wheelhot

Hi,

Did anyone own these care to give some comment about them? And how does it compare to the Power? I see that it has a more rounded and more T-Shape in comparison to the Power, so technically it sounds like an improvement but there's not many reviews and it seems to be mixed.

Voodoo76

Interested in this as well. Was a fan of the original Romin, and contoured saddles in general.

I'm currently riding SMP Dynamic and it's very comfortable but I don't feel quite as stable at high power or when fatigued as I did on the Spec. It's a 9/10 and tough to beat but I like to audition new saddle designs now and then.

jfranci3

I've had a Romin (std), Power (std), and just got a Power Arc all in 143 for my 11CM(?) tush.

People call the Power (std) a "one position saddle", but I could move around about 1-2cm on it. I ended up having to tilt it 5deg nose down (measured on the rails, not top side) to keep me positioned. I also would get sores at the top of my thighs/bottom of behind in a line that matched the saddle ledge.

I got the Arc model this year and have been using it on the trainer. This IS a one position saddle. Fixes everything noted above for me. It needed to be moved back 1cm on my setup vs the std. Specialized appears to have cheapen the finishing as the cutout opening and valley are smaller and there is no finished edge - the saddle and chassis are just welded together.

I can get about 10mm lower on the bars with the std Power saddle than the Arc while keeping my four hard contact points, the Pubic and Sit / Seat bones, planted. Not sure why.

This link has the comparison between equal saddle sizes (can't post link ) goo.gl/photos/sennQPGCoHRVhQ7X7

Grasschopper

So like the above poster I have the Romin (original saddle, did they change it?) and Power Arc in 143mm width. Also had the Avatar on the bike that I just put the Power Arc on and my girlfriend rides the regular Power but in 155mm. Power Arc is more rounded...I prefer this shape to the standard Power saddle and the Avatar (which I had actually ridden for many years) which are both a flatter profile. In poor shorts I did get saddle sores in the same area as the above poster with the Power Arc...but but using crap shorts has that sorted. I'm liking it so far...but think I might prefer the Romin.

Not to derail the thread...but did the Romin change? I was thinking of returning the Power Arc (remember people Specialized has a 90 day return policy) to get another Romin but if they changed it...not sure I will.

Voodoo76

I guess that depends on what you are calling the Romin? The original was replaced by the Romin Evo about 5 years ago? The Evo is still available.

I picked up a 143 version of the Power Arc to try out. I'm partial to curvy saddles so liked the shape right away. Set up and feel is similar to my current SMP Dynamic. Running the nose 4 degrees down (a little less than 1deg up from the center of the seat). Setback -1.5cm from the SMP put my hips in the same location. Expected with a shorter saddle. I'm used to feeling locked in, but felt a little more freedom of movement fore/aft than the Dynamic.

Spent a couple hours on it w/o any soreness or pressure. TBD if it gets at the slight instability I sometimes feel with the Dynamic.

As an aside I have an extra seat post that I keep around for saddle auditions. Makes it very easy to switch back to your A setup. If you like to tinker with fit this is a great way to try out different saddles.

jfranci3

Romin std had a wide nose. Required thigh gap or it tore up your shorts.


Romin Evo had a normal nose and more padding

bianchi10

my buddy got one and loves it. Was riding a power pro in a 155mm. His sit bones sat perfectly on it, but the edges seemed to rub against the inside of his thighs pretty good, which was a noticeable issue for him. Tried the Arc which allowed him to have the 155mm to have the sit bone support, but didn't rub on his legs at all. He probably has 70 miles on it so far and no complaints. Was so confident with the difference that he sold his power saddle after 1 ride.

I rode it (Also on a power) and it wasn't bad, but I haven't had any issues with the edges effecting me. Just like everything else, its personal choice. If the edge of the power is an issue, it sounds like this is a great option.

Helolumpy

I was riding a Terry Race Liberator for about 15 years. Switched to Power Arc 3 months ago and love it.
I tried a Fisik and Fabric and neither was close to comfortable.
My Terry’s was 147 and my Spec is 155.
It sets up different because of the shape. It took about 4 hours in the saddle to get the fore/aft where I like it.
I could really feel my sit bones taking the weight and all the soft tissue is floating along.
I did the Ti rails because $70 to move up to the CF rails didn’t seem like a good expense for me.
I never did move much, but I find that I can slide back about 2 mm and still be comfortable. When I’m in the drops I feel like the saddle wings give me more area to push off from for more power.
Once you get it dialed in, it will cradle your butt like no other saddle!

nesdog

I bought the regular Power in 143. I've been on an SMP Drakon.

I really wanted to like this saddle but after nearly a month of rides, I could not get it dialed in to the same comfort I have on the SMP. The Power seemed a bit too wide in the rear; created some blisters/sores I've never had before.

The Power is mostly a one position saddle and I do move around a bit. I had no problems with the short length at all and appreciated the light weight.

I returned it to Spec for full refund, which is allowed up to 30 days. I asked my LBS to match this policy as I preferred to support them however they declined so I bought directly from Spec.

Back on the Drakon (which somehow feels better now!)

wheelhot

@Grasschopper, if I'm not mistaken, the only changes made to the Romin to Romin Evo is the nose is now shorter.

