SDG Bel-Air RL Ti Railed Saddles: A long time staple in the SDG line, the Bel-Air continues to use the proven shape that many have considered as one of the best all around saddles available.
Bike Setup: '09 TREK Remedy 9, Van 36, PCC AMP seatpost, Hope Pro2 hubs, DT Swiss hoops with Maxxis High Rollers, SRAM drivetrain.
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Submitted by
ocguy2004
a Weekend Warrior
from irvine,ca
Date Reviewed: January 16, 2009
Strengths: comfy
Bottom Line:
came stock on my GT idrive. this is a great saddle. very comfortable. can ride for hours without getting sore. i purchased a wtb rocket and its not nearly as comfortable...for me anyway. the rocket is a little smaller and just doesn't fit me right. i'm gonna get another one of these for my spec enduro sx...the enduro saddle is flat and not comfortable for longer rides.
Strengths: style style style only if you buy it with the leopard cover
Bottom Line:
some will say that the aluminium rail are really cheap and you absolutly need the titanium rail. that's not true, I'm a hard rider and my rail stay streath... buy it (leopard only)
Submitted by
ProStacks
a Cross Country Rider
from Tasmania, Australia
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2008
Strengths: Comfortable, good looking, decent rails, good cover (water and tear resistant, easy to clean). Good for moderate Xc racing, or trail riding.
Weaknesses: Too heavy for hardcore XC
Bottom Line:
Great seat for riding the trails and going on long rides. Good and comfortabe, but without all of the fat cuchioning that you see on some saddles. Looks good. I wouldnt have this saddle it I was looking to do Hardcore XC Racing, But for just cruising the trails and entry level XC its pretty good. Easy to clean and damage resistent. All together, a good buy.
Submitted by
Nick Price
a Weekend Warrior
from Birmingham, UK
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2006
Strengths: all day comfort, without all the lardy padding, light, alot of styling choise.
Weaknesses: materials differ depending on what colour option you have.
no womens version
Bottom Line:
i settled on this saddle after working my way through several other brands, i personally find it comfy, it offers a good range of positions, it doesnt snag your shorts easily, its light (Although not XC light, but XC light doesnt = all day comfort)
my only issues you may have are materials, some colour options (mainly fury models, zebra, tiger stripes etc) soak up water like a sponge, whereas slicker models (cammo, cork, cow print etc) are pretty much water proof - bare this in mind when considering which to buy.
i personally have a limited edition blue cammo on giant trance trail bike, and a zebra stripe finish on a kinesis maxlight hardtail.
this seat sucks i got home with my new bike rode for 15 minites the next day it was bent and i dident even wipe out and im not fat ether im 120 pounds so i had to ride with a broken seat for a month entel i had enuf money to get a new one.if i were you i wouldent buy this seat its a waste of money.
Bike Setup: Ellsworth Epiphany, Fox Talas 130, Mavic XL wheels, XO shifters, XO rear mech, FSA carbon cranks, Thompson x4 stem, Thompson seat post, FSA carbon bars, Hope M4 with floating disks and braided hoses, Crank Bro' Candy SL pedals, Panaracer fire XC's
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Submitted by
Marcel Linne
a Downhiller
from Littleton, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2006
Strengths: Fit and finish are second to none - light and strong - tough as nails, cased a double and left no marks - nose and sideguards work as designed - not sure what others were talking about but this is a comfortable seat!
Weaknesses: After about sixty total hours of hard DH, still looks brand new even after some brutal rock garden tumbling -nothing weak to report yet!
Bottom Line:
You want a top shelf seat, give this one a try. tons of flavors to choose from too. If you are a weight weenie, most models are offered in Ti. I have already ordered another saddle for my Mtn Cross/DS bike - these seats are tasty!
Not sure what seat the other fellas are talking about.
Similar Products Used: Marzocchi Karve (former favorite), Titec Beserker, Azonic Love Seat.
Bike Setup: SDG in pimpin' Tiger print, Giant DH Team with Swinger six-way, Super T Pro with DJ springs and direct mount stem, low pro mag pedals, Sram drivetrain, O.S. Big Earl bars with Dangerboy levers and ODI Rogue lock-ons, HFX-9's, Azonic Outlaws matched to Minion super tacky front and High Roller 3c back - Hell Yeah!
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Submitted by
Mikhail Panasyuk
a Cross Country Rider
from Novosibirsk
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2006
Weaknesses: Bad quality
Bottom Line:
My saddle (black/red) came with bike wich I've bought last week. On the first ride home from shop (about 30km) red paint wore out and coloured my pants :(, not funny, red ass... And the saddle now looks as bad as my pants.
Not to say that this saddle is not comfortable (I've ridden about 130km on it), on the same level with my previous WTB Speed V Race.
I'll give this saddle 1/5 because of poor quality.
I don't know if my arse is a different shape to the other reviewers, or if you yanks eat too many cheeseburgers, however, this is the most uncomfortable seat I've ever used. That's while wearing nix!
Don't buy this saddle on reputation, try it out first. Additionally, there is no such thing as "breaking in" a quality saddle. You should be able to find out pretty quickly if this saddle is for you.
Similar Products Used: WTB Rocket V; Bontrager Race Lux
Bike Setup: STP
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Submitted by
Guy
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester, CT
Date Reviewed: February 18, 2006
Strengths: comfy, light, super strong
Weaknesses: none at all
Bottom Line:
I needed a good saddle that was going to be light weight and durable. Those two are not a combination you find very often, especially in a saddle that's only $58. I bought it with some reservation. During the first few rides I was careful, not wanting to bend the rails (as I have on a few other saddles). Then the "accidents" started happening. I've smashed this saddle against rocks while bailing out; I've landed very short, and hurt myself bouncing off the saddle; I've ridden off plenty of little drops while remaining seated. Absolutely nothing has happened to the saddle. If it weren't for the lable becoming slightly flaked, you wouldn't know this saddle had a hard year's worth of riding on it.
Submitted by
Keith Dunne
a Cross Country Rider
from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2005
Strengths: Lightweight, comfortable, ti rails, "love channel"
Weaknesses: None yet
Bottom Line:
This is a great saddle. Although I have used it for a brief period, it is comfortable (still breaking it in so I think it will only get better). It is very lightweight which is nice for XC. I will write back with an update ina few months (well, at least after winter). First impression is very good.
Looking for feedback from anyone that has used either of these saddles, or better yet tried both. I'm about 185lbs. My current saddle is the regular Bontrager Race (not Lite, or X Read More »
