Forza Cirrus Womens Saddle

Having tried a large number of female specific saddles over the years, including offerings from most of the major manufacturers (with varying degrees of success), I was keen to find out about this new kid on the block, the Forza Cirrus Women's Saddle.

Forza- or 4ZA- is the standalone accessories brand of Belgian bike manufacturer Ridley, distributed through Today's Cyclist.

Where the company produces three different saddles for male riders, there's just two for the ladies, the Stratos entry level model and the mid-level Cirrus (the men's range also includes a Cirrus Pro). The Cirrus is designed to be a lightweight performance orientated perch, with good features at a good price.

With a quoted weight of 250g (mine tipped the scales at a very reasonable 256g) this is indeed a super light saddle, with only a few seriously high end saddles coming in lighter. It only comes in one width, 142mm, which is towards the narrower end of the spectrum for most female specific saddles, with only a scant handful available that are narrower.

It has a 'Micro Fiber' cover and hollow titanium rails (to help keep the weight down) and lightweight padding.

Lookswise, it closely resembles some of the classic female specific designs produced over recent years, with a cut-out section in the centre. It's available in black or white and looks much swankier than its sub-£50 price tag would suggest.

I normally ride on a 142mm saddle, so the width of this one was spot on, with the rear of the saddle providing excellent support for the sit bones and a really good shape throughout.

There were no issues with pressure, thanks to the well designed cut-out, and the cushioning was well distributed.

The only letdown for me was the overall firmness of the seat, with the padding being far from plush. This meant that despite a really competent design, the saddle was quite hard all over, and particularly unforgiving on the sitbones, which was a real shame given what good value it was otherwise.

Verdict

A great looking saddle, well designed and excellent value, but strictly for those who like a firm ride.