Hollow Ti rails / 130mm or 143mm width / 200g
Contact: specialized.com

It’s one of those strange contradictions of the bicycle world that the better a saddle is, the less there is to say about it. Surely the ultimate goal with any saddle is to be able to sit on it for as long as required without once actually noticing it’s there? And if it doesn’t make you impotent in the process, then all the better.
The Phenom SL’s first outing was on the Cut Gate Killer Loop featured in this issue. It’s a long ride at the best of times, but with photos it turned into a monster — knocking on for eight hours by the time we finished. And do you know what, the Phenom didn’t cross my mind all day. What better compliment can there be?
Specialized makes its Body Geometry saddles in two widths — 130mm or 143mm — to suit the individual’s sit bones. Padding is on the firm side, but that’s a good thing as it provides stability for you to do your pedalling from, and comfort mostly comes from the flex in the saddle’s base anyway. Hollow titanium rails keep the weight down to around 200g and flush-fitting scuff guards should keep it looking neat for some time.
Besides being on the expensive side, the Phenom SL is hard to fault, and even the price can be worked around by going for the marginally heavier cro-mo railed version at £49.99.

MBR RATING: 9/10