PRO Griffon Performance Saddle

The PRO Griffon Performance Saddle has been revamped and is said to suit less flexible riders who like to move around on the saddle a fair bit. With firm, supportive padding it's a pretty comfortable place to be, and it's a decent weight for the price too.

The Griffon Performance is constructed like so: lightweight EVA padding is wrapped in a PU cover, sat on a carbon-reinforced nylon base, and finished with INOX (stainless steel) rails.

The result is a good-looking saddle. The shape and design look bang up to date, which makes it look more expensive than its £89.99 price tag.

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As I said up top, the Griffon range is designed for less flexible riders, so I tested it mostly on my gravel bike, as I tend to sit a little more upright on that.

I found the shape very comfortable even after plenty of hours, and the curved rear section gave me something to push against when climbing. To state the obvious, saddle comfort is very subjective as everyone is slightly different, so I can only give you my impressions. But then, you knew that...

I wouldn't say the Griffon is limited to inflexible riders exactly, as I carried on riding like normal, getting in the drops on flat sections or when descending with no issues.

There is quite a large cut-out for reducing pressure, and you could say it works as I suffered no numbness whatsoever, but then again, I don't really suffer on any saddle, to be honest.

PRO has gone for quite a firm padding and I like that, especially as it means it doesn't squish into the central cut-out when your weight is on it, like some saddles do.

The Griffon is available in two widths – the 142mm tested, and 152mm to suit wider sit bones. It'd be great to see a narrower option too, though – around the 135mm or so of many other saddles.

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I found the carbon reinforced hull pretty stiff, with just a touch of flex to take the sting out on rough surfaces. On quite a few saddles of this price you are likely to see titanium rails, but PRO has gone with stainless steel and anodised it black.

The 7mm round tubes will fit virtually any seatpost on the market, and the markings allow you to set things up in tiny increments.

At 210g on our scales it's no heavyweight, and the overall construction is very neat and tidy. Its time on the gravel bike saw it involved in a few scrapes, but both the base and the upper brushed them off with no damage.

Up against the Griffon competition-wise is the Fabric Scoop Race, and the Radius version is designed for the same style of riding as the PRO. It uses a similar construction – a nylon base and PU cover – but gets titanium rails and a price tag of just £69.99, which makes it quite the bargain.

Another similar saddle is the Bontrager Verse Elite. The construction is much the same and it comes with a central cut-out. It has more width options though, starting at 135mm and going all the way to 165mm. It's £90.

Overall

The Griffon Performance is a well-specced saddle for the money. There is nothing ground breaking about it – it's a tried and trusted design – but it works well thanks to its shape and the firm, supportive padding.

Verdict

Good blend of cool looks, great build quality and comfort for a decent price