@nesdog, must be nice living in the States with a 30 days full refund policy as there's none where I live at. I've tried the Power and for the most part I like it but just as you mentioned, it feels that it got a bit too wide in the rear, or in other words, it transitions to wide too fast, which is why I think the Power Arc will be a better fit for me (and maybe the Romin Evo as well).

On a side note, do any of you experience chafing/cuts around inner tight/butt-cheek area? When doing rides of distance 80km? Or even 40km with hard effort? Cause I'm trying to identify if it's caused by the saddle or cycling shorts (I'm not using bibs yet, the cycling shorts is a Spesh RBX)

Grasschopper

Sorry I've been out of town and didn't have time to respond. Thanks for the info on the Romin. I may have to swap this Power Arc for another Romin. Not sure.

So I've gotten saddle sores in the exact spot you mention recently and is why I've tried different saddles. One thing that has helped...A LOT...is to ditch crappy shorts. And I'm sorry to say that one of those was a brand new pair of Specialized RBX shorts (whatever the entry level is). I've also noted that some of my nicer shorts are chafing in that same area...but I believe that's from the velcro on my saddle bag as my newer shorts (that haven't been ridden with a saddle bag in place) are fine.

kromozome

I have 3 Power saddles and ordered the Power Arc for my new build. Will report once I've ridden on it.

wheelhot

Haha, thank goodness I didn't look at other RBX shorts, I ordered new bibs from RedWhite, mostly positive reviews so will see if it fixes the chafing issues.

wheelhot

Wow, 3 power saddles, you must really like it and will be the best person to tell the differences. Looking forward to your report!

eric_sf

I've been riding an original Power in 143 on my Cannondale Evo for about 2-3 years and love it (over 10k miles on it). I just bought a Canyon Ultimate and because I'm keeping my Evo (at least for a while) I needed another comparable saddle. I decided to buy the Power Arc (143) and just rode on it this morning (25mi/2,400ft). I can see where it is a little more rounded at the seat 'wings' where my inner thigh would normally touch. But generally felt about the same as the Power. It's about 1-1.5mm shorter than the Power as I measured them side-by-side.

I have 30 days to return/exchange at my LBS but at this point it seems fine. Will see what a few hundred miles feel like over the course of a couple weeks.

kromozome

It's pretty similar to the regular Power saddle but it does feel more rounded, provides a smoother ride and I feel it's a little more comfortable. I rode 102 miles today on my race bike and I felt less sore than I would normally do for that distance. Overall, I think it is a decent improvement over the already excellent Power saddle.

I'll be interested to see opinions of the Power Pro Elaston model which also just came out. This other new Power saddle is meant to increase comfort further.

Bomb Komodo

I have been demoing the Power and currently have the 155. I do notice some rubbing and the saddle is wider than what I am used to.
I will say that at times the saddle feels like there is nothing there. It's pretty cool. But that goes back and forth. I will put 40 miles on it tomorrow AM.

I have a Selle Italia SLR Superflow coming. That is a shape I really like, so I am looking forward to comparing them.

wheelhot

So any ride updates?

eric_sf

Arc has been good so far. I have 1,300 miles on it. It may be slightly less supportive of side-to-side movements, but this could also be attributed to my bike since the Arc is on a different bike than the non-Arc was. Overall I'm happy and definitely keeping it.

As it were, I just went out on my semi-retired bike with the Power and when compared to the Arc, which I have been riding uninterrupted for a while now, I definitely feel the Power under me more than the Arc. I feel it behind my thighs / hamstring area. More contact than with the Arc.

I still would say that the Arc disappears underneath you more than the Power. Both good, but less rub with the Arc.

igorek

I was using Power Expert 143mm for 2 years and loved it, it was very comfortable saddle. I sold it because I want to get S-Works Power

wheelhot

So any difference between the Expert and S-Works version? Which do you prefer?

Anyway, it seems C.Froome uses the Power Saddle for Stage 19 Giro, but the latest pics from Tour of Britain looks like he uses a prototype Power saddle? It's odd for him to get a prototype since he's not under Specialized, yet this saddle is missing the trademark angled nose found in Power saddle and curiously uses Ti rails (so it's at least Power Pro and not S-Works) and seems to have the edges rounded off (similar to the Arc)

ddub

I have 3 but the one I favor is the not the arc. But the arc is 143mm wide and my preferred power saddle is a wider 155mm. I was going to try the arc in a wider version but this is getting expensive. YMMV

bahula03

Sorry to bump an old thread, but figured it'd be the best place to ask. I broke my pre-Evo Romin doing some crashing, so figured it was a good excuse to try a new saddle. Picked up a Power Arc, put it on the bike, went to set setback...and found that I had run out of rail Looking at the shape of the Power Arc compared to the Romin, it doesn't seem like it should be positioned any further forward. Has anyone else run into this, and how did you address it? Am I taking crazy pills or missing something obvious here?

SkepticalOne

^Had a similar issue and a similar designed seat mast as the one you seem to have, with rear-ward offset. I ended up buying a seat mast with less/no offset from the same manufacturer, thereby giving me a more appropriate position on the rails.

illdrag0n

Hated it. I have 154mm sit bones and can't get along with rounded saddles. Most SMP saddles and the arc all gave me dead aching sit bones within 10km. I have regular powers on both my bikes in 168mm and I've never had a problem