Selle Anatomica Watershed Leather Saddle

Introducing the Selle Anatomica saddle! As there is an end of year sale for all Selle Anatomica (SA) saddles, it is now available at a good price of USD 99. After getting some feedback from other riders using this saddle, the positive reviews persuaded me to give it a go, and get one to try out.

The SA saddle comes in 2 distinct types of leather, the tougher and harder TruLeather, and the soft Watershed leather which does not need to be broken in. After hearing many painful stories of riders attempting to break in their Brooks saddle, this soft leather saddle seems to be friendlier for the butt.

There are also 3 types of Titanico saddle; The regular Titanico saddle rated for riders up to 160 pounds (73 kg), the tougher Titanico X saddle for riders between 160-250 pounds (73-114 kg) and the heavyweight type, NSX for riders above 250 pounds (114 kg). For me, it seems that the Titanico saddle will be the most suitable.

As referenced from the Selle Anatomica website. Different types of saddles for different weight and riding styles.

All black saddle with the large cutout in the middle

Regular Titanico saddle in Watershed leather

The first thing that struck me when I took the saddle out of the box was the weight! It is so heavy, and I was not expecting that. I immediately put it on the weighing scale to see how heavy it is...

At 479 grams, it is more than twice as heavy as the previous Bontrager Evoke RL saddle!

Oh well, since I have the saddle already, I might as well try it out. Instead of removing my current saddle from the seatpost and installing the new SA saddle, I decided to mount it on another seatpost instead. This will allow me to try it out first, without affecting the position of the current Bontrager saddle.

Before that, let us take a closer look at the saddle, and how to set up the saddle for optimum comfort.

One of the few saddles that comes with a manual...

The leather tension is adjustable, which is good for controlling the firmness of the saddle.

The underside of the saddle, with the heavy steel rails.

Tension adjustment knob, for adjusting the tension of the leather. 

The rough and raw edges of the leather. Potential problem if it cuts into the thigh while pedaling... 

As mounted on the Dahon Boardwalk!

Top down view of the saddle. Look how wide it is!

Started with the saddle nose slightly below level, as I found that the area above the adjustment bolt is too hard and presses on the soft bits...

Another picture showing the rough edges of the leather, which is at the area where it will press into the hamstrings.

Adjusting the tension bolt to increase the tension of the leather, as it is found to be quite slack.

Side by side comparison of the SA saddle and the Bontrager saddle. See how much wider it is, especially at the curved area under the thigh.

The cutout is a nice touch, relieving pressure in the centre, but the width seems to be too wide.

The best way to adjust the saddle properly is to go for test rides, with the necessary tools to make adjustments along the way. There are 2 tricky adjustments to make, which are mainly the tilt, and the fore-aft setting of the saddle.

For me, the tilt of the saddle is something which I cannot seem to get right. Tilting it downwards slightly relieves the pressure at the front, but I find myself sliding forward. Tilting it upwards is slightly more comfortable for the butt, as I will not slide forward. However, the hard tip of the saddle makes it really uncomfortable when I lean forward to grip the drop bar road shifters.

I have also adjusted the fore-aft setting, trying different permutations along with the tilt adjustments. The tension of the leather was also increased to prevent myself sinking too deep into the saddle. As some people have said, you sit "in" a leather saddle, as compared to sitting "on" a regular saddle.

However, there seems to be no sweet spot where the saddle is completely comfortable. Still, this is not the biggest issue that I have.

The biggest issue with this saddle is that it is too wide, at the curved area under the hamstrings. As the leather is wider than normal at that area, and the leather edges are not nicely rounded, this means that with every pedal stroke, the leather edge tends to cut into the hamstring.

I have tested this saddle for around 30 km, with various adjustments done. The tilt and fore-aft setting of the saddle is still manageable, and I can get a setting where the discomfort is minimised. However, no matter how I adjust the leather tension or try out different saddle positions, the leather-cutting-into-hamstring issue just cannot be eliminated.

This is probably a problem for those with bigger thighs/hamstrings or narrower hips. If only the saddle is made such that the side flaps are not so wide, it would be much better.

All I can say is that for bike saddles, please try before buying, as everyone's anatomy is very different. What may feel like a sofa to your friend might feel like a coconut shell to you, or vice versa. I am wondering if the harder Titanico X saddle might feel better instead, as the rider does not sink into the saddle so much.

Avanti Inc 3: Stem and Handlebar Adjustment

After settling all the issues with the belt drive system, I could finally enjoy the smooth and quiet ride of the Avanti Inc 3. With the commuting accessories installed, riding in light rain or wet roads is no longer a problem. This greatly increases the opportunities for me to ride a bike, especially with the wet weather nowadays. Of course, I would still not ride in heavy rain, as it is not practical, not fun, and definitely not safe.

