Fanylion Mountain Bike Team
Official site of the Fanylion Mountain Bike Team. Includes mountain bike ride guides, gear reviews, bike maintenance, team reports and rider profiles of the Fanylion Racing Team.
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Body Fit Intake Race Saddle
Saddles are a very personal thing, obviously, and like tyres, you can only really decide if you like one by buying it and trying it (hence my garage is littered with unwanted tyres and several saddles). The Body Fit Intake Race is still fitted to my bike however.
My original search for a new saddle began when I started suffering from numb-nuts syndrome on long rides. I was looking for one of the new saddles with a cut-out to allow blood to flow better to my wedding tackle. Several saddles have ‘love groove’ type channels, but when sitting on them still apply pressure. I also realised that by having a lay-back seatpost my weight was being supported not by my backside cheek bones on the rear of the saddle, but by aforementioned ‘love muscle’ on the middle or front of the saddle. To this end I also sourced an in-line seatpost to improve my riding position.
The Body Fit Intake Race is a great saddle: it has a large cut out to relieve pressure and is nice and narrow to allow you to get off the back easily for technical sections. Kevlar shoulders give some degree of protection against scuffs and crashes.
Beneath the cut out are fins that supposedly channel air up into your gonads, keeping them cool and fresh. I doubt these work, as you wouldn’t be sitting on the saddle when you are doing 30mph (the speed airflows start to work), however the fins serve to strengthen the saddle if nothing else.
The materials are good and the saddle has stood up to a year of hard use, numerous crashes and upside-down bike maintenance.
The saddle is good value too, at only £19.99, and whilst it does have cro-mo rails and maybe isn’t the most lightweight perch out there, if you stack it and wreck it you won’t be as upset as if it was a £70 titanium railed saddle. (Note Body Fit also produce the Ascent Ti, which does have Ti rails, but no groinal cut out).
In summary, I recommend this saddle: it is excellent value, hard wearing and comfortable, plus gives good manoeuvrability around the cockpit area. It also looks quite odd and may get you a few second glances when your bike is parked up outside the café.
Looks/styling:: 8/10
Design features/materials:: 7/10
Performance:: 8/10
Value:: 10/10
Fany fact
Make sure you donate to the Mountain Rescue & Air Ambulance whenever you see a collection box. Remember, on your next ride you may need them, especially if you ride with Team FanyLion.