks B17. There’s a reason why they’re so legendary.



  3. rieckstudio on July 30, 2019 at 2:00 am

    Too much of the talking head. More video of the products from all directions and in action



  4. j en on July 30, 2019 at 2:01 am

    the stop start style of presentation is jarring. canna watch !



  5. hymen0callis on July 30, 2019 at 2:01 am

    Tune KommVor and KommVor+ for me. Very comfy with a nicely padded bibshort (e.g. Assos). Worst ever saddle for me was the fizik Arione.



  6. Herman Kloet on July 30, 2019 at 2:01 am

    Brooks Team Professional suits me well (Now that I am 71 one years old I do have a more upright position). Before I used among others Selle San Marco Aspide, Selle Italia Flite Flow and Fizik Arione.



  7. Hot Dog on July 30, 2019 at 2:02 am

    Dimension looks a copy of Shimano’s Pro saddles.

    I use the Specialized Toupe and Pro Stealth.

    They have 150+ mm options for my wide sit bones.



  8. Selcuk Cilek on July 30, 2019 at 2:06 am

    Good morning fizik! Woke up in the end. So producing years of "a classic" saddle which screwed a lot of balls and destroyed male sexuality…NOW responds and makes one with a relief channel. Wow! Why on earth did cyclists around the world follow the main stream to buy a shitty and expensive saddle ? The fizik Arione was a torture and I have got rid of it asap. There are so many good saddles out there which are not mentioned here because of again "main stream thinking". SMP, Berk,AXLightness…only to name a few.



  9. Gino Lopez on July 30, 2019 at 2:07 am

    Specialized Phenom for me–until I eventually got the Brooks Cambium Carved which is the best saddle I’ve ever had. From the review above and from my experience, I really dont need to go anywhere else.



  10. Alex Paulsen on July 30, 2019 at 2:08 am

    Plastic saddles with foam covers are ALL inhererently flawed. Brooks leather saddles are the only true answer for comfort, just ask any touring cyclist.



  11. Kim Roberts on July 30, 2019 at 2:08 am

    Had a C13 – absolute ass hatchet, hated it. Now run Pro Stealth on two bikes, an SMP Forma (carbon) on one bike and an Astute Skycarb VT on another bike.



  12. Lemond75 on July 30, 2019 at 2:08 am

    Err, hang on. Your tester didn’t find the Arione Versus Eve to provide a more even distribution of pressure compared to the normal one; the review on your website says exactly the opposite.

    http://road.cc/content/review/233739-fizik-arione-r1-versus-evo-saddle



  13. A. Random on July 30, 2019 at 2:12 am

    A good bike fitter will have a whole bunch of saddles.



  14. revolutionpm on July 30, 2019 at 2:13 am

    Most female riders get the best seats from ‘Diesel Fitter’ brand seat manufactures.



  15. Test Bed on July 30, 2019 at 2:15 am

    It’s like your reading from a screen.



  16. Alastair Olby on July 30, 2019 at 2:17 am

    I found proper comfort with an SMP Composit, the best fit for me in 45 years of cycling.



  17. Bruce W McLaughlin on July 30, 2019 at 2:17 am

    Nice brick wall . I used to ride with a Brooks saddle and at the time it was really comfortable , alas I got older and the body started to object to sitting on something that was beginning to feel like a fence post . Now I ride a Bacchetta Giro A 20 and my "saddle" is more like a Lazyboy recliner and I can ride all day in comfort.



  18. philip sinclair on July 30, 2019 at 2:17 am

    After many years of riding on all types of saddles from relatively cheap to very expensive I finally found one that is perfect for me. Specialised. I have them on both of my road bikes and they are the most comfortable I have ever used. I have narrow sit bones and need a narrow saddle. Wide saddles give me a pain on the insides of my thighs and with thick padded saddles I roll to one side giving me pain in the side of my crotch. I know everyone is different but for me Specialised are the only way to go.



  19. carlos valente on July 30, 2019 at 2:19 am

    What about SMP ??



  20. Jochem on July 30, 2019 at 2:19 am

    I have bought a Fizik Aliante Versus Evo R3 almost a year ago. The channel is way too narrow for your squishy bits. Imagine sitting on two knife handles 2 cm apart. The idea of making the foam firmer and the shell flexible does not work at all. Your weight gets concentrated on a smaller contact patch, which means more pressure and friction, and the flexible shell just makes it feel wobbly. And see those shiny points at the front of the saddle, in the closeup shot of the video? Yeah, that’s where the material simply wears away, exposing the foam just after a few months. Worst of all, it recently broke. Snapped from left to right. I’m going for a Pro Stealth now, should be here soon.



  21. Texas Governor on July 30, 2019 at 2:20 am

    He is sooooooo hot!



  22. salvatore mannino on July 30, 2019 at 2:22 am

    You talk in a very strange manner my friend, emphasizing words randomly and breaking the sentences in the wrong place. Given the job you do, you should try and get it right. It is kind of annoying to hear your talk and as informative and exact as it might be, it is non the less painful



  23. Hollywood Mion on July 30, 2019 at 2:25 am

    http://www.repente.it absolutely awesome, lightweight and supercomfy



  24. Marco Ramirez on July 30, 2019 at 2:27 am

    You may have just convinced me to buy a Brooks saddle for the first time. ((High FIVE))



  25. Aero Scout on July 30, 2019 at 2:29 am

    You spoke of saddle price reaching deep into the pockets.  Any reason you didn’t mention prices?



