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Light and spherical like polystyrene, shock-absorbing like foam, resilient like rubber. BASF's high-performance foam called Infinergy has been used in high-quality running shoes for over five years, and now the first mountain bike products with Infinergy are available. Saddle developers are particularly fond of the foam.
Back in 2017, Ergon presented the first trekking saddle with a spherical foam core, which was still white and coarse-grained at the time. The saddle was correspondingly high and was only suitable for off-road use to a limited extent - also due to the white colour. But a lot has happened in four years of development. In collaboration with Ergon, the foam was further developed by BASF and is now finer and enables sporty, slim designs, as the SM E-Mountain Core presented last year proved. With the SQlab 60X Ergowave and Ergon's SMC Core, the first Infinergy saddles for conventional mountain bikes are now reaching market maturity almost simultaneously.
SMC Core: Two-shell construction with Infinergy damper
What's new about the SMC Core is not only the Infinergy foam, called Core by Ergon, but also the construction. Unlike the classic SMC - Ergon's trail saddle - which consists of a frame, shell, orthopaedic foam and cover as usual, the SMC Core, like the ST Core trekking saddle and the E-MTB saddle SM E-Mountain Core on a double-shell construction.
The frame carries a first rigid and narrow shell, the padding and cover sit on a second wider shell, which is somewhat more flexible. Both shells are connected by the Infinergy core - hence the name, Core. This construction allows the shells to twist against each other if necessary. In this way, the load caused by impacts from below and the alternating one-sided load on the sit bones when pedalling from above can be supported over as large an area as possible and cushioned as much as possible.
The SMC Core in a practical test: Minimally clunky, maximally comfortable
We have already been able to see for ourselves that the concept works in an initial practical test. The familiar shape of the SMC, which quickly brings the sit bones into the correct position and prevents unintentional slipping on the saddle, is pleasing from the very first time you sit on it. The saddle also offers good rearward support when the climbs get a little steeper. The wide saddle nose also makes a slightly more forward-facing riding position comfortable on technical climbs, whereby the cut-out in the centre of the saddle is not noticeable in a negative way.
However, the real strength of the SMC Core lies in its damping. In our saddle test for the current issue BIKE 4/21 the SMC Core delivered the best values of the test field and also shone in the measurement with the pressure measuring film with an excellent pressure image without load peaks and yet very good relief of the sensitive perineal area. Small details such as the relatively high weight of 349 grams, even for a comfort saddle, and the somewhat bulky shape can only minimally spoil the picture. A successful debut!
More about the big test of 15 MTB saddles in BIKE issue 4/21 can be found in our overview or directly in the magazine.
The big BIKE Ergonomics Special with tests, tips and the right setting on 56 pages can be found in the download area below.
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Adrian Kaether
Editor
