New Bontrager xxx carbon saddle

[Calnago]

Ok... Review Time!
I've had one of these saddles to actually play with and ride for a bit. So, here we go. But first, a bit about my saddle preferences for perspective. I've tried a lot over the years, but finally think I can pretty much tell which profiles will and will not work for me. In recent years, I've really liked the Specialized Romin Pro (2015 model, discontinued ), not to be confused with the new S-works Evo, or Evo Pro, or even the older Romin Pro Evo (very confusing lineup for sure, no wonder they consolidated). I generally like a saddle in the 270mm length range, med width, with an actual "saddle dip" in the middle, although I used to ride a pretty flat Selle Italia SLR which works too. And before that an older Aliante which has a huge "dip", plus very generous padding. But for now, my current favorites are the now discontinued Romin Pro and to replace it I've found the Bontrager Serano RXL works quite nicely as well...

Here they are...
Romin Pro (2015)... on most of my bikes currently... unfortunately not made any more...


And the Bontrager Serano RXL... on my Koppenberg, could not get the Romin Pro anymore so opted for this one. I like it. It works too...



Enter the new Bontrager XXX Saddle... it's ultralight (this one weighed in at 72 grams), and potato chip thin...

So, the short and skinny... It's nice, it's got a profile I thought I would like with curves in the right places; my biggest concern was whether the edges would be "sharp" against my legs. Oh, and the length... I like the (old) standard ~270mm length saddles, they work for me. I tired the newer Romin Evo but didn't really like its shorter, by a centimeter, length. I'm sure I could get used to it but opted to switch to the Bontrager Serano RXL when Speicalized changed up the Romin's dimensions. And I really just can't get past the looks of the newest "short" saddles. They don't look right to me, especially on a larger frame. Plus, I have zero problems with my current saddles so why switch. By the way, this saddle isn't mine... I'm just testing it out since I recommended it to someone who might actually buy it. Well, he did buy it, but he's not sure if he's keeping it at this point.

So, what else... well... pics are a good start..

Side by side a white Bontrager Serano RXL... quite similar profiles really, but one has padding, the other doesn't. And one weighs 175 grams, while the other a scant 72 grams...


What can I say, to my eye it's a very nice looking saddle... it's got the shape I like...


You can fit an 8mm hex key in that gap between the straight edge and the lowest point of the saddle and, coincidentally, that's about the same as it is on my Romin Pros and Serano RXL...


The height profile is about as low as you'll find too, at well under 4cm...


It is sexy, no denying that...


And very, very thin...


Looks to be well made too, in Waterloo... trying to capture the thinness of the edges here, and they are very thin, but they have kind of a "bead" of an edge, making it more than just a rounded super thin edge, but a tiny bit thicker so the edge harshness is suprisingly not apparent while riding...


Overlaid on top of the Serano RXL...


Any new saddle generally means a completely new ritual of trial and error to find the exact "rightness" to it all, involving the simultaneous perfect combination of height, setback and tilt, and yes... it's a combination of the three, always. Takes a while sometimes to get that right. So, since this saddle is only 250mm long, a good 2cm shorter than the Serano, I was faced with where to initially set it up. I figured the best way was just to overlay it on top then look straight down and try to match where it starts curving outwards at the sides, since most of my saddle issues always tended to be in that area. Turned out to be the perfect way to do it, as it seemed pretty much spot on when I rode it. Where it eventually ended up being was kind of right in the middle, so the nose is ~1cm back from the where the nose on the Serano is, and the rear is about 1cm inward from the rear of the existing Serano, so in the end it all still looked pretty proportionate on the bike. Not bad at all.


Ok, so what's it like to ride? Well, for me the shape is perfect, but I pretty much suspected it would at least be close from the get go. The best part, and I knew I'd be feeling for it as soon as I got on, was that the edges are completely unobtrusive. I mean, I didn't even feel them. That was a big reason I switched from the Selle Italia SLR's when they changed the design to the most recent profile. The edges were noticeable to me. And "noticeable" when talking about saddle shapes is not a good thing. Saddles are probably the most personal piece of bike equipment one can own so how it melds with your own body is critical. Thus, whenever someone tells you how great a saddle is you kind of have to take it with a grain of salt. Same here. But for me, the shape is perfect.

