Selle Repente Spyd 2.0 RLS to discover!

February 25, 2020

Selle Repente Spyd 2.0 RLS à découvrir !

With their unusual architecture, Repente saddles are striking. Is a cover that can be changed at will really comfortable and effective?

There is a groove to limit perineal pressure.
The Spyd 2.0 RLS provides a hollow seat that perfectly cradles the pelvis.
There is a groove to limit perineal pressure.
The Spyd 2.0 RLS provides a hollow seat that perfectly cradles the pelvis.

www.dimensionsvelo.com - The Spyd 2.0 RLS provides a hollow seat that perfectly cradles the pelvis.

The entry-level model of the brand Repente, the Spyd 2.0 RLS is surprising in many ways. First, its weight/price ratio. Generally, when you think of a lightweight saddle, you think of a heavy price tag! Here the price is €129 for 172 g. You also get a detachable saddle... That's the first thing you notice, and it applies to the entire collection of saddles from the brand, except for the Latus CL and Magnet. Each saddle consists of a hollow shell placed on a carbon chassis and a "cover" that clips onto it. The elements are interchangeable from one model and range to another, which means you can change your seating just by changing the "cover", or save weight and increase rigidity by switching to another shell! So we rode with the Spyd 2.0 RLS for a month on the road and on a home trainer.

The circlips can be installed and removed without tools.
The cover gives the saddle its shape in addition to its padding.
The shell carries the chassis and is perforated.
The finish is top-notch on both the shell and the cover.
The "nubs" used for fastening are not felt once on the saddle! They rest on a second carbon shell...
There are three small plastic circlips like this one to hold the cover in place.
The circlips can be installed and removed without tools.
The cover gives the saddle its shape in addition to its padding.

The cover gives the saddle its shape in addition to its padding.

Easy to install!

The seat of this Repente is hollow, so you position the saddle as usual by finding the saddle's hollow and transferring your reference measurements to it. After a few dozen kilometers, we had to move the saddle forward due to the pelvis being cradled: you don't slide on the Spyd 2.0 RLS! Once the correction was made, you feel almost like you're in an armchair; the pelvis no longer moves. This will suit a "stable" cyclist better in terms of their support. The padding is quite "firm" and will therefore be ideal for users who press hard on the pedals. In touring mode, you will feel the bumps and rough spots of the road, but as soon as you ride with effort, you will feel much better. The saddle then becomes one with the cyclist's anatomy, so much so that you might think it was custom-made! The advantage is that this limits friction and the risk of pinching.

The carbon rail allows for easy and effective clamping on most seatposts.
Repente saddles are very lightweight. But they are also very stiff!
The carbon rail allows for easy and effective clamping on most seatposts.
Repente saddles are very lightweight. But they are also very stiff!

Repente saddles are very lightweight. But they are also very stiff!

Disassembly and reassembly...

The saddle cover can be removed and reinstalled in a few seconds. No worries there, you don't feel the fasteners when you're in the saddle. The cover doesn't shift, and during our month-long test, there was no play in the assembly. You don't need any tools for the manipulations; everything is done by hand and very quickly. The overall finish of the product is flawless. This is an excellent thing and a real plus!

Repente Spyd 2.0 RLS Technical Sheet

Covering: microfiber
Padding: Polyurethane
Shell: Long-fiber T700 Carbon
Rail: UD carbon Multi Section 7X10 mm
Length: 275 mm
Width: 133 mm
Saddle dip at: 170 mm from the nose, 6 mm deep
Height at 70 mm wide: 50 mm
Nose length at 70 mm wide: 140 mm
Weight: 172 g
Price: €129

Our opinion

It's a "race" saddle, no doubt about it! You don't feel it floating or pumping when you're at full speed. You become one with your machine; you almost forget you're sitting at those moments. In this regard, the Repente Spyd 2.0 RLS has nothing to envy its competitors. However, we wouldn't recommend it for overly leisurely riding, or for a light cyclist. This is because the padding is thin and very dense and may not suit a user who completely "rests" on the saddle. Generally, the Spyd 2.0 RLS performs at the level of many high-end saddles, both in terms of weight and performance, and at a very attractive price. The detachable aspect is a plus that will allow you to rebuild your saddle after an impact or due to wear. On this last point, however, one can imagine that the chassis-shell assembly will also wear out over time... But everything can be changed, and that provides many benefits in the long run, doesn't it? We've all experienced the effects of a fall on a saddle and its covering...

Photo credits: Frédéric Iehl