I’ve long been a fan of Charge’s saddles, the lightweight Knife has been a regular fixture on my bike over the past year (read my review here) and the Scoop has been a perennial fave. The Scoop is their latest saddle, based on the Spoon with a very similar shape, but the new unique three-piece construction gives the saddle a very clean look. And at 251g for the chromoly railed version (there’s a Ti one too) and only £40, it’s ticking all the boxes.
It most especially ticks the “comfort” box. The shape, slightly raised tail, drooping nose, thin at the front, wide at the back, deep sides and recessed channel, combined with the generous padding, means this is an extraordinarily comfortable saddle. It’s noticeably plusher than the Knife. There’s plenty of flex in the saddle base too.
Turn the saddle over and you’re presented with a very clean one-piece nylon base. There’s none of the traditional stitching and stapling of regular saddles, it’s just very smooth. It’s a very smart and sleek saddle, and one benefit is that it’s easier to clean and stays look smarter for longer.
On the bike, it’s a bloody comfortable saddle. Without padded shorts it’s ok-ish for short rides, but I typically wear a padded short under my baggies for most rides, and here the saddle presents no cause for complaint at all. Short and long rides are dispatched with ease. Of course, everyone is fussy about saddles but based on how universally well received and liked the Spoon was, I’m willing to bet most people will get on fine with the new Scoop.
It comes in a range of eight colours so you should be able to personalise your bike a little, or at least get a saddle to loosely match the general colour scheme of your bike, if you’re into that sort of thing. The cover is a waterproof microfibre material and washes clean after muddy rides.
Check out the Charge video
Verdict
Comfortable and good looking saddle at a decent weight and keen price.
Price: £39.99 chromoly rails / £59.99 titanium rails
More information: Charge Scoop saddle
What Charge says:
A highly-flexible, one-piece base with a super-light foam top, encased with a durable and waterproof microfibre cover. Available with chromoly rail or super lightweight titanium rails.
