60X Ergowave – comfortable saddle for electric bikes
I always got along great with SQlab saddles, precisely my posterior felt like it was royalty in the most difficult conditions, and knowing they built an option for electric bikes, put an interesting smile on my face: what is the difference between an electric bike saddle and a normal one? It wasn’t long before we wrote SQlab to send us a version of the 60X Ergowave Active so we get a better idea.
60X is built also for all gravity disciplines (this includes downhill, freeride and enduro). It is a long and wide saddle, one that impressed us first time we saw it. The build is solid with kevlar reinforced sides and an upper material that is very grippy, which gives a lot of confidence that you will not leave your place. It is also important to mention that the saddle is built in steps, meaning the back of the saddle is higher than the front, resulting in less pressure on more sensitive areas. Even so, the central channel is deep enough to relieve pressure from perineal area. Just like all the other SQlab saddles, 60X moves with you: when your right foot is extended, then the saddle leans on the right side and similarly for the left side. More than that, the rubber that is placed under the rails can be switched between 3 strengths: hard medium and soft, all three being delivered in the box. I always use the softer rubber for added comfort.
The width in front is 4.4cm, which is big for a saddle, and the width in the big can be 13, 14, 15 or 16 cm based on your bodies anatomy. Maybe at first it seems big, but when you realize how much you can move on this saddle, being also very long (28cm), things change, in a good way. Maybe for a Cross Country bike, you don’t need so much move space, but on a full suspension or a gravity bike, you will surely need it. This freedom also helps to better position your body on difficult climbs, without needing to get up from the saddle.
Over all it is a very robust saddle, that can take a beating, both when you leave your bike on the ground or when you fall. The rails are made of steel and the outer layer is a very tough material. The 255 gr of the 60X are acceptable for this segment, especially considering electric bikes where you will not spend too much time looking for light parts. An excellent saddle, as expected from SQlab, but with a high price of 150 EUR.
Together with the saddle, SQlab sent us also the new aluminium handlebar 30X, with which the saddle creates a great team regarding ergonomics. We had the chance to test last year the carbon version of the same handlebar, but the aluminium version has nothing different except the material, the 30X made from aluminium weighs 344gr. It is 780mm wide, can be shortened up to 720mm, having multiple rise versions: 15. 30 and 45mm. The backsweep is 12 degrees and upsweep is 4 degrees.
All of this translates to a comfortable position in which your wrists are more relaxed, as you can see in the photos. It is important to mention that this handlebar is the first option when you are looking for comfort and control, and the fact that it is half the price (85 EUR) as the carbon version, makes it even more attractive.
