The Repente Nova Aeron is a reasonably priced, reasonably light saddle that looks great and boasts some neat eco credentials, but while it's fine on the road over long distances, when I ventured off the tarmac its lack of cushioning made itself felt, literally – it's incredibly firm.
For more options, check out our guide to the best bike saddles.
> Buy now: Repente Nova Aeron for £73.71 from Repente
Lengthwise, the Nova Aeron is fairly short at 260mm, while its 142mm width is pretty standard. On the road.cc Scales of Truth it weighs a respectable 236g, just 6g more than Repente's claim.
It features a generous cutout to keep the blood flowing to your bits, as well as Soft Cell padding on top, which Repente says allows for a 'controlled sinking of the padding'. Both the padding and the base are made from thermoplastic polyurethane, while the rails are 7mm round chromoly.
The profile of the saddle is curved at the back with a slight slope at the front, allowing you to get in the drops without anything interfering.
The padding is very firm, which on smooth roads wasn't a major issue, but I have very pronounced sit bones and it was pretty uncomfortable on rough roads or over gravel – a literal pain in the butt – though I had no problems with blood flow thanks to the cutout.
Not only is the seat firm, there isn't a huge amount of flex in the base either – the Repente Quasar on my road bike is much more flexible, and the padding has a decent amount of give too. Given Repente pitches this as suitable for mountain biking as well as road, it feels far too unforgiving for my liking.
Of course, all sit bones are not the same, and some of you might favour the Nova Aeron's firmness. As we always say with saddle reviews, when it comes to comfort it's entirely subjective – what I find comfortable might, to you, feel like sitting on a bed of nails, or what is uncomfortable for me might make you feel like you're floating on air.
On the plus side, although Repente isn't the first to throw its hat in the ring, the Nova Aeron is completely recyclable thanks to a construction that's free of glues and solvents. And because of the materials used, the production process is simplified, which helps to lower the saddle's carbon footprint. It still looks to be of a very high quality, and is stylish to boot, though the dark grey might not suit all tastes.
Value
If you get on with the Nova Aeron then it's pretty good value at £74. The Ergon SR Allroad Core Comp I reviewed last year, for example, is about £50 more, and heavier at 292g, although I much preferred it in terms of comfort; it's far superior over rough stuff.
Likewise, the SDG Bel Air V3 Overland Lux-Alloy Saddle is a similar weight (234g) but another £15 or so, though it scored highly for comfort.
At £59.99, the Smanie GT 137 is worth looking at. It's slightly heavier, but Shaun reckoned it offers decent comfort on and off road.
Conclusion
There's lot to like about the Repente Nova Aeron – it's good quality and comes in at a decent price and weight – but its firmness made it a no-go for my backside. Clearly, everyone is different, and if a firmer seat style works for you then I'd recommend giving it a try.
> Buy now: Repente Nova Aeron for £73.71 from Repente
Verdict
Fine for road use, but its firm nature makes it a questionable choice for off-road riding
Make and model: Repente Nova Aeron saddle
Size tested: 260 x 142 mm
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?
Repente says, "Nova is a very versatile saddle, designed for both road cyclists and off-road enthusiasts. It is glueless and eco-friendly: once the rail has been extracted from its housing, the recycling of the saddle does not require any separation of materials.
The wide anatomical opening, the Close Fit ischial supportand the lateral shaping typical of the Repente Ergo Shape make Nova comfortable and prevent pain and numbness.
Repente has also designed the Soft Cell system: the pressure exerted by the cyclist's body causes a controlled sinking of the padding inside the cells in the shell.
The shell and the padding are made of a single material, thermoplastic polyurethane, and are coupled using an exclusive technology by Repente. This technology, in addition to the ergonomic design, makes Nova more comfortable, although the padding is not soft to the touch.
The particularly refined aesthetics of Nova contributes to making it a saddle with great personality. As for functionality, the design is inevitably influenced by Repente's experience in professional cycling.
The TPU engineered by Repente does not require a protective surface coating, therefore no additional interface adhesive layer is needed.
The extreme simplification of the production steps and of the necessary materials makes Nova unique in the sector for its very low carbon footprint and allows Repente to offer this saddle with an incomparable quality/price ratio."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Repente lists:
PADDING Expanded Thermoplastic Polyurethane
PADDING SUPPORT Thermoplastic Polyurethane
RAIL ST4 STEEL 7mm
DIMENSIONS 260 x 142 mm
WEIGHT 285 g
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
6/10
Good pressure relief, and the size and shape should work for most, but it's very firm.
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
8/10
Pretty light for the price.
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
5/10
Rate the product for value:
5/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Too firm for my sit bones, but there was good pressure relief.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
It looks great, though the grey might not match your finishing kit.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The firmness.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's cheaper and lighter than the Ergon SR Allroad Core Comp I reviewed last year, but nowhere near as comfortable for me. It's also about £15 less than the SDG Bel Air V3 Overland Lux-Alloy saddle, though again that scored well for comfort. It's more expensive than the Smanie GT 137, though that's slightly heavier.
Did you enjoy using the product? On road, it was fine.
Would you consider buying the product? No
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Maybe
Use this box to explain your overall score
The Repente Nova Aeron is a solid product, with a decent price tag and low weight. I found it OK on smooth roads, but very uncomfortable on rough stuff. If it suits you, though, it features good eco credentials and looks and feels like a high-quality product.
Age: 39 Height: 6'4 Weight: 175lbs
I usually ride: Condor Italia RC custom build My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, mtb,
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