POWER PRO WITH MIRROR

Depending on where you sit on the spectrum (pun intended), your mountain bike saddle can be anything from something for a point of reference when riding, through to an item that is a deal maker as to whether you’ll ride or not. With such a wide variety of people riding mountain bikes, it’s no surprise that if you asked 50 riders what a comfortable saddle is, you’d probably get almost 50 different answers. Mountain bike saddles can be anything from the thin and flat Selle Italia SLR, to a vintage Tioga DH, or something from the new-school of saddles; something shorter, flat and pretty wide both at the nose through to the tail.

ENTER, SPECIALIZED POWER SADDLES

The new saddle shape from Specialized lopped upto 30mm off the length of some saddles, and included a very generous cut out, to reduce pressure on the nether regions for riders who adopt a low and aggressive position when riding. Ostensibly this was aimed at road cyclists, but it was quickly adopted by cross-country and marathon mountain bikers as well. With a wide back, 143, 155 and even 168mm widths available, the Power saddle shape was as comfortable when low over the front of the bike as it was sitting up. Since the 2015 release, Specialized have added more models to the Power range, and other brands have developed their own saddle range with the same concepts.

Specialized didn’t launch the Power design on a whim, instead it’s the result of extensive research, design, testing and feedback from their Body Geometry range over the decades. Best of all, the Power shape is designed to work for both men and women, vastly improving blood flow by not compressing arteries, while also reducing the pressure on nerves. Winning.

The Mirror technology was launched on the S-Works model in early 2021, in the 143mm and 155mm widths. The mesh look you see is a 3D printed polymer, printed in an environment that allows such a dynamic shape to form a structure with near countless struts and connections. Specialized reckon there are 14000 struts and 7799 nodes, but I’ll take their word for it.

In 2022, Specialized released a Pro model, which adds a nylon base, Titanium rails instead of carbon, and Specialized state that the saddle is tough enough for use on the trails – even stating their Enduro team use it. The shoulders are reinforced, and under the nose is also strengthened, a boon for sitting forward on climbs and hanging your bike up. Our 143mm test model hit the scales at 246g, so it’s a light saddle for those racing the clock, and it should be comfortable for those looking for a comfy perch for long days on the trails. Selling at $500 – I had some high expectations.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

This was my first introduction with the Specialized Power shape, although I have used similar shorter, wider, big cut out saddles on two of my bikes for a few years. On my mountain bikes I tend to prefer a saddle that stays out of the way. Narrow enough to move around on, no pronounced back so you can slip past it, a nose that’s not too pointy and something pretty firm.

The Power Pro with Mirror tends to go against my logic

for a good saddle. I have ridden enough that I know comfort on a bike seat is about quality shorts, time on the bike, and a shape that suits you. Padding tends to come after all that. Pressing your thumb into a seat to see if it’s soft and comfortable doesn’t really answer the question for me. So with the Mirror material being soft to the touch, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Still, the shape is similar to what’s on a couple of bikes, so I really did want to try one of the OG models for the short and wide design. After all, with long dropper posts, saddles don’t really get in the way anymore, right?

ON THE TRAIL

I fitted the Power Pro with Mirror atop a 150mm Fox Transfer dropper and promptly packed my bike up to head to Derby for a week, escaping the soggy south east of Queensland so I could ride my bike. This is not a typical luxury, but it really threw the saddle into the deep end.

Like anyone on a riding trip, the aim is usually to maximise trail time, and with 5 days I ended up with about 20 hours of time in the saddle. I rode a huge range of trails in Derby, in some mostly wet and gritty conditions. From a 6 hour XC slog in the wind, to a long point to point day getting shuttled to the Blue Tier and riding home to Branxholm, and days with some point and shoot down some infamous Derby trails on my XC bike.

What really surprised me was how the printed Mirror ‘padding’ was soft under the thumb but more than supportive enough under my bum. The wider rear of a saddle like this is really comfortable for seated climbing, and if it gets steeper, the wider nose with extended relief channel is still a comfortable place to be.

In the past, I have erred away from wide saddles. When you need to get low and push harder on the flat (which is typical in my preferred marathon race discipline) I find the saddle pushes into my glutes and hamstrings too much. So you slide forward, onto a narrower and in general uncomfortable part of the seat. This is not the case with the Power Pro with Mirror. With a combination of both a shorter length, and the long cut out, I could easily find a well-supported area even when I had to race a perceived clock.

On descents, I obviously used my dropper to get the seat out of the way, but I often only drop the saddle a small amount as they are an excellent point of reference on the flowing and overall shallow descents in places like Derby. The rounded edges of the saddle nose, and the shoulders in the back are comfortable to get an inner leg against, and had no edges to snag on shorts.

Perhaps the only downside was the amount of mud and trail grit that ended up in the saddle. But I’m in two minds about that. On another saddle, it will pile up on top of the seat and then wear out your bike shorts on a long ride – and the saddle a little as well. In this case, it pushes through the ‘mesh’ and looks grubby, but you’re not really in contact with it. So I do wonder if it can help keep your kit running a little longer. You can clean the saddle out, a quick hose is ok, or a proper suds up and sponge and blast with the hose does a better job, if you need it to look better.

OVERALL

Looking at the Specialized Power Pro with Mirror saddle, I assumed it would be fragile, probably too wide, and expensive. $500 is still $500, but I found this to be the most comfortable saddle I have just put on and used, without any issues. The reinforced edges and Ti rails have shown no signs of wear, and given the gritty and wet conditions the saddle has had over a few months, I’m impressed in terms of durability. The value decision is up to you. I see the value as I know that I will be riding a lot this year, and next, and likely the year after that as well. Comfort and performance are important to me, and the Power Pro with Mirror ticks both of those boxes. If you need a comfortable saddle that is no lounge chair or anchor, I’d be taking a good look. Be it for trail riding, cross-country or even Enduro use – I think these are well worth considering.