Submitted by
swalbr
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia Date Reviewed: June 18, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
probikekit.com
Strengths:
This review is for the streem marathon wcs - Comfortable, light, cheap, looks good
nice flexy saddle with cutaway sides, absorbes bumps and road buzz, but nice slimline profile
Weaknesses:
not as slicl looking as selle italia jobbies, but well constructed as far as I can see. This product is not a flat saddle and is somewhat of a hammock...if you prefer flat saddles this probably isn't the one for you
Similar Products Used:
avocet 02 40 titanium rails...which this saddle closely resembles except has more modern cutaway sides...if you liked the old avocet you'll like the streem marathon. Selle italia SLR, Fizik poggio
Bike Setup:
two wheels, handlebar, gears...do you really care?
Bottom Line:
This saddle is pretty goddamn good. Absorbs small shocks and road buzz magnificently, saddle base flexes to absorb all those small bumps. Padding maybe a little thick given the flexiness of the saddle base. I find it the most comfortable saddle since my old avocet died.
This saddle is a hammock, so if you like hard flat saddles, go the Selle italia SLR or fizik arione. This probably most resemble the fizik aliante.
I used this to replace my SLR XC. I think i prefer the shape of the slr(ie flat) but the ritchey is far more comfortable, especially on multi-hour rides. 5 chillies for value and 4 for overall, because it will not suit all riders.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michel
a Cross Country Rider
from St Joost, NL Date Reviewed: September 2, 2007
I was in doubt whether to go for the Selle Italia SLR XC saddle or the Streem WCS saddle. Since the rest of my bike was WCS style I decided to go for the ritchey saddle. I am not disappointed so far. Ok, a relatively hard saddle on carbon saddle post on a carbon bike will hurt your back after a longer cross-country ride but the saddles comfort is good. I might try the new marathon saddle. Remember however that the Steem is a cross-country saddle and would not recommend it for marathon or all-mountain purposes. I had no problems so far with the leather, still looks nice and shiny even after many bike washes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Racer
from Rocklin, CA USA Date Reviewed: October 23, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Mt. Tam
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bike Shop
Strengths:
Very light and comfortable. Brilliant design soaks up as much road buzz as your tires (obviously additional) it feels like you dropped your tire pressure about 25%. The only saddle ever to perform this well is the Selle Italia Max Flite, which is much heavier (280 grams vs. 180 grams for the ritchey saddle). The shape is ideal for a rider that slides back in the hills and forward in fast flats (hi cadence). I thought that it looked too narrow to support me but it feels great and actually reduces chafing of the thighs and allows better form (knees in). After checking on all terrain, I replaced all bikes with this saddle. This saddle performs as well as saddles more than double the price with the only pitfall being the medium quality leather, vs. the very expensive leathers you find on hi priced Italian saddles. Performance wise, it is the best of the comfort of the Max Flite with the feeling of freedom (lack of chafing) you find in the lower profile saddles I mentioned.
Weaknesses:
The only pitfall being the medium quality leather, vs. the very expensive leathers you find on hi priced Italian saddles. The styling is very cool, but looking underneath and examining the cover leather very closely reveals leather perfectly suited for a saddle but may not be as "plush" as other more expensive saddles that this saddle competes with on the basis of performance and features. Not really a weakness to me, but some may expect a higher quality learth like you find on the high-end low profile Selle Italia SLR, SLK etc.
Similar Products Used:
Selle Italia SLR, SLK, E3 Form, Selle Italia Max Flite, Flite (original), Fizik Pave, Serfas, Selle San Marco Aspide, SSM SKN, SSM Mythos, SSM SA601. More...it beats them all. This is the best saddle at any price I have ever used. The only saddles I have not tried that might be as good are the Selle Italia Signo SE (limited edition version that weighs the same at 180 grams but costs 3 times more) and the Selle Italia Thoork, that sells for $400 at the only reseller I found that has it (the price of 5 Ritchey WCS Streem saddles).
Bike Setup:
Trek OCLV w Campy Record, S-Works w Record using Shamal, Rolf and Eurus wheelsets (all stiffer than average)
Bottom Line:
For most riders, this is the deal of the century. I saw there is a new saddle (the Streem is 1 year old) called the "Marathon" that looks nearly the same but with more padding and is 43 grams heavier (223 vs 180) and of you really can't get comfort without the bulk filling out your crotch, the new saddle might be the best for you. My guess is that between those 2 models. there are no saddles better for any price. Tom Ritchey is a genius in design and it shows every time he decides to focus on a component. Performance Bike Shop has a satisfaction guarantee, so buy the Streem from them and you have nothing to lose.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nick
a Cross Country Rider
from Belgium Date Reviewed: April 29, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Ardennen
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$85.00
Purchased At:
Vaneyck, Tessenderlo
Strengths:
Light, beautifull made, confortable
Weaknesses:
??? (only in black)
Similar Products Used:
Fizik Nisene, Selle Italia SLR
Bike Setup:
Cannondale F3000 custom
Bottom Line:
Not as light as a Selle Italia SLR (195 gram) but much more confortable thanks to the special construction of the seat.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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