Bontrager Aeolus Saddle – First Look

Bontrager saddles are a bit of a regular here at AeroGeeks.com. We have previously reviewed the Hilo Pro, Hilo XXX, and Hilo RXL Speed Dial. So when Bontrager reached out to tell us they had a new saddle in the works we were definitely excited to try it out. When they also told us it did not have the word ‘Hilo’ in the name we were even more excited (sometimes it gets hard to keep track of all the like named products). Meet the Bontrager Aeolus aero road saddles – a new lineup of road saddles designed for an aerodynamic position for the growing segment of road cyclists looking for every advantage against the wind.

The Bontrager Aeolus Saddle

The new design features a full cutout, a shorter overall length, and a wider nose—all of which plays a part in relieving pressure on soft tissue areas for riders of all genders and body types.

“When road cyclists rotate forward and tuck into an aero position,” said Justin Henkel, Trek’s Director of Product for Saddles and Essentials, “they interact more with the front of their saddle. That can cause a lot of pressure and discomfort. But Aeolus saddles solve this problem. They’re designed specifically for comfort and targeted support in an aero position.”

There are three models in the new lineup of Bontrager Aeolus saddles: Pro, Elite, and Comp. Aeolus Pro has OCLV Carbon rails, a carbon-reinforced shell, and minimal padding to keep weight to a minimum. Aeolus Comp and Elite have more padding and alloy rails.

All Aeolus saddles feature a split design with a full cutout that minimizes soft tissue pressure and allows for a more powerful, rotated position. All Aeolus saddles also have full-length rails, which allow for the whole saddle to flex for extra comfort.

Aeolus has a wider nose with a shorter overall length than Bontrager’s previous road specific saddles that ensures the whole saddle is usable and comfortable, whether you’re sitting up on the hoods or hammering in the drops.

Bontrager uses the latest biomechanical research and equipment to offer an even distribution of pressure and targeted support. All inForm saddles, including Aeolus, are designed to maximize comfort, power, and speed.

Aeolus saddles work with Bontrager’s Blendr accessory mount, which attaches securely to the rear of the saddle for clean integration with any Bontrager Flare rear light while still leaving enough room for a seat pack.

Aeolus saddles are designed and tested to work well for a wide range of riders of any body type and gender, and they’re available in multiple sizes to provide the best individual fit. All Aeolus saddles are available in 145mm and 155mm widths.

The Aeolus Comp is the most economical of the Aeolus saddles with a suggested retail price of $89.99. It weighs in at 286g.

The Aeolus Elite cuts the weight down (219g for the 145mm width and 222g for the 155mm width) via austenite rails that are lighter and stronger than hollow titanium. You also get Elite-level trim optimized foam padding for added lightweight comfort. The Elite will set you back $149.99

Finally, there is the Aeolus Pro weighing in at 170g for the 145mm width and 173g for the 155mm option. To drop the weight – the Pro features oversized carbon rails for lightweight strength (specific seatpost ear clamps are required.) A lightweight carbon-reinforced shell provides a balance of weight, strength, and compliance. And minimal pro-level padding offers a sleek profile that shaves weight. The Aeolus Pro will set you back $229.99.

Out Thoughts

We only received our Aeolus Elite just a few hours ago so our thoughts are limited (and our photo shoot will have to wait for the full review). That being said – we are excited to get it on our Giant Propel aero road test bike. Currently we have the Bontrager Hilo XXX on it and we are curious to see how the Aeolus Elite stacks up – both when we in a relaxed hood position or deep in the drops for catching the break away.

That being said we did get a chance to weigh and measure it. Our Elite weighed in at 227g. We measured our Elite from a few different directions and compared it to a few other Bontrager saddles below:

Length Front Width Rear Width Front to Widest Point Channel Width
Aeolus Elite 250mm 50mm 155mm 170mm 25mm
Hilo Pro 245mm 60mm 130mm 190mm 30mm
Hilo XXX 250mm 50mm 140mm 170mm 15mm

Wrapping Up

Bontrager has continued to regularly invest in their product lines. While they are easily dismissed as a Trek component company. Their lights, wheels, and saddles are some of the best we routinely review. We are excited to get this saddle onto our test bike and see how it stacks up. Make sure to stay tuned to AeroGeeks.com for our full review! And as always thanks for reading!

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