PRO Stealth Curved Team Saddle

Apparently the PRO Stealth Curved Team Saddle is designed for aggressive aero tucks and riders who move side-to-side as they pedal, but I found it good for more than that. It's relatively short and wide at the front, and with very well-judged padding around the wide cutout, a rise to the tail and buzz-damping carbon rails, it's a secure and potentially very comfortable perch for general training.

This is a very neatly made saddle with the kind of spec you'd want for the price. As well as carbon rails, the base is carbon-reinforced polymer and the padding is 'lightweight EVA'. That stands for ethylene vinyl acetate, and is the sort of foam you often see as flip-flops or garden kneelers.

As we always say with any saddle review, when it comes to comfort it's entirely subjective – what I find comfortable might, to you, feel like sitting on a bed of nails, or what is uncomfortable for me might make you feel like you're floating on a cushion of air.

I found the supportive squish the EVA gives to the channel edges just right. Getting the padding either too soft or too hard here would severely affect comfort, but – for me, anyway – this is excellent. Not so hard it digs in, not so soft it collapses on long rides. The latter, after all, is my job.

The foam is covered with the familiar PU (polyurethane) material that's easy to clean and pretty tough. I found it smooth and easy to move on, but not slippery.

Obviously saddle comfort is extremely subjective, because we're all different, but as I said this works very well for me – even though a) I spend very little time in an aero tuck and ride mostly on the hoods, and b) I've no idea if I move side-to-side as I pedal or not.

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Despite the nose being reasonably broad (yet narrower than the non-Curved Stealth), it caused me no issues with rubbing, and its relative stubbiness never felt restrictive. At 168g it's no great burden on the climbs, either.

It's the sort of saddle you sit 'in' thanks to the slightly raised tail and generous central dip, and I like how securely it holds me in place. Unsurprisingly, it's particularly good when you tuck down in the drops – there's nothing to cause unwelcome pressure on the perineal region, so it's easy to relax.

Between the ladder-like hull and the carbon rails it filters out road buzz well; no more than the Fizik Antares R1 Versus Evo Saddle it replaced, but certainly no less, and the Fizik is a longterm favourite of mine.

For the record, the Fizik is channelled rather than cut out completely, and more classically long and narrow, so if you typically find that sort of shape works for you, this Stealth may well suit you too. I tested the 142mm Stealth, but there's a 152mm width as well.

PRO helpfully provides a template that tears out of the packaging on perforated lines; you slot it over your existing saddle and use to measure from the start of the flare to the bar centre. Then you fit the Stealth saddle, use the template again to match that measurement, and hey presto – the cutout for your thighs is in the same place relative to the rest of the bike, even if the stubby little nose is further back.

It worked well for me, and I needed only minor tweaks on the first ride to get it just right.

Value

At £179.99 this is quite well priced against similar carbon-railed saddles. The Fizik Antares R1 I mentioned is £189.99 (and exactly the same weight at 168g), though impressively that's the same RRP as when I reviewed it in 2018. Also, it's been in almost constant use since then and it still looks near perfect.

More recently Liam loved the Specialized S-Works Romin Evo, which is also very racy and lighter at 131g, but that's £255 and potentially too stiff for some.

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The Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio is a similar spec and comes in three widths, though tester Hollis didn't find it comfortable for longer rides – and it's both heavier at 182g and more expensive at £274.90.

There are cheaper options than the PRO, however, such as the Repente Quasar at £110 (170g but only one width), or the Fabric Line S Pro Flat saddle at £149.99. That's also great for aero tucks but not so good for general riding, and Liam thought it could be too soft for some.

Overall

The Stealth Curved is a very well-made, subtly good-looking saddle that doesn't cause unwelcome pressure when you're tucked down low. Better still, it stays comfortable when you're a bit more upright too – or it certainly does for me. It may well even be my new favourite saddle.

Verdict

Aimed at aero-tuck comfort but really good for less extreme positions too