As a plan to do some upgrades to my cyclocross bike (more about it sometime soon) I bought a new saddle - Selle An-Atomica Titanico. Apparently, this is supposed to be the most comfortable bicycle saddle in the world. At least this is what manufacturer claims. And many riders as well. We shall see.
So far I can say that Titanico is more comfortable than the old saddle I had on this bike. I do have to make some fine adjustments though. The slot seems to work as expected - It lets both parts of leather move independently as you pedal. Plus, leather is suspended across the rails so you feel more like you sit in a hammock. This way Titanico adjusts to my butt and not the other way around.
This piece of leather with a giant cut in the middle is not exactly cheap. It retails for $190 (yikes!). However, there has been a sale recently and I managed to get a new one for half the price. My saddle is white, which may make it less visually compatible with many bikes (In case I want to move it to another bike in the future.), but it does match my white cross bike really well.
Hi there
ReplyDeleteDo you still use one of these saddles? I am seriously considering one and would value your long-term opinion.
Thanks.
@The Old Man
ReplyDeleteYes, I do. I have them on two of my bikes (the old, white Titanico and a newer black Titanico X). In my opinion this are likely the best saddle you can get for your bicycle except Brooks. I use two Brooks B67 on two of my other bikes where sitting position is more upright, but for more sporty riding, when you lean over the bars a bit more Titanico is certainly worth the money.
I heard some people complaining about leather stretching too much, past the range of the tension screw at the nose of the saddle. Maybe that's why Selle Anatomica introduced Titanico X few years ago. It has a stronger laminate under the leather and is supposed to be less stretch-prone. I never felt the need of adjusting the tension of leather and maybe that's why my original white Titanico didn't stretch, despite many miles on it. It's quite possible that some people started playing with tension and over did it.
Now Anatomica sells a new Titanico X2 with lighter, stainless rails and aluminum cast back. It's quite expensive but also much lighter. My Titanico weighs 480g, while the new X2 is supposed weigh only 350g.
If you're looking for the most comfortable saddle for long rides and weigh is not your primary concern, get a Titanico. I also heard a lot good about Brooks B17 and Cambium but I don't have any experience with those.