Syncros started out as a small, high end component company based out of Vancouver’s North Shore, and was purchased by Ritchey Design in 2003, but it’s still managed as a separate brand, catering more towards the gravity crowd. The Syncros Freakin’ Light (FL) series, is their cross country oriented product suite, and covers their stems, handlebars, seatposts, saddle, rims, wheelsets and headsets. Of course, you can also replace call F###in’ Light if you wish, but I will remain PC in cyber space. I tested their FL stem, bar, saddle and seatpost, and I’m happy to report they all worked and functioned quite well.

FL Saddle
The Syncros FL saddle is my new favorite saddle, mostly because it’s a climber’s dream, allowing you to punch out steep terrain, giving you maximum leverage, with comfort, stability and maneuverability. The cross country oriented saddle, is slim, has a composite shell, titanium alloy rails, superlight foam, a leather cover and aramid rear and nose panels. It has a groove that runs down the top center for pressure relief, and is available in white (tested) or black.

The saddle is firm, and offers plenty of support for those hammering sessions, but it has enough padding to be comfortable for long rides, greatly aided by the shell flex and the titanium allow rails (CrN/Ti). Where the FL really shines, is in steep and ugly climbs, in which the nose section is predominantly used. The nose of the saddle has just the proper padding and shape, to be an excellent place to sit your butt to crank your way uphill or through technical terrain, whether it’s mild or wild. It’s like having a pry bar or lever arm, to push power down into the bike’s drivetrain, while still maintaining a neutral balance. You can maneuver up and down the snout of the nose, depending upon the requirements, pressing your legs together to hold the nose or sitting up on the tip for maximum advantage. It’s not the lightest saddle on the market at 266 grams, but its climbing prowess sure helps with that deficit. The aramid rear and nose panels, have really helped the durability of the saddle, and my multiple crashes have caused no signs of distress, and outside of a few subdued wrinkles in the leather it still looks good.

I give high marks to the Syncros SL saddle and highly recommend it, it’s comfortable, durable, with the best nose section I have used, and is my current undisputed climbing King!

Measured Specs
Weight – 265.8 grams
Size – 137mm wide x 280mm long
Nose width – 47mm

MSRP: $80

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

I give high marks to the Syncros SL saddle and highly recommend it, it’s comfortable, durable, with the best nose section I have used, and is my current undisputed climbing King!

Measured Specs
Weight – 265.8 grams
Size – 137mm wide x 280mm long
Nose width – 47mm

MSRP: $80

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Syncros SL Saddle Company Specs
Intended use: XC / Marathon
New to the syncros saddle lineup, the FL saddle is built on a slim but comfortable composite shell, Ti rails, and superlight foam
Lighter, sleeker version of the AM saddle.
Leather cover with aramid rear panels to withstand abuse from crashes
Contoured foam in center section to relief sit bone pressure zones
CrN/Ti alloy rails
Available in white or black
Weight: 236g

Syncros Saddle URL

FL Carbon Riser Bars
The Syncros FL Carbon riser handlebars are the stiffest bars I have ever used, and I never felt any flex from these bad boys, no matter what terrain I was on, or how hard I pulled on them. I think these suckers could be used in a tractor pulling contest.

The FL Carbon bars are made from their Gain carbon fiber composite, use a 31.8mm clamp, are 645mm/25.4″ wide, with a 9 degree sweep and 25mm/1″ rise and are available in a Matte or grunge finish. They weighed in at 170 grams, which were 10 grams under spec! I tested the Matte finish, which I liked a lot, since I am a big fan of the carbon fiber weave. It took me a few tries to get the bars positioned where they felt comfortable for my hands, but once set, the sweep and rise felt just right. Their width worked quite well in the tight woods, but they were slightly narrow (645mm) for some terrain, and I would have liked to have some additional width options. Although I liked the instant power that their uber stiffness provided, I found the total rigidity fatiguing to my hands and arms sometimes, and I would have preferred a hint of give. A quick glance at the ends of the bar, shows the thickness of their rigid tubing, as these aren’t thin walled, which also made it difficult to find end caps that will fit the small opening. The stiffness is a matter of taste, and some may prefer the rigidity, while I wanted a tad of forgiveness? The stem clamp section of the bar provides a nice anti-slip section (glued on gritty tape?), which helps with slippage and durability.

