At 126mm across, Fizik’s hand-finished Gobi is on the narrow side of the trail saddle spectrum, and at the firmer end too — it’s more racing snake than deep sofa.

Manganese rails save weight, but it has a more rounded crown and more aggressive tail trim than most broader, flatter-backed saddles here.

For efficient, unrestricted pedalling, and ease of movement off the back on technical descents, the Gobi is very highly rated.

The nylon base and tail wings also flex inwards to adapt to a wide range of body movements and, in theory, this should be more comfortable when pressing legs against the saddle.

However, the lightweight padding provides scant cushioning from bumps and vibrations on the trail, and since the chassis is relatively stiff too, some testers experienced uncomfortable pressure between the sit bones on long rides.

For the same money there’s a Versus Gobi model with a deeply cutaway centre channel to alleviate this.

Even with abrasion-resistant Cordura fabric on the shoulders and tail, a carbon-reinforced nylon base ensures a feathery 231g weight.

If the shape suits, the Gobi M5 is a top quality, lightweight and durable saddle.

>>> The best mountain bike saddles