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Phenom Expert

4.4

32 Reviews

The Phenom Expert was designed for comfort and strength over long days on the road…

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Product Details

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The Phenom Expert was designed for comfort and strength over long days on the road or trail. It features a carbon-reinforced shell with outer-edges that conform to your body for a near-custom fit. This version, unlike the Pro, has rugged titanium rails for lightweight durability, it has our medium density, Level 2 Padding for ample support and comfort. Likewise, at the tail, you'll find the Phenom hallmarks of a rounded, anti-snag design, and throughout the saddle, an expertly-tuned construction that provides the ideal degree of both stiffness and efficiency.

  • Patented Body Geometry design is lab-tested to assure blood flow to sensitive arteries.
  • Carbon-reinforced shell with flexible Adaptive Edge technology adapts to your body for a custom fit and all-day comfort.
  • Low friction panels on the nose and tail improve pedaling efficiency and mobility while moving on and off the saddle.
  • Lightweight and durable hollow titanium rails.
  • Lightweight and supportive PU foam for increased comfort on longer rides.
  • Level 2 padding: Medium density foam for bike feel with additional cushioning.
  • SWAT™-compatible mounts molded into the saddle base allow for sleek and integrated storage solutions.
  • Size 143mm / Weight 248g
  • Size 155mm / Weight 254g

Rider Reviews

4.4

32 Reviews

 

Comfortable but flimsy.

I never had any discomfort on rides up to 4 hours (mixed paths/technical routes). I don't do any jumps or major drops, but used on my Hardtail - one of the rails snapped after about 18 months.

Would Recommend?
No

Name:
Nick

Helpful?

Very comfortable

Very comfortable

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Ramiro R.

Helpful?

Not good

Been riding this saddle for four years no problem then decided to buy a second one and the saddle is scew, rails are loose and cracking its been replaced four times in 6 months and every saddle has been faulty, moving to Ergon saddle now, i will never ride a specialized product again as it is unexceptable for a company to have so little quality controll over their products.


Name:
Rossi

Helpful?

Saddle cracked on 1st MTB ride without a crash

I put this saddle on a new MTB and on the first real trail ride it failed on the most minor impact. The embarrassing part: I was stopped and getting off my bike. It being a new bike I caught my foot on the handlebar and fell on my left side. No big deal. I get back on and notice the plastic has cracked from the back of the cutout to the rear of the saddle. Complete failure. For a MTB saddle this needs to be more way more durable. Now maybe I fell in the exact million to one spot that caused the fail but needless to say I'm disappointed. The only reason I put 2 stars is because I also have this saddle on a gravel bike and it has been good even with a couple light falls. I hope I can warranty the saddle that broke and that I was just unlucky?

Would Recommend?
No

Name:
Brian

Helpful?

Much better fit.

First time buying a seat designed for my seat bone width. What an improvement. Much more comfortable and my feet are not going numb. I feel like my pedaling strength has improved also.

Would Recommend?
No

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Name:
Eric P.

Helpful?

Sent the wrong seat... and then asked for a review

Specialized sent the wrong seat (and wrong size) so the process is to "return/refund" and then you have to order again... except then the seat was out of stock... so after a number of weeks waiting for a new saddle I am going elsewhere. The other thing is it would be helpful if the website actually described what all the Specialized terms and technology mean. There is very little (helpful) information just proprietary technology names and prices, so I guess you just figure out what your price range is and pick one that looks good - simply lazy.

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Timothy G.

Helpful?

Love the fit of this

Love the fit of this saddle. Would buy it again for sure.

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Ed P.

Helpful?

most comfortable mtb seat ever

most comfortable mtb seat ever

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Guest G.

Helpful?

A great saddle is hard

A great saddle is hard to find, but I certainly have. After spending over 750 hours on this saddle in 2022 without issue, I must say that we go well together.

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Randy E.

Helpful?

Didn't work for me. No

Didn't work for me. No matter how I adjusted it just wasn't comfortable.


Verified Buyer
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Name:
Guest G.

Helpful?

Henge VS Phenom

I have been sitting on my Henge slamming through the trails, blasting over obstacles, and jumping everything within my ability on my Stumpjumpers for over 7 years. No padded shorts. Even on all day/2 day riding weekends I was never uncomfortable or developed saddle sores. The Henge was literally the perfect saddle for my derriere. And then I accidentally unclipped mid-air on a table top, came down wrong, and snapped the nose (carbon reinforced shell and all). After much deliberation, I decided to go with the Phenom. To start with it was the only seat that came close to the shape and size of the Henge. With fingers crossed, I have been putting the Phenom to the test this week and I am completely satisfied with the fit and comfort. It has definitely matched the Henge and is truly a bit more comfortable with some of the slight differences. If you are/were a fan of the Henge, this may very well be your replacement saddle.

