Bontrager Inform RL Saddle

Remember the three little bears from when you just a little tad …

This chair is too big!" she exclaimed. So she sat in the second chair. "This chair is too small!" She whined. So she tried the last chair. "Ahh, this chair is just right," she sighed. Well the folks at Bontrager have traveled back to their child hood even before riding bikes to the time of nursery rhymes for their latest brainstorm, the Bontrager Inform RL Saddle. Inform saddles were designed not to be just some good looking new saddle line, but one that actually has brains behind this saddle.

The Bontrager Inform RL line of saddles come in 3 sizes including 128mm, 143mm and 150mm width, each with its own unique rear curvature, to provide a perfect match to your rear end (aka butt). When designing the Inform RL saddle Bontrager the characteristics looked at included shell compliance, foam compliance, surface shape, and curvature.

The Inform RL weighing in at 205 grams for the 128mm model is built upon a custom tuned nylon/ composite shell tuned to your size and weight (I am assuming that a person using a 150mm saddle will weigh more than a person using a 128mm saddle) mounted to a pair of lightweight hollow stainless steel rails. Between your shorts and the shell sit superlight ZONE DENSITY foam that adds support and compliance to the specific zones it's needed most. To put that in general terms, there are dense spots and soft spots to make it oh so comfy. The saddle is actually pretty soft, but not an uncomfortable squishy that feels awkward.

Yeah all that sounds fine and dandy, the seat looks cool, but how big is my rear end? (No one actually needs to answer that) Upon arriving at your local Trek / Bontrager Dealer and speaking to a sales rep, they can get you all fit up. You will be asked to sit on a specially developed “bench” that is filled with a substance that migrates away from your skeletal structure when you sit down, revealing one of 3 colors underneath. This color (which acts as the measurement of your rear end) is used as the “gauge”. The Bontrager bench color corresponds to a color-coded system on “hanger” or packaging of the Inform saddles. This color code also has a number that corresponds to the approximate millimeter space between the impressions you leave behind on the saddle bench, just incase you can’t match up yellow and yellow.

After 5 to 6 months on this saddle it has grown quite a liking to my bottom side. I must admit that I have never been fond of Bontrager / Trek saddles in the past but the Inform RL really changed that for me. It really gives you a great feeling of sitting on something softer and more supportive than what it really is by simply sitting on the right size and designed saddle for your size/ shape of bottom.

I loved the saddle so much I actually went out and bought a second one for my other bike, and believe me I hate to spend money (unless it is on Belgium Beer or a Napa Cab). Since I liked the saddle does not necessarily mean you will, well the nice thing is that Bontrager offers a 90-day “unconditional comfort guarantee”. It is not to often you get a deal like that. My favorite part is the $99.00 price tag. I see saddles now days hitting the $200 range and up, it is nice to see a great saddle at a very competitive price.

Product Details:

Bontrager Science of Comfort blends three elements for a perfect riding experience: performance, design and comfort
Three width options allow a perfect match to your sit bones
Rear curvature of saddle is customized based on saddle size for optimal seating support
Custom Tuned Shell for support and comfort
Bontrager superlight ZONE DENSITY foam adds support and compliance to the specific zones it's needed most
Hollow stainless steel rails
Unconditional Comfort Guarantee available on aftermarket purchases

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