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Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Stow, MADate Reviewed: April 6, 2007
Strengths: If it fits you, you'll never buy another brandWeaknesses: Yellow cover looked great for first few months, but gets dirty.Bottom Line: Choosing a saddle is a very personal choice, like choosing a spouse. I have 2 Avocet O2R's, a WTB, and a Specialized, and want to buy a 3rd Avocet. (too many bikes in the basement...) Other saddles are too squishy for me, and the Specialized is like sitting on the edge of a desk - sharp cutoff!
I am a 170# male roadie, and ride long distances on my Avocet. If the nose of the saddle is too high, I go numb, so I tip it just a little below level. If I ride my rollers for an hour, I'll still go numb, but out on the road where I am shifting around and standing occasionally, numbness is rarely a problem.
Avoid the yellow saddle as it looks bad when worn.
Favorite Trail: Wachusetts Reservior
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At: Palo Alto Cycles
Bike Setup: Road bike
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Warwick Jolly
a Weekend Warrior
from MelbourneDate Reviewed: February 11, 2006
Strengths: Good texture. Looks cool.Weaknesses: Isn't. Uncomfortable edges. Rails have bent. Just hurts.Bottom Line: Comfortable for 5 minutes. Novelty wears off after that. AS I said, rails bent. Just a lousy shape.
Favorite Trail: Lysterfield
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At: Bicycle Recycle
Similar Products Used: Selle San Marco Era. Selle Italia cheapie. Much better saddles.
Bike Setup: Cannondale F
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tommy Carter
a Cross Country Rider
from Olympic Valley, CA, USADate Reviewed: August 27, 2002
Strengths: Light Weight
Comfort
Smooth leather cover
Lasts over 10 years
Weaknesses: Break in period is 2 months
Bottom Line: You have to break in this saddle. Avocet has a 30-day trial period ( I think in recognition of this). For a road bike, and daily rides, 30 days might be soon enough. I took me 2 months of wondering and worrying why my new Avocet O2 saddle on an ATB was not as comfortable as my two 11 year old Avocet O2 saddles. In 11 years on an MTB, the old saddle took some hits and the leather was looking pretty shabby. The new saddle did seem stiff. I moved the new saddle to my road bike and my 11-year old road Avocet to the MTB. The 11 year old saddle is pure comfort. After a month on the roadie, the new Avocet is broken in and as comfortable as the 11 year old.
Only part of the decals wears off. I scraped the blue lettered "Avocet" off the side 10 years ago. The red O2 and the yellow "Air 40R" decals have remained for 11 years. All the decals on the back are there.
You can't beat the smoothness of an all leather saddle with no stitching,
the cushion after it is broken in
the low weight (actual 209 gm for my new Avocet saddle)
Favorite Trail: Tahoe Rim / Western State
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$79.00
Purchased At: CBO.com
Similar Products Used: Bontrager WS 10
Bontrager WS 1000 (?)
Selle Italia Flite
Bike Setup: 94 Gary Fisher Supercaliber updated to 2002 9 speed XTR rapidrise, V's, Bontarger Valiant OSB, Panaracer Fire XC
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Plano, TXDate Reviewed: May 6, 2002
Strengths: Allows good circulation in the nether-regions...Weaknesses: HardBottom Line: This saddle has a good reputation, but I found it pretty dang hard. It does help circulation though and is better than seats that have no anatomic shape to them. That's about it. Get a different seat. I'm going to try a Terry Dragonfly.
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At: LBS
Similar Products Used: Ritchey something or other...
Bike Setup: Marin Mount Vision
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Pat
a Racer
from Plano, TXDate Reviewed: August 15, 2001
Strengths: None!Weaknesses: Cost, cheap decals, thin leather, poor glue, frayed kevlar, rails pop out of plastic insertBottom Line: (FOLLOW UP REVIEW)
I posted almost 2 years ago on this saddle. I didn't like it then when the saddle came apart on one of my first rides with it. After receiving a new saddle from Avocet and riding it for over a year, my opinion is unchanged. This saddle is DEFINITELY NOT worth the price or anywhere NEAR what the cost is. I don't mind purchasing expensive, high performance items for my bike. I race and ride a lot. Sometimes the weatherr is great, sometimes it ain't so great (wet, cold, etc). I wrap my seat & post in plastic bags if I'm driving somewhere to ride and it's raining. I periodically clean the saddle with saddlesoap and polish it with shoe wax to keep the leather clean and looking nice. In spite of my efforts, this saddle came apart all over the place. Kevlar rails frayed, the leather on the sides got super thin and then finally broke through, exposing the foam underneath. I bought a spandex cover to 'milk' the saddle through for a few more months. The saddle is little more than Ti rails, plastic base and a little foam on the top. For less money I can get a Selle Italia and ride for years on it. I've got twin boys who are into mountain biking now, and I'm sad to say: Avocet, you've lost my business for good.
