https://cyclingtips.com/...e-first-ride-review/ $500USD/$750 NZD.
Even I literally laughed out loud at the thought of paying that, and I’ve got 2 pairs of S-works shoes…
I assume the name ‘mirror’ comes from “If you consider this reasonable, you need to take a long hard look in the Mirror”. Or I’m sure there is a better pun related to the part of you that’s closest to the saddle.
I love marginal gains as much as the next guy. Probably more. But wowsers, that’s expensive for a saddle. If you’re froome, sagan, frodo, I might get it. But for the average consumer… eh. I’m sure a lot of people will buy them and love them, but definitely not for me. I’ll stick to my several years old power saddle
This is an example of price anchoring. Of course nobody is going to buy it at $500. But they might not object so much to $350 or $400 which is what specialized is going for. I remember the first time specialized offered a $5K road bike. Bicycling magazine thought this was ridiculous and panned them. Of course even accounting for inflation, many people on this board have bikes that are 9-12K. It’s just a marketing ploy to facilitate jacking up prices all around.
$500 is probably for an (eventual) custom printed version (like what Magic5 does for goggles). It makes no sense to 3D print a mass production item (given the current tech).
Let’s also remember that >$500 saddles already exist in the marketplace: https://www.dashcycles.com/saddles-2/tt9
Custom printing is really the only way this seems sensical to me from a beyond-just-cool-marketing standpoint.
For instance, Specialized has the BG fit thing, right? So you go to your shop, sit on the BG sit-bone measurer, then 10 days later, bam, a saddle customized to your precise width shows up? Could be cool.
Hell, take it a step further and Warby-Parker-ize it. Measure your sitbones and a few other measurements at home, pop them in to their site, receive a perfect fitting (well, that’s the goal anyway) saddle without ever having to leave your house. For the time and money I spent a decade ago doing saddle demos and buying and reselling, I could see people giving it a go. Plus hey, margin it high enough so that the 20% of returns you get don’t hurt you donate them to a nice Kids on Bikes program, and then make a nice YouTube video about it. I could see a path.
To be clear this is in the shops now, not custom printed, but off the shelf at $750NZD (which translates at $481USD today).
https://www.specialized.com/nz/en/power-saddle-mirror
Perhaps I’m fortunate that I find the other specialized saddles comfortable for 6 hours. Maybe I’m missing the point that I could buy much cheaper shorts if I had this uber saddle.
And I am sure that there will be plenty of takers for this, albeit perhaps less so at the competitive end of the field and more at those that have the disposable cash and just a desire to be very comfy for their long weekend rides. I have no issues with anyone paying this, more of an issue with the marketing team that decided they could sell a saddle at $750. It would seem more likely that I would buy a $250 saddle and then buy $500 of the same meth that the specialized team smoked…
$500 is probably for an (eventual) custom printed version (like what Magic5 does for goggles). It makes no sense to 3D print a mass production item (given the current tech).
Let’s also remember that >$500 saddles already exist in the marketplace: https://www.dashcycles.com/saddles-2/tt9
Plenty of non-custom products are 3D printed, especially in the volumes they’ll make this saddle at.
The problem with Power saddles is that you have to get the carbon shelled ones to get any kind of longevity.
The resin bodied ones twist too easily.
I’ve found that not many people understand that saddles are consumables. As consumables there is usually an intersection of price and durability that sits somewhere in the middle of the market.
Or with anything from Gebiomized.
The problem with Power saddles is that you have to get the carbon shelled ones to get any kind of longevity.
The resin bodied ones twist too easily.
I’ve found that not many people understand that saddles are consumables. As consumables there is usually an intersection of price and durability that sits somewhere in the middle of the market.
Or with anything from Gebiomized.
interesting, i always assumed that carbon shell saddles were for wanker points only… fortunately i happen to have a carbon power arc anyway 
certainly saddles don’t last forever, often tending to sag in the middle subtly enough that you don’t really notice it until you get a new one and see the difference but most of all remember that you didn’t use to get so sore
id pay $500 for a saddle that will help keep me comfortable before i spent money on any other component on a bike. if i cant ride comfortably im not going to want to ride at all.
The problem with Power saddles is that you have to get the carbon shelled ones to get any kind of longevity.
The resin bodied ones twist too easily.
I’ve found that not many people understand that saddles are consumables. As consumables there is usually an intersection of price and durability that sits somewhere in the middle of the market.
Or with anything from Gebiomized.
Maybe because many people are not consuming their saddles. E.g., I rotate through my 4 bikes and the saddles seem to last year in and year out. Or maybe I’m just not riding enough to wear them out.
The problem with Power saddles is that you have to get the carbon shelled ones to get any kind of longevity.
The resin bodied ones twist too easily.
I’ve found that not many people understand that saddles are consumables. As consumables there is usually an intersection of price and durability that sits somewhere in the middle of the market.
Or with anything from Gebiomized.
Maybe because many people are not consuming their saddles. E.g., I rotate through my 4 bikes and the saddles seem to last year in and year out. Or maybe I’m just not riding enough to wear them out.
haha…your saddles are not wearing out because you’re always riding with such massive power to weight ratio that there is no weight on your saddle (I kid, but I only like riding my TT bike hard when there is more weight on aeropads and legs and not on the saddle…road bike, that’s a different story.
