WTB Valcon Carbon Saddle Review

WTB Valcon Carbon Saddle


What is it: WTB's saddle lineup is split into three distinct categories: recreation, performance and racing, with the carbon railed Valcon belonging to the latter. This, the lightest Valcon, also sports a carbon composite shell that further cuts weight, with final figure being an impressive 165 grams. That's light, but comfort should be the first priority when choosing a saddle - how will the airy Valcon Carbon treat my behind after some substantial early season epics? There are three versions of the Valcon, starting at $90 USD for the chromoly railed Pro model (270 grams) and topping out with the Cross Country racing inspired $250 USD Valcon Carbon tested here.




The details:Just in case the $250 USD MSRP didn't give it away, the Valcon Carbon sits right at the top of WTB's saddle lineup (along with their other carbon railed saddles). There is a good amount of technology packed into the Valcon, with the most obvious being its carbon saddle rails. A close look reveals that they are not round as you would expect to see, but actually have an oval profile that gives them more strength without needing to add extra material. Gradient marks are provided as well to make fore and aft adjustments easier. The Valcon Carbon is a no holds barred racing saddle, and as such it has been built around WTB's carbon composite shell - the lightest and stiffest of the three shell options in their range. The center section of the shell features a relief, named the LuxZone, that WTB says helps to relieve soft tissue pressure where it matters most. It is all topped off with their thin, but dense, DNA padding and an easy to clean microfiber cover. All that adds up to a 165 gram saddle that is most certainly not for the causal rider.

It's light and is made of carbon, but that isn't enough to make any saddle a winner if it isn't comfortable. Your seat is by far the most important of the three contact points between yourself and your bike, and this is especially true if you spend a lot of time in the saddle. And people who spend a lot of time in the saddle are exactly who the Valcon Carbon is aimed at. Not only is it quite firm, but it also uses a flatter and longer profile (all of WTB's tend to be flatter than most) than many other saddles on the market, with it measuring up at 133mm wide and 274mm long.




Performance: When talking about gear, it doesn't get any more personal than bike seats - just because someone finds a particular seat comfortable doesn't mean that everyone else will as well. Having said that, there are certainly saddles that are aimed for certain types of riders, and the Valcon Carbon is one of them. The firm shell and dense padding don't coddle your behind like a softer and more forgiving saddle would on shorter spins, but you also don't have that same surplus padding to sink into and create pressure where you don't want it during long rides. Yes, contrary to many rider's beliefs, having too much padding can be a very bad thing. The Valcon's flat shape and firm feel have been deigned to administer saddle pressure in the only place where your body can handle it - the sit bones. Whether or not your sit bones are in the right place, it varies from person to person, is what will make or break this saddle for you. After years spent on more rounded saddles I've found that the Valcon's flat profile has surprisingly suited me quite well, and that it doesn't require a downward saddle angle to keep the nose from making my twig and berries numb, unlike other saddles that I've spent time on recently. The neutral position on the Valcon is quite comfortable, but the nose and tail section are also usable as well when the trail demands it.

The microfiber cover has proven itself to be resilient to tearing, despite the saddles corner's meeting up with the ground on more than a few occasions during our very wet and slippery Spring riding season. While the cover has proven to be tough, the white WTB graphics quickly lost their luster after a few rides and have continued to fade from my shorts constantly rubbing on them during pedaling. Multiple furrows have shown up in the saddle's cover along both sides after about 30 hours of use. The carbon rails have demonstrated, without a doubt in my mind, that they are up to the task of cross-country use, despite some very hard use that WTB would most likely say that the Valcon Carbon wasn't designed for.




Pinkbike's take: Is a $250 USD, carbon railed saddle a reasonable option for most riders? There is no arguing that it is spectacularly light and comfortable for my behind, but the answer is that it is most certainly not. There will surely be riders who decide on the Valcon Carbon based on those two facts, but a more realistic option, and one that I would wholly recommend to cross-country and all-mountain riders, would be the $90 USD Pro version. It uses the same shape, the LuxZone cutaway and the firm DNA padding, in a more reasonably priced package that will appeal to a broader range of riders. Do keep in mind that saddle preference is very personal - if you are considering the Valcon, or any other saddle, have your shop install it on your bike for a test fit before you head out into the bush. This is especially important if you are considering pulling the trigger on the Valcon Carbon.


Check out the WTB website to see their entire lineup.

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