Have short-nosed saddles finally made ugly saddles redundant?

When Marco Pantani seemed invincible in the late ’90s, he did so from the most distinctive seat in the house: a special edition Selle Italia Flite saddle. There were, in fact, a couple of versions, but all were long, narrow, canary yellow (of course!) with red highlights and bold embroidery that spelled out his infamous nickname ‘Il Pirata’.

Back then the Flite, with its lengthy nose and thin, shallow v-shaped body epitomised the appearance of racing saddles. Did it look like it meant business? With Pantani on board, you betcha! Did it look comfy? Er, no. Much of my respect for pre-modern-era cycling legends stems from their ability to ride further than 100 metres on these things, let alone a Grand Tour. Twenty-five years on, they look so alien.

Doubtless, this is because we rarely see this kind of saddle fitted to new bikes anymore. The modern era of cycling saddles dawned 10 years ago, in the spring of 2015, when Specialized introduced its revolutionary short-nosed Power model. Wide and stubby, the press questioned its appearance at first, but the general shape has since become so ubiquitous that it’s now the norm. Perhaps unfairly, everything that came before cycling had a nose job looks incongruous, awkward and uncomfortable. Cool, in a retro kind of way, but ugly.

Is this reputation deserved? By binning longer saddles wholesale, are we missing out on a special something that clearly worked for Pantani and Co? Are we, quite literally, selling ourselves short?

The long and short of it

While researching this feature, I picked seven brands at random to get a taste for which saddles they were specifying on their drop bar bike ranges: Trek, Specialized, Wilier, Cervelo, Canyon, Pinarello and Van Rysel. The vast majority had short-nosed saddles bolted on, with popular choices including the Specialized Power, Bontrager Aeolus, Fizik Argo, Selle Italia SLR and Most Lynx. So, how did the short-nosed saddle become a long-term trend?

Although aerodynamics started to influence road bike design and rider posture in the early 1980s, it wasn’t until carbon fibre became ubiquitous in the noughties that efforts to cheat the wind flew. By 2015, aero bikes were everywhere and we’d reached ‘peak slam’, the trend for reducing all the spacers from your stem until you could hear every vertebra in your neck crackle in protest.

Nobody typified this aggressive stance better than Australian masochist Adam Hansen, who discarded all his spacers AND fitted a negative stem. Interestingly, like Pantani, he rode a Selle Italia Flite saddle, this time rammed as far forward as possible to supposedly maximise power, which, visually at least, elongated it to cartoon-like proportions.

Specialized’s timing for the launch of the Power was inspired. Short-nosed and noseless saddles already existed in TT and Tri worlds – the Fizik Ares and various ISM models for example – but the Power was the first widely available perch that enabled roadies to adopt an aggressive yet comfortable position on the bike. It opened the floodgates, and the cycling world became awash with stubby saddles that conformed to the UCI’s 240mm minimum length rule ‘by a nose’. Traditional saddles were a good 50mm longer.

Short and sweet

Short-nosed saddles do offer several advantages, particularly for those riding modern performance bikes with aggressive geo.

The most obvious benefit is reduced pressure on the perineal area, which becomes compromised as anterior pelvic tilt increases – the characteristic forward tuck into an aero position. Many riders find a short-nosed saddle with a wide pressure relief channel is the key to eliminating discomfort/numbness in the soft tissue between the anus and the genitals.

Short-nosed saddles generally have a wider V-shape that provides more support for the sit bones. This can make them an excellent choice for female riders; in fact, the Specialized Power was originally conceived as a women’s saddle but subsequently proved equally as comfortable for men.

If racing, a short-nosed saddle enables the rider to bring their weight forward - which can open the hips, help power generation and improve handling - without contravening the UCI rule that demands the saddle nose must be at least 5cm behind the bottom bracket.

Finally, these truncated saddles encourage the rider to adopt a single, efficient position when seated, a blessing for fidgety cyclists who perpetually explore every millimetre of a longer saddle but struggle to find their optimum position for both comfort and performance.

While that’s the theory, the world of bike saddles is rarely that straightforward. In 2004, shortly before his death, Selle SMP founder Martino Schiavon oversaw the introduction of one of the most extraordinary saddles ever seen, the brand’s iconic yet bizarrely-shaped Pro saddle. Its Daliesque appearance – multiple swoopy curves, a droopy eagle-beak nose and a massive central cutout – polarised opinion but it’s now universally considered a milestone in ergonomics. It’s the saddle that Mark Beaumont chose for his two global circumnavigations.

