Suggestions for light-weight saddle *with* padding?

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Marin
Posts: 4035
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:48 am
Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

Speedneedle is under 100g with padding.

TobinHatesYou
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

alcatraz wrote:
Fri Mar 23, 2018 12:32 am
After trying many padded and unpadded for me at mid age and 65kg, I found it doesn't really matter that it's padded. What's important is flex in the carbon base/rails (and if you have a very stiff bike, heavy behind or take long rides 5h+, that will limit your seat options).

Youtuber Ronald Kuba made me curious about dash saddles. If I could score one cheaper 2nd hand I would try one. Weight and comfort for extreme riding it seems.

/a
Kuba has dumb opinions sometimes. He claims to get thousands of km on Vittoria Corsas. He thinks 50mm deep wheels are as shallow as you need to go...(those would have been fun in the Bay Area yesterday.) He seems to think Dash saddles will work for everyone when they are obviously very individual.

A few months ago I switched from a Romin Evo to an ISM PN 3.0 and I have been happy with it other than its weight. That led me to try a Dash Strike, thinking I would get along with it. Nope, the convex profile was like sitting on a battleaxe compared to the flat PN 3.0. Also the stub nose on the Strike is slightly too narrow for me liking.

Make sure you choose the optional return program just in case.

by Weenie


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alcatraz
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Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:19 am

by alcatraz

Is it possible your butt doesn't like the split nose saddles?

I found the ISM adamo copy I use to be quite comfy. I just wish it wouldn't be 300gr. That's where Dash maybe could fit in.

On my light bike I'm using a d.i.y. integrated saddle+seatpost that weighs 176gr and cost me only 20usd:lol:. Not crazy light but surprisingly it is nearly a perfect fit. If only the carbon flexed a bit more. Luckily my frame is quite comfy (fm066sl). I use some bar tape on the saddle to add a bit of flex in just the right spot.

/a

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swright
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2018 4:29 pm

by swright

Thanks for all the replies!

I summarized the preceding suggestions into the table below. IMHO, from this coarse survey, a weightweeneie saddle would be below 100g.

wt. Saddle
92 AX-Lightness Leaf Leather
~93 Berk Lupina Padded Carbon
95 Tune Speedneedle
98 Berk List Padded Carbon
104 Selle San Marco Aspide Superleggera
<130 Meld (custom)
140 Fizik Arione 00
140 Fabric ALM Ultimate
~143 Specialized S-Works Power Arc
~135 Specialized S-Works Romin Evo
~160 Specialized S-Works Power
~160 Specialized S-Works Toupe
165 Fizik Arione R1 Regular
~176 PRO Stealth Carbon
198 PRO Turnix

Tilde means different sizes are available with slightly differing weights -- I averaged.

Congrats to all you AX-Lightness Leaf riders, with Berk Lupina Padded receiveing a very honorable mention! :)

Scott
2003 Klein Q Carbon Race (aluminum with carbon fiber seatstays) in purple haze, Campagnolo Record 11s groupset, Bora 50 Ultra (rim-brake clincher) wheelset, full Deda Elementi finishing kit, Fabric ALM Ultimate saddle [7.2kg/15.9lbs]

moyboy
Posts: 492
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2016 12:19 am

by moyboy

1 vote for Lupina too! have mine coming in today!

TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12455
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

alcatraz wrote:
Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:30 pm
Is it possible your butt doesn't like the split nose saddles?

I found the ISM adamo copy I use to be quite comfy. I just wish it wouldn't be 300gr. That's where Dash maybe could fit in.

On my light bike I'm using a d.i.y. integrated saddle+seatpost that weighs 176gr and cost me only 20usd:lol:. Not crazy light but surprisingly it is nearly a perfect fit. If only the carbon flexed a bit more. Luckily my frame is quite comfy (fm066sl). I use some bar tape on the saddle to add a bit of flex in just the right spot.

