€10 per gram is how much the Prologo Predator saddle Jonas Vingegaard used at the Tour de France today costs, and he looked far from comfortable on it
We see some pretty expensive tech on the WorldTour and especially in the Tour de France, but it's difficult to remember a time when a single saddle cost this much.
Like everyone else starting Wednesday's time trial at the Tour de France, Jonas Vingegaard raced the first TT stage on board a pretty expensive bike. It was made all the more so by the presence of not a fancy set of wheels, although it does also have them too, but this time remarkably by a new Prologo saddle, PREDATOR 01TT CPC.
In keeping with the rules, the saddle is actually available to buy, but you’ll need to find €1350 if you’d like to take a seat like his. You could buy an entire Canyon Endurace Allroad for that.
If you ever thought you'd fancy running a pro team, don't forget these things add up quick. His teammates, Simon Yates, Matteo Jorgenson and Victor Campenaerts will also be perched on the same fancy saddle. That's almost €5,500 you'll need in the saddle budget, for just two stages, run over two sunny afternoons in July.
It looks quick though – if a saddle could ever be such a thing – and aero boffins don't come cheap.
(Image credit: Prologo)
They say the saddle’s ergonomic V-shape (260x110 mm) is designed to encourage maximum pelvic rotation, allowing Vingegaard to hold an aggressive aerodynamic position for longer. The 170 mm-long seating area includes extra EVA padding for maximum support, which by the end of the Tour at least we expect he'll be very grateful for.
The large PAS central channel, extending across the entire contact area, reduces pressure on soft tissues for enhanced comfort too. The saddle nose, 50 mm wide, offers a generous contact surface, enabling the rider to generate full power even in the forward-most riding position.
The saddle, named Predator, weighs just 145 grams, which at €1,350, works out at almost €10 per gram.
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Prologo is no stranger to WorldTour cycling, and saddles like the M5 nack, and Dimension are super popular amongst both the public, and the pro peloton but this is the first time I think we’ve seen a saddle that costs more than an entire bike.
Save 19%. The Prologo Scratch M5 is a very popular 'T-shaped' saddle that you're as likely to spot in the pro peloton as you are on your local cafe ride. Despite being a performance saddle, five zones of active foam promise a comfortable ride.
If you don't have €1,350 burning a hole in your chamois, you could do worse than picking up a Prologo Scratch M5.
It's a little more versatile than the Predator, and suits both men and women, and you don't have to look far in the pro peloton to find someone sitting on one. Prologo sponsors most of the teams in the WorldTour, it seems, and Scratch M5 is certainly one of their most popular models. We spotted an Amazon Prime Day deal where you can get 19% off one today, just $120.
Save 34%. The Prologo Dimension 143 T4.0 is one of the Italian brand's most popular and versatile short-nosed saddles. It is also now extraordinary value for a saddle from a premium brand that's a pro peloton favourite.
If you're in the UK for Amazon Prime Day, The Prologo Dimension 143 which is noseless, and 143mm in width, is also a popular choice in the pro peloton. We should tell Visma's bosses, that this one is just £59.70, reduced from £89.99. Our own Simon Fellows gave it 4 stars when he reviewed it!
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Andy Carr is the tech editor at Cycling Weekly. He was founder of Spoon Customs, where for ten years, him and his team designed and built some of the world's most coveted custom bikes. The company also created Gun Control Custom Paint. Together the brands championed the highest standards in fit, fabrication and finishing.
Nowadays, Andy is based in Norfolk, where he loves riding almost anything with two-wheels. He was an alpine ride guide for a time, and gets back to the Southern Alps as often as possible.
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