Although Ergon SMD2 was developed for DH (‘it’s rarely used for sitting’), don’t take that as a given because it’s a really good trail bike saddle.

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It’s one of the shortest on test and is cut away at the rear to encourage what Ergon calls ‘snag free descending’ – this is not necessarily your shorts catching but rather the rear wheel hitting the back of the saddle at full bottom out. The nose of the saddle is wider than most, so when you do hunker forward on the climbs it doesn’t feel like you’re sitting in a narrow strip. In fact, the whole front of the SMD2 Comp is similar in shape to the SDG Bel Air, which is one of the reasons we rate this saddle so highly. It feels naturally comfort and it doesn’t rely on excess padding to do this.

At the rear of the SMD2 Comp is a wide, flat shelf and this covered with anti-slip surface. It doesn’t look very natural but is surprisingly comfortable. There’s also a slight ridge between the two halves of the saddle but again this isn’t noticeable while riding.

As with all Ergon products the finish is top quality but the SMD2 Comp is a tad expensive for a saddle with just cromo rails. It does have a carbon composite shell though which adds cost, so if want to forego the 15g weight saving the standard SMD2 is £20 cheaper. If Ergon had sent that and not the Comp, it’d be looking at the joint winner because, despite the slightly weird styling and DH focus, this is a great trail perch.