Wednesday, February 3, 2010

WTB Rocket V Saddle

WTB Rockey V saddle - it's been my favourite saddle for a few years now being the only saddle that I've ridden on all my mtn bikes. (I've also got a Silverado on my CX bike which I love)
It's light, uber duber comfy and durable.
Best part, no weight restrictions for hefty fat guys.

Alas, nothing lasts forever. I've gotten my money's worth from this saddle twice-over, so I have no complaints.
Well, maybe one.

When will a saddle company begin to make rail replacements for their saddles? Seems like a no brainer to me. I've never had the saddle, padding part of one break - it's always been the rails. How hard would it be to make and provide replacement rails? It's a shame really . . . the cushion has shaped into the curvy'ness of my buttocks and now I'll have to search for a new one to replace and break-in.

There could be the answer: "Made in Taiwan".
I'm joking. Seriously. It'd be easy to say that just because it's made off shore and in a factory probably by some little hands being totally underpaid, over worked . . . and so on and so on. However, being a mass made product with complete control over their assembly line and materials, it seems to me that there would most likely be better control over quality.
So I'll save the jokes.

Notice the grey crap around the break? Being cheap, underpaid, over worked, and cheap I attempted to fix it myself. A little J.B. Weld. I've had some really good success with it in the past, however, it wouldn't hold this.

Ha, ha, ha.
Still joking.

Actually I have a second complaint - which is nothing really, nothing that would keep me away from buying another one, but something that I've seen in the bike industry. Faux Carbon.
Check out the carbon fibre detailing. This little bit of 'carbon fibre' (there's a reason why it's in quotation marks), will supposedly give me 3.6% weight savings to get up hills faster. True.


If it was real carbon fibre wouldn't it be visible in the holes that the screws go into? It also wouldn't be pliable and easily bent, like the plastic piece of faux carbon fibre it is.

Meh. When will the bike industry leaders come knocking on my door to have me help them improve their products, give me loads of free shit and pay me buckets of dough?

2 comments:

Peter Keiller said...

Worlds greatest saddle.
I have a black one from the 70's and two white ones with a combined mileage age of 83.

Yours? Those Ti rails have a weight capacity of some 240lbs.

As such, and on behalf of, an official WTB claims prospector, the only fail I see took place in the pastry aisle of FOODYMART.

Hooty McBoob said...

Isn't Peter a bit heavy in the trunk department? Fatso.