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The Specialized Body Geometry Romin Pro saddle continues to be one of the most comfortable road saddles we've tried.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The cutout is isolated to the middle of the Specialized Romin Pro saddle but the channel runs the entire length from tip to tail.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The nose is especially flat and broad, making it a surprisingly comfortable place to spend time. Some riders might find it to be a bit too broad for regular pedaling but for those riders, there's also the slightly tweaked Romin Evo shape with a more tapered nose.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The lightweight carbon fiber rails are marked for easy positioning and textured for a secure grip.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Specialized gives the Romin Pro a slight hammock shape fore-aft.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The Specialized Romin Pro is a prime example of how no saddle should ever be judged solely by its padding. By that measure, its sparse and very firm foam suggest a comfort level closer to a medieval torture device – it feels discouragingly unyielding at first and there's just the slightest bit of cush up top. But in fact, the Romin Pro is still one of the best saddles we've found for seasoned riders looking for all-day comfort and provided your butt is already used to long rides, it only gets better the longer you sit on it.
The shape is an interesting hybrid of new school and old with a mostly flat profile in the middle third left-to-right and also from the middle of the saddle forward. The tail kicks up just a bit, though, and the edges progressively arc downward to prevent chafing. Meanwhile, a deep central channel and cutout extend the entire length of the saddle and overall there's a notable lack of abrupt shape transitions from end-to-end.
As a result, the Romin does an excellent job of supporting your sit bones and appropriately distributing pressure while simultaneously almost completely eliminating any strain on sensitive soft tissue. The kicked-up tail lends a distinct sweet spot, too, and the flat forward section and unusually broad nose is surprisingly comfortable when you're on the rivet.
Newer riders might find the Romin Pro to still be a little too hard but otherwise, the firm shell and minimal, dense padding are just the thing for long-term support – sort of like how your butt feels good in squishy car seats at first but ends up achy on longer trips. That supportive nose might also be a bit too broad for some riders – especially ones whose knees tend to track inward while pedaling – in which case Specialized also offers the otherwise nearly identical Romin Evo shape with a more tapered tip.
Not to be ignored is the impressively light weight thanks to that lack of padding, the low-profile carbon-reinforced nylon shell, and carbon fiber rails. Our 143mm-wide test model – Specialized offers three widths to accommodate most riders – weighs just 162g. It's not cheap at US$180 but the value quotient grows when you compare similar saddles from Italian companies and if you're ok with a bit of extra weight, Specialized also offers the Romin Expert for an extra 45g but sixty fewer dollars.
Long-term experience with previous Romin saddles suggests this latest Romin Pro will stand the test of time, too. We have some samples that have been kicking around the office for nearly two years with barely noticeable wear on the Micromatrix synthetic cover and the stiff shell is impressively resistant to sagging even with regular mountain bike use.
