Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

PRO Griffon Performance Saddle

8
£89.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Good blend of cool looks, great build quality and comfort for a decent price
Comfortable padding
Cover resists scuffing well
It looks cool
No narrow option
Weight: 
210g

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.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The PRO Griffon Performance Saddle has been revamped and is said to suit less flexible riders who like to move around on the saddle a fair bit. With firm, supportive padding it's a pretty comfortable place to be, and it's a decent weight for the price too.

The Griffon Performance is constructed like so: lightweight EVA padding is wrapped in a PU cover, sat on a carbon-reinforced nylon base, and finished with INOX (stainless steel) rails.

The result is a good-looking saddle. The shape and design look bang up to date, which makes it look more expensive than its £89.99 price tag.

> Buy this online here

> Find your nearest dealer here

As I said up top, the Griffon range is designed for less flexible riders, so I tested it mostly on my gravel bike, as I tend to sit a little more upright on that.

I found the shape very comfortable even after plenty of hours, and the curved rear section gave me something to push against when climbing. To state the obvious, saddle comfort is very subjective as everyone is slightly different, so I can only give you my impressions. But then, you knew that...

2021 PRO Griffon Performance Saddle - rear.jpg

I wouldn't say the Griffon is limited to inflexible riders exactly, as I carried on riding like normal, getting in the drops on flat sections or when descending with no issues.

There is quite a large cut-out for reducing pressure, and you could say it works as I suffered no numbness whatsoever, but then again, I don't really suffer on any saddle, to be honest.

2021 PRO Griffon Performance Saddle - nose.jpg

PRO has gone for quite a firm padding and I like that, especially as it means it doesn't squish into the central cut-out when your weight is on it, like some saddles do.

The Griffon is available in two widths – the 142mm tested, and 152mm to suit wider sit bones. It'd be great to see a narrower option too, though – around the 135mm or so of many other saddles.

> 31 of the best cycling saddles for 2021 — get more comfortable on your road bike

I found the carbon reinforced hull pretty stiff, with just a touch of flex to take the sting out on rough surfaces. On quite a few saddles of this price you are likely to see titanium rails, but PRO has gone with stainless steel and anodised it black.

2021 PRO Griffon Performance Saddle - underside.jpg

The 7mm round tubes will fit virtually any seatpost on the market, and the markings allow you to set things up in tiny increments.

2021 PRO Griffon Performance Saddle - underside nose.jpg

At 210g on our scales it's no heavyweight, and the overall construction is very neat and tidy. Its time on the gravel bike saw it involved in a few scrapes, but both the base and the upper brushed them off with no damage.

Up against the Griffon competition-wise is the Fabric Scoop Race, and the Radius version is designed for the same style of riding as the PRO. It uses a similar construction – a nylon base and PU cover – but gets titanium rails and a price tag of just £69.99, which makes it quite the bargain.

Another similar saddle is the Bontrager Verse Elite. The construction is much the same and it comes with a central cut-out. It has more width options though, starting at 135mm and going all the way to 165mm. It's £90.

Overall

The Griffon Performance is a well-specced saddle for the money. There is nothing ground breaking about it – it's a tried and trusted design – but it works well thanks to its shape and the firm, supportive padding.

Verdict

Good blend of cool looks, great build quality and comfort for a decent price

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: PRO Griffon Performance Saddle

Size tested: n/a

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?

PRO says, "Designed to provide you with a better sports' bicycle experience the PRO Griffon Performance Saddle has a flat side profile and a rounded rear profile. This ensures that these saddles are ideal for less flexible riders who tend to move around on the saddle more. They feature an inmolded carbon base, set upon INOX stainless steel rails and boast lightweight EVA padding which compliments an anatomical recess to ensure comfort. Available in two sizes – 142- and 152-millimetres wide – the narrowest of which weights 209 grams the Griffon Performance Saddles are also compatible with all PRO Saddle Accessories."

It's a comfortable saddle and the shape works well for those who like to move around a lot.

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

Designed for less flexible riders who tend to move around on the saddle more

Anatomic recess to relieve pressure

Durable PU cover

Compatible with PRO Saddle Accessories

Base: Carbon reinforced polymer

Padding: Lightweight EVA

Rails: INOX (stainless steel) rails with optimal clearance for easy fixation

Widths: 142 and 152mm

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
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

It's a firm and comfortable saddle that suits all kinds of riding.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Firm padding doesn't compress into the central channel.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I'd like the option of a narrower width.

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

Some saddles (like the Fabric mentioned in the review) are excellent value for money, although the Griffon is priced well against most other saddles with a similar construction.

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

It's a solid performance from the PRO in terms of comfort and overall build quality.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 42  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!

Add new comment

2 comments

Avatar
davechopoptions | 2 years ago
0 likes

Both the Falcon and Turnix (aimed at more flexible riders) are offered in 132mm. 

Avatar
JL77 | 2 years ago
2 likes

Hey, when reviewing saddles, would it be possible to show a picture of the saddle in profile? That way readers can see whether the back-end is elevated and whether the front-end is dropped.

Latest Comments