While riding, I found that the riding posture felt a little bit strange. Not a big issue, but something that I would like to improve on. First of all, the handlebar felt very wide. I measured it and found that it was about 680mm, which is rather wide for a city commuting bike. This length would have been good on a mountain bike (which is the handlebar length that is on my Polygon Cosmic CX 3.0), but it is too wide for city riding. It would be more practical to have a narrower handlebar that allows me to squeeze through narrower spaces. It will also put me in a more upright riding posture as my arms will not spread as far to hold the ends of the handlebar.

Wide 680mm handlebar that comes stock on the Avanti Inc 3

Instead of buying a new handlebar, I decided to just take an existing handlebar that I have, and cut it down to size. This is definitely cheaper and I can also choose the exact length that I want. On my Polygon MTB, I had earlier changed out the handlebar to an Easton handlebar, and thus the stock Entity handlebar was available. It has an original length of about 640mm.

I tried a few other bikes and found that a good handlebar width for city commuting is about 600mm. Therefore, I decided to cut the length of the Entity handlebar from 640mm to 600mm.

Using a saw to cut the handlebar is the most straightforward way, but it is not a good way as it is difficult to get a clean cut. The ends of the handlebar may also be slanted if not done properly. I decided to get a proper tube cutter to do the cutting job properly, and it is also a good chance for me to try out this tool as I have not used it before. It can also be used to cut steerer tubes or seat posts.

Tube cutter from Tactix, can be found at Home DIY stores. Only $10! Fits up to 1 1/8 inch tubes (About 30mm)

At first I thought that this tool is not big enough to cut the 31.8mm handlebar, but then I realised that I am not cutting the centre clamp portion which is 31.8mm. What I need to cut are actually the ends of the handlebar, which are a standard 22.2mm in diameter.

As shown below, a standard tube cutter has a sharp circular blade, and two rollers to hold the tube in place. It basically works by running the blade around the tube many times, till it cuts through the tube walls.

The instruction says to tighten the knob, so that the roller pushes the tube against the blade. Tighten after every round, as the blade cuts into the tube.

 The blade and rollers of the tube cutter.

The ends of the handlebar, with width indications to tell you where to cut for the preferred handlebar width. I double confirmed with a measuring tape. Measure twice, cut once!

After running the tube cutter around the handlebar for a few rounds, a deep groove can be seen clearly.

The handlebar cut at the 600mm mark. The other line shown is not the cut, it is just a scratch caused by the rollers of the tube cutter.

With an aluminium handlebar, it didn't take very long to cut through the handlebar. It took less than 20 rounds to cut through it, tightening the clamp after every round. Of course, remember to cut both ends or the handlebar will be of unequal lengths on both sides. It will take much longer to cut through a thicker steerer tube.

Besides cutting the handlebar to a preferred narrower width, I also wanted to change out the stem. The stock stem is a short 75mm, which is because the Avanti Inc 3 that I have is a small sized frame. Larger sized frames will come with 90mm stems.

I was about to get a longer 90mm stem, when I realised that I can invert the stem, as this will make the effective reach longer. Currently the stem is angled upwards, and by tilting it downwards instead, the handlebar reach is increased.

Since this is a no cost change, it makes sense to just try it out first. After all, there is nothing to lose! I then installed the newly cut handlebar (600mm width), and inverted the stem at the same time.

Original stem orientation. Tilted upwards.

After flipping the stem, the stem is now angled downwards.

The new handlebar is 600mm wide, significantly narrower than the stock 680mm wide handlebar. It may not be obvious from this picture, but it is obvious when riding.

 After flipping the stem, the saddle and handlebar height is about the same.

With these changes in the bike cockpit, the bike now handles a bit differently. The narrower handlebar gives a more nimble ride which is quite similar to that of a small wheeled bike. This is useful for navigating tighter spaces and sharper corners in an urban setting.

On the other hand, the lower handlebar height improves stability, and the longer effective reach also allows me to stretch out my upper body more. Overall, the riding posture feels better. The bar ends are also used more often than before, as they can now be reached more easily, instead of being located at the ends of an already-wide handlebar.

You may also have noticed some other small changes from the previous pictures. I have added a Topeak F66 Fixer, which replaces the stock stem cap. This Topeak stem cap comes with a fixer for Topeak bags, such as the Topeak SmartPhone DryBag 5". I can mount my phone on the stem, which is more easily accessible and also frees up space on the handlebar for other accessories.

Topeak F66 Fixer

Replaces the original stem cap on the stem.

My Topeak pouch can now be clipped onto the stem!

Another little addition I made is this Fizik Seatpost Ring. It is just a simple rubber ring that goes onto the seatpost, to prevent water from going into your seat tube through the seatpost opening.

The other useful function is to mark your seatpost position, especially when you remove the seatpost for cleaning or any other reason. Just remember to get the correct sized ring for your seatpost, for a nice snug fit.

Fizik Seatpost Ring. Black colour is not available for this seatpost size.

The Topeak Wedge DryBag was also remounted on the rack, in the position shown below. There is more clearance for the saddle to be lowered (for shorter riders), and also improves the angle of the rear light.

Topeak Wedge DryBag mounted on the rear rack instead of the saddle.

With these improvements in the bike cockpit, the bike feels perfect now. With the belt drive, the bike rides silently and smoothly, and the riding posture is comfortable. It is low enough for a sporty feel, yet not too low for comfortable riding. The Ergon grips and bar ends offer a comfortable grip and a couple of hand positions. The stock saddle is surprisingly comfortable and I think I will just keep it and use it for now. SPD/Platform dual sided pedals enable cycling in all sorts of footwear, from slippers to SPD shoes. A set of full fenders minimises road spray when riding on wet roads, while the rear rack holds panniers for carry some load.

Current form of the Avanti Inc 3, with no plans for further upgrading (for now).

Keywords for the upgraded Avanti Inc 3: Silent, Clean, Comfortable.

Cateye Strada Slim Wireless Speedometer

One of the accessories that the Avanti Inc 3 lacked was a speedometer. Although this is not necessary on a commuting bike, I like to know how long a journey usually takes, and the distance traveled. Although the speed is not that important to me, it is also useful to use speed to judge your pedaling effort. This will also help me to gauge the efficiency of the Alfine 11 internal hub.

I like Cateye speedometers, as they are very reliable and easy to use. The functions are pretty standard across different brands of speedometers. I have been using the Cateye Strada wireless on my bikes ever since my first folding bike 5 years ago, and it is still working fine! The batteries need to be changed about once a year, but that is about all. It just works, and I like it that way.

Recently Cateye redeveloped their Cateye Strada speedometer, and came up with a Strada Slim speedometer. It has the same tried-and-tested functions of the original Strada, but with visibly improved appearance and size.

Not that the original Strada was big to begin with, but Cateye has managed to slim down the computer unit even more, while simultaneously enlarging the screen! I had wanted to get the Strada Slim for my Dahon Boardwalk, but realised that it would not work as the maximum recommended distance between the sensor and the computer unit is only 60cm, which is too far for small wheeled bikes. Normally the distance between 20" wheels and the handlebar is more than 70cm.

However, this should work nicely on the big wheeled Avanti Inc 3. I always get wireless speedometers as I don't like to deal with excess wiring running around the handlebar and fork.

Compact packaging showing everything about the Cateye Strada Slim.

The same 8 functions available. It is possible to choose which functions to hide/unhide when scrolling through the modes!

The recommended distances. 60cm between sensor and computer unit, and 12-17mm between fork and spoke. Cleverly designed into the box packaging.

All the parts available in the box. Both rubber bands and cable ties are available, depending on your preference.

The different part names of the Cateye Strada Slim speedometer.

Suggested methods of mounting the computer unit on the stem or handlebar.

How to mount the newly designed sensor. Now it hides behind the fork leg for a totally stealth look!

Using rubber bands or cable ties to secure the sensor to the fork leg.

Suggested tire circumference for the different tire and wheel sizes. For my 700x32C Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires, the circumference is 2155mm.

Other tire and wheel sizes are also available for reference.

The complicated-looking instructions for setting up the speedometer. Pretty much the same as the original Strada, but will be daunting for the first time user!

Very slim sensor unit! Uses 1 x CR2032 battery.

Slightly slimmer computer unit. Now it uses the uncommon battery size of CR1616, which I think will be  harder to find.

First try at mounting the sensor. The sensor is too far from the magnet on the spoke! This is due to the wider clearance in between the fork, for installation of wider tires and fenders.

Even moving the sensor closer to the front axle does not put the sensor close enough to the magnet. The recommended maximum distance is 5mm, and the gap seems to be more than 10mm.

The only way to make it work is to move the sensor closer to the magnet by using rubber shims.

With 2 rubber pads, the sensor is now close enough to the magnet! Unsightly, but since it is hidden behind the fork leg I think it is OK.

Nicely located next to the Alfine 11 shifter gear display, for easy cross-referencing between gear and speed.

Clear and large numbers on the display! Looks really good.

 Slim side profile of the computer unit. Currently secured using the rubber band.

Installation was quite easy, apart from the fact that the sensor was not close enough to the magnet. That was because I did not check the clearance (recommended distance is 12-17mm), but luckily I could solve the problem easily using rubber pads.

The large display is really nice, and it really makes a difference for me, after being used to the smaller display on the original Strada. Another difference I noticed is that I need to press the speedometer to start the tracking, whereas it started automatically on the original Strada. I believe that this is to save power on the computer and sensor, as they will not need to keep searching for signals even when not in use.

With this speedometer, I can get useful information about the distance traveled and the cruising speed.

I find that the comfortable cruising speed of the Avanti Inc 3 seems to be similar to the Dahon Boardwalk, at about 26-28km/h. At the same riding speed, the cadence and pedaling effort feels very similar. However, the Avanti seems to be more comfortable and smooth, probably due to the larger wheels and generally more comfortable riding posture.

NiteRider Mako 200 Front Light

Together with the new NiteRider Solas 2 Watt USB Rear Light that I bought for my new Avanti Inc 3, I also got a new front light to go along with it.

This is the NiteRider Mako 200 Front Light, which is the same brand as the rear light. Also bought from Hup Leong. What I like about this light is the matte black finish, which matches the matte black frame of the Avanti Inc 3 very well.

There were two models of this Mako 200 light, the 2xAA battery powered version, and the USB charging version. The USB version is much more expensive ($80+ compared to $48) than the 2xAA battery powered version. Also, the runtime of the USB version is half of the AA battery powered version. Due to these reasons, I decided to get the cheaper AA battery version, and use my own rechargeable AA batteries instead.

NiteRider Mako 200 Front Light

Uses 2xAA batteries, and with 2 steady modes + 1 flashing mode.

Comes with a handlebar clamp, which was not very good. 

Although the clamp is secure, the tightening knob will slide off the clamp when overtightened. There is no stopper for the knob, so basically you can just tighten the knob until it pops out. Not a good design. I found that the trick is to tighten the knob and try moving the clamp. As long as the clamp is tight on the handlebar, there is no need to tighten the knob any further (even though it still feels loose).

Large ON button on top. The same button is also used to cycle through the lighting modes.

1 x bright LED at the front, with a lens and reflectors.

Profile at the bottom of the light for sliding onto the handlebar mount. Twist the top half of the light to change batteries.

Upon unscrewing the top, the 2xAA batteries are revealed. I will just use the available batteries till they are dead, and change to my own rechargeable AA batteries.

Red side lights visible through the grilles at the side. Not very bright though.

Visible hotspot in the centre of the beam. There is a cutoff at the top to prevent the light from blinding the user.

Weight of the front light including batteries.

 The light mounted on my handlebars. I had to clamp it at the transition area between the centre 31.8mm diameter portion and the 22.2mm diameter portion at the ends, as the clamp was too small for 31.8mm, and yet too big for 22.2mm. Poor design.

Overall, I feel that the brightness to price ratio is quite OK. However, the other aspects such as the handlebar clamp and material quality is not so ideal.

The light is mainly made of plastic, and there are very visible flash marks and flow lines on the cover. This shows that the molding quality is not very good.

Although the weight of the light is quite OK at 130 grams, I am not sure why it looks so bulky, as there seems to be quite a bit of empty space in the plastic casing, both at the LED half and also the battery half.

The handlebar clamp is not well designed as the tightening knob does not have a clear stopper, which can lead to over-tightening if not used properly. The clamp size is also not ideal as there is no extra rubber adaptor, which means that it cannot fit 31.8mm or 22.2mm nicely.

As for the lighting modes, the flashing mode is quite irritating as it flashes fast at about 4 times per second. I tend to use that on the roads as the visibility is very good. However, when I go onto the park connectors or to areas with pedestrians, I will switch to the low steady mode to avoid annoying other people.

Plus Points:
1) Brightness to price ratio is OK.
2) Easy to use button.
3) Decent battery life.
4) Easily swappable batteries means spare batteries can be used.
5) Does not cause electromagnetic interference with my Cateye Strada wireless speedometer.

Downsides:
1) Poor clamp design. Secure but usage is not intuitive.
2) Handlebar clamp size is not well designed, does not fit onto every part of the handlebar.
2) Looks bulky.
3) Poor appearance due to obvious flash marks on plastic cover.
4) Flash mode is too annoying. Better to use the steady modes.

Would I buy this light again?
No.

For basic usage as a commuting light, this light works well. However, if looking beyond basic function such as build quality and appearance, I would look for another light with better build quality.