Specialized might be best known for its bikes but the Californian brand also has a strong presence in pretty much all of the main product lines you could think of. There’s Specialized bib shorts and clothing, multi-tools, tyres, shoes and helmets – plus much else besides.
But most relevant for us today is the brand’s saddle division – an area which, since the launch of the iconic ‘Power’ saddle, it’s fair to say Specialized ranks amongst the market leaders for the best bike saddles.
Specialized S-Works Romin Evo with Mirror: construction
(Image credit: Andy Turner)
The saddle uses pretty much the same foundation as the S-Works Romin Evo saddle, which doesn’t include the mirror technology – the same oversized carbon rails and carbon base are there underneath.
The shape of the Romin Evo is long-nosed, suited to riders who like to move around on the bike, sitting on the nose during efforts and placing their weight back on the climbs.
It’s when you get to the top of the saddle that everything becomes very different. Here we have the varying density ‘Mirror’ struts and nodes that create different stiffness areas depending on the amount of support or pliability required. In total there are 22,200 struts and 10,700 nodes.
The saddle also includes screw holes for attaching SWAT compatible storage solutions which Specialized offer.
(Image credit: Andy Turner)
Specialized S-Works Romin Evo with Mirror: the ride
(Image credit: Andy Turner)
Fitting was easy, as I’ve been using the regular Specialized Romin saddle on every road bike I’ve ridden since about 2015. I went for the 143mm version, the same as what I’ve been riding, and it came in at 192g compared to the claimed 190g – not a significant difference.
Straight away, the saddle was noticeably different to the regular alloy railed and non-S-Works carbon versions of this saddle that I’m used to riding. The biggest difference between this saddle with Mirror and the regular Romin is that rather than feeling like you are sitting on the saddle, you feel like you are sitting in the saddle.
It’s quite a different sensation, but one I got used to very quickly, and I really enjoyed the experience of feeling more planted and ‘at one’ with the bike. Cornering, efforts, and just cruising felt more connected and comfortable.
(Image credit: Andy Turner)
There are several benefits of this. First, the saddle itself feels a lot gripper, so during…