Common saddles and the Gelu
For reasons of economy and ease of production, the structure of modern saddles has been designed in plastic and steel and is being used by most brands since these cheap materials allow massive production at a low cost. However, the plastic is very malleable and does not support the weight of the cyclist without deforming and so the solution found was to move the ends of the rails in the back so as to coincide with the tips of the bones of the basin, the ischia, and in these saddles this is the only non-flexible area. All the rest of the upper part is pliable and is usually sponge-and-napped and operates according to the “cushion logic”, where the “tips” of the ischia are supposed to be accommodated in the same sponge, and the choice of the right saddle is directly related to the distance between these two points. This upper part in most cases is flat and does not have any ergonomic shape since it is supposed to “sink” with the weight of the cyclist and mold to your bones of the basin.
One of the great problems of these saddles is that after a few tens of kilometers, the sponge is flattened in the only non-flexible zone of the saddle making the tips of the ischial ones against the plastic base, literally to bear much of the weight of the cyclist in about 3 mm on each side. The remaining bone structure will simply never find the necessary support because the plastic, with the pressure, will be in constant deformation.
Another major problem of common saddles with little or no opening in the frontal part is the pressure in the pedestrian zone (prostate) and this is one of the problems faced by cyclists, especially men, causing various problems of urological lining. This is the result of constant pressure on the pedal vein, which passes in that zone at 15mm on either side of the axis of the body. Even next to this vein passes the nerve that has the same name and when pressed, usually responds immediately, causing dormant legs or back pain easily confused with sciatica.
So what is the logic of our saddles and what makes them different?
Our saddles are the result of many years of research, testing and feedback from a number of cyclists who have simply never been able to fit into any type of “normal” saddle, and along with the valuable indications of our orthopedic doctor, we have come to the conclusion of which the great reason for the discomfort in these saddles lies in the fact that the top is flexible between the front and rear supports of the rails.
So we risk challenging logic and we develop a new saddle concept, which makes us unique.
For manufacturing, we have chosen a pre-impregnated carbon of the latest generation for this material, which is commonly used in the aerospace industry, to have unique characteristics such as excellent rigidity, high vibration absorption capacity and very low weight.
The configuration is different from the usual because it implies fitting the saddle into the bones of the basin following its inclination at about 3 to 4 cm on each side, while leaving the tips of the ischia without any pressure. To achieve this we had to draw the side flaps of our saddles with the same curvature as the bony structure of the basin and at this point it was crucial the intervention of our orthopedic doctor (all our models are orthopedically certified).
Up to now, we have designed six different models, all with lateral flexion capability of about five degrees, and from G (the most inclined) to K (the flattest) we can cover practically all types of bone configuration in the basin ( angle and / or curvature).
Our rails are also different, and in the area of the back glue are parallel. This is a key detail because it allows a slight flexion in the lateral flaps of the upper part that can thus follow and also compensate the angles of the bone structure as well as any type of asymmetry of the same.
Another feature that distinguishes our saddles is the generous opening in the pedestrian zone, and with more than 30mm between the upper edges of the central channel, all our models eliminate any type of pressure completely, and this detail is very important because it avoids or helps to solve, various problems of urological or physical.
Our priority has always been comfort and therefore we bet on the development of something completely innovative, using top materials, which also allowed us very good performances in weight and quality of our saddles. The reduced weight on a saddle has a direct influence on the performance of a bicycle, especially when standing, sprinting or climbing, as it almost completely eliminates the pendulum effect and helps lower the center of gravity, making it much more stable above all with the wet floor.
Finally, we are proud to say that, thanks to the work of a team of excellent professionals, we have managed to create something new and recognized worldwide: one of the most comfortable saddles and at the same time the lightest saddles in the world!