Chinertown
Other Resources => Component Deals & Selection => Topic started by: tkehler on November 05, 2015, 03:39:10 PM
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Hi
New owner of Chiner bike.
Would like to know if there are Chinese "copies" of reasonably well known carbon ultra lightweight saddles, say those by Smud, Berk, or Ax?
I am just curious. I ride a Cobb saddle, but would like to try something like a Smud, Ax or Berk without the price tag. Thanks
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I switched to a $35 full carbon saddle that looks like an SMP from aliexpress.
Despite its austere look and after a few months of riding, I'm very happy.
Much more comfortable( it has more flex ) than my previous heavier padded saddle.
I see some mercy in people's eyes when they ask me how it feels :)
But at that price, the test is quite cheap.
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Glad you like it. I have owned 2-3 SMP saddles, but they don't work well for me. I find them sharp in the wrong places, except when I'm fairly aero.
Thanks
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I'm surprised you know Smud ;) will have my bike complete on Thursday with the cheap carbon saddle so more input will be available
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Cool, congrats Johnny! Yeah, please put up some posts about the bike and the saddle ;-)
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Subbed. There's some saddles on Ebay for ~$20 shipped. At that price, I figure it's worth a shot before I spend $100+ at the LBS for something else that may or may not work. My concern is that I also ride my road bike in regular clothes.
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I ordered one on ebay after my last post. So far I like it on my road bike, though I haven't spent much time on it. It didn't fit my bontrager seat post due to the oval rails. I'm temporarily using a set back post, which puts me too far back. I can say that I don't like it on my rigid mountain bike though. It has a similar shape as the specialized romin, which I was looking at before.
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(http://www.windsailbike.com/uploads/carbon-fiber-bike-saddle-cs004.jpg)
I do like Chinese carbon saddle!
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Any reviews on the SD1 or SD2 saddles from Peter or other vendors? I'd like to try one, but would like feedback and actual measurements if anyone has them.
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I have one of the saddles from Peter, not wide enough for me unfortunately (125mm) but the finish is nice.
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Thanks Johnny- my current saddle is also 125 mm wide, so I may try it.
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I went with this one, $21 off of Amazon and free shipping if you have Prime. You can choose glossy or matte finish. Mine was right at 100 g.
http://www.amazon.com/Feifan-Carbon-Bicycle-Cycling-Saddle/dp/B014H9C55C?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00
I haven't done any long rides, but for a one hour ride it feels as good as any saddle I've used. It felt fine riding around the neighborhood in regular shorts, but I wouldn't go for a real ride without padded shorts. It is 125 mm wide and seems to fit my ass OK. It has carbon rails, which are taller than normal saddle rails but fit fine on my EC-70 post.
I am concerned about how long it will last, as I weigh 205 lbs/93 kg and seem to be pretty heavy on the saddle- all of my saddles creak eventually, and I have had one break (the rail). Maybe my fear of the carbon rails snapping will convince me to stay out of the saddle on any rough terrain. :)
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I ordered on of these for $35. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3K-Full-carbon-Leather-Road-Bike-Soft-Saddle-MTB-Seat-Bicycle-Cushion-Newest-/281901788381?var=&hash=item41a2a7ecdd:m:mMoJtIE2WfOYHgFx09O_CLw
It actually has some padding. ;D
I also got a SMP copy. That has got to be the hardest saddle I've ever used. My ass bones were a hurtin. :'(
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It's probably not surprising, but these saddles don't hold up well in crashes. I went over the bars in a crit; the back corner of the saddle had an impact with the pavement snapping one of the rails at the back and cracking the front. It wasn't really a "catastrophic" failure, as I've been pushing my luck riding it this last week. It's a decent saddle, but I'm not sure if I'll get another.
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If you are unlucky, and hit carbon well on any part of our bikes, it will break.
@RS_VR6, did you try it with a very good chamois?
If you do not like the saddle, resell it, some people here like them :)
Mine is quite beaten up but still holds fine.
But I would be heartbroken if I paid the $500 for an original.
I just ordered a new version, this time it has a leather cover with a skinny padding.
