In this article I’m going to provide you with a list of the best cross country mountain bike saddles.
Cross country mountain biking is probably my favorite MTB discipline. Partly because of necessity, because there aren’t any mountains to speak of where I live. But since I started out as a road cyclist, when I transitioned to mountain biking, the step to a fast and light bike for offroading felt natural.
And if you want your bike to be fast and nimble, your saddle choice should reflect that as well. It supports short and steep climbing sections. The saddle shouldn’t get in the way when you stand on the pedals, and preferably have a low weight as befits a bike with a cross-country pedigree.
You could argue that any saddle would do, and I am the last person to disagree if your seat feels comfortable to you. That being said, with the aforementioned requirements, I feel that some saddles stand out for the rest.
So without further ado, here are my top picks for the best cross country mountain bike saddles.
Fabric Scoop Sport Gel Radius
Fabric makes fantastic affordable saddles and Fabric Scoop Sport Gel Radius is a great example.
The nylon shell has a pronounced swoop, which makes going on and off the saddle easy for dynamic riding. The shell is held by steel rails and measures 260 x 155 mm.
At 374 grams it’s anything but light, but for downhill purposes this doesn’t really matter anyway. And it’s the most budget-friendly offering on this list.
You really can’t fault this saddle, especially not for this price. So if you’re looking for a comfortable mountain bike saddle that definitely doesn’t break the bank, this is the one.
- Budget-friendly
- Not for weight weenies
Selle San Marco GND Dynamic Wide (Open)
The Selle San Marco GND Dynamic Wide with the cut out version is slightly lighter at 210 grams, which is incredibly light all things considered.
It has the same overall features as the one without the cut out, and uses the same type of materials. That means you get a glass fiber reinforced shell on top of manganese steel rails, with plush padding in a semi-short length.
The version of 145 millimeters is more neutral than the narrow 135 millimeters, which allows for a bigger platform to support the rider. You might argue that that actually improves because the rider has to spend less energy staying into position.
The microfeel cover onto the star shaped design looks great and the finish is superb, which makes this saddle the perfect choice for adventurous riders on a budget.
- Has cut out, excellent and durable build quality, budget-friendly
- Too stiff for some
WTB SL8 Cromoly Medium
The WTB SL8 Chromoly is a plush MTB saddle with a large swoop.
There are also titanium and carbon rails versions of this saddle but they significantly bump up the price whereas every other feature stays the same.
It’s a more allround mountain bike saddle that offers loads of comfort in a 142 millimeter shell width.
The chromoly version has memory foam padding that’s less stiff than the titanium and carbon versions. The shell has noticeable flex. So even though its wider than some of the more performance oriented entries, you’ll hardly notice it because the saddle moves with you.
- Plush and comfortable, great all-round MTB option
- None
Fizik Vento Argo R5
As far as budget goes the Fizik Vento Argo R5 is the most premium option on this list with a suggested retail price of 99 euros. It can be had for cheaper on Amazon though.
It’s another very well made short-nosed saddle with a carbon-reinforced nylon shell with a large center cut out. This cut out transitions into a lower surface area both front and back, planting you firmly in place.
This version also has an alloy rail to keep costs down and a width of either 140 mm for the small or 150 mm for the larger version.
This saddle offers ample amounts of comfort for relaxed road riding, thanks to the plush padding and cut out.
- Affordable MTB saddle, short-nosed saddle w. cut out, wide option available, plush feel
- None
Fizik Tundra M5
The Fizik Tundra M5 is a true cross-country saddle, and an affordable option for people who’re looking for a high-quality seat.
The narrow performance saddle measures 287 x 126 mm, and has a carbon composite shell made from carbon-reinforced nylon with wing-flex technology. This means the saddle moves with your pedal stroke, making for a more natural feel.
It has an overall flat shape, which means it’s a solid option for mountain bikers with average flexibility in the hips and don’t necessarily want a locked-in feel when sitting.
It features a large central channel with padded halves for pressure relief. And has a slightly drooping nose to facilitate easier going into a standing position and back onto the saddle without shorts or bibs hooking. The padded shell extends all the way to the side, so no sharp edges causing irritation, chafing on the legs, or chewing up your shorts.
This one is the most affordable option, forgoing either a Kium or carbon rails for a more standard alloy. This keeps the price low. But the weight is still very respectable at 235 grams. For comparison, the carbon version is 70 grams lighter and costs 150 USD more.
- Affordable cross country saddle, performance oriented, flat shape
- None
Selle Italia X-LR Kit Carbonio Superflow
The Selle Italia X-LR Kit Carbonio Superflow is a stunning piece of engineering from the Italian saddle giant.
What they’ve achieved is an ultra-light, ultra-comfortable saddle that’ll honed towards aggressive riding in less than ideal road circumstances.
The regular version is a very narrow 131 millimeters, with the large version measuring a more standard 145 millimeter width. The saddle features a combination of an oval carbon rails with ceramic coating supporting a carbon composite shell weighing just 130 grams.
That feat alone is worth mentioning, but even more astounding considering that comfort is achieved by adding two layers of padding with varying densities. This added damping factor is further enhanced by a shell to rails connection that adds an extra dimension of damping. And carbon itself has natural damping effects.
The gorgeous shape has a large cut out in the center sitting in a flat-shaped saddle with a slightly dropped nose. Furthermore the saddle has edge protectors so a single crash reduces the risk of irreparable damage to this premium perch.
As far as race-ready comfort this is my top pick.
- Gorgeous piece of engineering, exquisite combination of comfort w. low weight, huge cutout, no compromise performance saddle
- Very pricey, compatible seatpost necessary
Selle Italia SLR Boost Endurance Superflow
At 202 grams the Selle Italia SLR Boost Endurance Superflow is a featherweight short-nosed premium performance saddle.
