Hobson Pro Hub X2 Saddle – Ultimate Long-Distance Comfort with Magnesium Alloy, Gel Foam Padding, and Water-Resistant Cover for On & Off-Road Cycling

I am in love with this seat, and I have been for over eight years. Nevertheless, you should read the negative reviews, too, because they make good points. If you are uncertain, then you really should try the saddle in person rather than ordering online. The trouble is: where? Bike stores don't carry these! So if you are mostly convinced that this seat is what you need, but you are just a little skittish due to the mixed reviews, hopefully my notes can help. ******************************************************** Briefly: In my experience, you *can* commute on this saddle, you *can* do long-distance, you *can* use it with both "slow, upright stance" bikes as well as "fast, tucked-down" road bikes. ******************************************************** [Also: it ain't just men that want bike seats to stop poking them between the legs. This review is by a female (me), and while I have no way to know how unpleasant it is to be male and sit on harsh saddles, I can say that as a *female* on a traditional saddle I was *miserable*.] I do think the negative reviews are thoughtful, honest, and well-written. However, for me, this saddle is pure bliss. This is the second Hobson "two cheek" saddle I have owned. The first is still sturdy and usable after countless miles, but it has been moved onto a stationary exercise bike, and I ordered this new "pro x2" for my current bicycle. I have never ever had a single complaint about these Hobson saddles. About me: I used this saddle on a mountain bike (for both city riding and "beginner" trail riding) for 2-3 years. On the mountain bike I had this seat nearly level, and I could still ride with no hands when I wanted to, just supported and balanced entirely on the seat. Currently I only own a road (touring) cycle, and now I use the Hobson with this touring bike (a 12-speed, with drop handlebars). I keep the saddle tilted forward. This means slightly more of my weight is supported by my upper body strength, but it keeps the seat comfortable for the more "tucked" stance of a street cyclist. (also, i vastly prefer to have this weight supported by my push-up strength instead of just by a thin seat-nose wedged right up you-know-where). On this bike, I can no longer ride no-handed, but that was never a requirement for me. I can still easily ride one-handed if I need to fiddle with my bike accessories or my water bottle with one hand. Some of the feats of cycling I have done since becoming a Hobson user: ~ the 50-mile Rosarito-to-Ensenada ride; ~ a four day 200-mile trek with friends; ~ a weekend trip of 140 miles round-trip; ~ one "century" (a 100-mile event); ~ and also just my 12 mile commute to work on most days. ******************************************************** So why do some people LOVE this seat and some people HATE it? I think a big factor is how much you *hate* the "normal" saddle. If you have decided that you positively cannot *ever* spend one more minute on a normal saddle -- even if it means you just give up cycling altogether, then you should take a chance on alternative saddles before abandoning the sport. (That was me. Trying the Hobson restored all my joy for cycling.) If, however, you continue to be able to "tolerate" your current saddle but you are mildly uncomfortable and waiting to see if something better comes along, then you might find annoyances on the Hobson, too. If you tolerate your current saddle, then you might not have the motivation to get past the initial unfamiliarity of this Hobson. If you still cannot decide, then maybe you will call some local brick-and-mortar stores and give them some hints that they should stock these! That would help *everyone* -- both the people who will love these, and those other people that will be spared from difficult online return policies after *not* liking these. Final note: two other cyclists I ride with swear by another alternative, Ergo The Seat Ultimate Bicycle Saddle

