"Are you sitting comfortably?" is a serious question for cyclists: the quest for the right saddle can be a long and painful one, along a road littered with saddle sores, chaffing and the aromatic whiff of chamois cream.
When I first started riding I picked a saddle primarily on aesthetic and cost grounds. It was a Charge Spoon, in tan brown. Not only was it affordable, it complemented the Celeste on my retro Bianchi; mainly for the latter reason I persevered with it for over a year, while it kicked my behind to varying shades of rawness on any ride of more than two hours.
I thought saddle pain was just another facet of the masochism multi-pack that came with being a "proper" cyclist, until I happened to try a few other seats on different bikes and realised it didn't have to be that way.
Anyway, to the business at hand: Repente are an Italian company who are committed to delivering a smooth ride via their range of cycle saddles. I've been testing the Artax GL, and the reason I mention my experience with the Charge Spoon is that I've been using the Artax on a similar, albeit slightly upmarket, version of that steel Bianchi on which I first rediscovered cycling as an adult some 15 years ago.
Thankfully, while the tan brown colour is reminiscent of the Spoon, there the similarity ends. The Artax is a premium saddle featuring carbon rails and base with a covered seat that has a generous central cutaway; this channel not only relieves perineal pressure but allows the two "wings" of the saddle to flex beneath you for added comfort.
It's an elegant design, and it's also effective. Most of my riding these days is on gravel bikes, with the added squish of wide tyres and the Topstone's rear suspension, but even on the relatively unforgiving steel Bianchi with 700x28 tubs there's little to no trade-off in comfort.
You can see the flex in action by pressing down on either side of the saddle with a fingertip: there's a noticeable give, so it's no surprise that the saddle achieves a "sprung" feeling when in use.
The shape helps here, with generous cutaways to allow a free range of leg movement in and out of the saddle. Two widths are available: the Artax GL is 132mm wide while the Artax GLM is essentially an identical shape but in a wider, 142mm version to suit riders with wider sitbones.
The seat features a decent amount of EVA padding, wrapped in a microfibre cover designed to be anti-slip even when wet which is always handy around these parts.
Repente describe their saddles as "non-deformable", by which they mean the shape does not change over time and use. In this respect they're the opposite of the traditional stiff leather Brooks style saddles, which have to be "broken in" over long miles to fit the individual anatomy of the user and can be tightened, when the leather begins to sag, by means of a bolt under the cover.
Another aspect in which the Artax differs from a Brooks saddle becomes obvious on the scales: the Artax GL is a lightweight saddle, at just 165g thanks to that carbon shell - less than half the weight of a steel-railed, leather perch from the Eroica era.
Modern as it is, the Artax manages to retain the aesthetic appeal you'd expect from an Italian brand. There is elegance in the curves, and in the detail: not only is the saddle beautifully finished with flourishes such as Italian tricolour stripes on the edge of the cover, but look beneath and you'll find the seat attached to the rails with anodized red bolts.
Aside from adding a touch of pizzazz these bolts make it possible to swap out the saddle cover. Repente offer a range of replacements for both the rails and base and the covers; so, if your seat gets scuffed over time, or you simply fancy a change of colour to match a new bike, you can easily remove the old cover and replace with a new one from the options on Repente's website.
It's an unusual to find spares readily available for a saddle, but welcome - especially if it helps extend the lifespan of what is a very nicely made product.
I was initially attracted to the Repente Artax by its stylish looks, but looking beyond the aesthetics there is plenty more to appreciate about this saddle. Low in weight and high in comfort, it's genuinely a very well executed and effective piece of design.
If you're still searching for that elusive Goldilocks saddle, take a look at the Repente Artax - and get ready to sit a lot more comfortably.
Artax Repente GL - £180 from sellerepente.com.
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