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Submitted by
Christina
a Triathlete
from Date Reviewed: April 20, 2010
Strengths: Style, simplicity, length, comfort on long rides (of course this is completely subjective).Weaknesses: I guess it's a bit heavy, but I bought the titanium rail version and it felt lighter than my old seat.Bottom Line: I love this seat! After searching and reading a million reviews of other seats, this was the one I bought and I could not be happier. I wanted something with much less padding and a little narrower than the Bontrager stock seat that came with my bike. My sit bones are perfectly situated and the length of the seat allows me to move around and use my glutes more when climbing and powering hard on the flats. All of this and it's just beautiful to look at!
Favorite Ride: Any metric century
Price Paid:
$165.00
Purchased At: bicycleeverything.co
Similar Products Used: I've tried a Bontrager, a Serfas Curva, Serfas Performance Rx.
Bike Setup: Trek 2.1 (56) WSD
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Eric_H
a Road Racer
from Date Reviewed: October 29, 2009
Strengths: Comfort, durability, classic looks.Weaknesses: Weight. Probably could not mount it on a Trek Madone integrated seat mast as the side skirt of the saddle would block the mounting bolt access (I do not have a Madone, but it is worth noting).Bottom Line: Saddle reviews are very subjective and this is not the first "5" I have given for a saddle. Everyone fits a little differently so take any review with a grain of salt.
My saddle history might help here, I am 6' and 168 lbs. I started on a Turbo, then a Turbomatic in the early 90s. Then I switched to the classic Flite Ti to save a few grams. It was fine for comfort initially but I found they always started to sag after 6-8 months of hard training and racing. As availability of the classic Flite dwindled I used the Fizik Aliante Carbon for a year, briefly the Selle Italia SLR, then the Arione, then back to my last 2 Flites. In summer of 2008 I bought a SSM Rolls and Regal both with Ti rails (see my review for the Regal separately). I was thinking bigger might be better for me.
After a year of using both I can say the Rolls is the best saddle I have used and I do not know why I have not been using one for the past 18 years! It has dense padding with just the right amount of cush and it is wide enough at the rear to properly support my sit bones. It is quite flat and allows easy fore-aft movement. The side skirts do not create any "pinch points" under the buttock like the SLR or Arione. The nose is relatively narrow with deep skirts, and ath works for me because I tend to brush the nose of the saddle. Sharp edge noses are problematic for me.
One thing for sure, despite the weight penalty both the Rolls and Regal are built for the long haul. As saddles have gone on a diet in the past 20 years durability has also been decreased. Apart from surface wear on the leather my white Rolls has not started to sag or wear thin.
Favorite Ride: Stave Lake
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At: Competitive Cyclist
Similar Products Used: Turbo, Turbomatic, Flite, Aliante, SLR, Arione, Regal.
Bike Setup: Merlin Works compact, Record/Chorus 10spd mix.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Fatboy1963
a Recreational Rider
from Date Reviewed: August 19, 2009
Strengths: Superbly made, superbly comfortable. What more can you ask of a saddle?Weaknesses: Stylistically, the old school design looks clunky on a modern carbon road bike but, then again, so do I!Bottom Line: Not fat (any more) but I weigh 225lbs and am very hard on equipment. Was very happy with my San Marco Ponza saddle but it started coming apart after 5,000 miles so I cast about for a sturdier replacement and decided to give the Rolls a try. I have been very pleased.
It took me about 500 miles to adjust to the Rolls' more rounded profile but it never felt uncomfortable, just different. From 500 miles on it has been a joy to ride: I have done a number of centuries and hopped back on the bike the next day with no problems whatsoever. Even more importantly from my point of view, this saddle is built to last. It is beautifully made and has passed the 5,000 mile mark with flying colors. I expect many more years of use. Saddles are incredibly personal but if you are looking for all day comfort the Rolls deserves a serious look. As for the weight, no one is losing hill climbs, town line sprints or races because their saddle is too heavy. If you really think that, I can point you in the direction of a good therapist...
Favorite Ride: Chicago lakefront at dawn.
Price Paid:
$109.00
Purchased At: Online
Similar Products Used: San Marco Ponza (just as comfortable and a lot cheaper but nowhere near as durable).
Bike Setup: Cervelo R3 with Ultegra and Easton Circuits.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
bigtea
a Recreational Rider
from Date Reviewed: July 25, 2008
Strengths: Beauty and comfortWeaknesses: Low cool factor (for those who actually care about such things)Bottom Line: This saddle is time-tested and used by those who know the value of comfort. Do you think of your bike as a Porsche or a Five-Series BMW? If you are the latter, then get a San Marco Rolls. The beautiful Italian leather only gets better with age and you can go for hours without thinking of what you are sitting on.
Favorite Ride: anywhere in south OC
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At: Excelsports
Similar Products Used: The San Marco Rolls has no equal, but I've tried lesser saddles like Aspides and suffered for it.
Bike Setup: Litespeed Siena with Ultegra...Easton EA90 SL wheels
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
JDH
a Recreational Rider
from Date Reviewed: June 14, 2008
Strengths: Comfortable- the right amount of padding. Long enough to allow for different positions. Leather. Relatively lightweight (titanium version). Price is reasonable.Weaknesses: Looks-- it's not the coolest looking saddle for a racing bike.Bottom Line: Though I'm not all that experienced, this is the best saddle I've tried.
The first saddle that came with my used Trek 5200 was a Selle Success which was too narrow and became painful very fast.
The second saddle I tried was a Bontrager Race X Lite-- it was much better but started getting a little uncomfortable after about 15 miles. A long ride on it would be painful.
Then I read the reviews on the Rolls and ordered a Ti Rolls and found it to be more comfortable. Minimal soreness after 2 hours (I'm a beginner--that's a long ride for me).
I move around a lot and the Rolls is long so it allows for a lot of positions. I tilt the nose down slightly. By the way, I'm 5'9' and weigh 165 LB.
It doesn't look sleek but I keep telling myself are looks worth the pain?
It's not all that heavy at 275gm (though 100gm heavier than the other saddles, it's still less than a pound)
Favorite Ride: Through the foothills when it's not too hot
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At: wekeepyoucycling.com
Similar Products Used: Selle Succes, Bontrager Race X lite
Bike Setup: Trek 5200 w/ all Ultegra, Bontrager X lite wheels
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