Fabric's Line Elite looks rather different to conventional saddles. Rather than wrapping its base in a full outer cover, the nylon shell is fully on show.
Padding comes courtesy of polyurethane foam wrapped in a waterproof microfibre, which sits atop the base. A generous central gap creates a pressure-relieving cutout for roughly the rear two thirds of the saddle, and the rails are hollow chromoly (a pricier titanium version is also available).
The Line weighs 249g, which for the price is pretty reasonable. At 133mm wide and 270mm long, this saddle is bang on standard for a racing seat.
In the hand, the Line feels stiff and supportive, which is exactly what you want from a road saddle, but the experience on the road didn’t quite live up to our initial impression. Saddle choice is always personal to an extent, but we found the slight squishiness of the foam padding meant we sank into it more than we’d have liked, causing some sit bone numbness when we were on longer rides.
The cutout is effective, however, and the rounded edges won’t chafe as you pedal. If you tend to get on well with gel-style saddles with a bit of give in them, the Line is likely to be a good choice. If you prefer something properly hard, look elsewhere.
