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TECH NEWS
2021 Bjorn Setka 3Check out ‘the lightest 3D printed pad saddle’, Bjorn’s 140g Setka
Moscow-based composite component brand Bjorn has launched the “lightest 3D printed pad saddle” at a claimed weight of just 140g. This is over 25% lighter than the Specialized S-Works Power with Mirror Saddle (193g).
> Video: How to choose the correct saddle for you and your riding
Designed by Bjorn together with Carbon Inc – the US company that also worked with Fizik on its Antares Versus Evo Adaptive 00 (£369.99), R1 (£299.99) and R3 (£249.99) saddles and with Specialized on its S-Works Power with Mirror saddle (£390), the Setka has been developed for “new levels of comfort”.
> How to make your bike more comfortable - check out our 14 tips
Oh and there's that very light weight…
The 3D printed pad features nine zones with different structures and densities that Bjorn says provides “unrivalled power transfer and allows the rider to experience the best comfort, no matter their position on the bike”.
Bjorn promises the Setka doesn’t compromise structural reliability. “It has 7- x 9- mm oval rails which are constructively joined to a new carbon core to offer the best compatibility with 3D printed padding,” says Bjorn.
The saddle also features a wide channel cut out for relieving pressure in the soft tissue areas.
Bjorn says that 3D printing technology enables engineers to adapt and change material density for superior sit bone support and soft tissue relief, all for improved comfort.
> How to decide on the best Specialized saddle for your type of riding
The 250mm long Setka is a touch longer than short-nosed 243mm Specialized 3D offering, and considerably shorter than the 274mm Fizik option.
The Setka will only be available in a width of 143mm to start with, but Bjorn says a 155m wide option will follow.
Bjorn's Setka costs $420, which currently puts the price a little bit under the £300 mark.
It'll be available from June 2021.
Anna has been hooked on bikes ever since her youthful beginnings at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit. As an avid road and track racer, she reached the heady heights of a ProCyclingStats profile before leaving for university. Having now completed an MA in Multimedia Journalism, she’s hoping to add some (more successful) results. Although her greatest wish is for the broader acceptance of wearing funky cycling socks over the top of leg warmers.
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8 comments
THIS WILL EAT SHORTS. Anything other than a smooth surface with hasten shorts wear
You can get lighter saddles if weight is your concern...and aren't padded shorts supposed to be the part which affords comfort to your sit bones.. I can't quite get my head around the idea of these 3d printed saddles, besides them looking quite interesting.. I don't see the point of them..
You could argue that padded shorts wouldnt be necessary if the saddle had the right padding to begin with. I guess the value that padded shorts give is that they move with your arse, rather than a saddle which has different pressure points depending on where you are sitting.
I would presume that as OYB mentions below it should be possible to evolve these saddles to provide the right relief to the pressure points from each changed seating position on the bike.
The other unspoken issue of course in cycling is that we've all been brainwashed to accept a degree of arse discomfort in pursuit of a lightweight racing saddle. Ideally your saddle should still be comfy after a 10hr double century, but there are very few of us brave enough to fit an armchair-like saddle to our race oriented pride and joys.
I had a vintage Rolls fitted to my first Gravel bike - I got more admiring comments about the saddle than I did about the bike. 1 of 2 best saddles that I have owned until the bike was nicked
Saddle padding is bike weight, but shorts padding isn't. It's the same with pedal cleats, except pedals are often not counted as being an essential part of a bike!
I must be an outlier. I cycle more than the average bloke, but not nearly as much as pros, about 10 hours a week, at least a bit nearly every day. I did over 120 miles on a recent Saturday riding just like I normally do: on my Brooks Cambium Carved with no padded shorts. No discomfort to speak of.
How long before someone combines one of those pressure mapping doohickies with 3D printing to produce custom saddles that perfectly fit any given person's sitbones and posture?
(or does that already exist?)
Is there a weight limit for this saddle? Otherwise somebody's going to get shafted, for want of a better word.
It's 120 kg.