Product Overview
The Soulor is Gilles Berthoud's "racing" model but don't let the r-word scare you off! This is a perfect saddle for the high-mileage rider with narrow sit bones or with a more forward-leaning riding position, regardless of your competitive pursuits or lack thereof! If you have wider sit bones or prefer a more upright riding position, check out Berthoud's Aspin. The Soulour's overall shape is very similar to the Aspin, with a flat perch in the rear that rapidly tapers into a long nose. While both saddles are the same length, the Soulor is just over a centimeter narrower at its girth. The Soulor eliminates the molded-in seat pack loops from the rear frame and the leather "wings" along your thighs are cut away in the interest of weight savings and a sleek appearance.
Overall, if you're looking for a top-quality leather saddle and your handlebars are lower than your saddle, the Soulor is a solid best bet. If your bars are level or higher than your saddle the Aspin will likely be a better fit.
Berthoud's saddles are also available with titanium rails. Message, email or call if you'd like the Ti upgrade.
Berthoud makes these beautiful saddles from top quality vegetable tanned leather that is pre-treated to shorten the break-in time. They wear in, not out. The leather top is fixed to the frame with special bolts and washers rather than rivets, making for simple replacement of any component of the saddle. Contact us for replacement or repair parts. The bolt assemblies are rotated off the back edge and out of the way instead of being on the top surface where you might sit on them, making for a seamlessly comfortable perch. In addition, the nose and tail pieces of the frame are made from a high-quality, injection-molded composite material that is strong, lightweight and more durable than steel. The saddle rails feature a longer straight section for easy adjustment to your preferred position. Berthoud saddles rarely require tensioning but the operation is carried out with a 5mm hex key, eliminating the need for a special tool.
A good rule of thumb is the more miles you ride, the firmer the saddle you'll prefer. This applies equally to men and women. Sixty miles on a thick, soft, gushy saddle can be brutal. When your gluteus muscles are in good shape, you'll want a firm but flexible surface to sit on. A quality leather saddle provides just that.
Bottom line is this: If you try one of these and your middle "tender bits" area is fine but you feel like your sit bones are on something too hard, most likely you'll end up very happy with it as the leather will soften up a bit and conform to your shape fairly quickly. A treatment with Gilles Berthoud's special saddle treatment (apply to the underside of the saddle) will speed up the break-in process and provide protection against the elements.
