You'd be daft to ignore the Halfords Bikehut brand because this long, lean saddle ticks all the cross-country racer boxes. The seat is narrow and its design of thin padding over a flexible shell makes it as comfortable as most other race saddles out there.
The drooped nose gives some relief when you're right up front on hard climbs and the rounded ends stop you snagging your shorts.
The 'CrN Ti alloy' rails and carbon fibre-injected hull keep the weight under 200g. You need to treat the saddle carefully though because there are no scuff guards on the leather upper and the embroidered back end stripes will get grubby fast. The price is great for the performance though.