So, what's not to like. Not much really, if you're into this sort of thing. I guess this is the right forum for a saddle like this. It's like riding on a potato chip that doesn't break. However, I can't help but think this saddle would not fare too well in a crash, or even if I knock it over with my elbow while enjoying my coffee somewhere. It's just that thin. Yet, I'm 200lbs and it seemed to support me just fine; I didn't notice unwanted flex anywhere. Would I dare take this on a 100 mile or more ride? Well, truthfully... no. For that I like saddles with more heft. When I first jumped on, I was thinking the shape was so right for me, that I could ride it all day, but after about two hours, the reality of what I was actually sitting on was settling in. So for me, I'm happy with my current crop of saddles. For my friend who actually purchased the thing, who rarely rides more than two hours at a stretch, but rides hard when he does (unless he's with me), he's decided to keep it. It's exclusive. It's light. And it's the sexiest lightwieght saddle I know of right now. It's not cheap, but then what is when you get into this stuff. Besides, I like my potato chips salted.

I leave you with one final pic of it in the wild during the one day I got to ride with it...

[Robbyville]

With a shape like that do you run your saddle leveled between the rear upturn and nose or the scoop part?

[Calnago]

I always use that digital level on top of a straight edge that runs across the saddle front to back. It’s the only way to really get a consistent measurement each time when you’ve got a curved saddle. So, while it may be level where I sit, the tilt I use for reference is 1.0 degree nose down, measured on top of the straight edge. Make sense? And of course, anyone else may have something different.

[Alexandrumarian]

Thank you for the review and nice pics! What does "I was thinking the shape was so right for me, that I could ride it all day, but after about two hours, the reality of what I was actually sitting on was settling in" mean more exactly. Did it turn uncomfortable? Or simply got that feeling "cool but I should leave this for the skinny guys" same as you'd have on a 700g frame or ultralight skewers? Other than this, have you been hammering on it? Personally I can sit on any saddle for two hours if I go light, but at ftp or after 4h, it's a totally different story...

[Calnago]

No, It does not mean that I feel the saddle is simply so skimpy that I feel like I’m going to break it or it won’t do what it’s supposed it. It simply means that although the shape is good, after a while it’s “hardness” became more apparent, and maybe that’s because I’m used to riding saddles with some padding. I guess I like a little firm padding on my saddles. Not too much, but some. Just a preference thing.
I didn’t take it out “all day”. And I didn’t “hammer” on it. Just wanted to try it out for a couple of hours or so. I think over the course of a very long ride it would just feel simply too “hard” for me. Could I get used to it? Maybe, but I guess I’m just happy with my current saddles. So no, not uncomfortable in the sense that the shape is wrong for me or, what I was most concerned about, if the edges would be annoying (didn’t notice them at all). If i was building up a bike where weight trumps everything, then this would be the saddle I choose. But while weight is certainly important, it’s never always about weight for me. Trade offs.

[TobinHatesYou]

The lack of padding is something I noticed immediately when switching to the XXX, especially when just riding along on flat ground or on a descent in lower power zones. When your legs are working hard your attention moves elsewhere and the lack of padding becomes less of an issue. I have ridden 120mi on this saddle, and while my ass did hurt at the end, that was mostly from taking an extended lunch break in soggy bibs.

So unpadded saddles are a bit of a conundrum. Set up right, they are mildly uncomfortable compared to padded saddles from the beginning. However they are way more comfortable over the course of a ride than a padded saddle that isn’t quite the right shape. For example, I can’t get used to the Montrose Pro for whatever reason.

[Robbyville]

I always use that digital level on top of a straight edge that runs across the saddle front to back. It’s the only way to really get a consistent measurement each time when you’ve got a curved saddle. So, while it may be level where I sit, the tilt I use for reference is 1.0 degree nose down, measured on top of the straight edge. Make sense? And of course, anyone else may have something different.

