Of the 3 main contact points on a mountain bike, the saddle has to be the most important one. It carries the most weight for the longest time (unless you’re a strictly downhill or out-of-the-saddle rider) plus it’s in charge of keeping some of our most sensitive areas safe and comfortable during the ride. I recently upgraded the stock saddle and seatpost on my Redline d660 and I’m here to tell you it was well worth the effort.
Saddle
I swapped out the WTB Pure V on my bike for the Titec Hellbent Nemesis Prolite and the difference is pretty clear. Many bikes come standard with the Pure V and it’s an ok saddle but it’s pretty basic to put it nicely. The Nemesis Prolite spanks the Pure V in three main areas:
- Comfort. This is what it’s all about when it comes to choosing the right saddle and in many instances it’s a matter of personal preference. The Nemesis Prolite was designed specifically for epic XC and all-mountain riding so it’s a great choice if you see yourself spending hours on end in the saddle. I’ve noticed it’s a bit more comfortable than the Pure V on long rides and I’m confident it will do the job when I ride the Sumter Metric Dirty Century (62 miles) in May.
- Weight. It’s true, I’m a bit of a weight weenie (I prefer the term gram counter) so anytime I can save weight on MTB components I’m game. The Nemesis Prolite tips the scales at just 235 grams which means it would only cost you about $2.50 in first class postage to ship the thing from Atlanta to Anchorage, AK if you wanted to. More importantly, it’s 70 grams (about 25%) lighter than the Pure V thanks to its CrN – Titanium alloy rails and super light foam padding.
- Style. No one wants to ride on a saddle that looks like a 6-inch thick pillow wrapped in black leather and Titec designed the Nemesis Prolite to look sleek while still providing maximum comfort. The profile is shallow while the nose is aggressively long and narrow. Titec claims the seat is wider than the typical XC saddle but it’s definitely not as wide as the Pure V – a good thing in my opinion since it doesn’t sacrifice on comfort. This seat not only looks fast and with its aerodynamic shape and light weight – it rides fast as well.
Seatpost
The seatpost on a mountain bike isn’t the sexiest thing you can upgrade but it definitely serves an important purpose and shouldn’t be overlooked. The Titec Hellbent Duke Prolite seatpost has a wide range of tilt adjustment that makes it possible to get just the right angle on your saddle while holding the rails securely. Initially I was a little confused by the simplicity of the mechanism but it turns out simplicity is good – less stuff to break and lighter weight!
Titec claims this is one of the lightest all-mountain rated seatposts and we’re not surprised. When it comes to seatposts it’s important to get the right mix between strength and weight and the Duke Prolite strikes the perfect balance. The seatpost itself is shot peened with an annodized finish to increase fatigue strength and durability and I was impressed with how smoothly it went into my frame. On my old bike I was constantly annoyed with the creaking sound my seatpost / frame connection would make but I haven’t heard a peep out of the Duke Prolite.
If you’re an all-mountain or epic XC rider and you’re still rockin’ a stock saddle and seatpost, do your ass a favor and consider upgrading to the Titec Hellbent series. A harmonious body and bike will allow you to ride all day long!
