Shimano's house brand PRO has launched a new curved version of its Stealth saddle, which is says is designed for riders who shift from left to right when they pedal. It has also redesigned the first generation of the PRO Stealth, which was one of the first 'shorty' saddles - with its short length and a wide nose - to find favour with road riders as well as time triallists due to the comfortable aero position it enabled; a tilt from the pelvis into a deep, pursuit-style position.
We were big fans of the original - you can read our review here.
(Image credit: Shimano/PRO)
The new PRO Stealth Curved, which comes in Team and Performance versions, brings a new shape to the range with a curved profile, extended sides and a weaved side profile to ensure that riders have more of a fixed position and do not shift around.
The PRO Stealth Curved has a slightly narrower nose than the original Stealth, and according to Shimano it also offers a broad and hollow anatomic recess area with a triple carbon-reinforced bridge structure to relieve pressure in the perineal region.
Mark Kikkert, PRO Product Development team manager said in Shimano's press release: “In our pressure mapping studies with bikefitting.com we saw a lot of professional and competitive riders who have a tendency to shift from left to right as they pedal. Whilst this is a fairly natural movement for some, it can also be less efficient for others. Our Griffon saddle is designed to compensate for that but we also wanted that stability from a saddle that offers a more aerodynamic position.
“The curved profile gives riders more of a supported cradle to prevent excess side to side movement. The short nose of the Stealth saddles provides riders with increased comfort and fewer pressure points in a deep aerodynamic position.”
(Image credit: Shimano/PRO)
The PRO Stealth Curved Performance shares the flagship Team’s carbon-reinforced polymer base but has stainless-steel rails instead of carbon. This makes the Performance 43g heavier than the 161g Team but Shimano says the former has a more robust build quality.
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(Image credit: Shimano/PRO)
Both the PRO Stealth Curved Team and Stealth Curved Performance come in 142mm and 152 mm widths, both of which feature the wide, stubby nose and a broad anatomic fit recess with the signature triple bridge design.
The PRO Stealth Curved Team will cost £179.99 while the Performance version will retail at £129.99, with both available from July.
Saddle choice is of course always a very personal thing, but we found the original PRO Stealth worked well for both men and women. We said: "It's a very good starting point for anyone looking for a bike seat which will reduce pressure and compression in an aggressive position."
If you want to read more saddle reviews, check out our guide to bike saddles, which includes our review of the original PRO Stealth.
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Simon Smythe is a hugely experienced cycling tech writer, who has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2003. Until recently he was our senior tech writer. In his cycling career Simon has mostly focused on time trialling with a national medal, a few open wins and his club's 30-mile record in his palmares. These days he spends most of his time testing road bikes, or on a tandem doing the school run with his younger son.