3rd Ride update feb 24, 2016: lowered the seat post and raised my handlebars (i'm NOT experienced in bike mechanics at all, but was too far from a bike shop, so did it myself and it was easy)... and now the seat is even yet more comfortable and versatile... again, on the last ride i was riding, often with one hand only, while the other hand filmed, on rough terrain, so one can have stability with this seat. one reviewer complained the movement of the seat's design, made it feel cheap and not work for him. probably because he is an experienced rider with a set of particular standards for his riding rather than someone, desperate, like myself, to find a seat that works without crushing perineum tissue, nerves, and blood vessels, and willing to re-learn riding position posture. having said that, i'll keep riding this, but probably will raise it to 5 stars. Remember, many police departments are switching their bicycle patrols to the use of this type of bike saddle, due to reproductive injuries sustained, and there are some major medical studies on this also. i find this hobson saddle is making cycling exciting and healthy for me again. very happy... this is a totally unsolicited independent review on my part and i do not work for hobson nor taking part in any review for discounted item program, though i'd love to :) :) 2nd Ride Update: After adjusting the seat again... I made the angle less acute.... thus a milder downward slant forward, it seemed to eliminate 85% of the awkwardness and extra stress on my legs and hands... and i had a very enjoyable off-road ride.... i even filmed holding my phone camera with one hand and riding with the other, so the stability is increasing. I had a great very enjoyable ride. Next i will try lowering the seat a bit on the seat post, and then lifting my handlebars higher... (i tend to prefer a fairly upright riding position, again i'm riding a English Thorn Nomad cross-country touring or trekking bike, and with slightly oversized tires... not huge, just not thin).... Anyway, to date i continue to be quite enthused on the saddle and if i continue to have this increased comfort and balance i'll raise my rating to 5 Stars... Again, it seems to have 100% efficacy on protecting against perineal injury as there is simply zero contact in that area.... First Impression Review: Just got it and tried it once, and will submit updated review shortly..... In the meantime, I'm impressed with the relative ease of putting the saddle upon my bike, (an old Thorn Nomad touring bicycle), and ease in adjusting the angle of the seat, adjusting how far forward or back the seat sits on the post, and width of two seats... One thing that is obvious is that it definitely seems to totally avoid the perineum area trauma, as there simply is zero contact between perineum and the seat... So it seems impossible for the seat to be a failure in that primary intent of its design and use. Getting used to the very different way the seat interacts with one's biking seems to be the main challenge and i could immediately feel stress on hands and arms and also on thighs and even knees, all of which I assume is based on the fact that it's different than any other bike seat i've sat on in the last 67 years of my life... and also that, because of my age, stress to new areas of my hands, arms, knees, etc. is going to be more noticeable and potentially more injurious... but, i'd rather risk those injuries than to my perineum, so let's see how well i adapt over the next few rides, the next few weeks, etc., and then i'll update this post. again, bottomline of this premature review is that it seems to obviously 100 percent guarantee no perineum damage. and the other is to expect a break-in period, to get your body used to the new riding position it will necessitate. I recommend, instead of immediately using the seat exclusively, to use it short periods and build up the length of rides, and simply using your traditional saddle ...switching back and forth.... as you build up your balance and ability with this new Hobson pro hub x2.

My wife and enjoy bike riding for fitness and recreation. We typically ride 20-30 mile routes on weekend days and 10+ routes on weekdays depending on our schedule. For the last decade we have also been taking bike tour vacations in both Europe and the US. We are not skinny century riders, but we have logged more than a few miles in a variety of saddles. Our current bike is a Trek 7300. There have been two areas where we have continually looked for relief and improvement. Saddle pain and wrist pain. Happily, after a two month trial period that included one 4 day tour through Gettysburg, PA. and about a dozen 20-30 mile rides in our local area on both street and the typical crushed limestone bike paths, I can confirm that the Hobson Pro Hub X2 has allowed me to check saddle pain off the list. My wife would experience tailbone pain, and I would experience a dull ache right where your legs transition into the buttocks after about 15-20 miles. The pain was annoying enough for both of us that we would take frequent 'butt breaks' every few miles after hitting the 15 mile mark. But since we both installed the Hobson saddles, we have found we no longer have problems. Just this weekend after a 31 mile loop we both realized that the only complaints we had about riding was that the last five miles always seem to be uphill and into the wind. As other reviews have stated, the seat does flex or tilt bit back and forth a little bit. At first it was a little odd, but we quickly got used to it. In fact, it seems like this little bit of movement helps keep the weight distribution moving to different areas. Also, as others have stated, it will feel a little different on your bottom thighs as the traditional narrow front is mostly eliminated. The narrow tongue is replaced by short nubs on each seat pad. You will also want to take your Allen wrench the the first rides so you can make adjustments to find how it best fits you. Mine is set pretty far back, and level with about 3/4 inch spread between the pads. I experience no detectable control differences in how my bike handles from a traditional saddle. I've also found that because of the wide saddle, I can sit upright with my full weight on my seat while coasting, something I could never do with comfort on a traditional saddle for more than a just a few seconds. While I'm not into biking simply to coast downhill, this additional position provides yet another method to rest various parts of the body during rides, allowing me to go longer distances with less fatigue, primarily the wrists as I can give them short breaks where they are required to bear no weight at all. A few reviews have suggested the product looks 'flimsy'. I think this might be due to how the front portions of the saddle will flex. You can in fact flex them with your hands. I have logged approx 250 miles on them in the last month with my 250LB butt, and have not experienced any deformity from the original shape of the saddle, or any additional flexing or give while riding. I will revisit this review come the end of fall with additional impressions after having ridden on this saddle for close to six months.