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The more I ride it, the more I like mine. I have not done any rides longer than an hour and a half, but I had no soreness or other issues after that ride and it included a decent climb on a gravel road. Shorts slide around easily on the smooth surface (no bunching up), and the edges don't bother me as much as they first did- there's no rim on the edge, so if you lean your leg against it to control the bike all the pressure is in a thin line (not sure if I just got used to it, or if I'm not leaning on it as hard). I did have to torque down the rails quite a bit though- at 5 Nm I still got creaking and popping and had to tighten more. I don't have a good torque number for where it's at now- not super tight, but definitely more than 5 Nm.
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If you are unlucky, and hit carbon well on any part of our bikes, it will break.
@RS_VR6, did you try it with a very good chamois?
If you do not like the saddle, resell it, some people here like them :)
Mine is quite beaten up but still holds fine.
But I would be heartbroken if I paid the $500 for an original.
I just ordered a new version, this time it has a leather cover with a skinny padding.
I always ride with a good ;D chamois. The SMP copy was something that my rear could not get used to. It felt like there is absolutely no give in the saddle. My girlfriend has a real SMP Dynamic ...haha...it didn't feel any better.
The one I just got (S-Works copy) feels much better. Seems like there is some give in the shell. The thin padding seems to be enough to get rid of that rock hard feeling the SMP copy has. Feels harder than the Phenom I was using...but not by much. Only thing now is to see how long the cover will last.
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Bumping this oooold thread.
Does anyone know if there are light saddles with steel or titanium rails on AliX?
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Found the new GUB 1183.
Titanium rails, carbon base and 165g for 30€.
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005002004145128.html
I contacted GUB to make sure the weight is right, the 268g gross weight is hopefully just with packaging or something. If so, I'll order it.
Almost all other options I found are ugly af or >200g.
The Toseek Pro143 seems ok too. 200g for 17€, with CroMo-rails and Nylon? base.
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/10000024775074.html
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Here is the saddle I have now on all my bikes.
US $27.60 54％ Off | 2019 New Full Carbon Mountain Bicycle Saddle Road Bike saddle Carbon MTB Saddles Seat Super-light cushion UD Matt 83g+/-3G
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMQtIyV
Why not carbon rails?
I broke a Gub once, and I'm happy the rails took most of the shock, not me.
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Broke the carbon rails on MTB on the 3rd ride, so I want to stay from that for now. ;)
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No issues with this lightly padded carbon rail saddle so far after over a year of use.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32766321631.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dPIhRgn (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32766321631.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dPIhRgn)
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No issues with this lightly padded carbon rail saddle so far after over a year of use.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32766321631.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dPIhRgn (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32766321631.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dPIhRgn)
Looks like the GUB 1158 I've got for my roadbike.
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Im using this ali super leggera copy on my 160mm hardtail and road bike, surprisingly robust and strong considering i am 105kg.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKtqzRr
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Came in after less than 2 weeks, and looks good so far. Didn't ride it yet, cause it's freaking cold in the moment.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50914332901_30c6d5e328_b.jpg) (http://'https://flic.kr/p/2kz8gkT')
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50913644903_f7115a8220_b.jpg) (http://'https://flic.kr/p/2kz4JPR')
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50914332476_29f2b3d952_b.jpg) (http://'https://flic.kr/p/2kz8gdy')
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50913643613_d8caf50aec_b.jpg) (http://'https://flic.kr/p/2kz4JrB')
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50914463222_47ccac34e2_b.jpg) (http://'https://flic.kr/p/2kz8W5N')
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50914462872_e20c860418_b.jpg) (http://'https://flic.kr/p/2kz8VYL')
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No issues with this lightly padded carbon rail saddle so far after over a year of use.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32766321631.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dPIhRgn (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32766321631.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dPIhRgn)
Using that same saddle on my FM936 and the GUB 1159 (almost the same, but no perforations) on my Signal Peak, no problems with either.
Both have thin padding, but the shape is right for me.
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Here is the saddle I have now on all my bikes.
US $27.60 54％ Off | 2019 New Full Carbon Mountain Bicycle Saddle Road Bike saddle Carbon MTB Saddles Seat Super-light cushion UD Matt 83g+/-3G
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMQtIyV
Why not carbon rails?
