Our most affordable version of the MTB specific Telluride line. Incorporates the same design features developed with Ned Overend with more affordable materials to provide a value packed saddle.
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Wellington, New Zealand Date Reviewed: October 10, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Strengths:
Very very comfortable
Similar Products Used:
Various cheapies etc
Bike Setup:
Giant hardtail
Bottom Line:
Extremely comfortable saddle with lots of padding. I had some hard old unforgiving thing on my bike, and found when trying to cycle up on rough terrain I was getting jolted out of the saddle which just made for hard work trying to keep traction and momentum. Tried some other cheapish saddles, all just as bad. This new saddle (05 Telluride Pro) gives a sort of suspension effect by absorbing a lot of the hard edge of bumps and allowing me to keep peddling a lot more. Has definately made cycling more enjoyable.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joe
a Weekend Warrior
from Woodland, CA, USA Date Reviewed: April 21, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
local bike shop
Strengths:
Comfortable. I did the Seattle to Portland ride on it with minor irritation.
Weaknesses:
Rail broke when lifting my bike from my trainer. Thankfully, it didn't fail while I was riding.
Similar Products Used:
fizik Aliante Gamma, Specialized Turbo
Bike Setup:
Specialized Allez Elite road bike
Bottom Line:
I can't recommend this seat to anyone. Hope this doesn't happen to you. I'm done with Specialized saddles. I weigh 190 lbs., so it should have worked fine for me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jonesy
a Weekend Warrior
from Penrith, UK Date Reviewed: July 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Innerleithen XC Route/Glentress
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$55.00
Purchased At:
Bike Trek, Ambleside
Strengths:
Exceedingly comfortable, while not looking podgy at all.
Weaknesses:
Strength
Similar Products Used:
Just stock seats, namely the supplied one with my Marin. The difference is honestly unbelievable. No longer feels like i've been sat on bollard for 3 weeks.
Bike Setup:
Marin Hawk Hill... but getting an 04 Marin Rift Zone tomorrow!!!! Woo hoo!!! I'll be keeping the seat though...
Bottom Line:
Well, i'd not given it any purposeful stick but it got bent slightly off to the side by a couple of degrees - but pretty minor really. Just corrected it by bending it back the other way. It held up against a beating at Glentress (up till I broke my wrist) a fortnight ago on a frame that's probably too big for me, so that's a good sign.
At £30 I wouldn't be terribly fussed buying a new one if it properely knackered, but the guy at the shop said if it broke bad it may be covered under warranty anyway!
Buy it - as long as it doesn't get broken you're onto a winner especially for the price. I wouldn't really recommend for hardcore downhill sort of stuff but anyone dabbling in that area who also does XC will appreciate it greatly.
Enjoy!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto Date Reviewed: June 23, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
Sporting LIfe
Strengths:
Comfortable, comfortable, comfortable but still a narrow enough saddle that it doesn't get in the way on technical bits.
Weaknesses:
Quality - I'm on my 4th one. The first two had loose rails (which really didn't affect performance, but it was a nuisance on a brand-new bike), the third bent after a relatively minor over-the-bars incident (was going really slow on flat ground)
Similar Products Used:
Selle Italia
Bike Setup:
Specialized Stumpjumper FSR '03
Bottom Line:
Really, really comfortable compared to the 3 or 4 other saddles I tested (Sporting Life is great at helping you get setup properly). If you can afford to replace them every once in a while it's great.
I'm going to try the new Telluride Pro when my next one breaks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
EnduroPro R
a Cross Country Rider
from Renton, WA USA Date Reviewed: May 16, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Tapeworm
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
RiverCity Bicycles Portland OR
Strengths:
price and it's comfortable
Weaknesses:
Broke one of the rails. Noticed some "play" in the rails about 2 months after I got the saddle. Then one of the rails snapped after 7 months of riding. I was just climbing a hill and, snap!
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Body Geometry Comp
Bike Setup:
'03 Enduro Pro, XTR disc/shifters, XTR RD, XT FD, Thomson Stem and Seatpost, SunRynoLite XL rims, Specialized Enduro Pro tires, CK headset.
