Smanie GT 137 saddle

The Smanie GT 137 Saddle is described by Smanie as a neutral/medium position saddle, which is designed for those of us who 'have a favourite riding position and love to stick to it for long periods of time'. With this spiel, I was expecting to get along extremely well with it on my time trial bike but to my delight, it's been uniformly good across my fleet of bikes. This is even more surprising, given that the 137mm version is 6mm narrower than my bike-fit-determined ideal width. 

> Buy now: Smanie GT saddle for £59.99 from Smanie

Materials/Specification

There's no carbon or space age wonder materials here, just solidly engineered and well-conceived stuff, which also helps to keep the price competitive. But as our best bike saddles buyer's guide shows, there's very stiff competition even at the Smanie's quite modest price.

The Smanie GT's covering is a seemingly durable faux leather with a satin texture and silicone graphics for a good grip, so you're not sliding around on the saddle.

A relatively broad, 3mm deep pressure-relieving channel also bodes well for comfort, while eliminating the soggy crotch associated with cut-outs on wet days.

The Smanie GT comes in a single 267mm length and three widths: 137, 142 and 147mm. Our test model is in black, which is arguably the most practical choice, but you could plump for white if you prefer.

On paper, 142mm would me my closest match but in practice I found the 137mm excellent. The saddle's slightly swept profile is apparently designed to let you get into the most efficient position you can – and stay there. Between the micro-fibre faux leather cover and composite base is Smanie's Eco+Light foam padding, which is apparently heat resistant for consistent comfort.

The material's athermic technology should mean your backside stays cool even on a scorching summer day. With most of my testing done in a decidedly changeable November, I'll just have to take Smanie's word for it. And while hollow chromoly rails might not be the most exotic material and require a decent coat of paint, they do strike an excellent balance between weight, comfort and cost.

Finish is uniformly good throughout. The cover is glued and screwed to the base, with no nasty staples or residual adhesive. The rails have minimum-maximum marks, and the finish seems both hardy and neatly applied. The rear of the saddle, between the 'wings', is also cut away, which might be for aesthetic reasons, but it did let me get my Rixen & Kaul luggage perfectly aligned.

Performance

I tested the Smanie GT across my fleet, which takes in a fixed gear winter trainer, 1991 road bike, fixed gear TT bike for 20-mile blasts and my go-anywhere rough-stuff tourer, which I did most of my testing on, including some off-road forays.

When it comes to saddles, I've tended to go a little broader, given the slightly more upright riding position on the tourer. However, I've found the Smanie's padding and support perfect, even when riding for hours on rural byways and unmade roads.

Living up to its blurb, the GT's shape tended to scoop me into a more efficient pedalling stance, resulting in a more efficient cadence – 90rpm rather than my usual 85rpm. And all without any need or urge to shuffle about.

> How to fit and set up your saddle

On rides of between 50 and 100 miles and regardless of the shorts or tights I wore, the Smanie GT's padding proved remarkably supportive to my sit bones, the pressure-relief channel did its stuff without fuss and there was no issue when I was wearing super-shiny Lycra. The saddle's micro-fibre covering also seems genuinely waterproof.

It was the same story on the road and time trial bikes. The improved performance and greater efficiency were most palpable on the latter, which I really wasn't expecting, given my default saddle is the same size.

However, riding on identical courses and turning the same 81-inch gear I was averaging 100rpm, where I'd typically ride at 90-95rpm. And all the rides were done wearing the same shorts, so there were no variances here. I suffered no chafing, discomfort or numbness and while the 137mm width is only 6mm narrower than my measured ideal, there is a point where something doesn't fit.

Care/Durability

Other than checking the cradle bolts were correctly torqued, it's just been a matter of giving the covering a damp cloth once-over. The wings aren't showing any signs of wear, despite leaning the saddle against brickwork at times.

If this were my saddle, I'd be inclined to add some electrical tape to protect these areas as a precaution, but that probably says more about me than the saddle. Likewise, I'd be tempted to give the rails a quick lick of hard paste wax but, nasty spills aside, I've no reason to believe it won't serve faithfully for a good while.

Value

The GT's £59.99 price is good given its spec, but there's some decent competition around this price.

The BBB Echelon that I reviewed is another genre-spanning model that I've had good results with on and off road. It also has chromoly rails, a faux leather cover and padding on the heavier side of minimalist. The cut-out is effective, but without mudguards you will get a soggy crotch. At £69.99 it's a tenner dearer, a few grams heavier and its 145mm width is as narrow as things get.

If you're looking to keep costs down and don't mind a few extra grams, the Selle Italia Sport Gel-Flow FEC Alloy Saddle that I tested a while back is a long, narrow model with a great cut-out and firm, supportive padding.

FEC is marketing speak for hollow steel and there's some compromise when it comes to finish but it's by no means a poor choice. If you're looking for something wider and aren't overly worried about the weight and are happy to spend time moulding it in, Rob liked the Spa Cycles Aire Leather Saddle, which comes in black, brown, or honey. I've done thousands of miles on the ti-railed version.

Summary

All contact points, and saddles in particular, are highly subjective choices. My experience of the Smanie GT serves to illustrate that numbers alone do not necessarily decide rider comfort and compatibility. 

But taking everything into account, the Smanie GT is a decent midpoint option or potential saddle upgrade – and it does an excellent job of straddling road and off-road riding disciplines.

Verdict

Understated but very comfortable saddle for day-to-day riding on tarmac and beyond