I broke a Gub once, and I'm happy the rails took most of the shock, not me.
I tried this one and it was painful. I guess not a good match for my butt.
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Im using this ali super leggera copy on my 160mm hardtail and road bike, surprisingly robust and strong considering i am 105kg.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKtqzRr
I purchased one of these,
It bruises my ass with good shorts. Seems too narrow with too much slant where the bones of my 180 lb frame. fit.
the tissue between my pelvic bones gets pinched loads up and then suddenly slip past one another while riding. ....it's an awful sensation.
Durable enough, light enough, beautiful part. great price....but sucks as a seat for me.
gave it two rides and had to take 4 days off riding...to sit back on a seat. I'm done with it.
I have some specialized bontrager, wtb and selle italia seats currenlty .....this is far and away the worst seat I have ever ridden in 30 years of mountian biking. Your mileage may very.
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Saddles are always a tough one to recommend because we are all different shapes/sizes and we all do different types of riding. I do a lot of road racing and therefore i spend a lot of my time in an aggressive aero position on the nose of the saddle, probably more suited to a tt saddle but for the climbs I sit towards the back of the saddle. Having the cut out go the whole way to the tip of the saddle is important to me, other saddles with cutouts stopped short of the nose and left me feeling uncomfortable in my soft tissue regions after aggressive aero efforts.
I have found this saddle gives me the best of both worlds, comfy on the nose like a tt saddle and comfy on the back like a normal saddle. It might not be for everyone but it is definitely the best saddle I have ever ridden.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002038725610.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.41f11e78mm0jPd&algo_pvid=f026bc85-561c-4175-9f9d-e02ff27cdf25&algo_expid=f026bc85-561c-4175-9f9d-e02ff27cdf25-15&btsid=0b0a0ac216130388383346909ec71b&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_
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Saddles are always a tough one to recommend because we are all different shapes/sizes and we all do different types of riding. I do a lot of road racing and therefore i spend a lot of my time in an aggressive aero position on the nose of the saddle, probably more suited to a tt saddle but for the climbs I sit towards the back of the saddle. Having the cut out go the whole way to the tip of the saddle is important to me, other saddles with cutouts stopped short of the nose and left me feeling uncomfortable in my soft tissue regions after aggressive aero efforts.
I have found this saddle gives me the best of both worlds, comfy on the nose like a tt saddle and comfy on the back like a normal saddle. It might not be for everyone but it is definitely the best saddle I have ever ridden.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002038725610.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.41f11e78mm0jPd&algo_pvid=f026bc85-561c-4175-9f9d-e02ff27cdf25&algo_expid=f026bc85-561c-4175-9f9d-e02ff27cdf25-15&btsid=0b0a0ac216130388383346909ec71b&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_
You're right discussing saddles should always come with the context why finally we found the good one.
Mine above, the relatively austere https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMQtIyV
Is good if you don't have much room for a saddle, big thighs/small hips.
It is the only light one I found on Ali, that was that narrow. A narrower would probably be even better.
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i have a knockoff $25 selle italia slr tekno flo (originally $450). its comfortable and its literally identical to the expensive one. comfort is subjective tho.
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I've been riding this padded carbon saddle for a few weeks and have been pretty happy so far. I was on a unpadded EC90 for a while, the original and replacement cracked in the same spot but I kept riding them with gorilla tape. Unfortunately I did myself a disservice and shredded a few bibs in the process. Really wish I had gone for one of these padded carbon saddle in retrospect and they are still light around 120g.
This one feel like it could be a tad narrow as I find myself slipping over to one side or another so time will tell.
Trying to insert link again https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005071499395.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.39.38ea18025Al57m
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005071499395.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.39.38ea18025Al57m (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005071499395.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.39.38ea18025Al57m)
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Been using this Mixed saddle on my gravel bike. Its taken some hits on rough roads and is holding up nicely.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804407872695.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.51.365e1802b7EHlo&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa
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i have a knockoff $25 selle italia slr tekno flo (originally $450). its comfortable and its literally identical to the expensive one. comfort is subjective tho.
