Specialized Ruby Expert saddle

The Specialized Ruby Expert saddle is 'made for superior performance on long rides' and comes with what Specialized calls 'level 2' padding. Saddle comfort is highly subjective, but I found it very comfortable/unnoticeable on shorter rides of two or three hours, a little more 'telling' towards the end of all-day outings.

I have less than two weeks to find my perfect saddle – that's when the bike transport people are coming to pick up my bike ahead of the Deloitte Ride Across Britain, nine days riding Land's End to John o' Groats, 100ish miles each day. Is the Ruby Expert The One? I'm not absolutely totally convinced, but I think it's pretty near.

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First off, I think it looks really good. It's slim and racy looking, and I really like the smooth matt cover – water-resistant Micromatrix. It's also very well made, with every bit neatly finished. It's made with a carbon-reinforced shell and hollow titanium rails and is a decent if not superlight weight: 256g for the 155mm width, 254g for the 143mm. That does mean it's put on weight from the previous (or previous to the previous) version, which Lara reviewed back in 2011 – 49g to be precise.

It's available in a 168mm width as well, but I've been testing the narrower two. Why two? Well, I sat on the 'assometer' in Specialized dealer Total Fitness in Bath and found I was right on the cusp of the two. (The assometer measures how wide your sit bones are, which determines which saddle width will suit you best.) How to decide which to go for? In my case I've been sent both to test, but in the real world you also get the option of trying them out to see which suits best, which is a great idea. Other shops/saddle makers also offer such services, so it's worth asking at your local bike shop.

Slimmer equals 2g lighter, but I think – and it's actually been quite hard to tell – I think I get on very slightly better with the wider one. It might be partly that it's what I'm used to, having been using a 155mm Specialized BG Ariel for years.

The Ariel certainly has more squish, and I'm not wholly convinced there's quite enough squish in the Ruby Expert's foam and strategically placed gel for nine consecutive all-day rides (there's even less in the Ruby Pro – if you prefer less padding), but what the Ruby does have is a nice lack of stitching around the edge – something that could become irritating on the Ariel.

I'm not sure why the design includes a tape line across one side, though – surely the completely smooth cover of the previous iteration would be preferable? The fewer potentially intrusive elements the better? Having said that, I haven't been able to feel it – even when riding without padded shorts on quick rides between car and office. (The previous model is still available to buy – there are buying links below this review – but be aware that it has lighter 'level 1' padding.)

At £115 the Ruby Expert isn't a cheap seat, but if the general idea appeals – a racy, slim look, a little but not too much padding, a good weight, a central cutout – and, more importantly, you try it out and find that it's COMFORTABLE, that price tag will very quickly be forgotten. You could, of course, seek out cheaper options – Siobhan got on well with Fabric's Scoop and that's £50, and the Selle Italia Diva Flow Gel, which is £95, is a popular choice. I have one on my custom-made Paulus Quiros; it's closer in squish-terms to the Ariel than the Ruby, but also has a similar number of stitched seams...

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Otherwise, it's too soon to be able to comment on the Ruby Expert's 'Adaptive Edge technology' – which Specialized explains as 'base construction technology that allows the saddle's outer edge to adapt to the shape of the body'. If it does accompany me to the north of Scotland, I shall report back...

Verdict

A very well made saddle that balances good looks, weight and comfort, though maybe just a tiny bit more padding would be nice