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Old 02-11-2019, 02:03 AM
11.4 11.4 is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,465
I've had both the Pro and the Spez and found them quite different. I had one ride on a Prologo and would say it was different again.

1. The relative positions of the shell versus the rails are different. You can't just pop one on in place of another and have the same saddle height or saddle position.

2. The curve across the top and the curve at the flare going back to the rear are different between the Spez and Pro. They do roughly the same thing, but feel quite different. The cutout is also differently shaped and the padding at the edge of the cutout is thicker but much firmer on the Spez.

3. The carbon shells of the Pro and Spez may come from the same factory but I question that. The shapes are different. The mountings are different. Even the manufacturing date stamps are different, which makes me question whether they come from the same factory.

To choose between them? There's no alternative but to try them. It's annoying that even within the Spez line the basic model and the S-works version are noticeably different, so you can't just compare low-end versions. And the center cutout works quite differently; I found I didn't care which cutout I was riding, though I felt quite a bit more discomfort from the flares at the back on the Pro where they cut into the back of my thighs while pedaling.

Positioning? The shape is completely different from a traditional saddle so you can't just pick a point on one saddle and relate it to another. The abrupt flares in the back may impinge on your hamstrings more and you need to sit farther forward or back. The saddle angle commonly has to be tipped slightly more downward for some riders because of this, though I'd argue that at that point it simply isn't the right saddle for them. What you really want to do is figure out just where you like to sit on your current saddle and nail that location on the Power or Pro saddle (hope that makes sense). There's very little fore and aft flexibility on these saddles so you have to figure out where you like to sit and pick that position. If you like to move a lot, this may not be the saddle for you.

Also, there are different saddle widths and while saddle widths don't mean too much on a basic Prologo or Toupe, they really count on these saddles. I haven't been able to figure out a real correlation or predictor for saddle width with these. Using a wide traditional saddle doesn't mean you need to go to a wide Power.

For all the hassles in converting to the new saddle, I've never had as comfortable a saddle as I've had with the Power. It's worth the effort. It may not be for you, but if it is, you'll love it.
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