Bottom Line:
The seat has been comfortable all along. The only problem is the construction. I started noticing some 'play' in the rails about 2 months after I got it. Then while I was riding my normal trail one of the rails snapped. I took it into the local specialized dealer and they couldn't believe it. The rails snapped at the rear bend. They'll be talking with their Specialized Rep this week to see if Specialized with warranty the saddle. I thought it was a decent price for a saddle, but my overall rating is 'poor' b/c it broke. I've never broken a saddle in my life and I'm not a heavy rider (168 lbs.)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike E
a
from San Mateo Date Reviewed: May 2, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Extremely comfortable. No numbness. Narrow
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Pro Comp. WTB love channel. Others similar
Bike Setup:
Giant NRS Air
Bottom Line:
Highly recommended. Very comfortable. Perfect amount of cushion. I tried a total of around 6 different saddles for my MTB. Since I really couldn't tell if they're gonna work for me, I bought one, used for a few months, then tried another. I was looking for a comfy saddle that didn't leave the boys numb. This seat does the trick! The Speicalied Pro Comp was like riding a two-by-four. SO uncomfortable! My sit bones were killing me after even a short ride. This seat is very similar in design, but has padding. Definitely try it!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jimi doo
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco, CA, United States Date Reviewed: January 24, 2004
Favorite Trail:
ECMd
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Specialized
Strengths:
Soft cushion, middle cut, wide tail, light
Weaknesses:
Price
Similar Products Used:
04 Milano Ti, Fitzik
Bike Setup:
Merlin MTB
Bottom Line:
Looking for a new saddle that was softer than my really old one and had a middle cutout.
Tried the 04 Specialized Milano Ti but its cut is too aggressive. Had a small sweet spot on the saddle.
04 Telluride Pro is one of the softer saddles out there. Decent middle cutout. Give it a try.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stretch
a Cross Country Rider
from San Deigo, CA Date Reviewed: September 8, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Santa Ana River
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Warehouse
Strengths:
Total comfort -- all the time.
Weaknesses:
None detected so far.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized BG, WTB Laser, Trek, and others.
Bike Setup:
2002 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp.
Bottom Line:
I was beginning to think that life was a choice between bicycling or emasculation until I came across this saddle. The Telluride is a dream come true -- comfortable, fairly light, comfortable, narrow, comfortable, well-priced and comfortable. The marketing material indicates that Ned Overend led the saddle's design. Thanks, Ned -- job well done!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a
from New Baltimore, MI Date Reviewed: August 23, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$42.00
Purchased At:
Fraser Bike Shop
Strengths:
Lots of padding, comfortable even after 5 hours in the saddle.
Weaknesses:
Poor quality leather, the grey and black color wears off ( also stains light colored shorts). The rails bend and became loose under normal riding conditions.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Comp
Bike Setup:
Rockhopper, XT, Eggbeaters, Cane Creek..
Bottom Line:
I'm now on my 3rd seat since April. The grey and black color wore off after 2 months on my 1st one so I returned it to my Specialized dealer and he replaced it. The same thing happened on the second seat, along with the seat rails becoming loose and beanding. I returned that one and am now on my 3rd seat. I think it is a great saddle but Specialized really missed the boat when it came to quality. I hope they offer a higher end Telluride Saddle for 2004 that will last more than 2 months.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marcus Ward
a Cross Country Rider
from Warrensburg Date Reviewed: July 24, 2003
Favorite Trail:
chubb, knob, katy
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
FREERIDE bike and skate shop, wbg
Strengths:
Seems to be built well, too early to tell really, relatively light.
Weaknesses:
The leather looks scuffed after putting about 10 hours of riding on it, I can't tell if I need to put some saddle soap on it, if this is just funk from my behind or the leather is poor.
Similar Products Used:
Sella Italia Flight
Bike Setup:
stumpjumper m2 fs, RS duke etc etc, the usual stuff
Bottom Line:
This saddle is awesome. I tend to run it quite a bit further forward than I did the sella italia, but the pressure is all on my sit bones and my dong is happy for that. No numbness or bad pressure where there shouldn't be, I can ride much much further with this than I could the italia. Great product.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
George
a Cross Country Rider
from Lufkin, TX (USA) Date Reviewed: July 16, 2003
Favorite Trail:
The one I'm on!
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$39.00
Purchased At:
Specialized Store on the 'net
Strengths:
Price, looks, performance, reviews by others.
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Trek, Bontrager, Serfas.
Bike Setup:
'03 model Trek 8000, full XT, Duke front shock, Panaracer tires and Time Comp pedals. Other than that it's right out of the box.
Bottom Line:
This is a great saddle for only $40. The stock saddle on my bike was a Bonty mid-grade with a gel pad right at the base of my nuts, like that is gonna help the jolts? Bonty makes crappy saddles, I've had 2 of them (came stock on bikes) and pitched them both after a couple of rides. This Specialized Telluride saddle is a GREAT seat for the money. If you buy one, you'll be thinking all the other saddles out there are "To Hell You Ride!" 5 setamin turds all 'round.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Hank
a Weekend Warrior
from Redlands, CA , usa Date Reviewed: July 10, 2003
Favorite Trail:
socal
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
local store
Strengths:
Very comfortable. Good looking.
Weaknesses:
sticky leather. No cutout means no air - saddle heats up from butt and friction. pants/shorts make big difference.
