Ergon SR Pro Carbon Women saddle

Saddle choice is subjective, but I found that the Ergon SR Pro Carbon Women's Saddle provides plenty of comfort through its cutout channel that goes right into the nose of the saddle. With minimal padding it might not be the first choice for multiple long rides, but if you are looking for a racier design for shorter, faster outings, it's a great option. It's not cheap, mind.

• Pros: Design keeps sensitive areas comfortable when in a racy riding position
• Cons: Minimal padding won't suit all, expensive

Comparing it to my usual Selle Italia Diva Lady (reviewed a while back), the racier Ergon SR Pro Carbon has a lot less padding. It's there, in the form of 'Orthopedic AirCell Foam with OrthoCell Pads', and it's in the right places, but it is minimal.

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According to Ergon, the new OrthoCell Pad inlays are lighter and more durable than gel versions. It's early days, but in a month's riding on the saddle I had no durability issues.

As the name suggests, the saddle has a carbon composite shell and the rails are carbon as well. It's super-light: the small/medium weighs in at 166g on the road.cc scales.

The SR Pro Carbon has a slightly wider nose than most, with the cutout design set further forward into the nose of the saddle. The female pelvis is more flexible than a male pelvis, and women get more pressure at the front, so it makes perfect sense for Ergon to have designed it this way. By having more of a cutout on the nose of the saddle, it takes the pressure off, though there is still padding here so it doesn't feel like you are sitting on rails. It really did relieve pressure off the front during my rides; I had no problems here at all.

At the rear, the wings of the saddle are quite V shaped, and there is a bit of a ramp to the back of the saddle. These features encourage you to sit on your sit bones, not on your soft, sensitive tissue at the front.

I found it comfortable for rides of 2 to 4 hours – after two consecutive long rides of 65km and 120km I knew about my sit bones, but not in a bad way, though I think a little more setup tweaking and time in the saddle could improve things. It's not your armchair saddle, that's for sure, but if you currently ride something a little too squishy and you're thinking of trying a firmer, faster saddle, this could be an option. I liked it from the first ride, and it's great for faster riding – which is what it's designed for really.

It is on the expensive side, though it's cheaper and lighter than Specialized's unisex Power Arc Pro Elaston at £200, and not much more than Bontrager's Yatra Pro Carbon, which has an rrp of £149.99 and weighs a claimed 165g for the 144mm wide option.

> Buyer's Guide: 11 of the best women's saddles

If you were looking to spend less, then the recently reviewed Liv Contact SLR Forward saddle is £129. Or there is a cheaper (and heavier) Ergon option: the Ergon SR Sport Gel, which is £79 and weighs 275g.

Overall, if you want a lightweight performance saddle then the SR Pro Carbon is well worth considering. As ever, though, saddle choice is very individual, so try a few if you can and get a fitting done so you have the best chance to ride in comfort.

Verdict

A racy road saddle with a long cutout that does its pressure-relieving job very well – for a few hours at least