Hi All,

Currently using a Toupe 143m, after 15 months it has given way in the middle. I turned to this saddle seeking relief from numbness, and to this extent it has been ok, but not great. I'm liking the design of the mantra - the large cutout and the sweeping sides look ideal for my needs; the aforementioned numbness and also saddle sores. Although, to my own discredit, I've recently overhauled the saddle position and now find the toupe much better with respect to these!! Still, I need a replacement due to sagging. Any thoughts from users of the Mantra, it'd be great to hear from anyone with >= 12-months use? Comparisons to the Toupe?

Much appreciated

JR

I only have 6 months on mine, but I find it perfect "for me." I've had a SLR XP (numb-nut city), a Toupe 143 (used it for 2 years until it sagged too far, but always found it too firm on the sitbones); a SSM Aspide Racing (too narrow for me); a SSM Regal-e (nice, but some numbness, I still use it on my old Raleigh). And now, the Mantra -- minimal numbness, decent amount of padding on the sitbones.

If your LBS does not have a loaner program on the Mantra, trisports does (last time I checked).

_________________
“If you save your breath I feel a man like you can manage it. And if you don't manage it, you'll die. Only slowly, very slowly, old friend.”

I use one on my primary bike for around a year and half so far. I was looking for a cutout saddle and most (at the time) had very small holes with the only other significant brand being Selle SMP's. So I bit the bullet and purchased the Mantra and haven't looked back. Provided the relief I was looking for with some padding and a relative flat build which I tend to like. Narrow enough and the sides come down just enough so my thighs/short don't hang up anywhere. Having said that because of the narrow nose my shorts have shown some signs of wear as they rub against the seatpost clamp/saddle rails (this is bib material dependant as some of my shorts are fine). Other than that I love it! I'm actually looking for another one to use on my second bike.....

PS-I used the Fizik Arione, Aliante, Selle Italia SLR flow, and although I liked the Arione especially the length, it got soft and sagged after a while. SLR flow didn't have a large enough cutout but they have a new one called Super Flow which has a much larger hole. Good luck!

I've been using my Mantra for a bit now but not anywhere near that long. My experiences with it so far have been amazing. I didn't know my experience could be improved this much! The padding is firm enough for me, the nose is skinny, and it's generally as perfect of a saddle as I've ever owned. I tried a Toupe and it does not come close to the Mantra for my butt.

The literature does recommend replacing every 10,000 miles on my carbon version. That's a bit worrying to me since that's under 10 months of riding and I don't feel like a new saddle every year is reasonable. I'm hoping this isn't actually necessary....

It's a very comfortable saddle more me. The first day I got it I did 156 miles and it was never a problem. I never would have done that on a completely new saddle, but it never noticed it, so why not. Everyone who tries it seems to love it, i don't know why its not more popular. On the otherhand it does look a bit strange though, and its not the lightest saddle around.

I had several Toupes. They broke and sagged over time. I tried a Manta for a day as a replacement. It was terribly uncomfortable for me and very different to the toupe. I then bought a Carbon Toupe. It is much harder than the other Toupes, but it has lasted a lot longer and is lighter.

(I also used the San Marco regal and found that to be very comfortable and similar to the toupe.)

I have had Mantras on both my road bikes for a couple of years and I'm extremely happy. It does a great job of relieving pressure on soft tissue and being comfortable enough on the sit bones. For perspective, I've tried the following saddles and the Mantra is the best for me by a long shot.

1. San Marco Mantra
2. Max Flite Gel Flow
3. ProLink Gel Flow
4. ProLink
5. Aliante
6. Rolls
7. Flite
8. Selle SMP Glider
9. Selle SMP Evolution
10. Strada
11. Concor Lite
12. ProLink Lite
13. SLR
14. Airone
15. Rolls Due
16. Specialized Alias
17. Avocet 02 ti

I have used mantras on all my bikes for 3 years. Best saddle I've ever had.

I have been experimenting with a Mantra for a little over a year now, and had some difficulty finding the right position on it. It is an acceptable saddle, but does require some patience to find the sweet spot. Further, if you are buying based on the width (140 something) the saddle does play slightly narrower due to the taper at the back (from side to side at the back, the saddle does slope down more than other San Marcos I have used). It is not a flat back perch. However, if you are looking for a huge slot (what did someone call it here, scrotal valley?) then the Mantra is hard to beat. Very few hot spots around the slot either. Note, I did have to avoid my Assos shorts with this saddle as the floating pad on them was bunching up in the wide slot area on longer rides.