I received the seat in a timely manner. I used it for a short time but never felt "secure" or "safe" on the seat. The ride was "sloppy" and frustrating. I made arrangements to return the item. This was the first time I received an item without return information and return stickers to mail back. I had to pay to return this inferior product AND a 20% restocking fee. My fault for not looking at the fine print. The gentleman I talked to at the company said he would "let the guys" know that there were probably no scratches on the item to be returned". Sorry, but that doesn't give me any confidence that they will remove the restocking FEE. VERY DISAPPOINTING. If BIKEWORLD USA removes the 20% restocking fee, I'll amend this review. As of now, I'll not purchase from this seller, or any seller charging restocking fees. Update: 8/7/2013 I'm amending this review as I said I would after a refund was received. I received a full refund for the product in a very timely manner however a refund for the postage was not to be. I will look very carefully at all further purchases through Amazon. If the return policy is even minutely unclear, I will not purchase the product. Expensive lesson learned.

IThis seat eliminated the discomfort I was getting from my old saddle, but I found it difficult to adjust to my comfort level. Once I got there it was wonderful. My only complaint after 3 years of riding is noticing one saddle broke at some point. It cracked in half. It rides the same, but you'd think the quality would be a little better. The cover has held it together, but it's starting to tear, so it has just about reached the end of its life. I'm a street rider so I wonder why it cracked. All in all, unless they replace it, I'll have to buy another one.

I purchased the seat and found the following three 3 problems with it: 1. NO SEAT CLAMP: The seat is sent WITHOUT the needed seat clamp. You will need to buy one. The seat clamp connects the seat to the tube. On Amazon they go for about $8. But, the biggest problem is that a regular seat clamp will NOT fit the rails of this seat. I am fairly handy, and it took me 45 minutes to just install the seat clamp to the seat using tools to make the seat clamp narrower to fit inside the rails. If you're not handy you'll need to pay a bike shop. For the price of this seat, a seat clamp should have been provided and should be installed on the seat. 2. THE TWO CUSHIONS ARE EXTREMELY HARD: Because of the structure of the seat, most of the weight is on the bony back part of the butt. With extremely hard cushions the ride is very uncomfortable. Why the padding is not softer is hard to understand. Others have complained as well about this problem. To find soft gel seat covers for the two seats is difficult as they are small. I'm going to try a child's gel seat cover to see if that works. 3. POOR MATERIALS: The seat could be stronger. It feels flimsy. The seat vinyl is thin and not flexible. It is ok upon purchase but I don't know if it will last. I gave this seat a 3 as the positive thing about this seat is that it can open up the gap between the two seats to adjust for the positioning of the perineum. But without a comfortable seat, as mentioned above, it is not a pleasant ride at all.

Male, 51 yo, 6'3" and 198 lbs. I ride 1.5 to 3 hours a day, 6 days a week for the past 6 weeks to stay sane during quarantine. This is my fourth saddle. Started with a Brooks leather, then a padded with the middle cut out, then a hard carbon fiber with the middle cut out. None of them worked for me. I was getting severe numbness and restricted blood flow due to perineal compression. It was very uncomfortable while riding and would last for hours afterward. Not only did it make riding less fun, but medically it is a very bad thing to have happen. I was ready to almost give up but gave this saddle a try as a hail mary. After install I took it for a quick spin around the block (without padded shorts) and thought it was going to be another flop. But I just finished a 3.5 hour ride (with padded shorts) and all I can say is wow! Pros -Highly Adjustable -NO COMPRESSION ON YOUR PERINEUM -Relatively Comfortable (not perfect but good enough) -No "break in" Needed (at least for me) Cons -Relatively Expensive (but who cares it works) -Not comfortable without shorts (at least for me) A few things to note. -Bring a hex key with you on your first ride as you need to find a happy place with this saddle, I made at least a half dozen adjustments on my ride to find the goldilocks zone. -The two pads flex up and down as you ride so when you set it up, take into account that the pads move slightly. -Yes the ends may dig into the back of your legs, but as mentioned, adjust adjust adjust. I found the digging to be mild at worst and actually felt more like a massage action that discomfort. -Try different sitting positions along with the physical adjustments and don't get frustrated. -Don't make multiple adjustments at the same time, adjust one thing and see if it feels better or worse. -If you use the position of your current seat as a starting point, don't be afraid to adjust seat post height. I had to actually lower mine about an inch. Overall I feel like this is one of the best purchases I have made in a long time. So happy I cannot describe it.

Very comfortable for my prostate

Sehr gute Qualität und absolut hilfreich. Toll!

5 star saddle. My wife and daughter are completely sold of these. I guess if I had a delicate prostate I would be too. We've ditched "female ergonomic saddles" in favour of Pro Hub X2 (we have them on 2 solos and two tandems) and they have transformed my wife's and daughter's ride comfort.

After my prostate surgery I found this seat to cause no pressure/pain!

Leider kam ich mit dem Sattel nicht zurecht da für mich dies Nase des Sattels zu kurz und der Seitenhalt somit zu gering ist.

Impossible de rester stable. Je glisse des 2 cotés