After some long days in the saddle lugging around photo bags on an enduro bike over hill and dale, we realized we had a recent longing for a more comfortable saddle. Given the fact that we’re not racing and riding we’re bigger bike, it made sense to source out something with a bit more padding than your typical 150 gram butt floss saddle. We noticed that Chromag’s offerings were looking pretty appealing despite not really hearing much about them. That sounded like the perfect product to spotlight with a review. Enter the Trailmaster.
Because we often want a bit more cush when bearing weight, and we’re riding trails on a beefier bike, we were looking for a bit more all day comfort. After all, is there any reason to have an uncomfortable saddle on a 160mm bike? They’re already harder to push around than the average XC or Trail bike. Anyhow, with an extra padding, a thick nose section and a bit more material in general, it looked like it would fit the bill.
Specs:
• Seamless, natural, perforated leather top
• Chromo rails
• 300 grams
• 284mm x 140mm
• $90.00 US
When we first slapped the saddle on, we immediately appreciated the extra long rails for the installation part. We also knew right away that they would would provide some extra wiggle for setup and we feel it just looks better as the seat won’t have to be slammed in either direction. Although time (and some crashes) will tell, the construction and materials used all look and feel top notch. At 300 grams it’s no lightweight, but for how big it is, it comes in at a reasonable weight.
Right away we found this to be one of the most comfortable seats we’ve ever used. We figured this out after a few hundred feet or trail and it proved to be true after a 6 hour day in the saddle shortly after. Now, we all know that saddles are a very personal thing…much like grips, or pedals. Any contact point on the bike will be completely subjective to each individuals preference.
So, aside from the fact that it just worked for us, what leads us to think it’s a viable option for most people? Pretty simple really. The biggest thing is the wider, more padded nose area with a relief in the shell. The Trailmaster is also cut a bit wider at the tail and offers a bit of curvature at the back of the saddle. Both of those features were really nice while climbing. On techy bits, the soft/wide nose made it easier to get up over the front of the saddle. During long climbs the wider tail was nice for shifting around to get some relief. Another noteworthy mention is that the smooth, rounded off edges never snagged our shorts and didn’t spook or poke us when we found ourselves in less than ideal positions above the bike. Great design all around.
As for durability, we’ve been riding Trailmaster for a couple of months months now in all sorts of conditions and it’s looking great and showing no signs of premature wear and tear. Its construction and high quality materials indicate that it’s clearly in it for the long haul. Should anything unwarranted happen, Chromag backs it with a one year warranty.
If we had to really dig and find something to trivial complain about, we could gripe that the Trailmaster looks ever so slightly bulky compared to some of the sleeker offerings on the market. In fairness, we tested the brown version and after eyeing it up beside the black one, it seems that it could be the color. The black one definitely looks slimmer. All in all, it has been a great saddle that’s given us all day comfort and helped us out through some of the nastier climbs we’ve been on. Its a great saddle to pair up with a long travel trail bike or an enduro. We highly recommend it.
