Verdict: Beautifully made and super-light race saddle that's a comfortable, if firm, companion on fast rides
The Repente Aleena 4.0 is an innovative design that backs up its unique functionality with a beautiful design. It's very light and comfy in a race-saddle way, and the interchangeable covers allow you to modify the feel of your saddle without changing its position. You'll pay heartily for the privilege though.
The main news here is the Repente Locking System. Repente saddles are modular, with a separate base and cover. The base is made in an autoclave (a pressurised oven) and it's almost entirely T700 carbon fibre; it has carbon rails and a wide central channel, connected at the nose and the tail. The only bits of the base that aren't carbon are the three alloy mounting points for the cover, which has three corresponding alloy pins. You poke the pins through and secure in place with a small clip. There's a rubber O-ring between the base and the cover for a bit of extra cushioning over and above what the base and cover provide.
First things first: goodness, this is a lovely thing. Sometimes when you get a really expensive bit of kit it's difficult to see where the money's gone, but not here: the base is a sublime piece of design and craftmanship, and both that and the cover are beautifully finished.
The Repente Aleena 4.0 is an innovative design that backs up its unique functionality with a beautiful design. It's very light and comfy in a race-saddle way, and the interchangeable covers allow you to modify the feel of your saddle without changing its position. You'll pay heartily for the privilege though. The main news here is the Repente Locking System. Repente saddles are modular, with a separate base and cover. The base is made in an autoclave (a pressurised oven) and it's almost entirely T700 carbon fibre; it has carbon rails and a wide central channel, connected at the nose and the tail. The only bits of the base that aren't carbon are the three alloy mounting points for the cover, which has three corresponding alloy pins. You poke the pins through and secure in place with a small clip. There's a rubber O-ring between the base and the cover for a bit of extra cushioning over and above what the base and cover provide. First things first: goodness, this is a lovely thing. Sometimes when you get a really expensive bit of kit it's difficult to see where the money's gone, but not here: the base is a sublime piece of design and craftmanship, and both that and the cover are beautifully finished.