Submitted by
Mikey Lord
a Cross Country Rider
from Lakeport, Michigan USA Date Reviewed: February 7, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Panthers Path
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
stock
Strengths:
durable, matched color of bike.
Weaknesses:
concrete comfort, Heavy!
Similar Products Used:
seatless toilet
Bike Setup:
gt i-drive
Bottom Line:
no padding what so ever. Younger, skinny riders under 100 pounds might get some use out of it. I switched to a wtb real fast. much better options available for less money, like, ANYTHING- even a walmart velo is better!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ryan
a Weekend Warrior
from Sodus, NY Date Reviewed: March 13, 2005
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$12.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
fit, price, looks, durability
Weaknesses:
none at all.
Similar Products Used:
cheap seat that came with bike, and then a cheap bell "ergonomic" seat...
Bike Setup:
mongoose a50r frame, lx components throughout, manitou sx-e fork, titec stem and handlebars, TIME atac pedals.
Bottom Line:
SDG bel-air is the best saddle ive ever used/sat on. I have the cro-mo rails but i would think that any rails are gonna be good. got mine for about 12 dollars, had i known it was this good i would have picked up another 2 for future bikes and stored them away. i dont understand how ANYONE here has broken the saddle, you guys must be beating the bikes, cuz im slightly over 200 pounds and this saddle has stood up to some crazy trails with me! then again, mountain biking is about finesse ;) overall excellent value!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh, NC Date Reviewed: June 8, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Rocky Road - illegal and dangerous
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Weight (Ti Rail version)
Weaknesses:
Not one. Even if you buy the wrong color.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized, Azonic, San Marco Aspide Ti (ouch!) - many weight weenie saddles.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Chameleon HT smoothered in Race Face and Thomson. XTR/Mavic 517's. Marzocchi Comp Pro ETA.
Bottom Line:
After riding many I've never chosen another saddle on four bikes in six years. I made the ultimate weight sacrifice once and got one of those thickly padded Specialized split seats just to avoid a suspension seat post. It felt good but added two pounds. Overall it sucked compared to the SDG Bel Air. This saddle is the ultimate middle ground in weight and comfort. I just got my latest one brand new off ebay for $17 including shipping (and it has titanium rails). I put it on a 280 gram Race Face seatpost and BLAM! Light and comfortable. Find one and add ten more miles to your ride - no lie. I would honest to god not ride happily if someone took this seat and I couldn't find another one. This is me swearing by the SDG Comp Bel Air Ti.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tim
a Downhiller
from Mesa, AZ Date Reviewed: May 14, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$75.00
Purchased At:
...
Strengths:
Very light- my seat tube is heavier than the seat!
Ultra strong Ti rails survive all the impact my 150 lbs. can dole out.
Super styling, good stitching and durable materials survive my catastrophic mistakes at speed. Crash survivability has been perfect so far, with two major skid-to-a-stop get-offs that chowed my last two seats.
Foam is just right for me!
Weaknesses:
A little spendy. Foam may be a little soft for someone 200+ pounds...
Works great! Takes a few rides to break in good, but once it is, its great for long XC rides. Its not too big, so its easy to sit back off of it on steep downhills, and its well padded up front for the uphills. Broke my first one almost face planting myself into concrete last night (its even still rideable, just gets annoying with one side alittle lower) , already ordered another to replace it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
MARK
a Cross Country Rider
from MONTEBELLO Date Reviewed: April 25, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Turnbull Canyon
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Turner Bikes
Strengths:
Light, durable and very comfortable.
Similar Products Used:
WTB Lazer , WTB ROCKET, Italia Sella MAX Flight.
Bike Setup:
Turner O2, XTR, Hope Mini Brakes, Chris King Hubs laced to Mavic 317, Thompson post and stem.
Bottom Line:
This saddle is the most comfortable saddle I've ridden. I realize that everyone is built different and comfort is a individual matter. Several friends & I bought the SDG Belair from Turner Bikes because it had the Turner logo and match the bikes. We all agree that it is the most comfortable saddle we've ridden. No numbness when in the saddle climbing for miles like other saddles I have used. The saddle is easy to move around on and has just enough padding up on the nose to scoot-up when climbing steep technical sections. I hope they continue to build this saddle.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kade Stackman
a Cross Country Rider
from Amherst Date Reviewed: February 1, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
came on my bike
Strengths:
-fits my toosh perfect -looks good
Weaknesses:
are you kidding me?
