Connect Power Control is the name of Prologo's new patented grippy surface that the company is debuting on four high-end road saddles. Featuring dense bunches of short, suction-cup-like gel polyemer tubes, the CPC saddles are designed to keep the rider firmly in place.
Prologo also claims that the gel polymer tubes reduce vibration, absorb shock and even massage the skin to improve blood flow.
"This technology has been used in Moto GP and Formula 1, largely in gloves for the racers, but we are the only ones to use it in cycling," said Prologo manager Mauro Mondonico.
Speaking of gloves, Prologo also has new road gloves with CPC patches on the palms.
On both the saddles and the gloves, the CPC sections have varying sizes and shapes. For example, the area in the crook of the thumb and index finger has longer CPC pieces than elsewhere on the glove.
The four CPC saddles are variations of current popular models: the flat Zero, the rounded Scratch Pro, the semi-round Nago Evo and the Zero TT saddle. Price for each is $320.
The Zero TT previously had some textured ridges along the top of the nose designed for a similar purpose: to keep the rider from sliding around. But that model will now be eliminated.
The Zero TT, Nago Evo, Zero and Scratch Pro all get CPC
Other new saddles
Also new for 2013 from Prologo are two new mountain bike saddles and a new road saddle.
The X8 is a semi-round model that Cannodale is spec'ing on a number of its bikes. As with other Prologo saddles, the X8 has three types of foam densities along the nose and center of the saddle in a system Prologo calls Active Density. A titanium rail version will cost $185, and a carbon rail model will be $235.
The X Zero II is a flat mountain bike saddle, also with the Active Density padding, and also in ti ($175) and carbon ($220) rail options.
Finally, the Zero II is a flat road saddle with Prologo's rear clip system that works for attaching a saddle bag, a light or just swapping out designs. It will come in ti ($175) and carbon ($220) rail options. A version with an anatomic cutout will go for $185 and $225 for ti and carbon rails, respectively.
The CPC treatment also goes on a pair of Prologo road gloves
