I still remember when the San Marco Concor was introduced in the market in the early '80s. At that time I was racing with a San Marco Rolls, a very comfortable and somehow noticeable saddle with conspicuous "gold" details and unique leather. Unfortunately the precious accessory of my bike became obsolete when my friend/competitors start using the Concor, a saddle totally different with its "scoop" shape. My commitment to the new technology and the latest look crashed somehow with the practical but still essential issue of "comfort": I could not race with it! As soon as I moved toward the front of the saddle the pain was unbearable. Too bad, I had to pass on the new component, with the only solace that some other friends were experiencing the same problem. A lot of years have gone by and a lot of saddles have been used since. Last season I bought a Fi'zi:k Arione. It was love at first sight. A very friendly saddle with a unique design that makes very easy to position over the pedals. Yes, since it's long and flat, with collapsible sides, I found myself riding on the back, while strolling or climbing at low cadence, and on the front when hammering at max effort or high cadence. Of course, in the latter mode, typical of the race environment, I was experiencing some discomfort in the critical spot, but that it was considered normal, since I believe that every rider somehow experiences issuew in that area. Last August I was offered to test the SMP Evolution and my first reactions it was "no thank you: that shape does not work for me". Indeed they insisted, and after explaining me the proper use and set up I ended up replacing my beloved Arione.
The SMP saddles require a precise nose calibration to optimize the position of the ischial bones, the bones that, because of the large middle opening of the saddle, will now take all the body weight sparing the pelvic floor tissue from the traditional compression responsible for pain and discomfort. Also the patented eagle beak creates strategic room to virtually eliminate the squeezing of our genitals when when we ride in a aero-position . The eagle beak prevents also the bibs to get caught when we go back on the saddle after a high spinning sprint standing over the pedals. Last but not the least technical attribute of the SMP saddles is that the scoop design offsets the typical reduction of leg extension that we riders experience when moving forward on the saddle. Great feature since it can reduce dramatically the quad burning in extended efforts with long gears.
It's not a coincidence that the SMP Evolution has received the 2009 Best Roadbike REVIEW Award.
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