GUSSET S2 AM

£44.99 SPECIFICATION Weight: 288g • Rails: Hollow cro-mo • Width: 140mm, Height: 46mm, Length: 277mm • Contact: ison-distribution.com

Whoever designed the Gusset S2 AM saddle has definitely gone for a sleek aesthetic. They’ve also gone to the same factory in Taiwan as Burgtec, because both saddles are virtually identical. The S2 AM has a deep centre channel and The Cloud has a depression, but the only difference is a tiny section of extra foam and they don’t feel any different when riding. At the rear both saddles have the same notch for tyre clearance; they’re also the same width, length and are within 10g and £5 of one another.

There’s also a little bit less padding on the nose of the S2 AM, which we noticed when sliding forward. The saddle is just as flat, so you can slide easily off the back when descending, but the lack of shape means there is very little to push against when climbing. And despite featuring a series of rubber anti-slide grip points, when it’s wet and muddy, this saddle is no more grippy.

Underneath, the S2 AM has cro-mo steel rails, but they have exactly the same amount of fore/aft adjustment as The Cloud and even slot into matching offset anchor points. Not that there is any vertical compliance – it’s very wooden and we found there’s quite a bit of vibration transmitted up through the rigid Nylon base.

Like the Spank and others, the Polyurethane cover is bonded, which is way neater and easier to keep clean underneath compared to a glued and stapled seat like the WTB SL8. We noticed a bit of wear on the nose simply because it comes to a narrow point, but overall durability has been excellent.

The obvious question is why would you buy this saddle over the Burgtec? You wouldn’t. Underneath the decals they’re the same, so it really comes down to price, and the

Burgtec is simply better value.