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$90.00
Bike Setup: DeKerf Team ST
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Vincent Purdie
a Weekend Warrior
from Washington, DC USADate Reviewed: July 9, 2001
Strengths: Nice yellow/blue color, lightweight, flexible ti-rails,
thick/thin where it needs to be.Weaknesses: Watercolor-inspired graphics: rub off with water/friction after one ride! (okay so sue me..i'm into a logo freak! For this much green, they should be sewn on!!)
Bottom Line: This is a great seat for someone wanting an upgrade they can feel immediately! I ran the Yellow/black version for a few years and it was great. The good vibrations (or lack of them!) continue with my latest Avocet O2 Air 40 race. It does a good job of taking the sting out of my cross country/trailriding..enough padding to make me feel good, but still stiff and race-inspired to make me feel like more than a weekend warrior. The titanium rails are flexible enough that I can ride right over smaller hits without the "butt-cheek scrunch" reflex that a hardtail can give ya. Maybe a little to stiff or hard for some riders; my Air 40R has slightly squared-off edges across the top. It can get to be a little invasive on long trail pilgrimages...but then again to be fair it IS advertised as a racing saddle.
Detract 1 Flamin' one for the ink-stamp graphics.
Favorite Trail: C&O
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$79.00
Purchased At: Bicycle Pro Shop
Similar Products Used: Avocet Air, Cannondale Team seat
Bike Setup: Cannondale M400 with Amp B-4 carbon fork, Profile handlebar,Tompson stem/seatpost, Areospoke rims w/ Hutchinson 'Gator Golds, XT all around...tha' pimpmobile!!
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
aimee
a Cross Country Rider
from lynnwood, washington Date Reviewed: February 2, 2001
Strengths: lightweight, looks groovyWeaknesses: none so far...Bottom Line: Three words for you... love this saddle. (Honestly I picked it because it was the first on the list at Speedgoat.)
Price-wise I was suprised when I saw what the O2 cost, but it was well worth the green.
No numbness, no pain. It's comfy all throughout the ride and I don't get laughed at because I have a seat with a hole in it (as my liberator had).
Every time I go riding I thank my lucky stars that Speedgoat lists its products alphabetically. I can ride all day (even without super-plush bike shorts) and still walk to the mexican restaurant. And that's a very good thing.
Favorite Trail: porcipine rim - moab
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Purchased At: speedgoat.com
Similar Products Used: evil saddle from my stumpjumper and a terry liberator
Bike Setup: santa cruz superlight
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Wayne
a Weekend Warrior
from Sagamihara, JapanDate Reviewed: December 30, 2000
Strengths: Avocet gives you 30 days to ride and decide. I can send it back and get a refund!Weaknesses: The graphics are cheap stickers that are already falling off when the saddle is new. The saddle made me so numb after only 30 minutes into the first ride that it had to come off the bike.Bottom Line: This thing is HORRID! The first 30 minute ride I ended up standing half off the time just to get some blood flow back into the nether regions. I thought maybe I had it tilted too far forward, backward, something. I have slid it forward, backward and tilted it every which way.... it just never gets right. I guess it may just be the shape of my backside, but I can't imagine anyone actually fiting one of these. If you think you might want one, ride one FIRST!
Two chilis because Avocet will buy it back!
Maybe Selle Italia next......
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At: Speedgoat
Similar Products Used: SDG, Serfas, Selle San Marcos, WTB, etc........
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Heckler..... if you care, email me and I'll send ya a digipic.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ken
a Weekend Warrior
from Taos Ski Valley, NMDate Reviewed: August 12, 2000
Strengths: Relatively well made. Pretty comfortable.Weaknesses: Weight. Numbness problems.Bottom Line: While this seat basically rides pretty comfortably, when sitting in the saddle for long uphill stretches, I would eventually wind up with seriously numb gonads. Either the weight advertised on this saddle is baloney, or the others I've picked up are well under their advertised weights. Holding this saddle in one hand and a Selle Italia Flite Trans Am in the other, the difference is obvious. The Selle is way lighter though its advertised catalog weight indicates it is supposed to be 35g heavier. Go figure!?! I'm 6'0" and only 130 lbs--a skinny butt for sure. But I'd love to find a saddle that doesn't make me numb.
