Submitted by
Sam Chin
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2005
Strengths: Lightweight (I have the Ti version), comfortable, not sticky
Weaknesses: The leather is starting to wear away, I don't have kevlar ends
Bottom Line:
When I first saw and felt the saddle, I found it to be hard and I worried about its lack of a depression in the middle. However, after riding on it for many miles, and landing on it hard, I have come to love it. It's the most comfortable saddle I own, in fact. I like it more than my super soft gel saddle. It hasn't broken or flexed on me, but I only weigh 130 lbs, so I never break stuff. Unfortunately, the Ti version is hard to get now, but I highly recommend looking for one. It only weighs 275g.
It's a not bad saddle if it comes on your bike, but don't go out and buy one for $100 CAD. It came on my bike, but i landed on the back on it after doing an endo (stoppie), and it bent like cardboard. Maybe this was my fault, but i'm sure if you hit a bump on the trail and it the seat with you ass, it would do the same thing. Leave it on your bike until it breaks, and then get a new one with better rails.
Bike Setup: Brodie Bruzza - EXR Fork - Race Face DH cranks - Wellgo pedals...etc.
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Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver BC CANADA
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2003
Strengths: Looks the part
Weaknesses: weak, so called 'cromoly rails'
Bottom Line:
Worst seat I've ever owned. Rails bent after the first ride (on flat XC trails with no drops), and I'm normal body weight (170lbs). Local bike shop bent it back into shape - next ride, same thing happened. Now it is completely bent to one side. Maybe I just got a dud seat, in which case the quality control at Titec needs to do a better job. Overall, disappointed with purchase, expected better from Titec - they make decent bars and stems.
Strengths: cheap, not flashy, seems to be built ok
Weaknesses: kind of wide, foam padding dies
Bottom Line:
I was pretty happy when I first put this saddle on to replace a pooched Serfas Crossbow. It seemed to have decent cushion without a spongy feel. I've liked the Titec seats in the past as their flat sides made them easy to move forward and back on and the tail section and nose were comfortable for my size (6' x 180lbs). This one seems a bit bigger and harder to get behind. The last few rides I've found that the foam is compressed and there is a hard 'spine' running down the center so the boys are telling me it's got to go. Wierd as it is, it seems slipperier than it used to be too, almost like someone coated it with PAM. Makes it very hard to stay seated in a chosen position.
Bike Setup: Kona Stinky,marzocchi Shiver SC, Sram 9.0 sl RD-shifter,Shimano deore La discbrake.Gazzalodi,"titec bersekr"
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Submitted by
Ozone
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2002
Strengths: comfortable,great customer service,plenty of not too soft padding in the right places
Weaknesses: none what so ever
Bottom Line:
First, everyone must keep in mind that saddle reviews are very subjective.What a great saddle!Ive been using these since they came out (`98?)Ive got 4 of them, 2 ti and 2 cro mo.One is even on my `cross bike.This is the longest saddle Ive seen,that helps to shift your weight around to sustain traction.The padding is just right,not too firm and thin like most of the lightweights,not too soft so your pelvic bones punch all the way to the shell like most of the'comfort' saddles out there.Theres plenty of padding on the nose so you can plant your butt right on the end (and not mind it too much) to clean ultra steep climbs.The kevlar is great.Its actually helped me climb the tough stuff better.The kevlar is great.This stuff should be on ALL saddles.The first berserker I bought in'98 is still working fine after many crashes.The viking emblem wore off long ago,but Im not complaining.This is a great saddle for epic rides.Most of my rides are 4-10 hours,sometimes longer.Ive never had a saddle that remains comfortable for so long.I crashed once on a bunch of logs and knocked the saddle off the ti rails.Titec was right down the street from my house in Sunnyvale.I took it to them,they had this neat custom tool and popped the rails back in.They appologized and gave me a pair of socks for my 'troubles'.I thought crashing was my fault!Titec also offered to trade my ti saddle for a cro mo one.They said the stiffer rails resist the flexing from crashes better.I dont crash too much so I declined.Ive let 5 of my buddies try these saddles and every guy bought one,only one guy found something better suited to his needs.Its too bad they dont make this particular model anymore.The new berserker is way too big and heavy,more of a downhill only saddle.
Favorite Trail: Anything<3ft.wide,rough,rocky and or rooty
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$55.00
Purchased At: Cambria
Similar Products Used: Brooks Pro(remember those?)Flite,Avocet ti,SDG
Bike Setup: Turner 02,Marzocchi,Chris King all around,XT,Thompson,Hopey steering damper
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Submitted by
Bill
a Cross Country Rider
from Virginia
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2002
Strengths: Comfort
Weaknesses: durability
Bottom Line:
First off, saddle comfort deals mostly with body to saddle size. At 210 lb. this is the only saddle I have found that really fits me well for long rides (SM100). I love the saddle but I go through about two a year. Given the conditions and distances I ride I am not sure any saddle would hold up much better but the cover seems to get torn up on these faster than most. And just forget the screw in the back staying in. If you are heavy or plan to do any sort of jumping go with chromo rails. Having said that I am now going to buy two more today.
