# Romin comp gel vs evo pro



## jfd986 (Jul 17, 2011)

What are the major differences?

I'm 800 miles new to road cycling and was wondering which I should go for since Im trying to buy used and was recommended toward the Romin line by my fitter. Right now there's a thirty dollar difference between one and the other, and I was trying to figure out if the evo pro is actually worth that extra 30 ($70)

I was told by a much more experienced forum member that the following does not make a great deal of difference but I guess for fairness sake I'll add that the Evo pro has 500 miles on it and the comp gel has a max of 30 miles on it


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Most important things are the width of the saddle and your position aka pelvis rotation on the saddle. I am not a big gel saddle fan. For me, a stiffer saddle surface works better...a bit counterintuitive but always been my experience...including stiff Brooks saddles of years back.

The reason by pelvis tilt matters is because it affects how much pressure you place on your sit bones. Newbies tend to ride with less pelvis tilt and tend to complain more of saddle pain...that they tend to be a bit heavier than seasoned riders. So start with the right saddle width and work on your position/posture on the bike. A nominal road bike position is with torso slanted about 45 deg forward with arms comfortably draped on the hoods. This unweights the sitbones and allows you to put your power to the road by enlisting your glutes and helps your aero profile.


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## jfd986 (Jul 17, 2011)

Both saddles are the right size, I was wondering which saddle you would recommend to someone new to the sport who is on the tightest budget you've ever seen? Assume the comp gel is $45 and the evo pro is $70, and I could pick either but I'd want to make the most-likely-right choice because they don't come with a return policy.


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## Stumpjumper FSR (Aug 6, 2006)

jfd986 said:


> What are the major differences?
> 
> I'm 800 miles new to road cycling and was wondering which I should go for since Im trying to buy used and was recommended toward the Romin line by my fitter. Right now there's a thirty dollar difference between one and the other, and I was trying to figure out if the evo pro is actually worth that extra 30 ($70)
> 
> I was told by a much more experienced forum member that the following does not make a great deal of difference but I guess for fairness sake I'll add that the Evo pro has 500 miles on it and the comp gel has a max of 30 miles on it


The Romin EVO has more padding and a slimmer nose compared to the standard Romin saddle. The EVO Pro has carbon rails so you will have to make sure you have a seat post that will work with the 7MM x 9MM Rails. 
I sold my Romin and bought a Romin Evo Expert, I find it much more comfortable than the Romin.


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## jfd986 (Jul 17, 2011)

Will the bontrager race lite X zero setback carbon seat post work with that? I'm inclined to think it will, being carbon itself, was just wondering.

Do you think the evo has too much padding? What's the difference between the evo pro and the evo expert? All I see on these websites is pictures and promotional stuff

Addendum- found the difference; evo pro has carbon rails and evo expert has titanium. Which means they likely feel the same, dampening properties of rails aside.


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## Stumpjumper FSR (Aug 6, 2006)

jfd986 said:


> Will the bontrager race lite X zero setback carbon seat post work with that? I'm inclined to think it will, being carbon itself, was just wondering.
> 
> Do you think the evo has too much padding? What's the difference between the evo pro and the evo expert? All I see on these websites is pictures and promotional stuff
> 
> Addendum- found the difference; evo pro has carbon rails and evo expert has titanium. Which means they likely feel the same, dampening properties of rails aside.


I doubt that your seat post will work with the carbon rails, 
http://service.specialized.com/collateral/ownersguide/new/assets/pdf/Saddle---Carbon-Rail-Saddle.pdf

No the EVO does not have too much padding


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## jfd986 (Jul 17, 2011)

Well that settles it then. Looks like I'm gambling on the $45 almost-new Romin comp gel. Thanks for your input stumpjumper, saved me a ton of hassle.


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## Stumpjumper FSR (Aug 6, 2006)

jfd986 said:


> Well that settles it then. Looks like I'm gambling on the $45 almost-new Romin comp gel. Thanks for your input stumpjumper, saved me a ton of hassle.



I agree with Roadworthy that you need to make sure the saddle is wide enough to support your sit bones, I am a 143 according to the Specialized A$$-O-Meter
and had ridden 143mm Toupes for years, when I moved to the Romin I purchased a 143 but found that the rounded shape of the saddle was not supporting both sit bones properly. After reading about forum members sizing up on the Romin I did the same and have been riding a 155 Romin for 2 years now with great successs. 
Good luck!


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

jfd986 said:


> Will the bontrager race lite X zero setback carbon seat post work with that? I'm inclined to think it will, being carbon itself, was just wondering.
> 
> Do you think the evo has too much padding? What's the difference between the evo pro and the evo expert? All I see on these websites is pictures and promotional stuff
> 
> Addendum- found the difference; evo pro has carbon rails and evo expert has titanium. Which means they likely feel the same, dampening properties of rails aside.


The thing about saddles is...it is virtually impossible to determine the best saddle for you in a 'virtual' manner. There really is no intellectualizing what will work best. You can apply some basic tenants but there is no substitute for trial and error in terms of width, shape and firmness. I am not a carbon rail fan but no doubt others love them. I like Spesh hollow Ti rails...light weight and solid. The Romin to Toupe analogy is a good one. The shape of the Romin is more rounded and why many prefer a wider version compared to the Toupe. I ride both the Romin and Toupe in 155...and prefer the Toupe 155. But others will prefer the Romin because of their anatomy.
Best advice is always purchase a saddle at a good price you can turn around and sell it on ebay without a big loss. Lots of fair valued saddles on ebay because of trial and error. Some bike shops are Specialized dealers and offer an exchange program which is a very good approach to finding the best saddle as well.


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