Charge Bucket saddle

Hipsters, BMXers and fixed aficionados have long been seeking out nice looking retro perches and the Selle Italia Turbo has always been high on the list. The Charge Bucket is basically a new Turbo, made on the same last, and is none the worse for that. And at 16 quid a pop, you can have two of these for what an original Turbo fetches on Ebay these days. And they make 'em in pink.

The saddle itself is a no-frils steel-railed, plastic-bodied, vinyl-covered, foam-padded affair and though it's nothing special it's solidly made with decent attention to detail. The cover is fairly hard wearing and resists scuffs pretty well, and the padding is generous and fairly firm. If you've got a seatpost with a side-access bolt you may well have trouble fitting the bucket as the sides extend down over the rails, but with a standard 'post it's not an issue.

We've used the Bucket on the daily commute and short rides, and I also did an hour of Cyclocross racing on it – that's normally a fair indicator of whether a seat is comfortable for me or not. I'm pleased to report that it's been very agreeable - with thicker padding than a race perch it's better for more general riding but it's not a heavyweight. The shape is less extreme than some of the Turbo's contemporaries (the Concor, for example) but it still slopes down when set with horizontal rails, which tends to put more weight over the front of the bike. This is amplified by the fact that the rails are fairly short and a long way back compared to a modern saddle: if you like a laid-back saddle position then the Bucket isn't for you.

The Bucket definitely is for you, though, if you're looking for a well made, good value new seat with a retro look. I can't vouch for everyone's backside but I found it very comfortable (though not as comfy as Charge's excellent Spoon) and it's kept its good looks despite some mud-and-roots-based abuse.

Verdict

Great value retro perch with some modern colour options