While Specialized was an early proponent of anatomic cutouts for road and mountain saddles, the California company have only produced a dedicated Body Geometry time trial/triathlon saddle this year. Weighing 270g, the Sitero Pro is a comfortable perch for riding in an aggressive aero position – even over multiple hours.
The Sitero Pro features a triangular shape with an anatomic channel tip to tail, for less restriction of genital blood flow. The channel goes from 2cm wide at the nose up to 7cm towards the back.
While Specialized road saddles come in multiple widths, the Sitero Pro comes in a single option, and you just scoot up or back to get the sit bones supported. Since the pelvic bones’ contact points with the saddle are most narrow when the pelvis is rolled forward, most riders will sit towards the front of the saddle.
We appreciated the steadily widening width (4-14.5cm) for position adjustment when climbing. Coming from the Adamo Racing II, which is 6cm wide at the very front, the narrower Sitero offered more position options. It does require some discipline, however; in one time trial we found ourselves right up at the nose – and thus sitting on soft tissue – towards the end of the effort.
The cover material has a bit of grip, so we never felt as though we were precariously perched, while the side panels are smooth and tall (2.5-4cm) for low friction pedaling. The padding takes the edge off bumps and rough roads but is still firm enough to be comfortable. The tail end has the option for a water bottle cage or a hook for racing triathlon.
While the carbon rails extend nearly to the tip of the nose, we would appreciate a little more rail extension at the back to be able to slam the saddle further forward. As is, there is 7cm of marked and textured rail, with 9cm of total usable rail. (And yes, while a perfect TT/tri bike fit might render this point moot, many riders convert current or old road bikes for the odd time trial or triathlon, so extra adjustment could be appreciated.)
Note that the carbon rails are ovalized, not round, so won’t fit all seatpost clamps.
The bottle cage on the Specialized Sitero Pro is removable
The Specialized Sitero Pro is also available in an Expert Gel version, with titanium rails, for US$175/£100.
In terms of related products, two saddles have gained acceptance in the worlds of time trialing and triathlon – the ISM Adamo and some models by John Cobb. The Adamo doesn’t have a nose so much as two fingers that support the sit bones. And the Cobb saddles have more traditional external shapes, allowing for some fore/aft movement, but with large anatomic cutouts.
Also, the new Bontrager Hilo RXL Speed Dial saddle offers a unique adjustment of the split-nose width. And if you’re after lightness, try the Dash TT.9 cutout saddle, which weighs just 99g.
