Skip to main content

DMR Stage 1 saddle


DMR’s Stage 1 is well priced and we found it pretty comfy. The padding is fairly generous and although there isn’t much of a pressure-relief channel, we had no issues with pain or numbness in that area. We did suffer from a little chafing around the sides under the sit bones on long rides, though. The profile is only very slightly concave, so it can feel a little unsupportive on steep or undulating terrain. Because the cover material is smooth and plastic-feeling, it’s quite slippery when wet and muddy. It definitely benefits from having the nose pointed downwards to hold you in place when climbing. The included ‘RideSaver’ Velcro strap is handy for stashing a spare tube underneath, provided you don’t mind it getting muddy. It is possible to improvise a similar set-up with other saddles.

Weight 277g (without strap)

Price $75

Popular posts from this blog

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

Merida Big Nine 100

Wit the bikes swapped over, we head out on the same loop again, this time on the 29in Big Nine 100. Whereas the Big Seven was snappy off the line, the 29er takes a couple more pedal strokes to get up to speed. That said, once it's up there, it's easy to keep the big wheels rolling, allowing us to cover ground with ease. The fire road is at times a little rough, and the bigger wheels roll over the imperfections so we barely notice them.

SKS Airbuster CO2 inflator

The alloy Airbuster has a large knob so you can regulate the flow of gas, a mechanical stop to prevent the cartridge being pierced in transit and a dust cap to keep the valve free of debris. While it works with Presta and Schrader valves, switching between them requires a fiddly change of the valve head. The thin rubber sleeve doesn’t provide much protection from cold spent canisters. You can’t insert much of the valve into the inflator head, so you have to be careful to avoid leaks. Price $33 w/16g cartridge

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

Anthony Messere’s Morpheus Vimana Slope

A flying chariot built with one thing in mind – slopestyle domination