Could this be the most extreme cutout saddle yet to hit the market? After a successful Kickstarter campaign and years of refinement, Dr Vince Marcel and his Infinity saddles are ready to go.
The most distinctive model is the Infinity N-Series, which has a full cutout and is made from injection-moulded nylon. It comes in at a respectable 210g, and includes steel rails in black chrome, gold, chrome or copper. Price is $170, with UK and Aus pricing to follow. At present only a black version is available, though other colours will follow, say the makers.
Related: Chiropractor launches unique Infinity saddle
If the N-Series looks is a bit too extreme for you then check out the L-Series, which uses the same construction and design but adds a leather covering to give a bit more padding and support in the cutout area. It’s available with tan, black, red or blue leather covers and costs $240.
Finally, weight weenies will want to check out the C-Series, featuring the same shape as the N-Series but made from carbon rather than injection moulded nylon. The makers say this means it’s stronger and lighter than the N-Series, and provides less friction. It will be available in spring 2016 and cost $340.
More comfort or your money back
So, the million-dollar question – are they more comfortable than tried-and-tested designs from established brands like Fizik, Selle Italia and the rest?
“I can’t comment on all their theories and thousands of dollars they spent on technologies,” Marcel told us back in February 2014, when his creation was on Kickstarter. “All I know is that I and many other people who rode these saddles still had pain.
“After a while I got tired of the pain, and had to investigate exactly where I was feeling it with the tools I had available to me. Even with a traditional cutout, at the end of the day, you still have pressure on the inside of the pubic bone.”
Dr Marcel demonstrates how the Infinity does not contact the sit bones
But perhaps Dr Marcel’s most revealing comment at the Kickstarter stage was that his design is not aimed at the high-mileage enthusiast who’s willing to persevere through initial saddle discomfort, but instead at the average person who would like to hop on a bike every now and then and not feel pain.
In case you’d like to try them out, the company is offering a 30-day guarantee for comfort and performance. And right now there’s a $25 pre-Christmas discount available: just enter ‘XMAS25’ at the checkout stage. More info over at infinitybikeseat.com.
What do you think of the Infinity design? Let us know in the comments below…
Is the infinity n-series a clever saddle design?