Spa Cycles Nidd Leather Saddle

Spa Cycles has brought out a range of three leather saddles at a distinctly more wallet-friendly price-point than their Brooks counterparts: the Wharfe to Brooks' Swift, the Aire to Brooks' Swallow, and the saddle here: the Spa Cycles Nidd to Brooks' B17.

The Nidd's dimensions are almost identical to the B17's with a length of 277 mm, a width of 168mm and a height of 65 mm, though at 623 grams on our scales it's a bit burlier than the B17's claimed 520 grams. At £35, it's also a heck of a lot cheaper.

There are more similarities with the Brooks equivalent: you get saddle loops and the usual nose-bolt to tighten the saddle up once it's started sagging excessively - use sparingly.

Unlike Brooks, the Nidd has a woven synthetic material bonded to the underside - I'm guessing that this helps manage stretch. It also possibly protects the leather from road spray, though I would avoid getting the saddle too wet - that would be a good way to ruin it. You see many randonneurs keeping a plastic bag stuffed between the rails and the saddle for this very reason.

I own a Brooks Swallow and a Swift, so that is what I am comparing the Nidd against. I was always warned that leather saddles take about 500 miles to break in, which I've found to be a bit of an exaggeration for the Brooks; they were pretty comfy and springy from day one - though it's only fair to say that both the Brooks have titanium rails and are therefore, so I'm told, more comfortable earlier.

The Nidd not so much. It was rock-hard when I picked it up from road.cc HQ and though you can just about detect some give after 250 miles, comfortable is not (yet) how I would describe the saddle. This long breaking-in period is almost certainly a function of the thicker leather that is used compared to Brooks saddles, the upside of which is that the saddle should last a lot longer - provided it's taken care of properly (disclaimer: I am not a leather expert!)

That is not to say that I don't like the saddle. The shape actually suits my behind better (on my touring bike) than the Swift and Swallow that I own - it is much wider and therefore offers more support in a more upright position. While the saddle is hard, it is not painfully so for my one-hour-long commutes. I think persevering with the saddle will reap rewards in the form of a saddle that's just right for me - eventually.

Verdict

A great quality leather saddle at an incredible price - if you don't mind investing some time to break it in.