The Syncros SL Carbon riser bars are sickeningly stiff, tough, with decent rise and sweep, and though slightly narrow, they offer an extreme amount of pulling power, and look good with the matte finish.

Measured Specs:
weight – 169.5 grams
width – 645mm
rise – 25mm

MSRP: $190

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Syncros FL Carbon Bar Company Specs
Intended use: All Mtn / Hardcore XC
Material: carbon fiber composite
Rise: 25mm
Width: 660mm
Sweep: 9 degree
Clamp size: OS (31.8mm)
Finish: Matte UD carbon or UD carbon grunge
Weight: 180g

Syncros Bars URL

FL Seatpost
The Syncros FL Seatpost uses forged 7075 aluminum alloy, and comes in the usual sizes of 27.2, 30.9, 31.6mm and lengths of 350 and 400mm. It’s not a light seatpost, coming in at 223.2 grams in the tested 30.9×400 size, but it was plenty stiff, and I never felt any flex nor sloppiness from either the post or clamping system. It comes in HP Black, HP Black with Grunge (tested), Matte White and Matte White with Grunge. The Grunge graphics did seem to get scratched in places, but the height adjustment numbering on the rear of the post has been very durable.

The FL Seatpost design is a slight departure from its predecessor and most other double bolt systems, as the post has the convex surface, and the saddle rail cradle is concave. The design uses a pair of opposing bolts, which start on the post, and go up past the saddle rail cradle and into the upper clamp, where a set of threaded barrel nuts reside. The saddle rail cradle can be swapped forward or backward, allowing a subtle amount of layback offset. The system is relatively easy to use once the rails are in place, but it can be a slight fumble finger mess getting them into a stable position. Once the saddle is somewhat stabilized, you can make micro adjustments for the desired saddle angle and lateral positioning, although it can be tough squeezing in a hex key. One issue I had was that a lot of modern frames have some pretty slack seat tube angles, and you might not be able to level the saddle without using a longer bolt? A lot of these issues are common to this type of clamping systems, so the FL Seatpost is not in the minority.

Overall the FL Seatpost was a good post, it was stiff, durable, and looks nice (loved the HP Black Grunge), but I am not a fan of the two bolt clamping system any longer, and I had issues in a frame with slack seat tube angle. Their design of the clamping system is unique and does allow some offset tuning. I have had a Syncros Ti seatpost for almost 20 years (?), so they are long lived.

Measured Spec:
223.2 grams – 30.9×400

MSRP: $84-92

Overall Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Syncros FL Seatpost Company Specs
3D Net forged 7075 alloy
Diameters: 27.2 / 30.9 / 31.6mm
Lengths: 350 / 400mm
Finishes: High polish black, HP black with grunge, matte white, matte white with grunge
Weight: 222g (30.9 x 400mm)

Syncros Seatpost URL

FL Stem
The Syncros FL Stem has smooth lines, without any sharp edges, a cutout at the back of the clamp area, and a lot of subtly removed surface material, all of which help reduce weight. The CNC stem is made with a bi-oval design, for maximum strength and weight savings, and is uses a 4-D cold forged 2014 aluminum alloy. The stem has a 6 degree rise, and can be flip flopped if desired, as the graphics are already designed for that function (only HP Black and Matte White). The simple four bolt front plate is a carbon bar friendly clamp, and the stem is available in 70, 80, 90, 100 and 110mm sizes, in the colors of HP Black, Matte White, and Black or White Grunge.

The stem was a snap to install, although I had to be careful, since the bolt heads seemed easy for the hex key to slip (might have been me)? I tested the 70mm, since it was the perfect accompaniment for my All Mountain rig. The stem has been durable, and has been taken on and off, and several bars swapped in and out during my testing period. The graphics on the HP Black are simple and subdued, and haven’t worn or scratched as yet.

The FL Stem looks good, with aesthetically pleasing lines, was stiff, light (113 grams) and blended into the background, and I never really thought about it much, since it did its job to perfection. I sign of a great component is when you forget it’s there.

