B'Twin 900 Sport Saddle

The B'Twin 900 Sport Saddle is an own-brand product from sporting megastore Decathlon, designed for 'sport' bikes rather than, say, leisure or commuting, hence the slim profile and narrow nose. It's comfortable, reasonably lightweight, pleasing to the eye and remarkably good value.

Saddles are a personal thing, of course. A slim and narrow seat with minimal padding might not suit everyone, but this style will be ideal for sportive or training bikes – and the design won't look out of place on fancier racing bikes either.

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The narrow nose means no rubbing on the inside of your thighs, a major plus in my opinion, although some riders might prefer slightly wider support.

A cut-out slot in the middle of the saddle is effective at reducing pressure – and unnoticeable when pedalling. Some cyclists will prefer a larger cut-out, while others prefer a solid top. As with padding and profile, it's a personal thing.

Padding here is minimal – a thin layer of gel under the cover – which is no bad thing; for many riders it's the padding in your shorts that counts, rather than the padding on your saddle.

Some saddles have extra-grippy panels, but although there aren't any on the 900 Sport I didn't notice myself slipping around particularly. The dimples might be helping here, as well as providing a touch of extra ventilation.

The B'Twin 900 Sport retails at £19.99, which is very good value. The low price is not reflected in a cheap look: on the top, the three-colour design is appealing, although some might prefer a single colour, while underneath it all appears well made, with no baggy seams or ugly rivets, although the fabric has frayed slightly in some areas.

The rails are chromoly, but despite the lack of exotic materials, the 900 Sport's weight of 247g on the road.cc Scales of Truth is very respectable. Top-end saddles costing five times as much weigh only a few grams less. Usually, only when carbon and/or titanium come into play do saddle weights drop below 200g, but then the price goes up even more. The Selle Italia SLR Team Edition, for example, is 178g and £115.

All in all, this is a very comfortable saddle. It's been fine for short training rides, and for a couple of more relaxed 100-mile outings as well. I put it on a bike last month to go for a test ride, and liked it so much that it hasn't come off since.

Verdict

Very comfortable and reasonably light saddle, at a bargain price