Submitted by
Dirk
a Cross Country Rider
from Mishawaka, IN, USA
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2002
Strengths: Everything
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
This is for the XC Ti rails with Kevlar sides version.
I'm not sure what others are experiencing. It appears as if this is a different model. This one is awesome. I immediately felt a huge diffence in comfort and performance. It looks good as well and the kevlar sides was smart. Seems to be durable although I haven't crashed with it yet.
I'd like to try other saddles out in the future to compare but this one is by far the best I've tried over the past 12 years. An excellent buy.
Bike Setup: GT, Bontrager Mustangs, Shimano XT, RaceFace, Thomson, Marzocchi, Chris King
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Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2002
Strengths: Nice support for sit bones, wide nose for up-front hammering, kevlar reinforcement around the back and sides, easy off the back, durable and resilient, still looks new.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
This review is for the Berserkr DH KTi. I set it up on my Specialized hardtail because of the extra support and padding on the DH model. I've put it through hell, with numerous crashes to its credit. I just stripped out one of the screws on the rear bumber in a crash last week, but I called Titec about the problem and they sent out a brand new bumper right away, no questions asked. Their customer service department is great. Overall the saddle works extremely well. It's probably the most comforable saddle I've ever owned. It's never given me a single problem. If you need extra sit-bone support without all the superfluous padding, you can pick one up for cheap now; online stores have them for around $30 or less for the models that have been discontinued, like mine. It should be a worthwhile investment.
Bike Setup: Specialized Stumpjumper Pro '98 - mostly stock, replaced original crankset and bottom bracket, handlebar twice, shifters twice.
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Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, Idaho
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2002
Strengths: Simple, efficient design and construction. Wider saddle from horn to tail.
Weaknesses: Haven't experienced any.
Bottom Line:
Several people have complained that the Titanium rails were weak and broke or bent right away. I weight 208 lbs, and hammer that seat pretty hard... I haven't experienced any problems. The saddle might feel hard and unforgiving to the touch, but it really is comfortable where it counts... I can ride long periods of time on this saddle, and stay comfortable. The wider tail isn't difficult to get around and behind for descents, and the wider horn is comfortable enough to sit on during steep ascents. I liked this saddle enough that I purchased an extra one so that if I ever wear out (not break!) the original, I'm covered.
Submitted by
Mangk Rut Eater
a Downhiller
from Manila, Philippines
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2002
Strengths: hmmm.... i dont think it has one.
Weaknesses: goddamn broke after 1 ride!!!
Bottom Line:
BEWARE FELLOW BIKERS... the rails are really $hit. it didnt snap or break in two, it bent really bad upwards and sideways (titec logo pointing at the sky), making me ride our local trail standing!!! 14 fricking kilometers!!!
When a customer walks into a bike shop and starts his spiel with "I was just riding along", it is supposed to mean that the product was abused and is now broken do to misuse or use beyond what the designer had designed the product for. This saddle, the Beserkr DH KTi, was on my commuter hardtail and has seen less than 10 days of offroad use on mellow trails, no jumping. I bought it because I liked the Beserkr I had on my FS trail bike that has steel rails. Well the Ti rail snapped on my ride home on the ROAD! The rail broke halfway between the seatpost clamp and the back of the saddle. The saddle is called DH. I am 185lbs for what it is worth. No probs with the steel (KCx) rails so far. Beware!
Similar Products Used: Beserkr DH KCx with chromoly rails
Bike Setup: who cares, saddle bolted to a XY post
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Submitted by
Tony
a Weekend Warrior
from Va bch, Va
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2001
Strengths: roomy,comfortable,very durable for this amount of time,but most of all the room I have to shift around is very pleasing, in fact I'll probably order another one for my f/s this month
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
Great saddle,strong,reliable,great room to shift around,highly recommend!
Similar Products Used: bontrager(too small & too hard)
Bike Setup: Trek 8000,Moxey seat post,everything else is stock
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Submitted by
G-Money
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2001
Strengths: Big saddle. Titanium Rails, kevlar sides. Nice logos. Good design.
Weaknesses: Hard as hell. Very uncomfortable.
Bottom Line:
This saddle sucks. I bought it because it got some decent reviews here and returned it the same day. After just one ride, I felt like I got kicked in the nards. Titec was on the right track with the design, but why make it such a hard seat? They call it an XC saddle, but the materials used and lack of comfort just defeats the whole purpose. Couldn't they have thrown some gel in there?
Submitted by
Paul Cleaver
a Cross Country Rider
from Bowie, MD
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2001
Strengths: looks
Weaknesses: poor materials
Bottom Line:
I read the reviews about how the rails on this saddle break and I didn't believe them. I have never had a rail break in all the years I have been riding - but this saddle is the weakest, shoddiest thing I have ever seen. I am not a rough rider; I don't ride down the sides of mountains. Flat deserts are where I ride, but this saddle broke! I couldn't believe it. I would never buy one again.
