Koobi PRS - Enduro

Price Paid:  $150.00 at Koobi.com

Favorite Ride:
Daily ride to work smiling at traffic

Bike Setup:
Malvern Star Oppy full carbon
Shimano 105 groupset
Mavic Aksium

Summary:
I have been riding a road bike for a bit over a year, after about 5 years of commuting on a mountain bike. I have struggled with perineal pain for most of the last year, despite trying several saddles all claiming to offer relief in this area. The Koobi prs Enduro is the first saddle I have tried offering pain free riding. This saddle does need to be slightly nose down, as suggested by the manufacturer, and it makes a difference in my experience.

I think a few details are important in saddle reviews and everyone reviewing saddles should include these details to allow sensible comparison:

Height: 176cm
weight: 75kg
Sit bone width: 9.5cm point to point, 12.5cm outer edges
Distances ridden: daily commute 20km each way, mostly flat, occasional weekend ride 60-100km.
Shorts: Bib, DHB Finchdean are my current favorites. I think shorts and saddle choice are really integrated as they both contribute to the sit-bone interface. If you are having problems you need to consider both the saddle (including position etc) and the shorts.

Strengths:
Excellent construction
Slightly softer padding, without being spongy
Good width for sit bones
Full length central groove
PRS elastomer system reduced vibration and bumps
Koobi offer money back if not happy

Weaknesses:
Only available from web site
Only available in one colour
Heavier than some other saddle (but who cares when the pain is gone)

Similar Products Used:
Selle Italia flite gel flow
Terry fly
Specialized gel toupe
Selle SMP glider
Velo race (standard saddle on new bike)

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Koobi

Bike Setup:
Trek Pilot 5.0
all Shimano Ultegra

Summary:
After 20 or 30 miles, I used to have to stop every 15 because I was saddle sore. Not anymore! I did have to change out the elastomer inserts, though.

Strengths:
Comfortable for tens and tens of miles.

Weaknesses:
None yet.

Similar Products Used:
Stock Trek Saddle
Terry fly

Price Paid:  $120.00 at Koobi

Favorite Ride:
Cape Breton Highlands

Bike Setup:
2006 Trek Pilot 2.1 w/ultegra 10spd triple & brake upg.
2005 Bianchi Virata (steel is real!!) Ultegra 10spd triple, Mavic Equipe

Summary:
Saddle? What saddle? That's the best review of any saddle: you forget about it because nothing hurts. Since acquiring the PRS Enduro, I've had no discomfort on rides from 1-65 miles on pavement smooth and rough. The best design I've tried (garage full of old saddles!) on both the Bianchi Virata and Trek Pilot 2.1 (2006 model). Allows you to focus on the important aspects of your ride, not the burning in your crotch!

Strengths:
Comfortable: you forget you're sitting on it. Can be customized for different size riders with the rubberized elastomers.

Weaknesses:
Took a lot of research to find: no advertising or marketing. You need to search it out. Expensive? You get what you pay for!

Similar Products Used:
Selle Italia, Bontrager, Avenir, Terry & various OEM's

Price Paid:  $120.00 at koobi.com

Favorite Ride:
longer the better

Bike Setup:
2005 fuji robauix stock except for saddle and spd pedals

Summary:
Before I bought this saddle I used to get sore. I had to make sure to frequently stand up and was limited by not being able to tolerate the soreness. Since using the prs enduro the only limiting factor on my rides has been my attention span and ammount of gel/sports drink/bars/water carried with me. This seat has allowed me to truly enjoy my bike.

Strengths:
It's comfortable. Using the prs enduro I get no soreness from my saddle at all. Only muscle soreness. I could ride for three hours on my dropouts and my butt would be comfortable the whole time. This is a well built saddle, durable.

Weaknesses:
I have mixed feelings about the prs elastomers. I ride an aluminum/carbon frame and have never felt that vibration was a problem. I bought this saddle based its exceptional reviews here with the hope that it would be comfortable. Which it is. I know that the elastomers do a lot to dampen vibration however, when I'm spinning out the miles especially on my dropouts at a cadence of 90-100 the saddle moves like it's not tightened down on the post. The first time it did this it feaked me out because it felt really lose but I wasn't about to concede the groove that I was in. When I got home I was surprised to find that the saddle was firmly in place on the post. It's a weird feeling which really makes my bike feel not stiff at all. I like riding stiff bikes hard and fast, but all and all the prs enduro has made 3-5 hour rides not only possible but pleasant bottom line. If I really concentrate on form I can minimize the side to side and up and down movements of the saddle. I would prefer a saddle with the prs enduro's comfort but the stiffness of a simple saddle without the elastomers.

Similar Products Used:
stock piece of junk seat that came with my bike.

Price Paid:  $129.00 at Koobi website

Bike Setup:
Road bike-Trek Pilot 5.0
Mtn bike- Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Plus

Summary:
The first thing I replace on a new bike is the saddle. Believe me, I've tried 'em all. When I first saw Koobi designs, I thought, well I haven't tried that yet! So, I ordered one.

This is a very good saddle design. Really different from all the other brands. Once I tried the Koobi, all my other saddles showed their design flaws. I liked it so much I bought one for my mountain bike. The replaceable elastomer suspension really takes the sting out of small bumps.

Over the years I have tried everything out there to smooth out the ride on my bikes, especially my road bikes. I've ridden different frame materials, from aluminum, [Augh!], steel, and titainium to my current favorite, carbon fiber. I've tried seatposts made of titainium and carbon fiber. I have used almost every racing saddle out there that promised some shock resistence. Nothing has ever worked as well as the Koobi for 'taking the edge off'. The fact that my crotch can relax up front due to the split design of these saddles is just icing on the cake. This is where the cutout needs to be, not in the rear or the middle! This is an exceptional design and I'm glad someone finally figured it out.

Strengths:
Split front design. Overall shape. Suspension Elastomers. Workmanship is typical Italian,[very good].

Weaknesses:
None so far.

Similar Products Used:
Cinelli, Selle San Marco, Terry, Pearl Izumi, Bontrager, Specialized, Fizik. Yes, you probably never heard of a couple of these brands making saddles but they did, and yes, I am old!