Specialized power saddle?

[bicycletricycle]

Anyone running a specialized power saddle? Opinions? They kinda look cool. Strange short and wide saddle, nice and flat across the back though, huge hole in it.

Anybody?

[sandyrs]

Anyone running a specialized power saddle? Opinions? They kinda look cool. Strange short and wide saddle, nice and flat across the back though, huge hole in it.

Anybody?

I have one and liked it on my crit bike before it was totaled. Doesn't let you shift forward and backward as much as a "normal" saddle but stick it in the right position and I at least found it really comfortable.

[sandyrs]

Also, preemptively, bianchi10 will be here shortly to sing the saddle's praises.

[rnhood]

The initial comfort seemed very good to me. The cutout is good, though not all that big. Nose is relatively narrow and since its a shorter saddle, its primarily a one position saddle. Slide forward much and your perennial area might revolt due to the short and narrow nose. I preferred, although not by much, my Romin saddle after living with the Power for 3 months. The newer Romins are tweaked and about a cm shorter than previous Romins. If you prefer a flatter saddle the Power is a good choice, although if you prefer some front to back contour I think the Romin is the better choice.

Having said this, saddle choices don't follow rhyme or reason. Everyone has somewhat different preferences.

[JAllen]

I was at my LBS and was talking to a guy who is using one. He loves it. Did some extended touring with it too. He has wider sit bones (like myself) and benefited greatly from the design.

[gregblow]

I have one. Good if you like a forward position. I rode it about 4-5 times. Didn't work for me. I need to post it up on the classified section.

[distanc3]

Also interested on the reviews and in the market for one to try :hello:

[gasman]

I have one. I like it a lot. Very comfortable out of the box and once it's adjusted you don't need to fool with it. Not much room to move fore / aft but that hasn't been an issue for me.
My first ride on it was 97 miles with 7,500 feet of climbing. Repeated a similar ride the second day and I was fine after the end of the weekend.
Like all saddles what works for me may not work for you.

[JAllen]

I have one. Good if you like a forward position. I rode it about 4-5 times. Didn't work for me. I need to post it up on the classified section.

Oh man let me know! I wouldn't mind picking one up (that's my goal). :)

[R3awak3n]

I have a buddy that has one and he really likes it. I have been wanting to try one, I don't like how it looks but I would use it if I like it of course. I am sure within a year there will be a better used market for it and I will pick one up

[azrider]

I used to be Toupe "fanboy" and when I bought a new CAAD10 it came with a Prologo that I thought I'd "try". It was a game changer for me. So much so that i now ride Prologo on every single bike.

I too heard all the hype around the Power and thought with my familiarity with Toupe that it could be a good fit. Holy crap it was terrible. First the saddle is so short that you have to get creative (or at least i did) with fitting the rails into the seatpost, then the comfort just wasn't there for me and I typically ride in aggressive/low position.

I rode a few 40 mile rides and thought it was "ok", but after a 80 mile ride on the thing i was ready to douse it in gasoline and set it ablaze. I couldn't sit on ANYTHING for about three days after that ride.

Plus it just looks horrible on a good bike (aesthetically speaking) :D

YMMV

[GRAVELBIKE]

I have two Power saddles in rotation (155, 168). Having spent many years on Selle Anatomica saddles I didn't think I'd like the Power saddles. Well, turns out I was wrong. Very happy with them for gravel/commuting and MTB use.

[Ralph]

I use one. Like it fine. Most comfortable saddle I've used in a long time. Proper adjustment is everything. For me....that's nose area about level....or ever so slightly tilted up.

Also....because of the way it's made, was able to use one size wider than previous saddle (155 VS 143).

[teleguy57]

I tried a Romin Evo a while back and liked it for a while, then went to SMP. Like that for a while, then tried a 155 Power in later Sep for a few rides. Better than the Evo, but I'm thinking it's almost, but not quite for me. I've been riding Prologo Scratch Pro recently; I probably should put the Power up on the classifieds here when I have time for photos.

[bianchi10]

I'll add a mini review. Had a couple people reach out to me so maybe I'll need to give an in depth review in the near future.

The specialized Power saddle is THE saddle IMO. I have gone through 15 saddles in the past 6 years trying to find one that didn't chafe me badly or make me go numb. Through that journey, I have done a lot of adjusting as well which has also been a big factor. If I had a power saddle but my seatpost was 2 inches too high, I'm sure I wouldn't think it was as good as I do now. BUT, that being said, over the last 2 years I have only made very minor adjustments. In my riding group we have 7 people that ride every saturday. I have converted every person to a power saddle and every single person has never once looked back.

Now about the saddle. I tried them all. I tried a 143 with level 2 and then tried a 155 with level 2 so I could compare. Then tried the 143 with level 1 and after tried a 155 with level 1. The level 2 padding is amazing, but it only comes on the expert and comp. I'm a weight weenie so the overall weight was very important to me without compromising comfort. The SHAPE of the saddle is what makes it so good. I didn't notice anything difference between the carbon vs composite shell, but the padding was noticeable. Luckily, the Sworks carbon shell and level 1 padding is still very comfortable for me. The only difference between the pro and the Sworks is carbon rails. its a $100 difference. If you aren't a weight weenie, but want the carbon shell I'd just get the pro and paint the rails. If you dont care about weight at all and only care about comfort, If get the expert. Ive jumped on my friends bike who has that and it is more comfortable than my sworks.

I found that because of the shortness of the saddle, I had to move it 2 or 3mm forward for optimum comfort. They say there is no perfect saddle for every person, but I will say this is about as close as any company has come to IMO. I ave recommended this saddle to SO many people and not one person has come back saying, "MEH....". Its worth the money for sure. As a couple people in my group have said, "Its the best upgrade I have made".

For what its worth I rode a 155mm Romin evo for 1.5 years and Toupe 155mm for a couple months.

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u30/blknslvrgsxr/IMG_4802.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u30/blknslvrgsxr/forums/IMG_8200-01.jpeg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u30/blknslvrgsxr/forums/IMG_8192-01.jpeg

[distanc3]

I tried a Romin Evo a while back and liked it for a while, then went to SMP. Like that for a while, then tried a 155 Power in later Sep for a few rides. Better than the Evo, but I'm thinking it's almost, but not quite for me. I've been riding Prologo Scratch Pro recently; I probably should put the Power up on the classifieds here when I have time for photos.

Teleguy57: what width were the saddles you've used? I recall reading lots of articles that they recommend getting the romin one size up... So what width did you pick for the Power saddle?

Thanks!