A REALLY T-shaped saddle to watch for - Ergon SM3

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It finally looks like this saddle has some limited availability in the US, after they kept pushing the release date back. I decided to order the lowest-end version in black, for starters (from Universal Cycles--they had the best price). If I don't like it on my road bike it will probably be better on a somewhat less aggressive bike (like my CX bike or mtn. bike). If I love it I'll eventually get the next model level up (carbon shell and has some super-slippery silicone coating on the inner thigh area to reduce friction against shorts, which is where mine wear out) in white for my roadie and put the cheaper black on on another bike. I remember seeing that they were considering a more road-specific version if the mtn. version does well, too.

[pll]

Hopefully this will be the one! I look forward to your review.

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Me too! The Bontrager InForm Affinity RL is *ok*, but it could be more t-shaped. I love the dent, just not the way my inner-thigh/cheek area feels so beat-up after 50 miles or so.

[Anyabeth]

I have a stupid question about the Ergon grips - are those just for flat bar bikes? Is there a way to use something like that on drop bars?

[Wahine]

I have a stupid question about the Ergon grips - are those just for flat bar bikes? Is there a way to use something like that on drop bars?

I don't think you could use them on dropped bars but there are a lot of drop bars out there with a tear drop shaped profile for the top part of the bar, the horizontal bit closest to the stem where you're often hanging out while riding casually. The drops themselves often also have an ergonomic curve but a cylindrical cross section.

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It's here! Though I'm not sure when I will be able to try it--maybe tomorrow. My bike is already loaded up in the back of DH's vehicle for our ride tonight.

Looking at it I'm immediately struck by how shallow the relief channel is...it looks deeper in photos. I sort of suspect that it may not offer much actual relief, unfortunately. It should be obvious pretty much instantly if it's not going to work. The overall footprint is wonderful, though. So VERY t-shaped!

[Wahine]

Thanks for posting about this. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of the saddle.

[limewave]

It's here! Though I'm not sure when I will be able to try it--maybe tomorrow. My bike is already loaded up in the back of DH's vehicle for our ride tonight.

Looking at it I'm immediately struck by how shallow the relief channel is...it looks deeper in photos. I sort of suspect that it may not offer much actual relief, unfortunately. It should be obvious pretty much instantly if it's not going to work. The overall footprint is wonderful, though. So VERY t-shaped!

Ooooh! Fun. Let me know how it works for you.

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Is it squishy?

Not really. It has some sort of "suspension" built-in, since it's a mtn. bike saddle (and I may find that it works well for off-roading or CX, since I'm not as "aero" on mountain bikes or my CX bike), but the actual padding and cover are pretty firm. Feels a lot like a Ruby saddle, IME.

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I still haven't had a chance to try it. Weds. I went mountain biking and yesterday I rode 65, so neither was a good chance to try it. Today I'm running and tomorrow I'm mountain biking, again, but planning to also try and get out for an hour on my road bike to test it...stay tuned!

[Owlie]

It finally looks like this saddle has some limited availability in the US, after they kept pushing the release date back. I decided to order the lowest-end version in black, for starters (from Universal Cycles--they had the best price). If I don't like it on my road bike it will probably be better on a somewhat less aggressive bike (like my CX bike or mtn. bike). If I love it I'll eventually get the next model level up (carbon shell and has some super-slippery silicone coating on the inner thigh area to reduce friction against shorts, which is where mine wear out) in white for my roadie and put the cheaper black on on another bike. I remember seeing that they were considering a more road-specific version if the mtn. version does well, too.

Ooh. Let me know if it works for you on the roadie, since we seem to have similar saddle needs, and I'm slowly getting closer to that new bike...