On Our Radar: Selle San Marco Azoto MTB

WHAT: Selle San Marco Azoto MTB Gel Saddle

WHO: Selle San Marco/www.sellesanmarco.com

HOW MUCH: $90

Most of the reviews you’ll find on BIKEMAG.COM are just that—reviews. You know, stuff we’ve personally been riding for a few months or more. We are, however, also debuting a new column called “On Our Radar”. These are products that have just now made their way into the office and have yet to be smacked around and abused. We’re interested in these products, we think they have potential. In short, they’re on our radar. The stuff that we profile in “On Our Radar” will eventually get their come uppance—at that point, we’ll spill the beans on their performance in one of our “Tested” product reviews.

Whew…explanation over. Okay, welcome to On Our Radar. Today’s inaugural product is the Selle San Marco Azoto MTB Gel saddle. Why did it strike my fancy? Well, for starters, most of the Italian saddle makers focus on the lightweight, minimalist saddle market. You know, bike seats that can double as the back section of a stripper’s thong. The Azoto is a bird of a different feather.

At 280 grams, it is, in fact, pretty light, but this is no pure racer boy saddle. The Azoto is designed to be a true, all-day-riding kind of platform. It features a wide, padded nose (which contains a dose of gel), a fairly wide back section, and an absurdly large patch of Kevlar on the rear section that resists tears and adds a degree of butt-to-saddle traction. Other features include hollow chromoly rails and a nifty gauge (printed on the rails) that helps you dial in fore and aft positioning.

That about sums it up for now. I'm bolting the Azoto onto my bike as soon as I log off. I've got to get in a ride right now, since mother nature decided this morning to take a break from pissing on my head for a change. I'll give you a complete "did it live up to its billing?" review in a couple months.