Please share the reference. I'm now getting saddle sores on the saddle that served me well for years and I wanted to switch to a selle italia
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https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805023659024.html (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805023659024.html)
Lexon/Ryet 3d printed saddle currently $50-55 USD. Sturdy and quite stiff. 3d mesh holds shape with very little to no compression. My new go-to saddle for the price!
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Been using this Mixed saddle on my gravel bike. Its taken some hits on rough roads and is holding up nicely.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804407872695.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.51.365e1802b7EHlo&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa
I also have the 7D but after 10 months it is flexing too much on the center :-\
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I also have the 7D but after 10 months it is flexing too much on the center :-\
Yeah, the reviews of those Mixed saddles were rather poor. I had been looking at them also but decided against buying after reading the reviews.
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I’ve had the 7D on my gravel bike for around a year, so far it’s been solid. I bought it since it was one of the only ones I could find in 140 mm wide.
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I also have the 7D but after 10 months it is flexing too much on the center :-\
People are paying hundred of dollars for added “suspension” on their bikes. You’re getting it for free!!! ;D
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I’ve had the 7D on my gravel bike for around a year, so far it’s been solid. I bought it since it was one of the only ones I could find in 140 mm wide.
yeah, my experience too, I bought the 5D (when the brand was still 'Redshift', before they got a warning and changed to 'Mixed') and used it for about 1yr - before I changed to the Ryet Aircode 3D mentioned some comments ago
anyway, well constructed and finished saddle the 5D, no issues in this year of use and is now my backup saddle. But I weight 63kg, so not the worst a saddle can be put through lol
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I recently got the Elita carbon saddle for my road bike:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832622302239.html
It's one of the few carbon saddles that come in a wide size. I got the 155 mm and it's much more comfortable than the narrower saddle it replaced. I weighed mine at 131 grams (125 claimed). I don't have many miles on it, but it seems to be pretty solid. (I'm about 95 kg with my gear.)
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A while ago I got this one after someone posted a link here - https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804373322850.html
I gotta say, for $18 this saddle is very, very good and clocks in at 126 grams. Has cushioned top layer (thin but works) and the rails are flexy so you have nice plush ride.
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A while ago I got this one after someone posted a link here - https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804373322850.html
I gotta say, for $18 this saddle is very, very good and clocks in at 126 grams. Has cushioned top layer (thin but works) and the rails are flexy so you have nice plush ride.
My favourite saddle of all time
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A while ago I got this one after someone posted a link here - https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804373322850.html
I gotta say, for $18 this saddle is very, very good and clocks in at 126 grams. Has cushioned top layer (thin but works) and the rails are flexy so you have nice plush ride.
Can you combine that with a model name or something to search for? Ali offers are kind of regional, links do not work from everywhere. Thx
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Can you combine that with a model name or something to search for? Ali offers are kind of regional, links do not work from everywhere. Thx
I've purchased it under the "Gub" brand before.
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Can you combine that with a model name or something to search for? Ali offers are kind of regional, links do not work from everywhere. Thx
There is no brand name. A true random Chinese product that's not pretending to be anything lol here is the name and I'm not kidding -
"All-carbon Fiber Saddle Road Bicycle Cushion Mountain bike cushion ultra-light hollow saddle"
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If you want that same lightweight carbon saddle, but with better cushioning, I recommend buying from this seller. The cost is $10-12 USD more than the regular version, but the cushioning is superior (I have both) and it also comes in brown.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803583148266.html (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803583148266.html)
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I recently got the Elita carbon saddle for my road bike:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832622302239.html
It's one of the few carbon saddles that come in a wide size. I got the 155 mm and it's much more comfortable than the narrower saddle it replaced. I weighed mine at 131 grams (125 claimed). I don't have many miles on it, but it seems to be pretty solid. (I'm about 95 kg with my gear.)
I bought 3 of these in 143mm to cover all my bikes after I bought my wife 2 of the Rock Bros 155mm saddles for my wifes bikes and they were so good.
If you have the chance to try a 155 Rock Bros from amazon, try it! It is significantly better in every way!