Favorite Trail: the road up to ski area
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Similar Products Used: older avocets, Selle Italia Flite Trans Am
Bike Setup: Litespeed Classic 2000. All Campy. Campy Nucleon wheels. Thompson Elite post, etc.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jay
a Cross Country Rider
from VancouverDate Reviewed: August 8, 2000
Strengths: Light
Durable
Nice looking
Weaknesses: Uncomfortable on epic rides
Catches my shortBottom Line: I have had this seat on my bike for almost two years. I find it uncomfortable some of the time and acceptable some of the time. Why do I keep it on? I am too cheap to buy a new saddle. Stupid? Probably!
It fits some guys (and gals) very well, but I am not that tail. It is a decent saddle but it does not work well for me. Just too tiny and hard. That air on the butt thing is kinda a marketing ploy in my mind. Kind of expensive retail but you can find it on sale quite often (www.chucksbikes.com has it for $35). A lot of people love it, but I am not that wild about it.
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Similar Products Used: All kinds of seats
Bike Setup: Jamis Dakar
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
rib-eye
a Cross Country Rider
from DenverDate Reviewed: July 17, 2000
Strengths: weight, appearanceWeaknesses: Stick on decals started to come off within a couple of weeks. Would expect more durability from a $95 seat.Bottom Line: Tried this saddle primarily because of the manufacturer's 30 day fit guarantee. Rode it approx. 20 times during the month hoping would break it and be more comfortable. Never reached an acceptable level of comfort. By the time I returned it, most of the side decals had come off making it look like it had much more use that it actually had.
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Similar Products Used: way too many
Bike Setup: Moots Mootaineer
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Flightless Bird Penguin
a Cross Country Rider
from TNDate Reviewed: May 29, 2000
Strengths: Lightweight, saddle shape.Weaknesses: Poorer overall construction and quality of materials than comparably-priced saddles.Bottom Line: Snapped the titianium railes in two when I landed on the seat after a small jump. I am 150 lbs, and the saddle was only 6 months old. The seat fell off the post entirely. The leather is wears easily when you ride in wet weather. Other saddles it's price and cheaper offer better quality and durable materials. If you pay $80 to $90 on the Ti/Kevlar model, it's too overpriced. I also owned a cromoly model and that got bent after a crash.
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Similar Products Used: Selle Italia Flite and Flite Gel.
Bike Setup: Litespeed with Tompson Elite seatpost.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Glenn
a Weekend Warrior
from Gillette, WYDate Reviewed: May 1, 2000
Strengths: Well built, comfortable, lightWeaknesses: priceBottom Line: Quality saddle. Comfortable. Firm but forgiving. Narrow where it needs to be.
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Similar Products Used: Vetta TT tri-shock, Bontrager, Specialized BG Comp
Bike Setup: Cannondale
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
kevin johnson
a Downhiller
from washington,nj,usaDate Reviewed: April 6, 2000
Strengths: light(very)comfortable for a race saddle(my wife even likes it)bit costly but worth it the titanium rails flex enough to give a good amount of comfort, durable under extreme conditionsWeaknesses: price if you have a cheaper bike,worth it if your bike is upper endBottom Line: if you have a nice bike and want a good looking saddle that is comfortable and durable this is an awesome saddle... I highly recomend this saddle to any one who is aggresive in there riding and wants there bike to look good too..the leather cover has virtually no slip no matter what i wear and the weight (somewhere around 8oz's)seems to make a diffrence to me when i am really flying down thru the corners and s curves.I would not recomend this saddle to larger sized riders or any one who does nothing but sit on there seat and peddle.
Favorite Trail: kokepellis
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Similar Products Used: serfas kevlar
Bike Setup: DBR vertex built for mud,rain@anything else i can find(let it snow)
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
brent
a Cross Country Rider
from highlandDate Reviewed: April 5, 2000
Strengths: light weight(not that I notice it), comfortable, kevlar scuff guardsWeaknesses: expensive,Bottom Line: I bought my bike used and had this saddle on it. So I got past its only negative. Compared to wtb saddles it is much more comfortable and durable. No problems with the titanium rails. If I were to buy a new seat I might try another brand, But if you have the money this one is the way to go.
Favorite Trail: highland rec.
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Similar Products Used: wtb ssx/ssk
Bike Setup: '97 specialized FSR setup for singletrack
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