It might be worth holding out for just a bit longer. There is essentially a Mirror version of the Phenom coming. There are photos of it out in the wild already.
Big picture input on the Mirrors: I’m a pretty big fan of the entire Specialized saddle lineup. I’m running four of the S-Works Power Mirrors on the drop bar bikes, one on the hardtail, and a non Mirror power on the Crux. I recently tried a Romin Evo Mirror on the SL7. I don’t find the Power Mirror uncomfortable on there, but with a pretty long and low fit on there, I was hoping for a bit more of a rotated forward position. Unfortunately I found the Romin much to bulky and wide feeling, in the forward 1/3rd of the saddle.
The other curveball is the new Power Expert with Mirror. I just got the 130mm version mounted on the hardtail. I love that they’re offering an even narrower version than the 143mm offerings of the prior Power Mirrors. It certainly looks tiny, but I think I might really enjoy the narrowness, especially off-road, as it’ll be easier to get back behind the saddle on descents and technical stuff(High post).
Could this be because you’re sitting much further back on it?
I just went to a Selle Italia SLR Boost, and have never felt the front of a saddle with my thighs before, until now. Culprit is that I am sitting much further back (with better support) on the SLR vs the Mirror. Hence why I moved away from the Mirrors.
Question for Mirror owners. I rode the Power Mirror basically since the day they came out. Just picked up the Romin Mirror for my other bike because I wanted to try it out. I’m having issues getting it set up. Coming from a Power Arc on this bike. The wide part of the saddle (where I would put my sit bones) is farther back on the Romin. So my initial location I felt like the saddle was setback way too far, and my reach to the bars felt stretched and I felt like I was reaching at my downstroke. I measured the distance from BB to top of saddle and it was over 1cm taller. I tried slamming it all the way forward but it was still a good cm behind where the Power would be. I marked the rails on the Arc to compare where it would be.
The Romin can’t go any farter forward in the clamp. I also lowered the saddle a full cm. Anybody have this issue? How did you setup the Romin? Or do I need a 0-setback post?
Went and squeezed on it at my LBS, and honestly, it feels like they just put some Mirror stuff in there so they can call it a Mirror saddle and sell shitloads of em’.
Compared to the “proper” Mirror saddles it felt like a marketing gimmick.
The whole point is to have varied hardness and whatnot across the saddle, so just slapping the Mirror material where the sit bones are seems unnecessary.
I’d rather have it on the front half of the saddle where you might be putting unwanted pressure etc.
I have to agree. We recently got them in the shop where I work, and they feel nothing like the “real” mirror saddles. If you’re going to spend that amount of money on a saddle, go for the proper 3D printed ones. As mentioned, the point of 3D printing is variable surface compliance across the saddle, which is not achieved to nearly the same extent with the “mirror inside” saddles as the full 3D printed ones.
Have you actually tried one? I’m interested in one for my Stages SB20 to get some additional comfort as the Stages is rock (literally rock) solid. So I don’t need the benefit of mirror on the front, I’m looking for it for the sit bones.
No, but having tried the “real” deal, I wouldn’t risk it considering it’s only marginally cheaper than the full mirror version. The only case where I could see the “mirror inside” saddle being the better alternative is if you slide around a lot in the saddle while riding. The surface of 3D printed material is quite “rubbery”, so it locks you in and keeps you from sliding. If you rely on sliding to adjust your position continuously throughout the ride, this may be annoying. Granted, I’d argue that if you “need” to slide around you probably need a bike fit more than an accommodating slippery saddle lol
In Sweden the Mirror (full) is almost 2.5 times the cost of the Power with Mirror…
And one huge thing for me was that the cutout on the Mirror is smaller and not fully to the front, as well as having it be all Mirror had me sink into it and putting pressure on areas where I don’t wanna have pressure.
I live in Sweden and work in a bike shop lol;) The Power Mirror (not s-works) is 4,199kr, and the Power w/ Mirror inside is 2,250kr. The only difference between Power Mirror and S-works Mirror is the rail material, the actual saddle is the same!
Yes, the full mirror saddle is considerably more expensive, but taking into account the time spent using the saddle, price per time unit is ridiculously low. As someone who advises A LOT of customers every week, I always recommend buying the most premium saddle, shoes, bibs, and helmet they can afford (as this typically correlates with more comfort). Your contact points with the bike will determine your enjoyment the most, so in my opinion, compromising on those to save money makes no sense IF you can afford it. If you don’t have the money it’s obviously not an option, that’s why I recommend buying the most premium that you can afford.
For you, however, it seems more like you worry that the full mirror will be less comfortable than the mirror inside. I can’t argue with you on that point, but I’ve ridden the Power Mirror and regular Power saddles, and they are worlds apart. I’ve also sold numerous Power Mirror saddles and customers come back every week raving about how comfortable they are. At the end of the day, it’s up to you.
Yeah I’ve had both S-Works Mirror (2 of em) and one Power Mirror, and now I am riding the Power Comp (waiting for my Power with Mirror).
Of course, totally agree! But more expensive isn’t always better. I’ve done full circle with all Mirror saddles, and I now sit better on the Power Comp (with level 2 padding) than the full Mirror.
In the end of the day, position, saddle height, handlebar height, hip angle and rotation all affect saddle choice.
I loved the Mirror until I found a better position on the bike overall, and it then stopped working for me.
Environmental as things like UV and Ozone exposure (among others) can degrade synthetic materials in some cases. No idea what they are really using here and if that is the case, but it is definitely a possibility.
Expected use (service life) considering a target audience and predicted time under load. Even if environmental issues are not present, these materials will likely have a functional service life and then start to break down or perform under some level that means it becomes less effective. Happens right now with “regular” saddles in some cases where the shell and/or foam can degrade purely from use and become less effective. I know more than a few people who “wore out” a regular saddle and returned to happy riding on a new instance of the old one.
afaik that is a disclaimer that is in the product documentation for all spesh carbon saddles, predating the intro of the 3d printed ones.
I assume other reputable saddle manufacturers have similar language deep in their product docs.
saddles do wear over time and do not have an infinite use life. I think they just need to put something in writing to capture that, even though it will not be an issue for most.
also a slight aside, but when there were some reports of the 3d saddles 'melting", was it ever determined what caused it? I heard some chemicals or maybe body chemistry may be a factor, I also figured perhaps people were touching the saddles after using DEET? (deet melts many plastics).
(…) So I reached out to Specialized Rider Care (aka support) (…). It looks like they are in fact aware of the problem, and providing the guidance around skipping chamois cream.
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for reaching out to Rider Care. (…) Some combinations of specific chamois creams and sunscreens, as well as hot and humid riding conditions, moisture from the body, and certain indoor riding conditions can affect the cover material on saddles in general.
Our current recommendation is that riders use the saddle without chamois cream if possible to prolong the life of the saddle and clean with a 5% water/dish soap solution after use for best results if any chamois cream is used. This does not guarantee your saddle will be free from wear. Normal wear and tear is expected over the service life of a saddle since all saddles undergo considerable stress and friction while riding. If you encounter anything of interest with your specific saddle let us know and we’ll see how best to assist.
I understand that these days companies across all industries treats us as beta-testers, nevertheless I feel a bit disappointed. Having said that - my recently purchased Power Mirror is waiting in the box for winter to end here in Europe
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