This spring, Selle SMP has launched a line that is, in essence, a shorter, flatter evolution of the Pro, comprising the Evo20c and Evo30c. It promises a short-nosed saddle that provides support, stability and counter-intuitively, increased freedom of movement.

“Short saddles, like our new Evo20c (140mm width) and Evo30c (150mm width), provide more freedom of movement,” explains Martina Schiavon, the granddaughter of Martino Schiavon, “allowing the rider to easily adjust their position during the ride. This can be beneficial where greater flexibility is needed, such as during climbs, sprints, or on different terrain. Riders can move around more freely to find the most comfortable position or to optimize power depending on the situation.

“Our longer saddles may be preferable for riders who seek a more controlled and less mobile position, especially in contexts like long-distance races or aero positions, where the comfort of a stable position is key. A longer saddle – always referring to our iconic shape – allows less movement, thus promoting greater stability and support during pedalling.”

Confused? Don’t overlook the fact that the original Pro, despite being long, has a very pronounced curve to its profile, which forces the rider to adopt a fixed position. The new Evo20c and Evo30c, in common with many short-nosed saddles, are noticeably less curvy but not entirely flat.

“All our saddles are curved,” confirms Schiavon. “Even our short saddles, which may seem less pronounced compared to our iconic shape, are not flat. This is because they are all based on our ergonomic concept.

“Nothing on our body is flat, and that's exactly why our saddles aren't either. Every curve is carefully designed and studied to perfectly match the natural curves of the body. A completely flat shape could lead to the common issues riders often face, as it doesn’t provide the necessary support or comfort for the body’s natural form. The eagle beak, for example, is more than just a marketing icon, it is essential to maintaining a natural and constant blood flow while preventing chafing.”

My experience with the Evo30c, having ridden one for a couple of hundred kilometres, is that it does coax you into a single stable position, just as you’d expect from a short-nosed saddle. It even has dimples to guide your sit bones into place. However, Schiavon is correct, it doesn’t lock you into place as unequivocally as the original Selle SMP Pro.

The lesson here is don't judge a saddle purely by its length, its profile is just as important.

The long game

Short saddles have such obvious benefits, it’s easy to appreciate why so many bike brands fit them almost by default. So, why are riders such as Mark Cavendish and Jonas Vingegaard frequently seen riding more traditionally shaped long saddles such as the Prologo Zero II, Fizik Arione and Fizik Vento Antares?

“There are riders that are far better on a short nose saddle, others on a more traditional shape,” says Alex Locatelli, product manager, Fizik. “There isn’t a rule that works for everyone. If you tend to move inefficiently on a saddle, then a short-nose saddle might work better for you. If you like to pedal on the front, for example on a steep climb, where you tend to move more on the nose, then you’ll find a short-nose saddle has some limitations.

“You also need to take into account whether you are better on a T-shape or V-shape saddle, flat or curved. All of these profiles and more can be found in both short-nose and longer saddles.”

Fizik makes its fair share of short-nosed saddles, including the popular Vento Argo and Tempo Argo models. It also sees plenty of demand for the aforementioned Airone, which at 300mm long, is a sprinter’s favourite.

Some riders simply prefer the freedom a long saddle provides, enjoying the liberty to, as Locatelli has described, move their weight forward during the climbs and then back for the descents to optimise power and stability. Others find the opportunity to shift their weight during a long ride can ease discomfort and potential hotspots.

“In my opinion,” says Locatelli, “we shouldn’t aim to achieve a single standard product. As human beings, we are very different from one another so we should develop a variety of models, both long and short, that can support the unique ergonomics of each cyclist.”

I asked Locatelli, if short-nosed saddles were easier to market than their longer, more uncomfortable-looking stablemates.

“The short-nose saddle tends to be more versatile, and it’s equally suited to both men and women. But it’s really not a matter of looks. When the first short-nosed saddles appeared on the market they looked very weird, but now we’re used to seeing them our perception has become the opposite.”

No quick fix

The short-nosed saddle may have increased comfort for thousands of riders over the past decade, but it’s no panacea, no quick fix. As Schiavon and Locatelli were both keen to point out, we’re all individuals so no one size, or shape, will fit all.

It’s a concern to see brands fitting short-nosed saddles to new bikes seemingly by default but who can blame them? Locatelli is right, they are a versatile solution that’s likely to suit more riders.