We visited the Posedla factory last year to interview their founders. Later we also briefly introduced the upgraded Joyseat 2.0 bike saddle. Now, having been riding the most recent model and gathering data for half a season, it’s time to look deeper into what the saddle actually feels like and how it differs from its predecessor.
In the current times when other competitors are arriving to the market with customized options for their saddles, we also think it’s fair to highlight some differences. The biggest one is probably in the continuous scale of offered widths, ranging from 130mm to 170mm, and fully custom saddle shape. Both aspects are currently still a unique feature on the market, as the competition chooses a different strategy with admittedly less customization aspects offered.
Review of the customization process
The purchase process starts with an online configuration of the rider’s parameters. A few days after filling in our data into the configurator questionnaire, we received the Smiling Butt Kit, an imprint foam in which the rider has to sit into and then upload photos of the resulting imprint to the configurator. That means all the steps are done from home. The company claims that the process accuracy is within 1mm. We don’t have the means to test that, but from our own experience, we can at least state that we did not encounter any issues with the imprinting process and found it quite straightforward. It is also quite well instructed in Posedla’s FAQ videos, which is encouraging for those in doubt.
These were the resulting parameters of our Joyseat saddle, now let’s have a look into the on-bike experience.
Riding experience review: Joyseat 1.0 vs 2.0
We spent the entire past season riding the first generation Joyseat model, and we upgraded to the 2.0 model soon after its release this spring. Having ridden a couple of thousands of kilometers on both saddles on a road bike, we are now bringing our review of what it feels like and where we see the major upgrade.
To start off, we can now clearly confirm that we haven’t experienced any quality decrease or signs of material wear after the full season, which is, of course, something you would not expect to happen with a saddle of this price end, but we want to stress that the Joyseat holds up to the promise. The saddle is also easy to maintain, including the inner side of the 3D-printed top layer.
When it comes to the ride feel, we must say that it is rather gradual, but yet a positive feeling, which is growing with each ride more and more sensibly, rather than an immediate wow effect. Of course, we were delighted to put on the saddle, but your body adaptation has to be taken into consideration. It took around three rides before we could fully acknowledge the first benefits slowly start appearing.
Nevertheless, one remark was clear from the very first ride, and that was the well-defined sitting position on the saddle. We just felt nicely locked into the sitting sweet spot, without any sliding around to find the right position on the saddle. This feeling was very similar with both generations of the saddle.
What we saw as the major improvement from the first generation to the Joyseat 2.0, was the broader stiffness variability of different saddle zones. This can be felt most sensibly in seated efforts in steep climbs, once the rider’s weight shifts towards the saddle nose. Since the 2.0 version provides a softer and shorter nose then its predecessor, it was something that we happily welcomed.
When it comes to the overall stiffness of the saddle, from our own subjective experience, the first generation Joyseat was rather stiff. The exact stiffness configuration formula is Posedla’s secret know-how, but our input was made for the weight of 70 kg, 190 cm height, 5 000 km yearly distance and riding style slightly leaning towards performance rather than endurance (but not drastically). The same configuration data was used for the 2nd generation build, with the information from the makers that the revisioned formula should result in a slightly softer saddle.
Posedla addressed our request, and the difference can be felt by simply touching the upper part of the saddle or by linking long rides. In fact, this was the only situation when the saddle sore on the first generation with such configuration started to come in; after the fifth day of a week riding in Mallorca. Compared to that, the Joyseat 2.0 now feels just right even when it comes to repeated long days out in the saddle without a rest day.
Consider the following as our personal insight. Looking at the chart above which indicates that the stiffness of our saddle was around the mean, we think that not overestimating your riding style and probably configuring rather towards the endurance end is a safer choice. However, this of course comes down to each rider’s preference and intended use. If in doubt, definitely consult the saddle configuration with their customer support, they were very helpful with us.
Summary
The Joyseat 2.0 performs very reliably, and with the revised shape, width range and stiffness variability of different sitting zones from its predecessor, we think the product delivers for those who are looking for a premium saddle product. Given its €490 price tag, it indeed isn’t justifiable to everyone, but we see that the main benefits lie in a very personalized customer experience and support, both while consulting the configuration or 60-day money guarantee warranty, and most importantly in the fully customized process, which sets Posedla apart from its competitors.
