SPECIALIZED BRIDGE COMP

£80

SPECIFICATION Weight: 324g • Rails: Cro-mo • Width: 155mm, Height: 53mm, Length: 262mm • Contact: specialized.com

There are a couple of Bridge saddles in the Specialized line, the Sport for £40, a standard Comp for £80 and the Comp with Mimic tested here, also for £80. So, what is Mimic? Essentially, it’s different density foams used in the three distinct areas. There is softer foam at the nose, so when you rotate forward it reduces pressure, there’s a firmer foam under the sit bones for greater support and in a cutaway in the middle of the saddle there’s a strip of memory foam to improve the fit. According to Specialized this can also reduce swelling when you’re hammering along on a big day ride.

The next question is, does it work?

When we sat on the Bridge it was instantly comfortable. We didn’t have to muck about with the angle or position of the saddle on the rails. It’s like sitting in one of those really expensive office chairs; the amount of support and comfort is amazing.

What helps is the fact that the Bridge is available in three widths – 143, 155 and 168mm, so you can really dial in the fit. The Bridge also has a stress-relieving centre channel, but with really smooth transitions between the high and low points. It also doesn’t extend all the way forward, so the padding on the nose remains consistent.

The Comp uses a standard cro-mo rail, which is nothing special, but the base does feature two SWAT compatible mounts moulded into the rear. This allows you to bolt on the (£27) Mountain Bandit, which is a little tube/co2/tool holder.

The only real sticking point with this saddle is that the cover is only glued on, and not fully bonded like the SDG Bel

Air 3.0 and a host of others.

We’ve not had any issue with it coming away, but there’s already a bit of wear on the edge and it’s a bit rough in places.

That said, it’s easily the most comfortable and supportive saddle here and our test winner.