SLR denotes Selle Italia’s foray into short-nosed perches and at 130 x 248 mm for the regular and 145 x 248 mm for the wide version, they are short indeed.
The swooping design is felt even more by the gel padded cover. It’s amazing that Selle Italia has managed to cram so much comfort and padding onto a saddle that weighs so little.
Like most of Selle Italia’s premium endurance saddles, this one features titanium rails and durable Fibra-tek cover onto a carbon composite shell.
Saddles are exceptionally personal product offerings, and when buying such an expensive one as this one you want one that’s right for you.
This saddle is anything but cheap, but for that premium you get one of the lightest endurance saddles in the market for long comfortable hours in the saddle.
- Extremely comfortable high-end saddle, swooping design w. gel padded cover, short-nosed design with massive cut out, lightest endurance saddle on the market
- Very pricey
Selle Italia X-LR TM Air Cross Superflow
The Selle Italia X-LR TM Air Cross Superflow is a great example that a high quality saddle doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg necessarily.
It basically offers the same as many of the much more premium offerings from Selle Italia. But by using cheaper materials it’s much, much more affordable.
The nylon shell and manganese rails offer enough comfort with a dual-density foam-padded saddle.
The saddle is offered in two performance-oriented sizes; 131 x 266 mm and 145 x 266 mm. And its nature emphasizes offroad usage, with an abrasive-resistant waterproof microfiber cover and edge protectors.
This lightweight saddle still only weighs between 215 and 224 grams, and has a large cut out running almost the entire length of the saddle.
It’s a beautiful yet affordable saddle with all the right features to enjoy your next trail ride.
- Affordable high-end design, edge protectors, waterproof
- Firm ride
Prologo Scratch M5 Pas
The Prologo Scratch M5 Pas is a short-nosed lightweight road bike saddle.
The overall design features a large seating platform and dropped nose, which enables dynamic riding where you need to get frequently out of the saddle.
The saddle offers two options for the rails with the Tirox alloy versions hovering around 200 grams and a much lighter carbon version sitting at 134 grams. Oval carbon rails require a carbon specific seatpost, so make sure you have one, should you decide to opt for the carbon version.
The Scratch M5 is decently padded and looks futuristic with its five panel layout across a rounded 250mm length shell. This separate paneling should help to add some extra flex to the saddle for added comfort.
- Short-nosed saddle, futuristic design, multiple rail options
- None
Prologo Dimension NDR
The Prologo Dimension NDR is a sporty saddle with an offroad nature.
To establish this nature, Prologo simply added more padding to the shell, which is offered in a single size of 245 x 143 mm.
The 245 millimeters can be considered a short-nosed saddle. For those of you who don’t know what that is, short-nosed saddles favor riders who show a more forward seated position.
Since there’s less nose, the overall saddle can be moved forward a bit on the seatpost, while the rider still remains in the area where he or she feels most comfortable.
It’s probably one of the most aggressive saddles on this list for offroad touring or mountain biking.
- Well-padded off-road saddle, short-nosed version, aggressive performance saddle
- None
Prologo Kappa Space
Coming in both white and black with red elements thrown in the Prologo Kappa Space is the most in your face options of all the saddles listed here. So if you’re in for that type of design this one will float your boat.
Besides the design aspects the Kappa Space has a more classic looking arrow design at 270×147 mm, sitting on cro-mo 7 mm standard rails.
The center cut out and dipped area is more narrow than several of its competitors, which is also in line with more classic designs.
A great fit on a bike saddle will always be something intimately personal. But if you feel more familiar with classically shaped arrowhead saddles, and you like its design, this great piece from Prologo is the best choice.
- Affordable, classic shape, cut out design
- None
Specifications cross country mountain bike saddles
Name | Rail | Price | Dimensions | Weight | Shell | Padding | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fabric Scoop Sport Gel Radius | steel | 47 USD | 260 x 155 mm | 374 g | nylon | ||
Selle San Marco GND Dynamic Wide (Open) | manganese | 79 euros | 262 x 145 mm | 210 g | glass fiber reiinforced | Biofoam | |
WTB SL8 Cromoly Medium | cromoly | 96 USD | 265 x 142 mm | 266 g | Flex-Tuned Shell | HLX Padding | |
Fizik Vento Argo R5 | S-Alloy Ø7 mm | 109.99 USD | S 265 x 140 mm – L 265 x 150 mm | S 225 g – L 232 g | carbon-reinforced nylon | type 1 foam | |
Fizik Tundra M5 | s-alloy | 99.99 USD | 287 x 126 mm | 235 g | carbon composite | PU foam | |
Selle Italia X-LR Kit Carbonio Superflow | carbon/keramic Ø7×9 mm | 300 euros | S 131 x 266 mm – L 145 x 266 mm | S 130 g – L 138 g | carbon composite | double density foam | |
Selle Italia SLR Boost Endurance Superflow | TI 316 Tube Ø7 mm | 320 euros | S 130 x 248 mm – L 145 x 248 mm | S 202 g – L 207 g | carbon composite | ||
Selle Italia X-LR TM Air Cross Superflow | manganese tube Ø7 mm | 100 euros | S 131 x 266 mm – L 145 x 266 mm | S 215 g – L 224 g | nylon | double density foam | |
Prologo Scratch M5 Pas | nack carbon / tirox | 138/213 euros | 250 x 140 mm | nack 134 g – Tirox 201 g | |||
Prologo Dimension NDR | nack carbon / tirox / T4.0 | 109/138/213 euros | 245 x 143 mm | nack 170 g – Tirox 215 g – T4.0 229 g | extra padding | ||
Prologo Kappa Space | cro-mo Ø7 mm | 78 euros | 270 x 147 mm | 249 g | nylon | Light foam |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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