19 July, 2011

Specialized Romin Pro Saddle


I started running the Specialized Romin saddle from Specialized last year, and I instantly fell in love when I rode it for the first time. Gone was the numbness, the tingling, the soreness. In came a great saddle, with a superb design, and ultimate comfort.
The BG Saddle program from Specialized works, and it works well. Their standards and R&D are second to none. I was lucky enough to meet Roger Minkow, the father of using blood flow analysis in bicycle saddles, in February at Specialized, and I was also allowed to see the blood flow testing that Specialized uses on all their Male BG saddles. It really spoke volumes to me that the test subject maintained 74% off his normal blood flow on the Romin, and had 0% on a competitors saddle. I was sold before, but it was further solidified when I was able to see the marketing become reality and realized that it wasn't a bunch of hype, but actual science.
This year I got on the *NEW* Romin Pro. The Romin Pro differs from the Comp and Expert with the addition of FACT carbon rails. It retails for $160, not too shabby for a carbon railed saddle. Most saddles in this category retail for over $200 and don't have the science to back up their claims about comfort or fitting people. The Romin Comp has hollow chromoly rails and retails for $85, while the Romin Expert has hollow titanium rails and is sold for $110.
Now, I know that not all saddles fit all people. Specialized has come up with a solution. In addition to having a variety of saddles to pick from, each one comes in 3 different widths; 130, 143, and 155. Before you buy a Specialized saddle, I would recommend that you have your sit bones measured with the BG saddle sizer. I know there are other companies doing different width saddles, and all have their own marketing and research behind them, but the Specialized BG saddles.
All Specialized saddles have a 30 day guarantee. Specialized has saddles for everyone, so give one a try and you will not be disappointed.

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