Measured Spec:
Weight – 113.5 grams for 70mm size
Stack Height – 45mm
Length – 65mm

MSRP: $92

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Syncros FL Stem Specs
Intended use: XC / Marathon
Forged and CNC machined out of 2014 alloy using a patented 4D net manufacturing process
Black taper-head stainless steel bolts
Bi-oval design maximizes strength and minimizes weight
Engineered to be compatible with carbon handlebars and steerers
Lengths: 70 / 80 / 90 / 100 / 110mm
+/- 6 degree rise/drop
Four finish options: Available in high polish black or matte white with flip flop logo, HP black grunge or matte white grunge
Weight: 113g (70mm)

Syncros Stem URL

When I was at Sea Otter this year I was highly intrigued by the new to 2010 WTB Aviator saddle. This Freeride and Downhiller saddle means business, from its durable canvas cover, to its grippy sides, and beefy Cr-Mo rails. When I got a Yeti ASR 7 as a new test steed, it was time to place this beast into some action.

WTB Aviator
The Aviator comes in two models, the DH Race (which I tested) and the less expensive Comp. The DH Race is covered with a durable and tough canvas cover, abrasion resistant corners, grippy sides, a flex tuned shell with comfort zone cut out, and oversized 8mm Cromoly rails, while the Comp uses a synthetic cover and forgoes the special corners.

Impressions
The Aviator is overbuilt to take the abuse that the Freerider and Downhiller are going to toss the saddle into. It is meant to take the crashes, monstrous hits and impacts, jarring trails and just plain ill treatment that this type of rider is going to subject the saddle to. I have taken my share of putting it into those situations, and it shows a little wear and tear. The canvas fabric is pretty light in color, and has shown some slight discoloration and spotting, but after all the mud, dirt and sand that it has been embedded with, it looks pretty good (won’t win a beauty contest).

The tear resistant canvas, along with the grippy rubbery sides and abrasion resistant rear corners offer quite a bit of adhesion and tactile feel, but those features still allow quite a bit of movement without snagging, but slippery doesn’t come into its vocabulary. The tough abrasion resistant rear corners, named ABR corners, offer just enough extra protection right in the spot the saddle always seems to hit. It even comes with a nifty little pocket at the very back, sort of like a pair of jeans would have.

Which pocket?!
MY BACK POCKET!!!
You’ve got ten back pockets!!!
LEFT CHEEK!!! LEFT CHEEK!!! LEFT CHEEK!!!

The saddle’s shape is interesting, being 137mm wide and 279mm long (measured), it’s fatter or wider along its entire length than most saddles, especially towards the front half, and ends with a blunt nose. The shape feels comfortable, and provides good stability. The beefy oversized 8mm chromoly rails might be hard to fit into some seatposts, but they certainly won’t bend, and you won’t tear or break a rail on this monster. The rails are beefy suckers, and I think the seatpost cradle will break first?

The saddle is designed with their Comfort Zone cutout, soft DNA padding (squishy), and Flex-Tuned shell, which makes it nice in rough terrain, impacts and long rides. I could sit down more often, and for longer periods of time through rocky conditions, and the blows from slamming into objects were definitely softened.

The saddle’s shape is interesting, being 137mm wide and 279mm long (measured), it’s fatter or wider along its entire length than most saddles, especially towards the front half, and ends with a blunt nose. The shape feels comfortable, and provides good stability. The beefy oversized 8mm chromoly rails might be hard to fit into some seatposts, but they certainly won’t bend, and you won’t tear or break a rail on this monster. The rails are beefy suckers, and I think the seatpost cradle will break first?

The saddle is designed with their Comfort Zone cutout, soft DNA padding (squishy), and Flex-Tuned shell, which makes it nice in rough terrain, impacts and long rides. I could sit down more often, and for longer periods of time through rocky conditions, and the blows from slamming into objects were definitely softened.

The Comfort Zone cutouts on the bottom of the saddle (blue section), have a bit of give where the huevos (sensitive soft tissue) always get abused or smashed into, and offer some relief. The saddle is really comfy!

Hm! She is made of harder stuff! Cardinal Fang! Fetch…THE COMFY CHAIR!

