Specialized S-Works Power with Mimic Women’s saddle

The Specialized S-Works Power with Mimic women's saddle is really light and very comfortable under the sit bones, but – for me, anyway – isn't always as comfortable up front as I'd hope. It's also not cheap – in fact it's more expensive than every entry in our best bike saddles guide, apart from another S-Works model…

Saddle comfort is completely subjective; as we always say in our saddle reviews, 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.

To illustrate that, we had a couple of reviews of Specialized's Power Expert With Mimic saddle not long after it had launched, in 2019: on off.road.cc Rachael loved the 143mm model she tested, describing it as an 'epiphany' as she was very happy with the sit bone area and the Mimic foam on the nose, while Emma could see the potential in the slightly wider 155mm model she reviewed for road.cc, but wasn't entirely happy with it for her.

The name comes from the foam being designed to mimic soft tissue, supporting the rider and alleviating pressure, numbness and discomfort – specifically, the problem of pressure on the labia of women cyclists.

Our friends at off.road.cc wrote a feature on it when it first came out in 2018.

Specialized says the Mimic technology 'perfectly adapts to your body to give you the support you need', but to be honest I prefer having no support up front.

Rachael said she couldn't see the need for a cutout on women's saddles, but I'm completely the opposite. I wouldn't even consider one without a groove or a cutout, and after testing this S-Works Power I'd say my preference is still for a cutout. Not least because, as Emma pointed out in her review, rain won't pool in it.

Here, though, I'm not sure a cutout would make much difference over a groove. While I found the saddle mostly comfortable – and very comfortable for short rides – I did find on some longer rides that the Mimic foam didn't do its job very well. I've occasionally had to 'rearrange' things mid-ride, and deal with some soreness post-ride.

The problem seems to stem from the groove – or 'supportive cutout' as Specialized refers to it – just not being quite long enough for my liking. I took a side-by-side photo of the Mimic saddle next to a Liv Approach; the difference between the lengths of the two 'cutouts' is quite marked.

Also, at the front of the groove in the Mimic saddle there's quite a step in the construction, which I find can rub – not always, but sometimes, and on road rides as well as rougher gravel tracks and trails. (The saddle is designed to suit all types of rider, from roadies to gravel and mountain bikers.)

I asked Specialized how the length of said 'supportive cutout' was decided upon, and though I didn't get a specific answer, I was sent diagrams of the standard Power saddle (first pic, below) and the Mimic model (second pic, below), which show how the hull of the standard saddle had to be altered to allow the construction of the layers that make up the Mimic.  

It's certainly very tidily made, and this carbon-railed version is really light. You do have to be extra careful with fitting, though – don't forget your torque wrench! – and I'm a bit disappointed that my old Topeak seatpacks can't be attached, as the mount just doesn't fit with the rails. You'll need to invest in Specialized's compatible luggage for load carrying.

Talking of investing... within the Specialized Power world, the S-Works Power with Mimic is only outdone on the expensive front by the two 'with Mirror' models, namely the Power Pro with Mirror for £290 and the S-Works Power with Mirror for £390.

If you like the sound of the Mimic foam and you want the lightest option available, you might think it's worth it, but the Expert model (as tested by Rachael and Emma) adds only a little weight with its titanium rails and nylon/carbon base, but saves you a heck of a lot of money. The 143mm model weighs 198g (actually lighter than the claimed 213g) and is now £115. So that's around 30-40g heavier, but £140 cheaper.

Looking beyond Specialized, Fizik's short-nose Vento Argo 00 is £259.99 and weighs a claimed 134g – so if weight is a real concern you can make decent savings for just a fiver more.

Another to consider is the Ergon SR Pro Carbon – the S/M that Sarah reviewed in 2019 weighed 166g, and though it's gone up a tenner since then, it's still 'only' £179.99.

Also check out our best women's bike saddles buyer’s guide, for more options to consider.

Conclusion

If you get on with the shape, this is a very good quality and very light saddle. As always with Specialized saddles, you can try before you buy – or at least buy but then exchange if you don't get on with it – so if saving weight matters more than saving money, and your posterior approves, it's hard to criticise.

Verdict

Very light saddle that's comfortable in some respects, but not game-changingly so in all