Rido LT Saddle Review!

Are you looking for a comfortable saddle for your bike? The Rido R2 series of saddles is well known for being extremely comfortable and is usually recommended through word of mouth. However, one of the major drawback is that the Rido R2 saddle is not blessed with great looks! Although the 2 large cushions on the saddle is very effective in keeping you comfortable, it is too heavy and wide for more hardcore cyclists who want a lighter and more sleek looking saddle.

Here is a nice review of the Rido R2 saddle written by Matt.

Rido R2 Saddle Review

Recently, the Rido LT saddle was launched! It is designed to be a performance road saddle, with some of the comfort features of the Rido R2 saddles. One thing to note is that the Rido LT is not a replacement for the Rido R2 saddle, but is another type of saddle which is meant for more serious road cyclists.

Rido LT Road Saddle

Rido R2 Saddle

I recently changed my saddle to a Rido LT saddle, and have clocked over 100km on it. Not a lot, but enough to determine if the saddle suits me or not. Let's take a closer look at the Rido R2 Saddle!

Very slim, similar to a road saddle. It is about 138mm wide at its widest point.

Much lower profile height than the Rido R2 saddle. Although the hump at the rear is still visible.

This Rido LT saddle at 230g is much lighter than the Rido R2 saddle, which weighs in at a hefty 480g. Also, the sleek profile makes it look more like a race saddle, which may appeal to some riders.

Of course, the most important question is whether the saddle is comfortable for you or not! No point having a lightweight and flashy saddle if it hurts you while cycling.

Installing the saddle is quite straight forward. One thing to note is that there is not much cushion on this saddle, so getting the angle and fore-aft adjustment correct is very important. The 2 raised lumps on the saddle is actually not cushion, but curved parts that flex slightly to offer a degree of suspension.

Black/black version of the Rido LT saddle

The angle of the saddle needs to be adjusted properly, a difference of just a few degrees makes a big difference.

Close up look at the saddle. It comes in white/black and yellow/black colours too!

Rubber patches under your sit bones help to grip your pants and keep you in the correct position on the saddle.

Comparing the Rido LT saddle to my previous Biologic Aria saddle, you can see that the Rido LT saddle is much smaller and flatter. I had to raise my seatpost by about 2cm in account for the difference in height.

Biologic Aria Saddle. Very comfortable! Weighs 380g.

Side to side comparison. See how much wider and more cushion the Biologic Aria saddle has.

So how does the Rido LT saddle feel? When I tried it at MyBikeShop, I was wearing jeans. It felt very comfortable, which is why I bought it. However, when I tried the saddle at home with just a normal pair of shorts, not padded cycling shorts, it felt hard! This is because there is very little cushion on the saddle itself.

With cycling shorts on, this Rido LT saddle feels really comfortable. Once you get the saddle adjustments spot on, you will know it straight away. No slipping forward on the saddle, no shifting about to find a good position, no numbness or any discomfort. That is how good it is!

Once the saddle adjustment was correct, I tried again with non-padded shorts. Of course, it is still not as comfortable as the well-padded Biologic Aria saddle, but it was much better than the first time. Once again, this shows how important the saddle adjustment is for this particular saddle.

Another factor to take note is your riding style. Referring to the previous post, you can see the different riding styles and positions.

If you ride sitting upright and pedal leisurely, most of your weight will be on the saddle. For this type of riding style, it is best to get a wide comfortable saddle. On the other hand, if you ride in a more aerodynamic position, and pedal reasonably hard, a slimmer and harder saddle is sufficient as there is less weight on the saddle.

This saddle is not for everyone. If you do most of your cycling with padded shorts, with only occasional short trips with non-padded shorts, this saddle would be great. The Rido LT is lightweight, comfortable and sleek looking.

However, if you cycle mostly with non-padded cycling shorts, you would be better off with a more well-cushioned saddle.

The best way to find out of the Rido LT saddle is for you is to try it out! Make an effort to try out the saddle in your usual cycling gear, and don't be afraid to make adjustments to the saddle. This will ensure that your feeling of the saddle is as accurate as possible.

Will continue to try out this saddle, hopefully it gets more and more comfortable as I get used to it!

Boardwalk TT with Rido LT Saddle