Similar Products Used:
-selle italia flite gel
Bike Setup:
GT Aggressor 1.0, mavic crossride wheels, avid SD7 brakes/levers, easton EA70 bar, RaceFace prodigy bar, XTR rear derailleur, SDG SADDLE!!!!!!!
Bottom Line:
this is the perfect saddle, the cover does rip easily if you crash...but i would never buy any saddle thats different from this one. i have a selle italia flite gel saddle on my road bike, a fancy $75 saddle, my SDG saddle is MUCH better!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
michael whitaker
a Downhiller
from medway, oh usa Date Reviewed: January 20, 2003
Favorite Trail:
whistler, B.C.
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Very light, looks great, and I got it for a steal off ebay!!!!
Weaknesses:
none so far!!!!
Similar Products Used:
N/A
Bike Setup:
Giant Warp DS, Boxxer team front fork, hell bent bar, hutchinson tubless tires, avid disc brakes, shimano XTR components.
Bottom Line:
Great seat for serious bikers.....weighs almost nothing. Its not too bulky like your grandmas vintage seat. Great design too. All around great seat.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave Thomas
a Cross Country Rider
from Brighton Date Reviewed: November 20, 2002
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
Fat Birds Don't Fly
Strengths:
The comfiest MTB saddle I've ever ridden
Weaknesses:
Not the lightest
Similar Products Used:
Flite, Fizik, Azonic (poop)
Bike Setup:
Cove Handjob with Sids and Race Face
Bottom Line:
This really is the comfiest saddle available. Did a 24 hour enduro a couple months back and I was the only one on an SDG and the only one who could walk properly the next day! Plus, I have the UK limited Tiger skin version which is the Pimp Daddy of ALL saddles!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rick M
a Cross Country Rider
from San Fran Date Reviewed: August 22, 2002
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
came with schwinn moab
Strengths:
comfy
Weaknesses:
ripped cover in wreck
Bike Setup:
schwinn moab 3, lx and mix parts, thomson elite seatpost...
Bottom Line:
originally replaced it with more expensive and lighter product, realized after a few months that it hurt so much i wasnt riding as much. since i switched back to the old $15 bel air i couldnt be happier. sometimes price point doesnt matter, this seat works great...
rick
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TopJimmy
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston Date Reviewed: August 4, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
Solid construction. Ti rails. All leather. Not heavy. Fits nicely.
Weaknesses:
Not much cushion. Kinda thin on the padding. Needs a little more padding.
Bike Setup:
Std. High end bike
Bottom Line:
If you do not need the cushion support, it is very well designed.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ass
a Downhiller
from California Date Reviewed: July 13, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Sticks and Stones
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$75.00
Purchased At:
On Bike
Strengths:
Comfy
Weaknesses:
The rails creak so damn much
Similar Products Used:
Serfias, Bontrager
Bike Setup:
Gt Ruckus-Stock
Bottom Line:
I did and the seat crekeaked after that. So, Im buying a new one on Jensonusa.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
trev
a Weekend Warrior
from fukuoka, Japan Date Reviewed: April 7, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Kusenbu, Kyushu, Japan
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
OEM
Strengths:
Comfortable
Weaknesses:
bends easily
Similar Products Used:
Many different seats
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Paragon, set up for cross country/ trail riding.
Bottom Line:
Comfortable saddle I could ride in all day. Good cross country and trail riding, didn't like it on downhill stuff. This is not the titanium rail version, but the cheap steel rail version (no listing so have to review here). It originally came on a Giant ATX 840 which I rode last year. The tail of this saddle was too high for downhill stuff, so I changed it for something flatter. When I built up the Fisher as a cross country bike, I went through a few different saddles, but couldn't find anything I could ride all day. Thought I'd try this and liked it a lot. Very comfortable. But then my huge ass Canadian friend (he's 97 k.g., I'm 78 k.g.) borrowed my bike and bent the crap out of the rails on the saddle on a small drop. We usually have different preferences on saddles, but we both liked this. If it was stronger (I guess the titanium versions are) I'd say it was great. Would not recommend this to anyone over 70 k.g. doing jumps or drops. You'll bend it on your first ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
STEVEN TROTTIER
a Racer
from LEWISVILLE, n.C, U.S.A Date Reviewed: March 31, 2002
Favorite Trail:
WERE I WIN AT
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
EBAY
Strengths:
WELL IT LOOKS GOOD AND IS COMFORTABLE. IT IS SORT OF LITE
Weaknesses:
I HAVEN'T USED IT LONG ENOUGH TO TELL ANY
Similar Products Used:
FI'SIK (MOST CUMFY) SLR, WTB
Bike Setup:
FULL XTR SUPERCALIBER NEXTLP'S, MONKEY LITES, CROSS MAX UST,KING AND ONLY 21 POUNDS!!!!!!
