Shimano unveil trail and E-MTB specific PRO saddles
Pressure mapping data prompts three new saddles from PRO
Shimano have announced three new PRO saddles specific to trail riders and those with E-MTB bikes.
PRO used pressure mapping data from bike fitting company Bikefitting.com to create the Griffon and Turnix MTB saddles, plus the Volture E-MTB saddle.
The Griffon and Turnix saddles feature a broadened nose and mid-sections, high-grip covers, and increased padding, adding 2mm of thickness on the front of the saddle to 5mm on the rear.
The wider nose area is designed to give the rider a more supportive platform at the front of the saddle for hard efforts on steep climbs. The wider mid-section on the other hand improves handling and cornering stability.
The saddle uppers feature a PU material with a grippier feel to reduce movement of the rider on the saddle. Meanwhile the side material on the Griffon and Turnix saddles has a durable and rubberized feel to protect the saddle base and padding from damage.
The padding is made from a shock absorbing, waterproof and super lightweight Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate weighing 30% less than standard PU, which brings the overall weight down to 216g for the Griffon and 222g for the Turnix.
The PRO Griffon saddle has a flatter profile with a narrower tail section with a deeper side wall for less flexible riders who tend to move around more, whilst the PRO Turnix saddle has a contoured profile with a wider tail for more flexible riders moving less on the saddle.
Both saddles come in three widths; 132mm, 142mm, 152mm.
Data from Bikefitting.com showed that e-bike riders generally spent less time getting out of the saddle to push hard through steep sections and because they are pushing less force through the pedals, they are putting more weight into their saddles.
Therefore the Volture was conceived to offer more padding and greater comfort to e-MTB riders. It also has a wider nose design for additional stability and better handling, and a higher tail for better power transfer.
The Volture weighs 235g (142mm version) and comes in widths of 142mm and 152mm.
The new Griffon MTB, Turnix MTB and Volture E-MTB saddles will be in stores from January 2018 onwards.
