Launch II Saddle

Not always, and it is worth knowing why before you choose. Thick padding is genuinely more comfortable on shorter rides and in a more upright position, which is what the Launch II is built for. On a long ride in a leaned-forward position, soft foam compresses until your sit bones sink through it and your weight ends up on soft tissue instead — which is why endurance riders often end up on firmer saddles. Match the saddle to the riding you actually do, not to how it feels when you press it with your thumb in the shop.

Riders who want a soft, forgiving contact point rather than a race platform. It is 275 x 140mm and 350g, the widest padding and the most cushioning in our range, on a wide shape that also gives you room to shift your weight around. That suits trail riding, bike paths and anyone coming back to riding after a break — the saddle that puts people off cycling is usually a hard, narrow one.

Close on width, different in character. The Launch II is 275 x 140mm and 350g with thick padding and a PVC cover; the Adlib HD is 291 x 145mm and 335g, longer and firmer. The extra 16mm of length on the HD gives you more room to move fore and aft, which matters when the trail keeps changing gradient. Take the Launch II for comfort on shorter, steadier rides; take the HD if you are pedalling all day.

7mm round CrMo steel rails — the standard size, so any normal seatpost head will clamp them, dropper posts included. The DJ is the only saddle in our range that differs, at 8mm, and that one needs a post made for it.

Start dead level — a spirit level or a phone app laid along the top will do. From there, nose down a degree if you feel pressure at the front on long climbs, nose up a degree if you keep sliding forward. On a well-padded saddle like this one, sliding forward is the more common complaint, because soft foam lets you settle into it. Change one degree at a time and ride it before changing again. Get height right first, then angle, then how far forward the saddle sits on the rails.