Perfect sense thank you!

[Calnago]

I think if you really notice the “lack of padding” immediately then that is more of an indication that the saddle is not a shape you are used to. If it is the same basic shape and setup as what you are used to, you should feel right at home immediately. I did. And that’s why I really wanted to try it... I knew it was a shape I’d probably get along with before I even sat on it. It’s the same basic shape as what I’ve come to appreciate over a very long time. In that case the lack of padding won’t really make itself known until much later. Not that it may not be right for you, but if you’re constantly going from one style to the next in search of what works then yes, you are going to notice a different shape right away. Finding the right shape is certainly a process.
And while I agree that a saddle of the incorrect shape is going to be uncomfortable on a long ride, padding or no padding, I completely disagree that a saddle of the correct shape with no padding is going to be more comfortable than a saddle of the same correct shape with a little firm padding. Not talking BarcaLounger here, just something like the Romin Pro I showed at the beginning of the thread. Still probably my favorite of the bunch.

[TobinHatesYou]

Again, I ride on roads of varying quality...some chipseal. Road buzz and any road imperfections are amplified by the lack of padding vs even minimal padding. No one said a correctly shaped saddle with no padding would be more comfortable than one with minimal padding.

Even just a leather cover like on some Selle SMPs is noticeable vs their full carbon models.

One other thing I noticed about the XXX is if you do a bit of top tube / super-tuck style descending, you need to be careful getting back on the saddle. I’ve stabbed myself in the lower back with the nose even though it’s only 250mm and I run a deep setback around 90mm.

I had to replace my XXX under warranty as well. There were some hairline cracks forming on the rails.

[Calnago]

My mistake, you did say an incorrectly shaped saddle with padding. Which of course would be a problem over a long ride, padded or unpadded.

Re the “stabbing in the back” from
the death tuck position... I never use that position but I did try the new Romin Pro shape after they discontinued the 2015 model as I was searching for a suitable replacement. While not in a death tuck but rather in kind of a sprint scenario, then returning to the saddle quickly I did have a rather unpleasant experience as a result of it being shorter than I like. Misjudged my landing a bit. Closest analogy might be the torture scene with Daniel Craig in the Bond flick “Casino Royale”. Nuff said.
I half wonder if Specialized didn’t cut a bit off the nose of the new Romin for Sagan, since he likes the death tuck so much. More room to stretch out while straddling the top tube. Still, just hate to imagine any mishaps from that position.

[NealH]

Does a 7X9 eared clamp (the Specialized clamp in particular) work on this saddle with 7X10 rails?

[TobinHatesYou]

Does a 7X9 eared clamp (the Specialized clamp in particular) work on this saddle with 7X10 rails?

Doubtful, the 7x10mm rails fit perfectly into the 7x10mm clamp/ears. I have used 7x9 and 7x9.6mm saddles with 7x10mm clamps, but never the other way around.

[Calnago]

No, Specialized “ears” wont fit on the Trek seatmast but Trek makes a 7x9 clamp that fits the Specialized saddle rails perfectly. Or are you asking because you want to maybe put this saddle on a Specialized seatpost or something? Does Specialized make 7x10 clamps? I don’t know. I went through the same thing in reverse when wanting to put the Romin saddle on a Trek. Luckily, Trek made some 7x9 ears that fit. For a while I used the 7x10 ears on the Romin, but it wasn’t a good fit.

[TobinHatesYou]

Anyway, I would love an XXX with minimal padding that weighed around 100g. It has just enough of a crown for me. The Romin Evo is close, but not quite as flat in profile.

[FIJIGabe]

Calnago, can you post a photo of the underside of the saddle? I'm specifically looking at where the rails merge with the saddle in the front. The reason I ask is because I had a newer Affinity RXL Pro, and where the rails stopped at the front, the saddle cracked, during the middle of a ride (it just popped). I'm using a Fizik Antares, now, but I would like to see how Trek resolved this issue.