I have both. As far as one feeling softer I did not notice. Because I ride hills I move up on to the nose of the saddle a lot. Perhaps not being able move up is why the Power mirror feels wider than the Roman mirror.
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I’d say the Power does feel wider. Probably because it forces you to stay back, off the nose. I haven’t noticed any difference in stiffness.
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Ha. You beat me to it.
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I believe I’m quite late to the party, but I work in a bike shop and I’ve tried a LOT of saddles. Not only that, I also have incredibly narrow sitbones (90mm) and struggle immensely to find a comfortable saddle. The following are my observations, and although they are completely subjective, many customers in the shop have had similar experiences.
In general, all 3D printed saddles are more comfortable than “normal” padded ones. The softer areas are placed around the place where your sitbones and perineal nerves interact with the saddle, and this seems to relieve pressure quite effectively. So, regardless of what saddle you get (assuming you get the width right), the 3D printed ones will likely provide more comfort across the board. Below are my experiences with specific saddles as well as customer input.
Specialized Power Mirror - By far the most popular model on the market for 3D printed saddles. Personally, I don’t like the shape of the saddle, and I find that the short profile of the saddle makes the shift from the wide part to the narrow part too “aggressive”. Thus, there is only a very small optimal area on which to sit comfortably. That said, not a bad saddle, and most customers are very happy with it.
Specialized Romin Mirror - Much too often overlooked for the Power in my opinion. The Romin has a more classic shape to it, and I like it more than the Power. The downsides are that most riders on the heavier side of the spectrum tend to find that it places a bit too much pressure on the perineal area, and the soft 3D printed material does not seem to solve the issue. If you like the Romin, you’ll love the Romin Mirror.
Fizik Antares Versus Adaptive - Best saddle I’ve ever tried, absolute 10/10. Similar in shape to the Romin but a flatter profile. Since it’s a more traditional length saddle the margin for error in terms of fore-aft seating position is a bit larger, and I find that I stay comfortable even when shifting around a bit on long rides.
Selle Italia SLR Boost 3D - Polarising saddle. Those who love the SLR Boost swear by it and will never ride anything else, and those who don’t like it tend to hate it. I find that, again, this saddle only has one very specific place on which to sit comfortably, and unless you dial in the position of the saddle and reach to the millimetre, this may cause some issues.
Fizik Vento Argo Adaptive - No, just no. I don’t understand who looked at this saddle during production and went “yeah, that looks right”. It’s a weird shape, I can’t comprehend where I’m supposed to sit on it, and it’s not nearly as supple in the padding as the aforementioned saddles. I suppose people with really wide hips may appreciate it a bit more. This makes some sense as the only people I see riding it are women, and women tend to have wider hips than men. Anyways, I can’t recommend this saddle to anyone with the other great alternatives out there.
The main takeaway from my experience is that 3D printed saddles are, in general, a more comfortable version of whatever saddle they model. If you like the Specialized Power, you’ll probably love the Power Mirror. If you like the Fizik Antares, you’ll probably love the Antares Versus Adaptive, and so on. The shape and width of the saddle will always be more important. 3D printing does not make up for poor shape and fit - it enhances a saddle that already suits you.
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I think my one possible complaint with the Power Mirror is the width (143mm), I might be better on a narrower saddle. Other than that, going up on the rivet is pretty hard. But I have zero numbness on long rides, barely notice the thing… so I am hesitant to even try anything else. Maybe the Antares would solve those two minor quibbles (at 139mm)?
But I am in agreement about 3D printed saddles - wave of the future. The comfort difference is marked.
It could be bike dependent also. I have a Power ( not mirror) on another road bike. It’s a 155mm with ti rails. It works great. My Romin with mirror on the new bike is a 143. My bottom likes both. Maybe it’s a weird thing. I duno.
For sure, differences in Saddle Height, Fore-Aft, Angle along with overall Handlebar position (Reach, Drop, Angle, etc.) can lead to different feel with the same saddle… or a different saddle working in one case vs another.
Unless all those details match exactly, preferring a different saddle on a different bike is perfectly reasonable.
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On the flip side, I’ve also tried a lot of saddles, including a non-mirror Power. I agree about 3D printing. But I just switched from the Antares Adaptive to the Vento Adaptive. The Vento is way more comfortable. The Antares had been my favorite in the perfect saddle search, but since I tried the Vento the Antares feels painful. And I’m a guy.
Two Antares Adaptive saddles coming soon to eBay…
Saddles are very individual, glad to hear you found something you like:)
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I really really like my Power Arc saddle, anyone seen any rumors or spy shots of a Mirror version of it?
The regular power feels like I am sitting on a plank of wood
The Power Mirror is more like the Arc than the Power. Imo. Have a look at the profiles and see what you think.
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Agree. The Power Arc was my favorite saddle (the original Power was too flat) before the Mirror came out. The Power Mirror shape (roundness) is closer to the Power Arc (round) than the normal Power (flat).
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Thanks, I need to get a touch up for done and can check one out now.
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Ok I’ve decided that I hate my 155mm Power Pro Mirror saddle.
I have four 155mm Power Pro saddles that I love, so it’s not the size or geometry.
Anyone want to buy this off me? Never been crashed, never been sharted on. Only a handful of rides on it.
Thanks for all the info. Do you or anyone else (@mcneese.chad) have thoughts on best 3D options coming from a specialized phenom?
I’m due to replace my phenom and would love to go for a 3D printed saddle. I’m limited to specialized due to LBS and team related discounts. I’ve never used a short nose saddle but in general, have had no major issues with any saddles I’ve used.
I guess my question would be power vs romin. I don’t recall my specific sit bone distance but I’ve been fitted to 143 mm saddles. Any thoughts/insights are appreciated!
Sadly, I’ve not had any experience with the new 3D saddles. We only have one in the shop, but i should borrow it since it was returned by a customer who apparently didn’t like it.
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The Phenom is a more traditional length compared to the Power, and in my opinion it much more resembles the Romin. I personally quite like the older Phenom saddles, and I’ve used them on a lot of bikes. Given the choice between the Power and Romin, I’m Romin all the way. So, based on the shape similarities and my personal preference in saddles seemingly matching yours to some extent, I’d recommend the Romin!
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Thanks @Calle and @mcneese.chad . I appreciate the insights!
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Do you know why they didn’t like it? Just from the images it feels like the mirror part is very tiny and far back?
I don’t know any specifics because I was not there for the return. For clarity, the saddle we have is the regular Power Mirror with the fully 3D printed cushion model with carbon rails.
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