Ergon – SM Comp Ergonomic Comfort Bicycle Saddle | for All Mountain, Trail, Gravel and Bikepacking Bikes | Mens | Two Sizes |

I was a fan of Ergon. I’ve used their grips and have had two SMA3-AM saddles in past that I loved. After a recent small crash on my MTB my SMA3-AM got a little gouged and I used that as an excuse to get this new version.BIG mistake. First, make sure to get your size right. The previous saddle I had wad a medium size so since I’m a big guy, I went with the Medium/Large version. BIG mistake. Way too big for me and much bigger than the medium sized SMA3-AM. I could also feel the material gripping the heck out of my shorts. They would snag even just trying to move slightly from side to side. I chalked that up to it just being too big for me. Since I had already installed it, I took the loss and ordered another one, this time in the Small/Medium size.The smaller size fit well, as I knew it would since it was similar in size to my previous Egon SMA3-AM (4mm wider). However, the snagging issue was still there! Even though I could move around much better since it was now the correct size, the microfiber material of this saddle would hold on to my shorts like glue, really hampering my movement around the saddle. I even contemplated “lubing” the saddle so I could move around easier, but that’s just ridiculous. Ergon really messed up on the material of this saddle and making it way too grippy. I even installed my old SMA3-AM back to see if something else was the problem and nope. Same bike, same shorts, and I could move freely. Put this new one back on, and I’m stuck again. To cap it all off, this saddle also seems to be harsher than the older one. I was having soreness where I wouldn’t with the older one.Unless you’re a lycra wearing warrior, stay away. I’ve put back the older gouged-up saddle on again until I can find a suitable replacement. The only reason I gave it two stars is because at least it looks damn good.

