Saddles are maddeningly resistant to broad characterizations. The great cop-out in this industry is, "Try them all and buy the one you like." Horse spit. There is stuff that works, and that doesn't, and you can pretty easily separate into two neat piles the good stuff from the junk.

But not saddles. The wisest, truest thing you can say about them, for use in triathlon, is "Try them all and buy the one you like." No saddle better fits this description than the ISM Adamo, distributed by John Cobb's Blackwell Products.

This saddle evokes two responses to those who first see it. First, that it's an interesting saddle and very likely may work well, considering the obvious departure from how saddles are normally made and, of course, the lack of that pesky 'taint killing nose. Second is the visceral response to the width of the twin "noses." Can a saddle this wide at the front be comfortable?

Accordingly, there is lots of buzz about this saddle.  We put on workshops every several weeks up at the compound, and retailers fly in from all points to learn about tri bike fit.  This year we’ve had an Adamo for lots of folks to sit on (we have three position simulators at our workshops, with various saddles in use on them, the Adamo included). 

As expected, the Adamo is the Howard Stern of saddles.  Some love it.  Some hate it.  Everyone has an opinion.

Those who do like the Adamo note that it does not have that thing that causes problems for so many people:  a nose that sticks itself where it’s not wanted. Those who do not like the Adamo universally have a singular complaint:  it’s too wide in the front.  But I wondered whether this was just the fulfillment of a preconceived idea of how that saddle was going to feel, based on how it looks.

So I thought I’d try an experiment.  My thinking was, if a lot of people like this saddle but the predominant complaint among its detractors was its width, what if this sole issue was addressed?  I drilled a hole horizontally through the Adamo, through the twin “noses,” near the front.  I passed a zip tie through these holes and squeezed the saddle’s noses close together.

I pulled and narrowed the saddle just a little bit, rode the bike, then narrowed it a little more.  I thought I’d see what sort of difference narrowing the front of the saddle’s forward protrusions made, and how worthwhile the idea of an adjustable width.

In this case, I did find it a fruitful exercise.  The saddle was not too wide, at least for me, before I commenced narrowing it.  But the zip tie did offer some options.  I did find a precise place where I could ride this saddle most comfortably, but I must confess it was not at all much narrower than the stock configuration.

So, what's the point of this saddle? I can't speak to how it is for the women, but for me the theme is this: my boys ride off the front. I don't use the 'taint pocket of most saddles, I pick a side (the right side in my case, I guess I'm "right-'tainted") and this is the side my 'taint slides over to. The nose rests in between my 'taint and my left thigh. But with this saddle, my 'taint does -- yes it does -- sit in the pocket, with the boys swinging in mid-air, leading the pack.

I have the luxury of instant feedback, as I set up the Adamo on a fit bike next to another identical bike outfitted with that saddle against which I judge all others, the Profile AirStryke (my personal fave). I did not ride the Adamo on the road, just put a fair number of trainer miles on it. I'll have more to say once I have some hours on this saddle but, at least based on my current level of experience with it, the $150 ISM Adamo definitely deserves a place alongside the premier tri saddles in the market.

More info about this saddle can be found at Blackwell Research, or by calling 512-968-1888.

---