If you love exploring new places on your bicycle, especially mountains and rough roads, you are always in search of a comfortable bicycle saddle.
A comfortable saddle encourages you to keep moving ahead and continue the beautiful journey.
But finding the perfect saddle is quite tough, isn’t it?
It is really difficult to understand which features will suit your wants. The technicalities of material, angle, and design can sometimes be extremely confusing.
To make this task easier for you, we have prepared this Selle Royal Respiro Moderate MTB/Road Saddle Review to provide you with all the facts about the product, explaining why and how they are useful.
​Scroll down to read all you need to know before buying the product.
Selle Royal Respiro Moderate MTB/Road Bicycle SaddleSelle Royal Saddle Review
Overview
Selle Royal has been taking care of the needs of bicyclists since 1956. They keep on evolving, listening to the riders’ wants, looking for the latest technologies, and learning lessons from the past.
The Selle Royal Respiro Moderate MTB/Road bicycle saddle is one of best bike saddle in the market. it designed keeping in mind the needs of riders who love the mountains and the roads. The tridimensional Royal gel filling and shock absorbers make your ride much more comfortable. The saddle is moderate, which means that it allows the rider to lean forward a little, almost to an angle of 60 degrees.
The saddle is waterproof and cooler than the traditional black saddles. Being from the Respiro bike seat range, this bicycle saddle is structured to ensure ventilation between the saddle and your body, making the temperature comfortable even during the summer season or for long distances.
The Selle Royal bike saddle is available in two versions for men and women. These differ in size, keeping in mind the body structure and needs of men and women.
Who is it for?
This bicycle saddle has been designed for riders who love adventures on tough terrains. It is a must for those who love riding for long distances and exploring new places regardless of the weather or the terrain.
The saddle is appropriate for mountain bicycles, road bicycles, cruisers, and touring bicycles. It fits most modern bicycles but is best for mountain and road bicycles.
​The saddle is ideal for long trips, owing to the clip system to attach your luggage and the comfortable seat design.
Separate Versions for men and women
The Selle Royal Respiro Moderate saddle is available in two versions.
The Selle Royal Men’s Respiro Moderate MTB/Road bicycle saddle is 277mm long and 182mm wide. It weighs around 535g.
The Selle Royal women’s Respiro Moderate MTB/Road Bicycle Saddle measures 263mm in length and 199mm in width. It weighs about 565g.
​The separate versions for men and women were introduced, keeping in mind that men and women have different body types and preferences. The saddle caters to the needs of the respective gender, thus providing maximum comfort to the rider.
​Selle Royal Saddle: Key Features
Soft Filling
This saddle is filled with RoyalGel and non-toxic foam, which makes it up to 40% softer when compared to traditional bicycle saddles. This filling does not harden or migrate with time, thus staying comfortable in the long run.Â
Ergonomic Shape
The saddle is ergonomic in shape, and the narrow tongue makes it easier to ride while the wide back makes it more comfortable. The shape allows you to lean forward to an angle of 60 degrees, which is ideal for riding on steep slopes.
Elastomers or Shock Absorbers
The bike seat has shock absorbers (elastomers) to make the ride free of bumps, no matter how unexpected or sudden they are. It protects against both vertical and horizontal shocks making the ride much more safe and secure.
Xsenium Cool Cover and Ventilation Channel
The bicycle saddle has an Xsenium cover which reflects sunlight and has a UV protectant. This makes the seat almost 25 degrees cooler than the standard black saddles.
The saddle also has a Ventilation Channel that goes through the saddle. This feature is exclusive to the Respiro line of Selle Royal saddles. This ensures the flow of air to your body parts, which are in contact with the seat.
Both these features facilitate bicycle riding in summer, as they reduce sweating and ensure a cool, airy, and comfortable riding experience.
More: Terry Corta Saddle Review: Worth a Buy?
Waterproof
This Selle Royal bike saddle uses the Royal Vacuum Light technology which ensures that the seat is sealed properly from all sides. This implies that no matter how hard the downpour is, water will not seep into the seat, thus enabling you to ride even if it is raining.Â
Scuff Guards
​The saddle had scuff guards (protective metal plates) on the sides to prevent it from damage. So you can lean the bicycle against trees or rough walls without worrying about scratches or damage to your bike seat.
More: Specialized Power Saddle Review: Is This Product Right for You or Not?
Clip System
​As it has been designed for touring and hiking, the saddle has a clip system integrated into it. This allows you to attach your bags (especially a Selle Royal saddle bag) to the rear end of your saddle so you can carry your luggage easily over long distances.
Pros
- ​The RoyalGel filling makes the seat much softer
- ​Xsenium cover makes the seat up to 25 degrees cooler
- ​Fully sealed seat, making it waterproof
- ​The clip system at the back helps you to attach your luggage
- ​The ergonomic structure makes it easier to pedal
​Cons
- ​Too soft for some riders which interferes with the speed
- ​Uncomfortable in low temperatures, and in the rainy season
- ​The hard edges of the saddle sometimes cut into the rider’s legs
Customer Reviews
The Selle Royal Respiro saddles for men and women have received a large number of positive reviews and 5 stars from customers owing to the fabulous design.
Most of the customers found the saddle is extremely comfortable, especially during the summer season. They said that they could easily travel over long distances and rough terrains. The ventilation system reduces sweating when the weather is humid.
Buyers have appreciated the fact that the saddle can be fixed easily, and can be adjusted according to your preferences. They found the integrated clip system helpful for trekking and long trips.
However, some of the Selle Royal bike seat users have complained that the seat is too wide at the back which gets in the way of pedaling. This makes it uncomfortable for some riders to ride the bicycle at high speed.
​Some buyers also complained that the ventilation system made it difficult to ride in winter. But they have advised that the tube can be covered with duct tape to avoid this.
Some Similar Products
Every product has some competitors. If you have been searching for a saddle for mountain bikes or road bicycles, you would have come across various other bike saddles with similar features. Let’s have a look at some of them, and what makes them different from the Selle Royal saddle.
The Brooks England B17 bicycle saddle is made of leather and has copper-plated steel rails to protect the seat from damage. The leather may feel a bit rugged in the beginning, but with time, it breaks in to accommodate your wants. It is also a bit expensive and is more suitable for riders who are patient enough to let the leather set in. Check our Brooks England B17 Saddle review
The INBIKE bicycle saddle is made of artificial leather, which is scratch-proof and has a smooth outer surface. It has dual springs and foam-based filling which act as good shock absorbers, thus making your ride much more comfortable.
However, the ventilation system is not particularly efficient as there is only a groove in the middle for airflow. The saddle is also shorter than the standard touring bicycle saddles.
More: Find Out What Is The Most Comfortable Bike Seat
Final Verdict
The Selle Royal Saddle has been designed brilliantly to cater to the needs of cyclists who love exploring. It is comfortable, durable, and is equipped with various features to solve some common problems faced by riders (for example, the clip system for attaching bags).
The company has paid great attention to the small everyday problems of cyclists, like sweating in summer.
The saddle is highly recommended and is one of the best mountain and road bicycle saddles available in the market.