I am now in the process of stripping one of my ali saddles and refoaming and recovering it to shape more like the Rock Bros
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Can you link to the one you bought? See some with bad reviews and I'm pretty sold on the one I linked, but always like buying from Amazon first :)
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anyone bought the gelu replicas from odin-zeus? 60g and they look seggsy
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I just received my $17.50 Kocevlo 120 gram saddle. I have historically ridden on Selle Flight saddles and my weight standard is around 120 grams or less.
This Kocevlo has very close to the same dimensions as my Flite saddles I have been riding for may years. I can't believe that I can purchase a Chiner saddle for under $20 and it appears to be as good as or better quality as what I used to pay over $100 for a Selle Flite saddle.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805884169155.html
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Just took my Elita one saddle out for a 20 mile gravel ride and it’s the most comfy saddle I’ve ever used! I know saddles are a very individual thing, but this one fit me just right.
Check it out! $24.58 50％ Off | ELITA ONE Carbon Saddle MTB/Road Bike saddle Super Light Leather Carbon Cushions 96g
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mM5KQWC
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Just took my Elita one saddle out for a 20 mile gravel ride and it’s the most comfy saddle I’ve ever used! I know saddles are a very individual thing, but this one fit me just right.
Check it out! $24.58 50％ Off | ELITA ONE Carbon Saddle MTB/Road Bike saddle Super Light Leather Carbon Cushions 96g
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mM5KQWC
I have the same sale in wide on my road and gravel bikes and I love it. They've been holding up well so far so I might try one on my mountain bike as well. It's one of the lightest wide saddles I've seen, and they are well made.
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Have been using the Mixed 7D saddle for 2 months and I must say I am impressed. It's more comfortable than the Prologo Scratch Tirox I was previously using at a fraction of the price and half the weight.
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So my social feeds urged me to try out Selle SMP saddles for a while.
I've been curious and more or less on a whim I bought the Velobuild replica of what I believe is the Selle SMP Dynamic saddle. It's their long standing classic. I was expecting this to be an instrument of torture. And while I still have to ride this for more than 2 hours straight, I'm really surprised as to how comfy this is. Once you have it dialed in, it kind of feels like you're sitting on something that basically perfectly fits your pelvis. I had to set this way further forward than my previous saddle because it basically has to disappear under your bum. You can't sit on the nose of this thing. There's pretty much exactly one spot only where this saddle feels comfy. But once you've found it, you're locked in position and you basically rotate your pelvis back and forth while sitting on the same part of the saddle depending on how aggressive you wanna ride. You do not move back or forth on this saddle at all. No sliding towards the nose and having to readjust your bum when tucking down. I'm very intrigued.
You do however have to live with the way it looks. The best thing about the design of this saddle is that most of the time you're sitting on it. :)
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So my social feeds urged me to try out Selle SMP saddles for a while.
I've been curious and more or less on a whim I bought the Velobuild replica of what I believe is the Selle SMP Dynamic saddle. It's their long standing classic. I was expecting this to be an instrument of torture. And while I still have to ride this for more than 2 hours straight, I'm really surprised as to how comfy this is. Once you have it dialed in, it kind of feels like you're sitting on something that basically perfectly fits your pelvis. I had to set this way further forward than my previous saddle because it basically has to disappear under your bum. You can't sit on the nose of this thing. There's pretty much exactly one spot only where this saddle feels comfy. But once you've found it, you're locked in position and you basically rotate your pelvis back and forth while sitting on the same part of the saddle depending on how aggressive you wanna ride. You do not move back or forth on this saddle at all. No sliding towards the nose and having to readjust your bum when tucking down. I'm very intrigued.
You do however have to live with the way it looks. The best thing about the design of this saddle is that most of the time you're sitting on it. :)
You are definitely putting me on some gems with your findings. I've been looking for a saddle like this but couldn't find one that wasn't just full on carbon. Will definitely have to try it out. Also going to try Serenade Wheels during the summer.
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You are definitely putting me on some gems with your findings. I've been looking for a saddle like this but couldn't find one that wasn't just full on carbon. Will definitely have to try it out. Also going to try Serenade Wheels during the summer.
There is some minimal padding on there and the upper material is very basic but grippy nonetheless. Also, the bonding between the rails and the saddle shell is very basic. Not as polished and well finished as some of the Ryet saddles you can find on Aliexpress for instance. But it's solid enough. Weight is 160g on my scale.
