Selle San Marco is pitching the Selle San Marco GND Gel Racing as an e-bike saddle, although there’s nothing stopping you using it on a regular trail bike.

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What makes it e-bike specific is the amount of padding, the shape and the two shock-absorbing Gel inserts under the sit bones. The assumption is you get more of a battering on an e-bike and while that’s debatable, more comfort is always a good thing, especially if it doesn’t add a ton of weight or bulk.

To reduce vibration, Selle San Marco uses a dual-density padding backed up by two other elastomer inserts. The GND is also wider and softer than most saddles in the Selle San Marco range and feels great if you sit back on your haunches but compared to the Fabric Scoop it’s incredibly firm. It also has a slightly convex profile at the nose, which created a bit of hot spot when grinding up steep stuff. Essential the shape is nowhere near as comfortable or as supportive as the SDG Bel Air 2.0.

The GND Gel has a high tech build but all those extra inserts and features add weight and cost. Selle San Marco has attempted to reduce some of the mass by speccing a carbon reinforced shell and Xsilite rails, which are impregnated with silicone, titanium and carbon particles, but this saddle is still one of the heaviest on test.

We’re not convinced by the e-bike claims but the GND is definitely well made and has a lot of tech crammed in a small package, unfortunately it’s expensive for saddle that’s just average weight.