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review

Ergon SR Comp Men’s saddle

8
£89.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Well-designed saddle offering plenty of comfort and support on multiple terrains
Weight: 
266g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Ergon SR Comp saddle is part of its new SR Road series, which is all about reducing pressure and improving the comfort of the ride. I had my doubts on the first few journeys as it seemed very firm, but once I'd adapted, the SR Comp became a good friend, especially on longer treks.

  • Pros: Very comfortable shape, rail flex adds to the comfort
  • Cons: Not the neatest of finishes underneath

The model I tested is from the men's range and, as you can probably guess from that, there is also a women's option as well; Emma really liked the SR Sport Gel, and Sarah's been testing the Women's SR Pro Carbon and we'll have her full review very soon.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The reason for separate designs is because we sit differently on the saddle, and, says Ergon, 'Due to their specific pelvic anatomy men are sitting more upright on the saddle.'

To relieve unwanted pressure on the perineal area Ergon has gone for a central channel. Nothing exactly groundbreaking here, we see it all the time, but the one you see here is notably wider than most and is quite a bit deeper at the rear than it is at the front. Coupled to this, the hatched seating area uses OrthoCell inlays which are apparently more durable and lighter than gel.

Ergon SR Comp Men saddle - top detail.jpg

On the whole, I'm not a big sufferer of discomfort or numbness on the majority of saddles, but there are some I don't get on with. Thankfully, the Ergon isn't one of them. In fact I found it very comfortable, especially after I'd done a few rides to settle everything in.

Those inlays are a nice addition to the firmness of the rest of the saddle, with just a little bit more give for added comfort.

The firmness of the upper means the Ergon is very supportive and it stops the edges of the channel compressing and disappearing.

Ergon SR Comp Men saddle - nose.jpg

The width of the channel is noticeable – or unnoticeable, I suppose. After a few rides on the road I switched the SR Comp onto a gravel bike and took to the local tracks. Remaining seated for the fast descents (I normally rise out of the saddle a little to let the bike bounce and move about) and taking the full impacts from the rocks and potholes, the Ergon is noticeably shock absorbing.

Adding to the comfort is the nylon composite shell, which has a bit of flex – as do the TiNox rails.

Ergon SR Comp Men saddle - underside.jpg

I like a flat profile saddle as I tend to move about a fair bit from front to back depending on the terrain, so the shape of the Ergon also suited me. When crouched in a race position, the slight uplift of the tail gives you something to push back against when really getting the power down.

The SR Comp is available in two widths: small/medium for those with a measurement of 9-12cm between their sit bones, and the medium/large that we have here for those who measure 12-16cm. The latter is a stonking 160mm wide, with the smaller of the two coming in at a more normal 144mm in width.

> 9 ways to make your bike more comfortable

Overall quality looks to be good, and the microfibre upper certainly stands up well to scuffs. Underneath, a lot of saddles are using a separate layer to the shell with the upper sandwiched between the two as it is wrapped under, giving a neater finish. The Ergon doesn't have this, which is fine, but the cutting of the material as it runs around the base just looks a little bit untidy – not exactly the finish I'd expect on a 90-quid saddle.

Looking at value, it isn't too bad against some of the opposition. It's a tenner less than the Pro Griffon Gel saddle, which costs £99.99 and which fellow tester Steve felt underperformed for the money.

> Buyer's Guide: 19 of the best saddles

If a central cutout is a must then the Specialized Power Arc Expert and Power Expert are well worth a look, although either of those will cost you an extra £15 over the Ergon.

Alongside the Comp, the SR is also available in two other versions: a Pro and a Pro Carbon, which Steve also tested, though he wasn't fully enamoured by the riding position he had to adopt to get fully comfortable – or the £170 price tag.

On the whole, I found the SR Comp to be very comfortable, especially when it came to gravel riding, the extra flex really coming into its own there.

Verdict

Well-designed saddle offering plenty of comfort and support on multiple terrains

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Ergon SR Comp Men's saddle

Size tested: M/L

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Ergon says, "The new Ergon road saddle for men. Due to their specific pelvic anatomy men are sitting more upright on the saddle. This creates a higher pressure in the highly sensitive perineal area, which often leads to any of the varying forms of discomfort. This is where the relief concept of the SR Men saddle comes into play. Through the falling relief channel with cut-out, the resulting pressure is evenly distributed onto the bone structures (sit bone and parts of the pubic blades). The Y-shape helps keep the freedom of movement high even when riding in the low position typical for road biking."

The Ergon does seem to achieve what the designers have set out to create.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Ergon:

Name SR Comp Men

Use Road Bike

Dimensions Length: 272 mm, Width: 144mm/160mm

Size S/M M/L

Shell Nylon Composite

Rail TiNox

Cover Microfiber

Padding Orthopedic Comfort Foam with OrthoCell® Pads

Gender men specific

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

I found the saddle comfortable and had no issues with numbness.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The OrthoCell inlays add to the comfort.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Slightly rough finish underneath.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

For the design and technology I think it is a fair price against the opposition.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Saddle comfort is very subjective, but I was impressed with how well the Ergon worked from both a comfort and performance point of view. It's a little rough around the edges in places but does its job really well.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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1 comments

Avatar
handlebarcam | 4 years ago
2 likes

Yeah, sure, a saddle that looks like a urinal. Why not?

//render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/default/flat/beach-towel/images-medium-5/urinal-paul-fell.jpg)

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