Cycles Berthoud Soulor leather saddle

The Cycles Berthoud Soulor leather saddle is beautifully made and well worth the relatively modest time it takes to bed in because, once moulded, it's like it was custom made for your backside.

Materials/construction

The Soulor is the sportiest in the range and, at 278x146mm, narrower than my ideal. Brooks' Swallow is probably its closest comparator, although the Soulor is slightly narrower. It comes in four different finishes, all with stainless steel rails. There's also a titanium-railed sibling, the Galibier, if you can justify the extra £30-odd.

> Buy this online here

The Soulor is a vegetable-tanned, pre-softened cow-hide saddle, which is joined to the steel rails via Torx bolts. Theoretically, this means it can be stripped and rebuilt, say in the event of damaging or seeking to upgrade the rails.

When I last looked, EU cattle must be slaughtered within a designated timeframe, following the BSE crisis, which could be why these and Brooks are slightly thinner than something like the Spa Cycles Aire and Nidd, which are fashioned from Australian hides, where cattle tend to live longer before slaughter.

In common with the Spa Cycles' range, the underside has been treated to a protective laminate, which also bodes well for longevity, especially if your designated machine doesn't have full-length mudguards.

Stainless steel rails might lack the bragging rights and springiness of titanium, but they strike a very good balance between price, performance and practicality. Here, they offer a decent amount of spring, although don't match that of my long-serving Spa Aire Ti.

The socket and backplate are made from a 'technical material', essentially a high-strength composite, completing the robust refinement.

Breaking in

I've broken in six leather saddles in the last 30 years, including ones from Brooks and Spa. Regardless of the brand, applying Proofide, Mars Oil, or similar high-quality leather 'food' will help accelerate the moulding process while simultaneously nourishing and protecting the hide from the elements. Just don't reapply too frequently after this – every six weeks or so will keep it happy.

Even with repeated feeding and a pre-softened hide, there's no getting round the fact that you've just gotta sit on it and drum out the miles. Despite being fractionally wider than my textbook ideal, from the off I've found the Soulor ideally suited to my sit bones. For the first 75 miles, it felt church-pew hard, though far more compliant than the otherwise likeable Spa range. By 85, we were in friendly acquaintance territory, and by 150 miles it was developing that unique patina and I was even able to indulge in some (seated) off-road fun.

Road, or trail, the long, narrow design encouraged an efficient, chafe-free cadence – slightly surprising, given my rough stuff tourer's more moderate rather than aggressive stance. By 200 miles (around 50 quicker than a Brooks) it was nigh-on formed to my shape, so only felt in the most positive sense.

The satin finish also seems to be less slippery and offer better tenure than Brooks or similarly glossy hides. There's enough scope for gentle shuffling but none of the distracting 'surf'.

One deviation from the traditionalist script is the lack of saddlebag loops.

It's no loss to me, since I'm inclined towards huge wedge packs and in particular Carradice's Carradry SQR Bag/SQR Tour luggage. Nonetheless, it's something to consider if you're looking to remain faithful on a period machine.

Durability/care

I've been a bit more sensitive when leaning this one up against brickwork and other rough surfaces. It's also worth investing in some decent quality leather preserve (not boot polish) and a saddle cover when you've got to leave it outside, or when a bike's in seasonal storage.

There's no reason why, with basic care, the Soulor shouldn't last many, many years and countless miles, though it's very difficult to say whether it's any more or less durable than other brands'.

Value

The Soulor is €160, currently around £155, a sizeable investment though pretty typical of this genre, if towards the higher end. Brooks' Swallow weighs in at £145.99 and sports electroplated steel rails, while Spa's Aire Ti retails at £115 and, as the name suggests, features titanium rails. I've had mine for around eight years and with regular licks of hide food, it's retained its looks, although needed a good 550-600 miles before it assumed my shape.

Summary

When all's said and done, I've been seriously impressed by the Soulor and it just seems to get better as the miles increase – little surprise there, perhaps. It's extremely well made and fits the sportier design brief perfectly. Detailing seems a smidge better than the Spa Aire, which is perhaps reflected in the price, but it's too early to say whether one is necessarily superior.

If you're not sure whether a traditional leather saddle is for you, I'd perhaps suggest going for one of the Spa range, as they're offered at a very tasty discount. However, given the choice between this and the iconic Brooks, the Soulor gets my money (and it's currently £120 if you follow the buying link above).

Verdict

Superb traditional leather saddle with some modern touches