First off, I want to say that I am in no way associated with Ergon, not am I being paid or compensated in any way for my review. I just truly believe this is an awesome saddle and want to provide the most info possible regarding my purchase.After purchasing a new 2020 Giant Trance, I was not happy with the Giant Connect saddle that the bike came with. This is fairly common for me as I don’t typically care for the saddles that Giant produces, but I do love their bikes. My current saddle on my 2018 Giant Trance is a WTB Rocket that has held up well for 1 year that it has been installed. For the new bike, I wanted something a little more high end. I compared the Ergon SM Comp, the Fabric Scoop Comp, WTB Volt, and the Specialized Phenom Comp. I did quite a bit of reading around the internet from resources such as singletracks, mtbr.com, and outsidepurists.com. In the end I narrowed it down to the Ergon SM Comp due to the male focused ergonomic design and the reviews I read from trusted sites.Before purchasing, I went to Ergon’s website (www.ergonbike.com) and used their saddle selector tool to help me pick the best saddle for my intended purpose. I selected the following:Type of Bike: Mountain BikeHow do you use your bike: All mountain/trail (I do a mixture of all mountain, enduro, downhill, and XC but figured all mountain encompassed all of these points)How often do you use your bike: 4x per monthSit bone width: 10.1 cmEntered my age and and genderAnd selected “pressure sensitive buttocks” and “pressure sensitive genitalia”The results were the Ergon SM Comp.To be sure I got the best idea of how this saddle would feel, I ensured I had it installed properly. Many people just slap a saddle on, try it, hate it, and then flame the brand. Quite a bit of times, saddle soreness can be attributed to a poor bike fit. The saddle angle may be too high or too low, the handle bar height may be too high or too low, or the bike just simply isn’t set up to the riders level of flexibility. My current set up on my Giant Trance is a 30mm stem, 780mm handle bars with 20mm of rise set by spacers, a 0 degree (so completely level) set angle set almost fully aft. This is where the saddle felt most comfortable while in a static test position.Upon installing the saddle, I was unsure if the I chose the appropriate width for the saddle. I have a ischial tuberosity width of 101mm, so add 30mm as standard and that put me right in the M/L range of the saddle, but my sit bones felt like they were hanging just on the sides of the saddle. I decided to take this for a test ride on an 18 mile loop that consisted of XC, some technical boulder climbing, and a couple downhill sections. To maintain consistency, I also wore my Louis Garneau liners with gel chamois. Also, to get an idea of the weight and pressure I am putting on the saddle and my sit bones, I am 70.5″ tall and weight 175 fully geared for a ride.So Ergon claims that they have put research in to creating a male focused, ergonomically designed saddle that delivers give in the saddle frame and added padding in key areas for comfort. Along with a wider nose for climbing and a rounded sides to accommodate times that you need to get off the saddle for improved clearance and decreased clothing snag. I believe that these claims are true.During my ride, I rode roughly 12 miles of XC course, 3 miles of technical climbs and descents, and about 5 miles of smooth downhill single track. While riding the XC course, I remained on the saddle for most of the ride, Between the suspension, my inner liners, and the saddle, I experienced no discomfort during the ride. My sit bones felt planted in the right places and the wider nose did help when I needed to shift forward for uphill climbs. At no point did I need to leave the saddle to relieve pressure on my sit bones, nor my perineal area. The cut out worked well and I had no numbness, which tells me this saddle does help to maintain blood flow to your important bits. The saddle did appear to have descent give, but the saddle frame was noticeably more rigid than the Giant Connect saddle frame. Overall though, this had no effect on the comfort level I experienced during testing.During the technical and downhill sections, I did have to some off the saddle for a majority of the ride, and the design of the saddle played an important role of ensuring I experienced not catching on my 11” inseam shorts. I found the saddle easy to maneuver around and had no issues going back or coming forward over the saddle in the fully dropped position on my dropper seat post.Overall, I do like the fit, finish, and feel of the seat. The microfiber outer cover is a bit tacky (sticky, not cheap), but I did read that when wet it can get slippery. I live in a fairly dry climate, so I don’t think I will ever have to worry about that. The all blacked out design complimented my bike well. The finish was great and appears to have no factory defects. The padding is firm but does give well and you can feel the extra padding in the sit bone areas. The frame is fairly rigid in my opinion but does appear to give and does not feel bouncy when out on the trail. I cannot attest to longevity since I have only had the saddle for roughly 1.5 weeks now, but judging by the look of the seat, I feel it will last for about 2 years before I will have to replace it. In comparison to the WTB Rocket that I have on my hardtail, I do like the Ergon saddle more. The wider nose definitely helped on climbs and the extra padding, coupled with the give in the frame and the cut out gave me 18 miles of pain free riding. My WTB rocket on the other hand, would give me some saddle soreness that would last roughly 24 hours. The next day after riding I was not sore and had no discomfort either.If you are in the market for a new saddle, I would definitely give the Ergon SM Comp a try. Most importantly though, make sure you get a proper sit bone measurement prior to purchase. The Ergon site will recommend a saddle to you based off you height, weight, and hip circumference, but the best judge of width is measuring your sit bones. Also, if you do not ride with a chamois, you need to ask yourself why. If you are doing any type of off-road riding, a chamois is an important part of you gear setup and will definitely increase the comfort level in the saddle. The pair I wear is only 39.99 and I will say that they are worth every penny. They easily fit under my MTB shorts and I typically will not ride without them, unless I am doing a downhill shuttle days. So snag this seat, a comfortable chamois, and enjoy your ride!

I ride mostly enduro/ all mountain/ little bit of cross country.With my old Rocket wtb seat on the same trails my nuts would go numb as I was leaning forward going up steep hillAlso on flats it would hurt me. (Could’ve been cause seat was old and worn out )But this one OMG fits way better and has eradicated the numbness.In the 1st couple rides 4 or so it was a bit firm for my liking but after that ride it was fully broken in and hard to describe .Firm but not hurting.Will buy again and will recommend this seat

I read a lot of the bad reviews on here and was concerned buying this but in the end I’m happy I did. Someone said the seat didn’t allow for sliding side to side while riding which is just flat out false, they must have bought the wrong seat. I recommend going on their website to see which seat is best for you, it worked for me!

I really enjoy this seat. My last seat, man, though good and lasted many years, I always got a little sore spot on my butt cheek. I’ve had this seat for months and haven’t had that problem.