Selle San Marco Concor Racing Saddle

Selle San Marco's Concor saddle has got a whole lot lighter but it still delivers plenty of comfort.

We've reviewed a Selle San Marco Concor before although, despite sharing a name, the two aren't much alike. The Supercorsa version Dave reviewed was a vintage-style saddle; different size, different shape, different materials... different all round.

So why keep the same name? Well, Bernard Hinault used a Concor, so did Lance, so did Bettini. It became a classic. You don't want to bin a name with heritage like that because technology and fashions have changed.

This is a new racing saddle made with a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic shell. That shell is 278mm long and 134mm across at its widest point, while the nose tapers down from 60mm to 36mm. There's nothing too wild in any of that; those are pretty standard dimensions.

There's a slight wave in the shaping – a small crest midway along the nose before it dips down again at the saddle's widest point and then sweeps up at the back. There's a reasonable amount of flex in the shell and you get a medium depth of foam padding on top of it – a touch more than average, I'd say, but it's certainly not too spongy.

The micro-fibre cover is quite hard wearing although you wouldn't want to lean it against too many walls if you want to maintain its looks, and it's not too slippery even when wet.

The rails are made from what San Marco call Xsilite, which is steel with silicon and particles of titanium and carbon added. They reckon it's stronger and lighter than titanium. It's pretty hard to test that one although the rails certainly seem tough enough. There's also a full carbon version handbuilt in Italy at £134.99.

Our Concor saddle weighed in at a respectable 195g. You can get considerably lighter – San Marco's own Aspide Superleggera has a claimed weight of 125g, for example – but it's hardly hefty.

I'm quite choosy about my saddles and this one definitely makes it onto my 'approved' list. The shape is good, the nose providing enough area to spread the pressure comfortably without being so bulky that it gets in the way.

I've found a couple of San Marco saddles I've tried in the past to be too hard, too unyielding, but not here: there's enough flex in the shell and enough padding to keep the ride feeling smooth over knackered tarmac. In an ideal world I've have a touch more give in there but I did 5hrs on this saddle yesterday and it felt fine throughout so I'm not complaining.

Of course, we all have slightly different taste in saddles so check whether the favourite perches you've had in the past are anything like this shape before you spend your cash.

One thing that's not open to debate is the build quality. This is well made and neatly finished and has the look of a saddle that's going to last a long time.

Verdict

Comfortable, well-made saddle that's low bulk and reasonably lightweight