Komm Vor Plus Saddle Review

James Raison

A review of the Komm Vor Plus Saddle, from German lightweight lovers, Tune.

Tune Bike Parts are demigods to those who walk the path of the weight weenie. They laugh in the face of gravity, UCI regulations, and bank balances alike. Enter the Komm Vor Plus saddle, a few sheets of carbon and some fake leather. Sound comfortable? Shockingly, it is.

The Komm Vor Plus Saddle 79g of shiny carbon bling, or comfortable lightweight racing perch?

Tune was founded in 1989 after German chemist Uli Fahl became frustrated at the lack of truly light bike parts. So he stepped up to make his own. Initially, Uli produced quick releases, bearings, and aluminium screws. Fast forward to 2016 and Tune make more parts for road and mountain bikes than I can be bothered naming. One particular highlight is this casual t-shirt listed with its exact weight in grams…. Germans…

The saddle starring in this review is a 130mm wide piece of carbon sitting atop carbon rails. At the rear of the saddle is a small strip of fake leather to act as a stopper so you don’t slide off the back of the glossy surface. Total weight is a staggering 79 grams. To put that in perspective, the popular Fizik Arione R3 with Kium rails weighs a comparatively colossal 184 grams. The low weight seat has a similarly low rider weight limit of 90kg.

The only thing as stunning as the weight is the comfort. It’s all about flex. You can feel the saddle flexing underneath you, acting like suspension as you rumble over the road. Even large bumps are smoothed out better than any saddle I’ve used.

Glossy carbon and imitation leather is all you get for your money.

Its glossy surface lets you slide into the right position. It can be odd if you’re used to a textile covered saddle going to this slippery gloss. I found it strange initially and slid around on the saddle, searching for the right position. Once I stopped thinking about it I ended up in the most comfortable position. Hammering along on the flats, I perched on the long nose of the saddle to jab at the pedals. Long climbing efforts are best done at the wide rear where you can get the full support of the carbon platform.

So it’s comfortable and light. What’s the catch? Well, there’s a couple of drawbacks. First, unusual rail profile meant I had to change to an in-line seatpost. A setback post will have the saddle slammed all the way forward which isn’t good for the saddle or the general aesthetics of the bike. Second, is the eye-watering expense. The Komm Vor Plus will lighten your bike as much as your wallet with an Australian retail of $369. Ouch.

If Darth Vader was a cyclist this would be his saddle.

It’s easy to get distracted by the ridiculous numbers of this saddle. The weight is jaw-droppingly low and the price is devastatingly high. In the middle of that is the exceptional ride quality. It is easy to recommend buying it. Sure, it’s expensive, but it’s effectively future proof. As long as there are seatposts that can hold it, it’s unlikely you’ll want to upgrade.

Tune

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