In this article I’m going to give you my top picks for the best road bike saddles on a budget.
It’s almost staggering the amount of money you can lay down for a road bike saddle, with some examples costing more than I’ve paid for some of my (second-hand) bicycles.
But not everybody is looking for the next piece of carbon to bolt onto their seatpost. And truth be told, when it comes to speed, that extra 100 or 200 grams for a more budget-friendly saddle doesn’t matter whatsoever.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This list covers a number of outstanding options to choose from that can rival the most expensive perches your money could buy. And since all saddle producers make the majority of their flagship offerings in more cheaper versions, as far as comfort is concerned, I bet the average rider will not be able to distinguish a budget version from a more premium one.
So without further ado, here’s the list of the best road bike saddles on a budget.
Selle Italia Model X Comfort+
At 415 grams and with loads of padding the Selle Italia Model X Comfort+ is meant for riders who like to enjoy the scenery more than getting as fast as possible from A to B.
The sweeping form favors a more upright position. It’s still a great looking saddle for gravel and endurance riding, and the finish of the taut microfiber cover is fantastic, as befitting of the Italian brand.
One of the best things about this saddle is obviously the price, which means that road enthusiasts can obtain a high quality product at a decent price.
This is the right saddle for weekend warriors, who enjoy leisurely rides in great comfort while catching up on the latest news with each other riding in the hoods.
- Budget-friendly, well-padded, touring-oriented saddle
- Not meant for racing
Fabric Line-S Race Flat
The Fabric Line-S Race Flat is a race-worthy saddle for racers who don’t want to dig too deep into their wallet, but still want a high-quality short-nosed road saddle.
At 240 x 142 millimeters and just 230 grams the Line-S can even be considered light, with attractive titanium rails supporting a well-padded nylon shell with center depression for additional comfort.
With such a short nose, this road saddle is for people who don’t like to wiggle around all time, because it keeps you firmly planted. The wide and flat upper means you’ll be just as comfortable in the hoods as in the drops.
The length of the saddle supports a geometry to put the power down in a more forward position.
There’s a version of this saddle with carbon rails that adds 80 euros to the overall price while remaining unchanged otherwise. I have to admit that carbon rails do add a bit more flex and comfort to your ride, but it’s up to you to decide if such a steep increase is worth the added cost.
If you feel the answer to that question is no, then the Fabric Line-S Race Flat is one of the best ways to enter the short-nosed revolution.
- Budget-friendly short-nosed saddle
- None
Fabric Scoop Elite Flat
The Fabric Scoop comes in many versions with the carbon version nearing the 300 dollar mark. This Fabric Scoop Elite Flat sits well under 100 dollars but has the exact extremely comfortable design.
Flat means this is a true road racing saddle with less padding and a thinner nose. At 244 grams the weight is about what you can expect for a road bike saddle in this price range.
The saddle has standard 7 mm cro-mo rails sitting underneath a nylon shell, and has a classic all-black design without a cut out in the base of 142 mm. At 244 mm in length it’s not a long saddle, which means less moving around and higher comfort.
It’s a no-frills design that does it all, comfort for long rides, durability, and nice aesthetics for a decent price.
- Budget friendly, no-frills saddle
- 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
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
Selle San Marco Aspide Short Open-Fit Sport (Narrow)
The Selle San Marco Aspide Short Open-Fit Sport is both a short and narrow saddle for aggressive road racing on a budget, at least where your saddle is concerned.
It has a carbon steel 7 mm standard rail underneath a glass fiber shell, weighing in at 265 and a foam upper. It has a very wide cut out, and in combination with the reduced length, this ensures your sitting bones do the heavy lifting and increases comfort.
This is a solid option for aggressive riders who don’t mind a race-oriented firm ride. For more leisure touring look elsewhere.
- Carbon steel rail, wide cut out short-nosed saddle
- Firm aggressive ride
Selle San Marco GND Dynamic Narrow
The Selle San Marco GND Dynamic Narrow is a firm and wide road racing saddle and is one of the lightest on this list at 217 grams.
At a width of 135 millimeters it can definitely be considered narrow with a medium length of 265 millimeters. Rather than having a full cut out the center dips almost in the entire length of the saddle.
There’s a considerable amount of padding which wraps all around the saddle, which means you’ll never feel any sharp edges.
The saddle has a big sweep upwards in the rear, making it more suitable for hilly rides when you need the support in the rear of your saddle while going up. It’s also the reason this saddle has crossover appeal in the gravel and MTB discipline, which usually necessitate more dynamic styles of riding.
So if you like to climb and even think you might take this saddle onto roads less traveled, the comfort and climbing appeal of this saddle will stand out.
- Affordable, lightweight, narrow
- Firmness may not suit everyone
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
Specifications road bike saddles on a budget
Name | Rail | Price | Dimensions | Weight | Shell | Padding | Cover | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Selle Italia Model X Comfort+ | FeC Alloy Ø7 mm | 65 euros | 145 x 245 mm | 415 g | ||||
Fabric Line-S Race Flat | titanium | 100 USD | 240 x 142 mm | 230 g | nylon | microfiber | ||
Fabric Scoop Elite Flat | cro-mo Ø7 mm | 80 USD | 282 x 142 mm | 244 g | flexible nylon | microfiber | ||
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 | ||
Prologo Kappa Space | cro-mo Ø7 mm | 78 euros | 270 x 147 mm | 249 g | nylon | Light foam | ||
Selle San Marco Aspide Short Open-Fit Sport (Narrow) | carbon steel | 59 euros | 250 x 139 mm | 265 g | glass fiber reiinforced | Pullfoam | Silkfeel | |
Selle San Marco GND Dynamic Narrow | manganese | 79 euros | 262 x 135 mm | 217 g | glass fiber reiinforced | Biofoam | Microfeel | |
Selle San Marco GND Dynamic Wide (Open) | manganese | 79 euros | 262 x 145 mm | 210 g | glass fiber reiinforced | Biofoam | Microfeel |
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.
You might also like
The 8 most important criteria on how to choose a road bike saddle
After having ridden dozens of saddles, I know the importance of a high quality seat, and how an improper one can impair a comfortable riding
The 5 best selling road bike saddles
In this article I’ll be sharing the best selling road bike saddles of the last few months. The list is compiled based on aggregated sales statistics from Amazon worldwide, including the United States,
The top 8 best narrow road bike saddles
In this article I’m going to give you my top picks for the best narrow road bike saddles.
My focus for this article has been to provide a number of options that can be deemed allround to race-worthy
The top 6 best downhill mountain bike saddles
In this article I’m going to give you my top picks for the best downhill mountain bike saddles.
If there’s one thing you don’t want is your saddle getting in the way of you moving a breakneck speed d