/a

I love my ISM PN 3.0. That’s the first thing I said. Also Dashes aren’t split-nose. The Strike is basically a traditional saddle with a cutout and its nose simply chopped off...and a convex profile I’ve never seen on any other saddle.

glepore
Posts: 1408
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

Image

The above mentioned carbon Power k/o stripped and reupholstered. Have done it in black as well for those that find this a little gaudy.
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

Squashednuts
Posts: 546
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2017 11:12 am
Location: Christchurch New Zealand

by Squashednuts

I'm a fan of the Tune Speedneedle Marathon, mine is 104g.
It feels okay, I start a to notice it after riding fo 2 hours... it feels uncomfortable for 10-15mins then The discomfort eases and I'm no longer aware of the saddle
Also liked my previous saddle Specialized Toupe
I tried and hated the Bontrager Paradigm, sold it to a bloke who loves them
As lots of people have mentioned...saddles are individual

I find my shorts make a difference to general comfort levels on the bike

@glepore...I like that saddle...almost looks like a skinned forehead from The Predator
Last edited by Squashednuts on Fri Mar 23, 2018 11:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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oldturd
Posts: 230
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2016 12:10 am

by oldturd

^ username very appropriate for thread.

anyhow. sorry to be offtopic.

ongbenghui
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2006 3:16 am

by ongbenghui

I decided to weight my Pro turnix, and this is the carbon rail version, 155mm. 197g
IMG_20180324_195213.jpg
The really narrow Giant Contact SL. 217g
IMG_20180324_194930.jpg
My previous comfy trusty Specialized Romin Evo (Ti rail version) 155mm. 275g
IMG_20180324_194918.jpg
I assume the narrow version of the saddle will be lighter.

TheKaiser
Posts: 653
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 3:29 pm

by TheKaiser

glepore wrote:
Fri Mar 23, 2018 6:56 pm
The above mentioned carbon Power k/o stripped and reupholstered. Have done it in black as well for those that find this a little gaudy.
That is a badass looking saddle, and nice job on re-covering it! I have a couple of those on the way, and am looking forward to trying the shape out. Besides the carbon, I also got one of the nylon shelled ones, to see how the additional flex that it presumably has affects the comfort. I am surprised that your new padding and leather cover is so much lighter than the stock setup, especially since neoprene is one of the heavier foams, in my experience. Maybe you got some lower density stuff, but if you weigh a chunk of typical neoprene, like from a wetsuit or mouse pad, and similarly sized PU or silicone foam it is usually quite a bit more chunky. Did you cover the whole surface of the saddle, or just the sit bone area?


glepore
Posts: 1408
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

@ Kaiser- Thanks for the compliment. The job is really easy, getting the old cover off is the hardest part, as even once you get it started you still have to go around. I found a 90 degree pick to be the best tool. Use the old cover for a pattern, it'll be a little large but its not hard to trim as you go. Contact cement works really well (I used some Vittoria I had lying about on the first but switched to something cheaper on this one). I used foam over the entire saddle. Spec doesn't in the "valley" at the rear of the cuttout, but I didn't want to overcomplicate. Just finished 3 hrs on the unpadded version, and its fine. I might try to "expand" the cuttout just a bit as I'm light and wouldn't mind a wee bit more flex.
I have both as well, haven't loaded up the nylon one yet. I was super disappointed in the weight of the carbon saddle out of the box, but the padding is much thicker than the original, even their level 2. The nylon saddle is much closer to oem, stripped of the graphics the only difference appears to be that there are no swat mount nuts.
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

Marin
Posts: 4035
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:48 am
Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

My most comfortable saddle is also my lightest, Tune Komm-Vor, unpadded but very flexy. 88g.

I use padded shorts, so no padding needed on the saddle.

BiscuitHarrington
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2018 8:20 pm

by BiscuitHarrington

glepore wrote:
Thu Mar 22, 2018 11:42 pm
I gotta thing going with aliexpress power carbon knockoffs. 30 bucks. 185g. But wait... . Strip off the covering and the foam, 105g. Add contact cement and 3 or 6mm neoprene, 110g.
Go to ebay, search sheepskin hide. Get a 1 sq ft piece of whatever you like, 15 bucks or less. Use the old cover for pattern. Contact cement again (Vittoria Mastic One or Weldwood) and voila, instant 120g comfortable saddle with custom leather. I've done 2, one in plain black but the last is pseudo buffalo brown looks freaking awesome. Comfy if you like the power.
Do you have any pictures? Sounds interesting!

by Weenie


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