Saddles

Astute Skylite VT Camo

Durable eye-catching saddle from Italian brand with penchant for flair

Astute might not be the first name that spring to mind when you think of saddles, so if you’re not familiar they’re an Italian company with a penchant for handmade saddles and a creative leaning towards the use of brightly coloured plastic. Hence the limited-edition Skylite VT Camo saddle we have here.

So the first thing to mention is that if you don’t fancy the camo colour here, don’t worry. This is one of an 888-piece limited edition and it comes in two other designs: all black and all white. On the other hand, if you’ve been looking for the final piece to add to your camouflage Cipollini, then we’ve probably just made your day.

Onto the spec, and this is one light saddle. At a claimed 160g you won’t find much else lighter on the market outside of something unpadded like Selle Italia’s crazy all-carbon SLR Tekno. And with the Astute you have the added bonus of being able to pick a design that’s little more out there than bare carbon.

If you’ve been looking for the final piece to add to your camouflage Cipollini, then we’ve probably just made your day

Speaking of padding, there’s a layer of try-density [sic] NES70TM with a memory foam like effect so the saddle will conform to you as you ride and break it in. There’s not a lot of padding, but enough to make a difference.

The base is carbon-fibre-reinforced nylon, which is how Astute are able to make them such fantastic colours without using paint.

Alongside the bright orange base here, there are models in the range with green, pink, red and and all sorts which are perfect for adding a touch of colour to your ride. Better than that, though, is the smart tech Astute have added into the base.

It’s called the SPAS (shock pad absorber system) and uses two specific shock absorbing pads placed between the base and rails. These absorb vibrations as they pass through the bike to the saddle and help to make it that little bit more comfortable.

Price: £174.99
Website: Astute Italia
UK distributor: Saddleback

There are also a couple of choices when it comes to saddle design. The Skylite is only available in a flat profile, but there’s the VT – which we have here – and the SR. The VT comes with the cut out channel in the middle and the SR has a more traditional profile with that cut out filled in (or not cut out, as it were).

Impressively, Astute claim the SR is just 5g heavier than the VT and although we’re not totally sure we believe that, it certainly won’t add a lot of weight.

Finally, the cover is made of Future Microfibre. The key thing to know about this is that it’s waterproof, washable and durable, meaning you should be able to keep your saddle looking as good as possible for as long as you can.