Bottom Line:
I LIKE THIS SEAT MORE THAN MY LAST ONE(A WTB). i PURCHASED THIS SEAT BEACAUSE IT WAS CHEAP ON EBAY AND MY FRIENS RECOMENDED IT. NEXT TIME I WILL GET A SLR BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH $. i LIKE IT BUT I JUST HAVE TO POSITION IT RITE.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rod Worthington
a Downhiller
from Adelaide, Australia Date Reviewed: February 24, 2002
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$50.00
Strengths:
comfort, good looks and durability
Weaknesses:
Cro-mo rails bit soft Kevlar covers wear out our shorts Kevlar covers are no good in the wet
Similar Products Used:
Fi-zik, Selle italia.
Bike Setup:
Heckler
Bottom Line:
seats are personal choices but most people i ride with like SDG's. I love 'em. got 3. 2 with Ti rails and Kevlar covers and one with Cr-mo rails and leather for the wet rides. great for multi hour rides. watch out for the kevlare covers as they wear through the stiching in your shorts and knicks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
theflyinfatman
a Downhiller
from Melbourne, VIC, AUST Date Reviewed: January 26, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
goldcross cycles
Strengths:
well i have a fat ass, all 82kgs of it and until i did a really bad landing on a 7 metre drop its stayed in almost perfect condition all tha way
Weaknesses:
errr.... none that i can remember
Similar Products Used:
other bits of crap, most memorable one was a giant saddle that i found in a discount bin at mah local bike store, back bent so far down it almost touched the seatpost after my first jump
Bike Setup:
at the time, giant warp ds3 (saddle came with it) now 2002 norco vps 4by4
Bottom Line:
great seat, very comfortable and strong....ish i didnt know exactly how comfortable this seat was until i broke it i was used to riding fat lady seats :D -1 flamin chillis for not being able to hold my fat ass up but hey, thats me!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Northeast, USA Date Reviewed: December 21, 2001
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
price point
Strengths:
low profile, comfort
Weaknesses:
not the most durable seat on the market.
Similar Products Used:
assorted cheap seats
Bike Setup:
a couple of wheels, a chain, pedals...you get the idea
Bottom Line:
This is the most comfortable non-ergonomic seat that I have placed my ass upon. I bought one because price point was offing them cheap, and fell in love with it. So I bought 2 more because they do tend to rip fairly easily. If you are not into the ergo-thing, try a bel-air, you'll dig it.
It falls one chili short for being not-so-durable. But for 15 bucks you can't go wrong!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
tony
a Cross Country Rider
from seattle Date Reviewed: December 14, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
50.00
Strengths:
good shape and size. Really comfortable!
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Flite, Specialized bg pro, Ritchie vector pro
Bike Setup:
Cannondale f1000
Bottom Line:
This seat is waaay more comfortable that the specialized that I have on my other bike...and it was half the price!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nick Griffiths
a Weekend Warrior
from England Date Reviewed: November 9, 2001
Favorite Trail:
any
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$32.00
Purchased At:
JE James Rotherham
Strengths:
good shape & size, comfy, looks good.
Weaknesses:
Haven't found any.
Similar Products Used:
Flite, Flite Gel, Nitrox
Bike Setup:
GT Zaskar
Bottom Line:
Im very pleased with the seat. I want another one in a different colour, but they are quite rare in the uk aftermarket.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stuart
a Weekend Warrior
from Hobart, Australia Date Reviewed: October 24, 2001
Favorite Trail:
S57
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Stock on bike
Strengths:
Good durability
Weaknesses:
Not a good shape for me
Similar Products Used:
WTB speed V comp
Bike Setup:
Giant ATX900
Bottom Line:
One of the first things to get replaced on my bike. I gave it to a friend and he believes its the bees knees. But reckon he'd buy a Volvo and a Cannondale given the money. It was completely the wrong shape for me and the way i position myself on the bike. All the same It's still in pretty good condition after 3 years so at least it lasts well.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Regular Sized Ass
a Cross Country Rider
from Northern California Date Reviewed: July 8, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
* Kevlar Cover is extremely durable * Soft as far as saddles go * Easy to maneuver around
Weaknesses:
None
Bottom Line:
This is a great saddle. - I've been reading some of these reviews - my conclusion is that unless you have a really fat a$$, you should have no problem with the saddle. It's soft and comfortable, durable, and although the rails are Cro-mo, they can take a beating.