To the poin on this thread, I would pay $500 for a great saddle long before I would spend $2000 on more race wheels or an extra $200 on lighter pedals or an extra $200 on a carbon crank vs an aluminium crank. There are lots off places that people spend money on a bike that has minimal impact on performance.
Laurent Fignon lost the 1989 TdF because he had a saddle sore and kept coming out of the saddle on the final ITT…lost the TdF on that day by 8 seconds. Spending money on saddles is good and the problem is that your body and fit change over time, so what worked 2-3 years ago, may no longer work perfectly today.
id pay $500 for a saddle that will help keep me comfortable before i spent money on any other component on a bike. if i cant ride comfortably im not going to want to ride at all.
I have similar thoughts on shoes and saddles. Those are the two most important contact points for me. However, $500 USD is crazy. I hemmed and hawed about going with a MELD saddle this year (for almost half of that) and love it. I don’t see how a MELD at 2/3 of the price, 2/3 of the weight and custom made to the imprint of the user’s pelvis wouldn’t be the obvious option.
While I would pay $500 for the right saddle, if I can get the same function for cheap I will.
I have this version on my TT bike:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07TBW34VY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It looks like a Power Saddle, but a bit softer in the shell (offers more suspension).
$500 is probably for an (eventual) custom printed version (like what Magic5 does for goggles). It makes no sense to 3D print a mass production item (given the current tech).
Let’s also remember that >$500 saddles already exist in the marketplace: https://www.dashcycles.com/saddles-2/tt9
Plenty of non-custom products are 3D printed, especially in the volumes they’ll make this saddle at.
An issue here is the size of the object. 3D printers have limited area within which they can print. One object, that takes up the majority of the area, is not economical. Fill that area with 10 parts, 50 parts, etc. and the part / hour increases and the price per part decreases substantially.
General comment.
This is the same technology used with the Fizik saddle, with the Adidas Futurecraft shoes, etc. It’s being done because it’s freaking cool; not because the manufacturers believe they are going to sell large volumes.
Hello xtrpickels and All,
This 3d printer goes up to 60 feet.
https://www.techradar.com/news/watch-the-worlds-biggest-3d-printer-make-a-25-foot-boat
While I would pay $500 for the right saddle, if I can get the same function for cheap I will. .
And that’s nailed it for me. I can on reflection understand people paying this for a saddle if they need to in order to be comfortable. As let’s face it, what’s the point in a $5k (and then some) bike if you hate riding it as your saddle is painful. Or even distracting.
But I’ve been fortunate, that the ‘normal’ specialized road saddles and some decent shorts (normally LG) then I’ve had no issues. So given I can be comfortable for $220NZD then I cant’ see the advantage to the $750 price tag.
Spin side is I did (do) struggle with foot discomfort and had one truly horrendous ride 5 months ago where I was literally crying in pain from my feet when riding and at that moment would have paid $750 for a lift back the 20km I was from town.
Interesting comments about saddle life. I’ve never swapped a saddle due to it being fatigued. I’m not saying I shouldn’t have, just I’ve never ever thought of it. Almost the opposite, where I’ve deliberately kept saddles as frames have changed underneath. I don’t notice any difference between the one now used on the trainer bike with 30,000 km on it and the brand new (but the same) one I put on the new road bike. In fact, this is the point, I haven’t thought about the saddle on my road bike in a long long time. Which to me, is the perfect situation.
While I would pay $500 for the right saddle, if I can get the same function for cheap I will. .
And that’s nailed it for me. I can on reflection understand people paying this for a saddle if they need to in order to be comfortable. As let’s face it, what’s the point in a $5k (and then some) bike if you hate riding it as your saddle is painful. Or even distracting.
But I’ve been fortunate, that the ‘normal’ specialized road saddles and some decent shorts (normally LG) then I’ve had no issues. So given I can be comfortable for $220NZD then I cant’ see the advantage to the $750 price tag.
Spin side is I did (do) struggle with foot discomfort and had one truly horrendous ride 5 months ago where I was literally crying in pain from my feet when riding and at that moment would have paid $750 for a lift back the 20km I was from town.
Interesting comments about saddle life. I’ve never swapped a saddle due to it being fatigued. I’m not saying I shouldn’t have, just I’ve never ever thought of it. Almost the opposite, where I’ve deliberately kept saddles as frames have changed underneath. I don’t notice any difference between the one now used on the trainer bike with 30,000 km on it and the brand new (but the same) one I put on the new road bike. In fact, this is the point, I haven’t thought about the saddle on my road bike in a long long time. Which to me, is the perfect situation.
i also agree with the premise however i’d add another catch. i’m happy to spend big money to avoid a pain in the ass, but how can i know it will actually do me any good? with shoes at least you can get a reasonable idea trying them on in the shop. with saddles it is rare to be able to try them at all and you have no idea what its really like until you’ve spent a few hours solid on it. if manufacturers are trying to sell us on these expensive saddles being more comfortable then they need to provide demo programs or right of return
I’m well off as are from the looks of things most of you here. That said, I do not buy these overpriced cycling bullshits on principle alone. Don’t care that I can afford it. That’s besides the point. Such predatory marketing behavior should not be rewarded.
Laurent Fignon lost the 1989 TdF because he had a saddle sore and kept coming out of the saddle on the final ITT…lost the TdF on that day by 8 seconds. Spending money on saddles is good and the problem is that your body and fit change over time, so what worked 2-3 years ago, may no longer work perfectly today. 
Well said Paul