Bunch of Arse
Arses, everybody’s got one, fat, thin, wide, narrow, round, square, well… maybe not square, but we do all have one and they’re all different. And because of that, talking about comfort in a saddle review is basically wasted wordage so I’ll barely bother, one person’s fluffy bunny is another person’s barbed wire coated lump of granite.
So, quick answer to the title, it’s a no for me, the Stanton Rigel saddle is not a pain in the arse at all. Even on saggy shorted epics, six hours of sitting on a sopping chamois chafing away at wrinkled bits, I’ve still avoided that excruciating, bone numbing, razor blade perching hell that comes with the wrong bum to seat combo. Having said that, when I posted the fact that I’d received this particular bit of kit on the Stanton Owner’s Facebook page, one fella did wish me luck with my imminent torture, so it’s obviously not for everyone.
Contact Points
Contact points matter greatly. Grips, pedals and seats make or break how a bike feels and so, along with tyres, they’re the components that get experimented with the least on my set up. Once I’ve settled on a solution, it takes a seriously bold manufacturer’s claim to shift the selection. As such, ODI Ruffians, SPD’s and a WTB Devo were the default for years. Stanton getting into the saddle game and the lack of availability of the WTB created the conditions for a rare transfer about eighteen months ago.
Out of the packet, the manufacturing quality is immediately apparent. Whilst it’s obviously not been hand stitched by an elderly Italian, it has clearly been built to last. Suitably light at 230g, probably too weighty for XC weenies but definitely no brick, it sits right in the range of acceptability for general usage including Enduro and DH racing. The usual useful markings are evident on the titanium rails preventing idiots from putting all their weight on one end to compensate for ill-advised reach lengths and fitting was a breeze given that it’s just a saddle and requires no instructions! Available in a range of colours, I opted for the stealthy black and grey to match the bare titanium of my gorgeous Stanton Switch9er frame.
Eighteen Months of Abuse
Over eighteen months I’ve shuffled my grit covered back end on it for countless hours and way over a thousand miles. It’s lasted a couple of crashes and a few leans on sandpaper-like wall surfaces and I’ve been delighted to see how little wear and tear is in evidence. I remember back in the day, my old Flite Titanium saddles having the longevity of wet bog roll when leaned on anything other than the finest silk surfaces and so it’s great to have a saddle that remains as good as new for so long. It’s been truly abused, cleaned and re-abused many times but continues to do what it does without complaint. There is finally some wear in evidence but instead of being on the ‘wings’ its actually at the side of the nose where it’s worn through to the plastic, functionally and aesthetically not a problem.
So not much else to say really. I’m always delighted at genuine fit and forget products, one less reason to waste your best years doing pointless comparative studies on obscure bike review sites. If you’ve got a Stanton (and I highly recommend you do) then it’s a great accompaniment, and even if you don’t then at £55 it’s a total bargain for the level of performance and looks it provides.
If you buy one and find it’s like a sea-urchin encrusted spike to sit on then my apologies but you should think about keeping the seat and sourcing a new arse.
The Rigel saddle is available here;
