BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Saddleco was a runner-up in the Interbike ‘product of the show’ award, pipped at the post by Maverick American’s unmissable fork-set.
Interestingly, Saddleco isn’t aiming its first product at would-be cyclists, enticing them back on bikes by the promise of an end to saddle discomfort. Instead, the first product is a road saddle. Covered with the same elastomer filament fabric used on top-end comfort furniture by trendy Swedish designers, the Flow saddle offers a "suspended seating surface," says Saddleco’s website.
The Saddleco website says this seating surface "is 100 percent open to the air, which allows moisture to be wicked away from the body."
And, in a dig against other comfort saddles, "weight is distributed around the entire perimeter of the saddle, rather than just a small circle of compressed foam or gel – an advanced load dissipation mechanism that dramatically reduces hot spots."
Designed by Tylor Garland and Aldis Rauda (see pic below), the Flow saddle is expected to ship in 6-8 weeks.
Saddleco employs eight people at its San Francisco HQ.
A well-known UK supplier was sniffing around the Saddleco booth at Interbike but there are no firm plans for distribution here as yet.
BikeBiz cheeks were let loose on the Flow at Interbike and both of them, ahem, gave a thumbs up to the Saddleco crew. A report from the BikeBiz perineum will have to wait until after a long ride on the Flow: a test saddle will be shipped to the UK soon.
