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review

Prime Primavera Shorty Carbon Saddle

9
£119.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Impressive comfort, durability, shape and build quality for a bit of a bargain price
Instant comfort
Excellent finish quality
Durable
Weight: 
175g
road.cc Recommends

This product has been selected to feature in road.cc recommends. That means it's not just scored well, but we think it stands out as special. Go to road.cc recommends

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I reckon the Prime Primavera Shorty Carbon Saddle is an instant classic. I found it comfortable straight out of the box thanks to its flowing shape and perfectly judged padding. For a full carbon saddle, it's well priced too.

Short-nosed saddles on road bikes have been around for a while now. I have changed all of my bikes over to this stubby kind of design. For me it gives increased comfort when in the drops on the road bike and less saddle to get in the way when taking on challenging sections on the gravel bike.

> Buy this online here

Saddles are a very personal thing – a shape that suits me might be absolute torture for you – but I must admit I'm pretty lucky and can ride pretty much any perch without any major discomfort. I prefer some to others, but nothing is really off limits.

The Primavera Shorty is up in the top few of my favourites list, though.

2022 Prime Primavera Breve Carbon Saddle - top.jpg

The shape is spot on: raised at the back slightly to give you a platform to push against when climbing hard, with a subtle arch in the middle for supportive comfort when tapping out the miles, which stops you sliding forward or backwards.

The short nose allows you to get down low in the drops and really crank the pedals over without interference.

2022 Prime Primavera Breve Carbon Saddle - nose.jpg

Padding

It is probably the padding density that is the winner here for me, though. When I'm riding, feedback is key, and anything that detracts from that isn't welcome. That's why I ride with my tyres pumped up harder than most, and why I like a firm saddle.

The Prime nails it.

The padding is thick enough that it takes out high-resolution buzz without muting all feeling from the road. There is just enough give in it that it'll soak up the bigger bumps of a broken road surface, so it is comfortable for longer rides without being so soft that it gives over the top flex, which I find can cause numbness.

It's neither too firm, nor too soft. It's just right.

Carbon shell and rails

Beneath the padding is a 3K carbon fibre shell which brings its own bit of flex to the ride.

2022 Prime Primavera Breve Carbon Saddle - underside.jpg

There is very little movement at the front, but the sides bend a little, which takes the sting out of the ride. It does it so well that this has become the saddle of choice on my winter bike, which sees lots of steady miles for three to four hours at a time, with me barely getting out of the saddle.

The rails are also 3K carbon fibre and are marked with easy-to-read measurements.

2022 Prime Primavera Breve Carbon Saddle - rail.jpg

They are stiff and their profile gives no issues when offered up to a whole range of seatpost clamps.

2022 Prime Primavera Breve Carbon Saddle - mount attachment 1.jpg

Overall build quality is top notch. The edges of the upper are sandwiched between the padding and the shell so there are no signs of any excess glue or material ruining the smoothness of the finished product.

It's durable, too. Yes, the shell will scuff if you drop the bike, but the upper certainly does not.

If you like your saddles wider then you're out of luck, as it's only available in the one width, 143mm. Prime says it's suitable for women and men.

> Buyer’s guide: 10 of the best women’s saddles

There's also a mount that clips into the rear of the base, to hold Prime Saddle Integration (PSI) accessories such as the Prime 360 rear light

2022 Prime Primavera Breve Carbon Saddle - mount attachment 3.jpg

Priced at £119.99, the Primavera offers great value for money for a full-carbon saddle.

> Buyer’s Guide: 16 of the best short saddles

The seat it replaced on my bike was the snappily named Selle Italia Novus Boost Evo Kit Carbonio Superflow, a saddle that I have spent thousands of miles on now, and is very impressive.

I find the Prime slightly more comfortable, though, and it comes in at much less than the £259.90 asking price of the Selle Italia.

> Buyer’s Guide: 29 of the best high-performance lightweight saddles

Liam was impressed with the Giant Fleet SLR, which is a similarly constructed short road saddle, but a tenner more than the Prime, at £129.99.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a great saddle. From its shape to its padding balance, through to the quality. Throw in the price, and it really is excellent.

Verdict

Impressive comfort, durability, shape and build quality for a bit of a bargain price

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Prime Primavera Shorty Carbon Saddle

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Prime says, "Featuring a durable water-resistant cover, this high-performance road bike saddle is designed to keep you supported in all-weather and surface conditions. Developed with Team Wiggle Spectra, this model is also kitted out with a stiff 3K carbon shell and rails for the best combination of stiffness, strength and lightweight performance on every mile. Another highlight is its low-weight polyurethane (PU) foam padding and central cut-out, which reduce any pressure and fatigue from around your sit bones, allowing you to go the extra distance with all day comfort."

It's a very comfortable, light road saddle that is also very well made.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Prime lists:

Cover Material: Tough water-resistant cover

Shell Material: 3K Carbon

Rails Material: 3K Carbon

Padding: Lightweight Polyurethane (PU) padding

Use: Road

Size: 240x143mm (L x W)

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
10/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It's a supportive saddle for long and short road rides.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

It's perfect for me in terms of comfort.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The Prime is very well priced, even against something as 'cheap' as the Giant saddle mentioned in the review.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

An exceptional saddle straight out of the box with well-judged padding density and the amount of flex allowed through the shell to control comfort. It's a bit of a bargain too.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the Tech Hub here at F-At Digital, our senior product reviewer Stu uses the knowledge gained from putting well over a 1,000 products through their paces (including hundreds of bikes) to write in-depth reviews of a huge range of kit. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 160,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. Although, as he spends a fair bit of his time reviewing ebikes these days he's becoming an expert in letting the motor take the strain. He's also waiting for 23mm race tyres to make a comeback!

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5 comments

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
0 likes

Finally got around to fitting this saddle and seems comfy enough. I really like the gopro mount for the rear, so I bought their rear light to try it out. Once you've got the light screwed into the attachment, it's easy to unclip the bracket and light for easy charging etc. All saddles should have this kind of bracket.

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Dogless | 1 year ago
0 likes

Helpful review of the £25 'power' saddles from AliExpress 😬

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
0 likes

I'm tempted by this - I've got Prime carbon components all over my bike, so this feels inevitable.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
0 likes
hawkinspeter wrote:

I'm tempted by this - I've got Prime carbon components all over my bike, so this feels inevitable.

Narrator: it certainly was inevitable

Went on to Wiggle and spotted that the non-shorty Primavera saddle was cheaper and lighter, but I think that's due to it being narrower. I like the idea of incorporating a bracket into the saddle, so went for the wider shorty one after all (wider is better for me anyway).

Avatar
Kendalred | 1 year ago
0 likes

£119.99 at Wiggle as well as Chain Reaction - hardly surprising given they are the same thing.

£105.59 with platinum discount!

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