All this comfort, support, width and grip, allow you to maneuver the bike, whether it’s in the air, on a berm or flying down gnarly terrain. The saddle’s attributes let you use your legs and butt to lever the bike into and out of position, using the saddle as a pivot and pinch point. This baby likes to be used and pushed around, as they say “rode hard and put up wet.”

The fat front section, along with the blunt nose conspire with each other on long steep climbs, and it’s not very comfortable nor easy trying to pull tough hills. It’s just not a very functional combination, and has too much squish, and is not slippery enough, nor does it have a climbing specific pointy nose. Then again, it’s a FR/DH saddle not a weenie cross country racing and climbing saddle. I am a climber at heart, so I am going to nit pick this one. It does fine on short climbing stints, but is outside its realm as a marathon saddle.

While it’s not the lightest saddle at 307g (measured), it’s better the average downhiller, and with its excellent grip and comfort, it can be used for both FR/DH and for normal trail usage.

Measured Specs:
weight – 307.7g
size – 137mm x 279mm

Bottom Line
The WTB Aviator is durable, tough, comfortable, moderately light (for its category), has excellent grippiness, is well padded, offers good support, and has a nice shape. It’s obviously made for the Freerider or Downhiller, but it will suit the All Mountain and Trail rider, just don’t expect it to be a climbing machine.

Strengths
- Durable and tough
- Comfy
- Grippy
- Great for AM, FR and DH riding

Weaknesses
- Mediocre climber
- Prone to staining and showing dirt

Overall Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

WTB Aviator Specs:
- MSRP: DH Race $80/Comp $40
- Rails: oversized, 8-millimeter
- Usage: Freeide/Downhill
- Size: mid-width x mid-length (137mm x 272mm)
- Oversized Cromoly rails
- Models:
Aviator DH Race – Color: Tan, Weight: 315 gr., Durable canvas cover, Flex-Tuned shell, Comfort Zone, Abrasion-resistant corners, Grippy sides
Aviator Comp – Color: black, Weight: 390 grams, Synthetic leather cover, Flex-Tuned shell, Comfort Zone

I have been out riding the Prologo Vertigo Max saddle for several months now on multiple bikes, and on terrain varying from smooth singletrack, to rough technical rock gardens and everything in between. The Vertigo Max has been incredibly comfortable, and it has made my usual forays into my favorite All Mountain terrain much more enjoyable. “More Cush for the Tush”

Prologo Company
Prologo is an Italian saddle manufacturer based in Cavenago di Brianza, just north of Milan. They burst onto the scene (or is that rode) in 2006, and made themselves a niche in the very competitive road saddle market. They solely focus on saddles, which allows them to invest, research, test and develop with lots of innovation, technology and flair. They sponsor several professional teams, such as Saxo Bank, which gives them a great test and feedback gallery to help refine their product suite.

Prologo Vertigo Max
The saddle is constructed with a Microfiber and Protex cover, which provides abrasion resistant, with enough tackiness for controlled movement. It has the atypical mandolin shaped body of a modern saddle, whose technology has been morphed over from the road racing world. The saddle uses what they call light foam padding, and it has engineered in multiple density areas in different portions of the saddle. The front or nose zone is a low density (softer), the central or perineal zone is a medium density, and finally the back or seating zone is a higher density (firmer). The saddle has been designed specifically for the trail rider, and its styling and functionality blend a freeride and cross country saddle. It uses a Carbon Fiber Injection Base which provides excellent structural rigidity, along with their PRO TI 1.4 Nickel-Titanium alloy rail, which has a 1.4 mm wall thickness.

Weight Weenieism
Being a weight weenie has long been considered a disease by the cognoscenti of the mountain biking community, and although I am a devoted disciple, my bikes have been slowly evolving towards a more All Mountain setup. One of the places I have saved weight, was by having a lightweight saddle. I have been through my share of saddles, and on occasion the weight weenie versions just plain hurt my butt. I had one particular saddle that actually gave me short term nerve damage, and I kept getting numb legs, and subtle aches and pains until I stopped using the saddle. I slowly evolved towards a heavier and more comfortable saddle, but I still tended towards the lightest vein possible. Of course my weight weenie crowd subjected me to torment when a barely 200 gram saddle I was using, was considered a boat anchor! I have found that most of the more cross country oriented saddles allow a more aggressive pedaling style, and their structure allows a lot of useful movement, control and leverage, especially up on the nose of the saddle. Sticking your cheeks right up on the nose of the saddle is paramount in really hard and steep climbing, else traction and power loss occurs, along with control.