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Those $50 to 70 range Prologo saddles are fake or what exactly? I am curious as to why they are 2-3x expensive than other fakes. If anyone bought it, thoughts?
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805962006433.html
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Those $50 to 70 range Prologo saddles are fake or what exactly? I am curious as to why they are 2-3x expensive than other fakes. If anyone bought it, thoughts?
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805962006433.html
The price for these is barely any cheaper than at major retailers in Europe. So I reckon these might just be the real thing.
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You are definitely putting me on some gems with your findings. I've been looking for a saddle like this but couldn't find one that wasn't just full on carbon. Will definitely have to try it out. Also going to try Serenade Wheels during the summer.
I bought mine eons ago (2017) on ebay, full carbon, no padding, for <30 usd. So the chinese carbon version absolutely exists / has existed.
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I bought mine eons ago (2017) on ebay, full carbon, no padding, for <30 usd. So the chinese carbon version absolutely exists / has existed.
Sorry if my comment was a bit confusing that's what I was talking about. All the ones I've seen like the one you have was just carbon versions and I wanted just a bit of padding like the one from Velobuild. Anyways, whats the experience like with yours? Might just pick up a carbon one if it's similar enough.
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I am also using the Mixed 5D saddle for my cyclocross bike, great saddle for the price!
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Sorry if my comment was a bit confusing that's what I was talking about. All the ones I've seen like the one you have was just carbon versions and I wanted just a bit of padding like the one from Velobuild. Anyways, whats the experience like with yours? Might just pick up a carbon one if it's similar enough.
I never wished it were padded. I found it surprisingly comfortable. I guess it just worked, anatomically. The longest day i've done with it was 210km with 4k D+. I remember starting a dawn and getting back home at dusk having spent the day on the bike, I remember what i ate, i remember meeting a stunning police lady in a random village; i dont remember my ass being unhappy.
Now, sample size: 1. Then again, given how cheap Chinese saddles usually are, if you're on the fence, get it to experiment? I've bought quite a few saddles over the years for different bikes. The ones i dont like i just resell at a small loss and make someone else happy.
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So my social feeds urged me to try out Selle SMP saddles for a while.
I've been curious and more or less on a whim I bought the Velobuild replica of what I believe is the Selle SMP Dynamic saddle. It's their long standing classic. I was expecting this to be an instrument of torture. And while I still have to ride this for more than 2 hours straight, I'm really surprised as to how comfy this is. Once you have it dialed in, it kind of feels like you're sitting on something that basically perfectly fits your pelvis. I had to set this way further forward than my previous saddle because it basically has to disappear under your bum. You can't sit on the nose of this thing. There's pretty much exactly one spot only where this saddle feels comfy. But once you've found it, you're locked in position and you basically rotate your pelvis back and forth while sitting on the same part of the saddle depending on how aggressive you wanna ride. You do not move back or forth on this saddle at all. No sliding towards the nose and having to readjust your bum when tucking down. I'm very intrigued.
You do however have to live with the way it looks. The best thing about the design of this saddle is that most of the time you're sitting on it. :)
I saw your post about this velobuild saddle and immediately reached out to Chris to inquire and placed an order.
A week has passed and it still hasn't shipped. Asked Chris for an update and was told it was out of stock!
I'm now told it will ship mid next week but I'm ready to cancel the order if it doesn't ship as promised.
It's my first time dealing with velobuild and doesn't look promising.
Did you run into the same issue? How long did they take to ship yours?
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It's my first time dealing with velobuild and doesn't look promising.
Did you run into the same issue? How long did they take to ship yours?
VB is a broker, they buy stuff from factories and resell it. It's a distribution channel, essentially. Their core business definitely isn't selling saddles. Before you order from Chris it's best to ask him what's in stock or not. The good thing is they can usually source anything you want. On my gravel builds i wanted non integrated flared bars with internal routing, and he was able to find that, even though it wasn't listed on the website.
If he took your money, he will ship you your saddle.