If you break the saddle and do not have a fat a$$, you may be an agressive rider and should consider purchasing a suspension seatpost. Otherwise, lose some weight in your a$$ area.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Justin christian
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Springs Date Reviewed: May 25, 2001
Favorite Trail:
razorback
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$10.00
Purchased At:
striet's schwinn, ocala
Strengths:
It's kevlar sides, color happened to match my bike! Padding is great in just the right places, I think it's pretty light.
Weaknesses:
O.K., this is it......the rails look big
Similar Products Used:
schwinn sting ray, schwinn comfort saddle, selle italia
It's a good saddle and seems to fit all kinds of people. I'm on the small and light side of things, and it works for me. Ti-rails would make this a nearly perfect saddle. :-)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pete
a Cross Country Rider
from Ukiah, CA Date Reviewed: May 19, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Boggs andFlume
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Comfortable, resonable weight-what else matters, maybe that it holds up?
Weaknesses:
none, except beware of the cheap OEMs being sold.
Similar Products Used:
Lots of different ones
Bike Setup:
'99 Kona Explosif frame (sweet 853 steel)built up with a Judy fork, mostly XT with mix of Avid, Mavic wheels, Ritchey tires and of course, a SDG Bel Air saddle.
Bottom Line:
The after market saddle, from your local shop or reputable mail order is a very nice, comfortable saddle.
But if you have some OEM saddle that came with yer bike or some cheepo mail order deal, you may be very dissapointed. To wit, I thought the Price Point deal of 2 SDG Bel Airs for $20 was too good to pass up, so I bought three. All three were, how shall I say, totally, uh, "uncomfortable" (i.e. POS). However, the aftermarket, full price, ones are great! Pay $70 to $90 and you won't regret it. Oh yea, in all fairness, Price Point does have some very good deals, but not the 2 for $19.95 SDG saddles.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon Downey
a Cross Country Rider
from Norfolk, NE USA Date Reviewed: May 2, 2001
Very comfortable, the last seat was very padded but this one isn't and is more comfortable. It is also much easier to move around on and climb from. Probaly not for someone riding park trails but for serious riders it is very good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gary Gomulinski
a Racer
from Boulder, CO Date Reviewed: April 26, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Walker Ranch
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Tenth Gear, Lexington KY
Strengths:
Solid construction, with the Kevlar cover. The cover is easy to clean after a muddy ride, just hit it with a hose and it flushes all the dirt out. I did manage to cut a corner, but the rip has stayed the same for a year now without any tape to other fixes. The best part of this saddle is the fit. It is amazing how comfortable this saddle is.
Weaknesses:
None
Bike Setup:
Y33 custom built
Bottom Line:
Buy one now!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dodge maxwell
a Weekend Warrior
from tempe az usa Date Reviewed: March 30, 2001
Favorite Trail:
100
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$12.00
Purchased At:
bike store
Strengths:
the colors match my bike, good quality, low price
Similar Products Used:
serfas
Bottom Line:
i tore up my original saddle in a horrific crash, but was able to replace it for $12. Definitely worth $12. With my fat a$$, I don't spend much time in the saddle going up hills, nor do I spend much time in the saddle going downhill--I guess I could say it's easy to move around on. Very comfy. Everyone else says this saddle is heavy...hmmm, not a problem here, one less cheeseburger a week and I pretty much break even.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Goofball
a Cross Country Rider
from Western Hemisphere Date Reviewed: February 6, 2001
mine has cro-mo rails, which have held up very nice, but i'd rather have the ti rail version. a little heavy.
Similar Products Used:
flyte and a varitey of oem losers.
Bike Setup:
853 hartail
Bottom Line:
i have a small booty. maybe that's the best way to judge this saddle. it fits my small but taught buns very well, is comfortable on climbs as well as long seated rides. if you're a big guy or gal, my review may not be much help. but for the average posteriored person, it gives good to great performance, decent longevity at a price that is hard to beat. 5 smokin loafs for value, minus one becasue of weight penalty and the fact it won't last forever.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mountain Man
a Cross Country Rider
from Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: February 6, 2001
$ 75.00
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating: