Tioga Spyder Stratum Seat - Review
At just 120 grams and lacking any foam padding, the Spyder Stratum requires an open mind.
The unpadded 120 gram Spyder Stratum saddle is bound to attract attention, but Tioga explained to us how that isn't the goal of the unique looking and flexible webbed design.''The Spyder aims to address a major deficiency present in most mainstream padded saddle construction: shock absorption and, more specifically, its rate and frequency of absorbing energy from bumps'' says Tioga's Kai Cheng. ''We found that padding on saddles is an inefficient shock absorber because their level of absorption is proportional to its mass - more absorption requires thicker and heavier padding. As most performance saddles utilize padding of well under than 15mm thick, and then factoring in the padding compression once you sit on it, there’s not much shock absorbing value left to take on the hits.'' Rather than foam that tends to compress and then not do much else, the Spyder's dual-material webbed shell is said to be able to conform to a rider's behind while also staying pliable and active regardless of how much weight is on it. You're correct if you're thinking that you've seen something similar in the past - Tioga has offered a road-specific model with a shell built from a single material for a few years now, but that design proved to not be durable enough for off-road use. In contrast, the Spyder Stratum is manufactured using two different materials: a stiffer base material with a softer and more flexible cover bonded over top. Tioga's 'DualTech' two-piece construction took a few years for them to figure out, and they actually tested a large number of different versions that offered more and less flexibility before finding a happy medium that they feel works well across the board and is durable enough for all around use on a mountain bike: ''The SpyderWeb cover’s compression is managed by unique underside structural braces connected to its frame to enable the saddle to remain lively when seated but not overtly sag or bottom out while pedalling or taking on bigger hits, Cheng clarified when we asked why one would want a less flexible shell design. Want to see how the flexible shell works? Check out the video that Tioga put together that shows just how much the Spyder's shell flexes under a rider.
The Spyder Stratum's shell has been designed to flex a certain way, with not too little and not too much give.
The Spyder Stratum has passed all EN testing, and while the 190 gram chromoly-railed model that retails for $125 USD doesn't carry any sort of rider weight limit, Tioga does say that the flex of the webbed shell is best suited to riders weighing between 150 and 180lb - a lighter rider may find it a bit harsh, while a heavier one could sag too deep. The same weight recommendation applies to the $190 USD carbon railed version that's reviewed below, as well as a 240lb rider weight limit that doesn't seem out of line given the seat's feathery 120 gram weight. www.tiogausa.com
The darker material is the stiffer base, while the lighter coloured section is the softer and more forgiving shell.
Pinkbike's Take
 | There's no point in sugar coating it: my undersides were scared the first time I took a gander at the unique looking Spyder Stratum. Duty called, though, and I mounted it atop my FOX seat post and then gingerly hit the trails for a short, safe introduction lap to see how things would play out. And then a funny thing happened: I completely forgot that the Spyder was under me, and not just for the first hour or two, but for hours and hours on end. In fact, if it was a blind test, I would have guessed that it was any other padded and comfortable seat on the market. I began using the Spyder a few weeks before the seven day long BC Bike Race with no real intentions of running it in the event, a pretty rational thing to think given the race's length and it having over 30,000 feet of climbing in total, but found myself so happy with the Spyder that I left it on. That's a hell of a lot of consecutive time spent sitting on a seat, pushing down on the pedals, and suffering like a dog in the heat while wearing bib shorts that turned out to be sporting a not so agreeable chamois pad. Despite the sub-par chamois, I found the seat to be damn comfortable, enough so that it was actually still on my personal Rocky Mountain Element until just a few days ago. The Spyder Stratum isn't perfect and I have the red marks on my mid-section to prove it. The issue is that its complete lack of padding makes for some pretty unforgiving edges around its backside, and getting far behind the seat on steep downhill pitches sometimes left a few not so gentle reminders on my belly. And this was with it mounted onto a dropper seat post, so I'd be wary of using the Spyder Stratum on a standard post that won't let it get down and out of the way when required. The other thing that needs pointing out is just how unforgiving the unpadded nose of the seat is, something that became pretty obvious to me the first time I got up on the front of the seat for a steep climb. I ended up dropping the nose down a degree or two more than I would usually run it and that solved the issue. Tioga is aware that the front of the seat is a bit stiff and will be introducing a less aggressive version, called the Spyder Outland, that will have a more forgiving shell and nose section and be aimed towards trail riders rather than for pure cross-country use. That said, I'm happy enough with the general shape and flex across the weight bearing zone of the standard Spyder Stratum that I don't see myself moving onto the Outland model. I wrote this review a few weeks ago and, at the time, the Spyder Stratum was still going strong. That came to an abrupt halt during yesterday's ride when I rolled through a compression on the trail while seated and heard an unmistakable popping sound from underneath me followed by noticing that I was sitting a bit askew on the seat. The cause was a broken carbon rail that had failed about 5mm back from the clamp, thereby letting one side of the ultra flexible shell sag down much lower than it should. Not ideal, no doubt about it, mostly because at 170lb I don't think I should be breaking any seat rails, carbon or not, but also because I found it to be extremely comfortable yet have to replace it with something else. - Mike Levy |
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www.sjscycles.co.uk/images/products/medium/selle-royal-aeroyal-saddle-IMG25180.jpg
I've been looking for something similar ever since. The Tioga Spyder Stratum is it. I'll be getting one.
170 is a far cry from the 240lb limit for the carbon rails.
I'd give this new, more durable version a try, for sure.
www.google.ca/search?q=Selle+SMP+Carbon&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CD4QsARqFQoTCN2s9ZOS1MgCFcEtiAod1LEGPg&biw=1600&bih=742
I have all the padding I need in my chamois. I have 2 with chromemoly rails for MTB and one with carbon rails on my road bike.
In our wet Pacific NW This saddle stands up to the environment better than other saddles I have tried. These are expensive but worth it in the long run if you ride a lot. I also find the smooth water prof surface easy to slide my weight forward and aft on compared to leather saddles that feel sticky sliding on the surface. Especially in our wet riding area
That said, I'm not doing XC length days in the saddle, I just need something good enough for regular MTB. I just can't seem to find anything as good as my old (as in about 12 years) Fox shorts.
www.cycleking.co.uk/15_37_79_Old-school-BMX-bits_1_asc.html