Selle Bassano HC Maxima saddle review

This carbon fibre framed saddle feels solidly made but tips the scales at just under 200g. It’s reasonably light for the money but not in the same league as superlight race perches like the Selle Italia SLR.

The leather cover is perforated with hundreds of holes designed to improve air flow, though since the padding beneath is fairly dense it’s debatable whether they have much of an effect. The shape is slightly unusual, being wider and flatter along the spine than most saddles I’ve used.

This might suit some people, but it turns out I’m not one of them – I just couldn’t get comfortable on the thing. That’s mostly down to personal preference, but I’m sure it didn’t help that the padding on one side of the saddle felt much harder than its counterpart. Other than that, there’s no faulting the construction. If standard shaped saddles don’t agree with you, it might be worth a try.