  26. Beans and Rice on July 30, 2019 at 2:29 am

    Two words, Charge Spoon. Buy it, sit on it, love it.



  27. Paulo G on July 30, 2019 at 2:34 am

    After many years I’ve settled on the Brooks Swallow and more recently the Fizik Arione.



  28. allgoo19 on July 30, 2019 at 2:36 am

    Basically, he’s repeating what’s in the description of the catalogs.



  29. Methodical2 on July 30, 2019 at 2:38 am

    I use Fi’zi:k Antares R1 large



  30. MEHMD1 on July 30, 2019 at 2:38 am

    This VLOG episode is literally an advertisement for each saddle. No real life usage video. Really a terrible episode. I have a Trek Arvada Pro. Really a fantastic saddle and yet no mention of it. The Montrose Pro is great also. Anyone could have done this video in fact my 6 year old could have done this video… Also, at least show saddles that are clean and dusted off and no hair on it (Cambrium saddle).



  31. braviss Loki on July 30, 2019 at 2:39 am

    Brooks.



  32. john g on July 30, 2019 at 2:39 am

    How about one for an old man that wants a huge" cushy, comfy saddle, like a lazy boy on wheels?



  33. DanTrekRider on July 30, 2019 at 2:40 am

    PRO Stealth Saddle!! I absolutely love it and will use it from now on!



  34. Shane n. on July 30, 2019 at 2:40 am

    What about the Brooks b17? This is the classic saddle they’ve been making since the beginning. I’ve been riding the b17 for about 6 months and love it.



  35. Daniel Weiss on July 30, 2019 at 2:41 am

    My Arione r1 hurts, i wonder if the Evo is much better



  36. Joe Bond on July 30, 2019 at 2:44 am

    Brooks B17 Titanium. Ridiculously comfortable and lighter than the traditional Brooks. If you need it to be lighter, then drink less beer.



  37. David Rivera on July 30, 2019 at 2:45 am

    I just purchased my b17 champion imperial and out the box I rold 10 miles to feel it out and I’m in love if you wish for longterm comfort and a genuinely custom feel and great looks go for a brooks 🏆



  38. Elmer Maniebo on July 30, 2019 at 2:45 am

    Who’s Amy?



  39. Jason Bannan on July 30, 2019 at 2:46 am

    Selle Italia SL gel flow. Love it.



  40. The Xardas on July 30, 2019 at 2:46 am

    Why is Ruby on the list? It is basically women version of Toupe. I am not saying you should not cover female saddles but when do it is probably should be mentioned.
    I own Specialized Toupe and Chikane. Both are very nice saddles. Next one Ill buy is Phenom. It is I think best and most versatile Specialized saddle. BTW before buying expensive saddles with carbon rails check your clamps and seat post for compatibility.



  41. napalmhardcore on July 30, 2019 at 2:47 am

    Pretty much every bike I (or my friends/family) owned growing up had what I thought of at the time as a standard saddle. They looked vaguely like the Fabric Scoop Gel (though a bit less contoured) and had dense padding inside that resembled sponge. I don’t remember the saddle from one bike to another being notably different. I remember seeing some more expensive, performance orientated bikes with non padded saddles that looked uncomfortable and part of me thought they were there to discourage putting weight on them so you were putting most of your weight on the pedals.

    I bought a bike a few years back and it had a modern aggressive looking saddle with no padding. To paraphrase what my friend who tried it said, it’s like being interfered with by a bull elephant (I’m not sure how he knows what that feels like).

    I looked at articles about bike saddles and how they’ve supposedly evolved in recent years and how padding is unnecessary if the shape is appropriate to your anatomy. Just looking at most of the saddles today, if I were asked "Would you like to sit on this?" my answer would be "No!", "Are you joking?" or "What about me makes you assume I’m a masochist?". I’m sure bike saddles never used to be this complicated.



  42. Rudy Elizondo on July 30, 2019 at 2:48 am

    The Brooks Cambria saddle really sucks, way too hard and too tiny!!



  43. Cyclopathic Tendencies on July 30, 2019 at 2:49 am

    I use an ISM PN 2.1

    I love it



  44. Tom Vanovac on July 30, 2019 at 2:49 am

    Why so much video time of a talking head and so little video time of the subject? Should have included weight and approximate price also.



  45. Andrej Skafar on July 30, 2019 at 2:51 am

    Sworks power is my saddle of choice. Pro Stealth carbon is also a good one.



  46. Alvin Skelton on July 30, 2019 at 2:52 am

    More Pics of saddles and less of presenter standing in front of brick wall !



  47. Rog V on July 30, 2019 at 2:55 am

    Show the saddles instead of reporter. And more facts like weight and prices.. this review is rather vague



  48. timtak1 on July 30, 2019 at 2:57 am

    I ride with my back pretty horizontal by supporting my weight on the area of my body where my genitals are. This means either that I support myself a little off the saddle with my calf muscles, or that I need a cut out in the saddle that is big enough for my genitals to fit into. I tend to use the latter technique and none of the saddles here have a bit enough cut out. I use an unpadded Selle SMP with a large cut out.



  49. Atty Bong on July 30, 2019 at 2:57 am

    brooks for sure ..



  50. Devil Fruit on July 30, 2019 at 2:58 am

    specialized power is the BEST!