Impressions
The first time I got on the Vertigo Max, I felt like I was on a comfy chair. I just seemed to melt down into it, and it provided very nice cushioning, and sort of cradled my derriere. The saddle has a long blunt and fat nose, and during aggressive nose riding it was a bit cumbersome, and I found it difficult to apply the pedal to the metal during spirited steeps climbs while pressing on the nose. Where the saddle really shined was banging along rough terrain, bashing through rock gardens and obviously anything downhill. This winter I have been riding the technical terrain at the Lake Pueblo Colorado trail system, and the rocky terrain, is ledgy, has lots of drop offs and can be somewhat abusive. The Vertigo Max takes the edge off the roughness, and makes riding there so much nicer. Whenever you are bashing and crashing through ugly terrain, the saddle is not only comfortable, but it gives you an excellent level of control, stability and security. The carbon fiber injected base provided a stiff substructure, was uber quiet, and the well padded and scooped out rear cradled you just right, and added an extra amount of control. On occasion during steep descents, the clunky nose and scooped rear gets in the way, unless the seat was lowered properly. I can rightfully say that as soon as I put the saddle on my 29er (which I tend to use in the winter at Pueblo), the bike’s comfort level went up greatly, and my butt cheered with joy! I am not sure if my butt can actually cheer, outside of its usual emissions, but you get the drift. For comparison, when I switched to a more cross country saddle (the fizik tundra), my butt defiantly felt a bit sorer, and I had to stand up and pedal to relieve muscle tension (or is that butt-al tension?).

ass, bottom, buns, buttocks, can, cheeks, fanny, heinie, keister, posterior, rear, rear end, seat, behind, bottom, butt, buttocks, derrière, fanny, posterior, rear, rump, seat, tail, tush

After enough time in the saddle, I have also gotten a bit used to the fat nose (easiest to call it that), and I can now climb pretty well with it, although it still isn’t a cross country hammerer. It took me some time to find the sweet spot for horizontal alignment (leveling), so it took some experimenting to get that set properly, so I was doing a lot tilting up or down. My Moots cinch seatpost made these micro adjustments extremely easy, and I finally ended with more forward tilt then I would have thought.

Durability
I have crashed pretty hard a number of times, and the material doesn’t seem to tear nor get abraded easily, and in addition a built in rear bumper protects and strengthens the lower back section. I have put the saddle through a lot of miles and abuse, it barely shows any signs of premature wear. The saddle is well padded (its squishy), so right below the long middle horizontal stitch line, there is a subtle wrinkle, but it has aged well (much like me) and has not shown any signs of weakness.

Measured Specs
——————–
Weight – 267.8 grams
Size – 5 5/8 inches wide x 11 inches long
Nose – 1 3/4 inches wide x 4-5 inches long x 1.5 inches tall

Bottomline
The Vertigo Max saddle isn’t the lightest around, but it’s competitive within its class. However, its comfort level far outweighs (pun intended) any disadvantage. The comfort, control and stability for long rides, rough terrain and downhills is exceptional. If you use a cross country saddle, it will take a short period of time to get acclimated to the blunt nose, but in time your body English will correct itself. The saddle is a great example of a performance saddle that has borrowed some technology from their road saddles, and melded it over to the All Mountain world.

Strengths
-Comfortable
-Supportive
-Durable
-Well made

Weaknesses
-Blunt nose is difficult to use during steep climbing
-Blunt nose can get in the way on technical/steep terrain
-Scooped rear can get in the way on technical/steep terrain

MSRP $159.99

Technical Specs
Size: 282x145mm
Cover: Microfiber + Protex
Fill: Light Foam
Base: Carbon Fiber Injection 14%
Rail: Pro Ti 1.4
Weight: 265gr
Use: XC-TRAIL