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VB is a broker, they buy stuff from factories and resell it. It's a distribution channel, essentially. Their core business definitely isn't selling saddles. Before you order from Chris it's best to ask him what's in stock or not. The good thing is they can usually source anything you want. On my gravel builds i wanted non integrated flared bars with internal routing, and he was able to find that, even though it wasn't listed on the website.
If he took your money, he will ship you your saddle.
That's fair and that's exactly what I did and I totally understand if that's how their business works.
He could have told me though that it was not in stock or might have to wait several days when I initially inquired, but he didn't and just told me they'll ship after x number of days. I had to ask several times before they confirmed it was not available.
I can wait if he'll deliver just like what you mentioned, but a clear communication would go a long way.
Thanks for your assurance btw!
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Yeah, I agree that VB isn’t always the most well organised neither the most transparent seller. I never received any shipping notice on anything I bought from them without me asking for it. It was no different with this saddle. Can’t remember since I wasn’t pressed for time. It might have taken the usual two to three weeks. I basically almost forgot that I ordered it and was about to ask Chris whether they had shipped it when I had the package in my mail.
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Pretty much everyone who has dealt with VB have similar stories. In my case they forgot to send bottom bracket and extra derailleur hangar. I didn't realize rd hangar was missing and only asked for missing BB to Chris who said yeah he will send it. Nothing happened for two weeks so I asked again and he says oh it wasn't shipped? Let me check. Then next day sent a mail saying it's been shipped. About a week later I got bb in the mail. Another week passed and I got another bb in the mail :D exact same thing happened with rd hangar a month later too.
There's a clear communication gap between who actually packs/ships and Chris. I received the updated C ring in similar fashion - no tracking, no proper response just one mail from Chris saying it shipped. They might be lousy with communication but they won't steal your money or at least that's how I feel.
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Thanks for clarifying! At least I am now well informed about the way they handle communication - just have to follow-up from time to time, sit back and wait! ;)
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I purchased the “3D-1 Gloss Bottom” saddle found here: https://a.aliexpress.com/_ms36gEq - it looks an awful lot like the 3d specialized power saddles. I switched to this from a specialized power comp (not 3d). While the size and form is nearly the same, my ass was sore 30 mins into my first ride with the 3d saddle. Maybe it needs getting used to or breaking in, but for now I would not recommend. Will try it for a few more rides and post an update.
Comfort aside, my ride does look quite nice with the 3d saddle.
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I think VB is a very lean operation, Chris probably does most / all of the customer facing interactions, and i doubt they have a proper CRM software / system in place. Who knows how they handle "tickets / orders". So if it's just him & tools from 20 years ago (excel, paper, a notebook, who knows) there's nothing automated, and unless you ask, you dont get a step by step follow up of your order.
Being disorganized like this may also help them tax wise, who knows. The more structured you are, the easier it is for any kind of audit to take place. If you throw your arms up in the air and say "whaaaat, are you crazy, do you know how much work that would be to gather all this information?", it's harder to audit :)
Either way, stuff works with them, it just takes a bit more involvement from all sides.
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I think VB is a very lean operation, Chris probably does most / all of the customer facing interactions, and i doubt they have a proper CRM software / system in place. Who knows how they handle "tickets / orders". So if it's just him & tools from 20 years ago (excel, paper, a notebook, who knows) there's nothing automated, and unless you ask, you dont get a step by step follow up of your order.
Being disorganized like this may also help them tax wise, who knows. The more structured you are, the easier it is for any kind of audit to take place. If you throw your arms up in the air and say "whaaaat, are you crazy, do you know how much work that would be to gather all this information?", it's harder to audit :)
Either way, stuff works with them, it just takes a bit more involvement from all sides.
It pretty much looks like that. Anyhow, I chased Chris again and was told they'll be shipping my order on Saturday (initially promised mid-week, but ok..).
Fingers crossed!
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It pretty much looks like that. Anyhow, I chased Chris again and was told they'll be shipping my order on Saturday (initially promised mid-week, but ok..).
Fingers crossed!
I got my order yesterday (finally!). It is indeed well made and weighs 180g on my scale. It has some minor imperfections with the upholstery underneath, but very negligible.
The only problem is that Chris told me initially that it comes in 15CM width that's why I ordered it, but what I got is only 13CM. What a bummer! :(