TriRig & Dash Saddles
I'm a somewhat regular reader over at TriRig. As a gear/tech junkie and an engineer I mostly enjoy their site, and while I have not actually bought any of their products, I think its super cool that they are at least tackling them. If you aren't aware, they more or less have started to tackle a series of triathlon-specific products that for whatever reason the bigger manufacturers just don't seem to get.
This includes the Omega aero brake, which I probably would own if I didn't already have a Simkins Egg, an aero/integrated stem (the Sigma), their own take on aero extensions and in the future, their own aerobar. The latter is called the Alpha and will be a very high aspect-ratio (UCI illegal) bar that is also highly adjustable, a combination that does not really exist in today's market. The 3T Ventus, which I have, is a classic example of a very high aspect ratio (large airfoil) and very fast aerobar... but has virtually no adjustability. If it doesn't happen to fit you as configured, you are pretty much out of luck.
However, one thing that consistently throws me off about TriRig is Nick Salazar's obsession with the Dash saddle. If you look at every bike build they do, you'll notice an especially peculiar looking saddle adorning each one, which they seemingly have had no shortage of praise for, the Dash Tri.7.
According to Nick, these very unconventional looking saddles are the cure for what ails you, going well above and beyond the offerings from Cobb or Adamo, but with one small caveat; they are priced roughly between 500 to 600 dollars.
In a land where you can easily spend 400-500 on a pair of cycling shoes or a single pair of bibs if you get fancy enough, I guess this is not an absolute deal breaker for something that can make as profound of a difference as the ‘perfect’ saddle. My objection is more on principal, why does a saddle have to cost $500? It is certainly not in raw materials, the saddles are shockingly minimalistic. I doubt it is in manufacturing, frankly, how much could it cost to have some seamstresses sew some padding and leather on some rails?
I get the impression that the true reason is more along the lines of “because we can”. Because at the point end, triathlon is an ‘exclusive’ sport for ‘exclusive’ individuals and if you want to be the most exclusive of us all, you’ll buy a $600 saddle and a $3000 disc wheel. Yes, dash also makes a 3-grand lenticular disc wheel.
I would love to try out a dash saddle, although I’m pretty comfortable on my Cobb V-Flow max, I’m sure there is always room for less testicular trauma in my life. But, I just can’t bring myself to get on board with this end of the boutique market though. Frankly, I just want to say no to the concept of artificially inflated exclusivity, but maybe I’m just out of touch with the realities of running a small business in today’s world.
Comments
I liek TriRig as well... They have great and thorough reviews.
I actually tried the Dash TT9 saddle last yr. I used to use the Cobb V-Flow Max with reasonable success. However, last winter when I put my bike on a fixed trainer (instead of my rollers), it started to bother me so I tried the Adamo Time-Trial. It was too wide, but caused less numbness than the Cobb. That's when I tried the Dash (yes I am their target audience because I would have paid anything if it was as awesome as TriRig said). I really, really wanted it to be my saddle. I loved the integrated water bottle mount. I loved how light it was. However I developed some major sores because it is about as wide as the Adamo in the front, but it has much sharper edges since it is so thin. I "demo'd" it for at least 3 months while I waited for them to build my preferred color combination. I was willing to throw down $600 bucks for their saddle but it took them forever to fill my order. So either they are making a ton of seats for people, or they can literally only make 1 seat every couple of days... Either way, it took months, so I partly understand why they can cost so much. When my "real" saddle (not demo) was ready to ship, I cancelled the order and sent them the demo back (because of the pressure sores that would not go away). They had great custy service and refunded the $100 or $150 that I put down for the demo even though I had the seat way longer than 2 weeks.
I switched back to my Cobb V-flow Max and it is now the "perfect" seat for me! I appreciate the Cobb so much more now, and will be unlikely to try another saddle. I think if you have a wide pelvis (i.e. an Adamo feels like the right width) but want something lighter and with less padding, then the Dash might work.
I also don't blame them for what they charge. If it is $600 and they don't have the capacity to full-fill their orders right away, why should they charge $100 and exacerbate that problem...
@Tim,
In regards to the Speedplay Ti's, here's a potentially cool little budget hack that I haven't tried yet, but have been thinking about. OK, so Speedplay Ti's go for $335 retail, but there is an aftermarket company that makes Zero compatible Ti replacement spindles for $75. Get yourself some new or lightly used chromoly Zero's and simply swap the spindles, or get the aftermarket spindles + a new Zero Ti full rebuild kit ($140) and you get a brand new Ti Zero for $215.
Here are the Ti spindles and here is the Zero Ti rebuild kit.
@John and the topic of pricing as a whole,
I agree from a business perspective the market will dictate what an acceptable price for a product will be, especially in a very, very niche market such as ultra-high-end triathlon saddles. There certainly is a real risk that their pricing and production model will prevent them from expanding to a larger customer base, but if their goal is to remain a boutique outfit with complete in-house development and production then there is little reason for change.
This topic is more troubling to me when looking at the industry from a broader perspective where in some cases there appears to be somewhat of a 'race to the top' in terms of pricing. I think Newton's success in the shoe domain eventually successfully redefined consumer expectations of what a shoe can cost. Whether Newton's should cost what they do is an entirely separate topic, but the market demonstrated that was a price point at which they could be successful. Suddenly the idea of $150 running shoes simply does not seem that foreign anymore, and I’ve think we’ve seen a somewhat sudden shift up in prices across the board from nearly all manufacturers. Quite simply, the market indicated that is a price consumers were willing to pay.
Don’t get me wrong, I wear Newton’s, but I’m always a little weary of what industry is going to show a similar shift next. Take the new S-Works Trivent shoe for example. I thought I was blowing the bank out when I bought my previous pair of Trivent’s a few years ago for something like $150. Roughly speaking, ~200 seemed like the market price for a high-end tri shoe. The new Trivent is $400. Yes, it’s super cool and I want one, but I’m just not sure I can bring myself to vote with my wallet and tell Specialized ‘yes, this is an acceptable price for a shoe’ for fear of that this price point will be the new norm.
I suppose you could make the same point about the TYR Freak of Nature wetsuit or any other variety of ‘super products’, and there are clearly parallels in nearly every other industry. There is always a significant tax if you want to have the absolute best of the best that is extremely rarely justified over the median price point options for all but the most demanding of users.
Guess I either need to get less OCD or make more money.