This article first appeared in our series detailing the steps to finding a comfortable saddle. We’ve put it here for easy searching, but you can check it out in all its glory at “The Most Comfortable Saddles on the Market.”
THE SERFAS VARIANT SADDLE REVIEW
If at first you saw inserts, and you thought, “Gimmick,” you and I would be twinsies. But a few rides on this peerlessly adjustable saddle, and I realized that there was no smokescreen here–Serfas’ Variant is just dang comfortable.
With its bag of 5 different stiffness adjusters, the Variant allows you to choose the exact feel of the saddle. Top it with a very soft race foam padding that has just enough give in it to be squishy but not bulky.
A clean look and a low profile make this fit well on any sleek bike while it’s still more comfy for a wider variety of riders than other minimalist and “fast” looking saddles. Although it’s not totally a one-sized-fits-all bike seat, the Variant has enough features that will appeal to a wide section of chamois wearers.
LOOK AND FEEL
A channel that runs through to the back eases pressure where it counts. But what really sets the Variant apart is the packet of inserts that let you fine tune the flex and feel. In my opinion, it’s a good idea to take each of them for a test ride of about 10-15 miles each before you decide on one.
At first, I figured softest was bestest, but found that a middle-of-the-road insert was actually the most suited to my riding style. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to swap inserts via a double-sided bolt under the nose. And you can always toss the extra feel adjusters in with your flat fixing kit for changes on the fly.
Price: $110 | Length: 272mm | Width: 145mm | Weight: 248 Grams
A decent price, and relatively light weight, the Serfas Variant hits a lot of key points for the average cyclist. Check out the Serfas website for more info–including the Variant 2 model. You can also pick it up at your local bike shop or places like Amazon.com.
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