Similar Products Used:
WTB rocket race 03' , trico sports memoflex airflex, Trek OEM, mongoose pro dual density
Bike Setup:
cheap sp full suspension
Bottom Line:
Saddle width fits between a technical and comfort saddle. also, the body geometry design extends the saddle further back ... better on dh. Gets really hot when wearing some shorts, and there's no cutout so no air circulation. I think this is more comfortable than wtb rocket v, but the heat bugs me. Overall, one of the best saddles I've tried.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ken
a Cross Country Rider
from Wethersfield Ct. US of A Date Reviewed: July 10, 2003
Favorite Trail:
The one I'm on
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$32.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Price, Looks, Shape
Weaknesses:
NONE
Similar Products Used:
WTB Speed Comp (very good)
Bike Setup:
A lot of stuff
Bottom Line:
It would take a great saddle to suplant the WTB, and this one does. Cant beat the price for comfort. Long term durability is the only thing in question
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wm. L.
a Cross Country Rider
from Madison, WI US Date Reviewed: June 25, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Has twists, turns, ups, downs, rocks, roots and logs.
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
$39 and $35
Strengths:
Price, comfort and decent weight
Weaknesses:
None considering the price.
Similar Products Used:
Many over many years.
Bike Setup:
One on rigid single speed, one to replace the terrible seat that came on my Specialized Enduro.
Bottom Line:
This would be a great seat even if it cost 2x more. My going out and buying a second one should be proof that it's a fine product. The softness seems better or more appropriate on my rigid single speed than it does on the trail bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
sam doodlesnicker
a Cross Country Rider
from oregon Date Reviewed: June 23, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$39.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Look, Weight, Comfort, PRICE
Weaknesses:
None so far but have only had for a short time
Similar Products Used:
WTB SST
Bottom Line:
This is a great saddle at a great price. I purchased for 39 dollars at my LBS. I was dying on long climbs with my SST and needed a change. Financial considerations pointed my tpwards this seat. Its only 40 dollars and it weighs in at less than 300 grams. Not bad. The feel: its quite comfy I am still getting used to actually wanting to sit on slightlt bumpy sections of the trail. This seat made them comfortable. I am sure it will lengthen my rides
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rich
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego Date Reviewed: June 16, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Racetrack
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Mission Cyclery
Strengths:
Just the right amount of cush, and wide, especially for big-behind riders like myself. Light and sleek-looking. Strong ro-mo rails give a sense of security. Just 40 bucks!!!
Weaknesses:
None.
Similar Products Used:
San Marco Squadra (the king of all road saddles), WTB (the king of mtb saddles--until now), and SDG (seams galore=saddle sores)
Bike Setup:
01 Jamis Dakota XC w/ LX/XT drivetrain, Mars fork, and ATAC carbons
Bottom Line:
I originally mounted this on my road bike to replace a dying Squadra. I found it extremely comfortable, especially on rougher roads. However, it felt a little wide when I'd scoot back during long climbs--sometimes made the meat around my sit bones a little sore. This was a small inconvenience. When I put it on my mountain bike to replace a crappy stock SDG, I realized the true potential of this saddle. No soreness AT ALL--especially none of the soreness that I felt on my road bike. I think I'll buy another one just in case it falls under the same curse as most other good saddles and gets discontinued.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Roy Kanemitsu
a Racer
from Mililani, HI Date Reviewed: February 6, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
The Bike Shop
Strengths:
Price, Body Geometry technology
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Bontrager FS2000
Bike Setup:
'03 Gary Fisher Big Sur Disc w/ Rockshox Duke XC U-Turn and '99 Cervelo P2 triathlon bike.
Bottom Line:
The Telluride is the most comfortable saddle I have ever used, at any price. It has lots of nice cushioning and the Body Geometry relief groove. The saddle looks nice with the two-tone leather. I like the saddle so much, I put one on my Cervelo triathlon bike, too. I have ridden the saddle in Ironman-distance races and have gone on many 100+ mile training rides with no soreness/numbness.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick M
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne Date Reviewed: January 25, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
GoldCross Cycles
Strengths:
Very sturdy and light.
Weaknesses:
Cannot really tell ...
Similar Products Used:
Typical cheap Gel saddle
Bike Setup:
Raleigh M600, Deore groupset, LX crank, Easton EA70 handlebar and stem, XTR seatpost, Michelin Wildgripper Jet types, M646 pedals etc.
Bottom Line:
My back used to feel strained when I used the old gel saddle. Thought the Telluride will give some relief. Tried riding it on a numbe of 25 km rides, and I could not feel much difference compared to my old gel type saddle. Still feel the strain on the lower back. Maybe this is not for everyone. I will give 3 chillis for value and overall 3 chillies for the solid build and look.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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