Would Recommend?
No

Name:
Toby

Helpful?

Comfy

Been riding a Power arc for the last year and it treated me well. I tried this today and it was super comfy. Great saddle. Look up best saddles of 2022 and this will show up, and rightly so. Nice job Specialized.

Would Recommend?
No

Name:
Josh

Helpful?

Great saddle for me. Well

Great saddle for me. Well built, light, and comfortable. It's my second purchase as the first one was damaged in a bad crash. Would recommend if the fit is good for you.

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Guest G.

Helpful?

Had issues with my proximal

Had issues with my proximal hamstring. tried a handful of seats and the phenom with the way the side turns down made my legs posterior the happiest on my MTB. I just bought another one for y new Kickr Bike and love it.

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Dan S.

Helpful?

I liked it so much

I liked it so much I bought a second one for another bike.

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Kyle K.

Helpful?

Excellent saddle. The 143 is

Excellent saddle. The 143 is perfect for my sit bones and makes multi hour rides dreamy.

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Gregory K.

Helpful?

I think the phenom is

I think the phenom is one of the best I’ve had. I was using a Smp drakon for a long time and I just got tired of it . I only have a few ride’s on it, but it feels like it’s going to work. Anyhow it’s something you have to try. Good luck.

Would Recommend?
No

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Name:
George M.

Helpful?

A good saddle for the

A good saddle for the price

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Victor B.

Helpful?

A saddle designed for power

A saddle designed for power and comfort. I love it.

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Glen D.

Helpful?

Been a big fan of

Been a big fan of this seat for a number of years. Good compromise between weight, cost and comfort.

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Tyler L.

Helpful?

Phenom Expert

Looked at tons of reviews and various saddles. Decided on this one. My previous cheaper saddle only allowed me to put in about 20 miles and I had to get off the saddle. Put the Phenom Expert on my ol Trek 8500 and put in 31.5 miles. I like to move around and re-adjust alot and this saddle allows me to do that. Awesome saddle. My bum thanks you. Hopefully it holds up a long time.

Would Recommend?
No

Name:
Lance

Helpful?

The jury is still out

The jury is still out on this saddle! I am working on some micro adjustments trying to remove discomfort I have been having with my right sit bone that I didn’t have with my Bontrager Montrose saddle. I am hoping to solve this issue b4 the return time runs out. Will comment further if I solve this problem


Verified Buyer
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Name:
Thomas E.

Helpful?

Good saddle well made and

Good saddle well made and comfortable

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Roger W.

Helpful?

This is my second one

This is my second one of these saddles, I have them on both my fs and my hardtail. I like a harder, slippery saddle, but these work great for me, and the padding is a benefit.I have relatively narrow sitbones, so having multiple widths available is a big win. ++

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Guest G.

Helpful?

Awesome safely..great fit and comfortable

Awesome safely..great fit and comfortable

Would Recommend?
No

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Guest G.

Helpful?

The perfect saddle for me

I find this saddle very comfortable and it's also very light. So far, it's been very durable, as well.

Would Recommend?
No

Name:
Ron

Helpful?

Last mountain bike seat you will ever buy , period.

I usually don't write reviews ,but this saddle sure deserves one . This saddle paired with zoic shorts n liner is the best combo out there i think .


Name:
Bladerunner

Helpful?

very comfortable; worth the price

very comfortable; worth the price


Name:
O'nullan

Helpful?

Don't notice it's there

Bought a new seat after 8 years of the original and don't notice its there. That's a good thing!


Name:
Milfodo

Helpful?

Only One for My Bum

Over 12K miles per year on the Phenom, with zero discomfort. An absolutely Phenomenal saddle...


Name:
Randy

Helpful?

Best Seat

Cross between enduro / X Country. Comfortable and light weighs. Puts pressure where needed.


Name:
Dhi D.

Helpful?

When I buy a new saddle, this is the one I get.

I first used the Phenom in 2010 because it was on the Stumpjumper I bought. It was great eight years ago and since then, I have purchased 2 more! Most recently I got this Expert version for my gravel bike and, being the kind of guy that wears baggies, I love the round, no-snag design (something that did not exist on that first saddle). My shorts slide over the edges without ever catching. I opted for this model because of the hollow TI rails. I figure that this configuration, while not having the absolute lightness of the carbon railed Pro, balances light weight and durability...this adds a little piece of mind for me. The padding level is low but perfect when wearing a decent chamois - I generally use the Mountain Liner you can find elsewhere on this site. Also, be sure to measure your sits bones (a Specialized dealer can do this for you) because getting the right width saddle is vital to maximum comfort. I ride the 143mm. The Phenom worked great on my mountain bike and has bumped up the comfort of my gravel to bike so I can tackle the brutal centuries that exist all over MN and the Midwest.


Name:
Patrick.Sheedy.Iii

Helpful?