A quick review of the saddle I’ve been running for the last month or so on my TT rig. During some 4+ hr rides after the Tauranga Half Ironman, I started to get a bit of numbness downstairs from my Specialized Toupe saddle. I’d toyed with John Cobb’s range of saddles in the past but found that I ran into the same problem I’d had with the ISM range of saddles - the width of the nose being huge and causing all sorts of chafing issues. This was the reason I ended up with the Toupe. While John Cobb is more known for his slow Southern American drawl and as an aerodynamics expert, he is fast becoming a popular name in the triathlon market with many riders, including the Team TBB crew, now rolling on his saddles. The beauty of the SHC-170 lies in its narrowness. At the nose it is significantly narrower than the other Cobb models. For me, less is better when it comes to padding and width. While my sit bones have been measured as wider than the saddle, the fact is that when in the time trial position, with hips rolled forward, the sit bones actually get closer together. As a result, this saddle gives both the bonus of sit bone support while in the aero position, coupled with a narrow end-to-end profile which means the thighs can move freely and pump the pedals like pistons, leaving the hamstrings in better condition to run off the bike. I’ve ended up with the white version to match my Cannondale Slice. The only downside has been keeping it clean after racing in a wet, black tri suit. In short the saddle is a keeper, especially when coupled with a quality race suit - the 2XU Long Distance Compression Tri-Suit is the best I’ve had yet, with a chamois that is much more than an afterthought and rivals any top quality pair of bibs I’ve tried. If you are interested in trying one out, get hold of Stephen Bradley (husband of Sam Warriner) who is the NZ distributor: http://www.sweat7.com/products-c-87.html. Test saddles are available and I highly recommend you try and few different models before you make a call about which is best for you. More info here: http://cobbcycling.com/