Velo’s Angel bike saddle series is part of their flagship product line and combines premium construction and design details to achieve high-performance and comfort. The current product line features mountain biking as well as road cycling saddles with sizes ranging from kids to adults. Earlier this year, Velo expanded the Angel line with the stubby nose Angel TT which is a shortened version of the Angel saddle. Despite the ‘TT’ in the product name, the Angel TT isn’t limited to time trial use as the shortened 241mm length and standard 143mm width is more comfortable when riding in an aggressive position on or off the road. In this review, we’ll be looking at the latest women’s specific version – the Velo Women’s Angel TT bike saddle.
The Velo Angel TT combines their patented ArcTech rails and Y-Cutout with a proprietary multi-density padding for a women’s specific saddle.
The Women’s Angel TT saddle shares the same design as the Angel TT and Velo’s patented ArcTech rails and Y-Cutout. With the ArcTech rails, Velo uses a unique mounting design to attach the rails to the saddle structure for improved shock absorption and comfort. The Y-Cutout is a Y-shaped center saddle cutout designed to reduce pressure points and also provide shock absorption. With this women’s version, Velo has utilized a proprietary multi-density padding that is designed for “slow rebound, comfort forming, and highly shock absorbant.” The saddle is available in two rail variations, Ti Alloy for $189 and a more expensive carbon rail version for $290. For this review, we’ll be looking at the Ti alloy variation in the white finish.
| Category | Bicycle Saddle |
| Rating | 8.8/10 |
| Retail Price | $189 (Ti Alloy) / $290 (Carbon) |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 196 |
| Likes | + Unique design + Women’s specific padding + Stubby nose and center cutout |
| Dislikes | – Only available in single size – May be difficult to find in store – Saddle specs not printed on saddle |
| Where to Buy (US) | Velo |
UNBOXING
The Velo Angel TT saddle comes packed in a sleek yet simple white cardboard box with minimal branding in a metallic finish. Inside the box you’ll simply find the saddle held in place with a foam backing and no tags or instruction manual.
FIT & FINISH
Visually the Angel TT is a good looking saddle, particularly in the white color scheme. Half the polyurethane saddle cover has a geometric graphic printed in a silver while the other half of the saddle is a simple white. The Velo logo is ghosted on the rear of the saddle in a charcoal black color as well as on the nose of the saddle in silver. There is a nice contrast between the whilte saddle cover and the dark matte gray injected nylon base. The design reminds us of Fabric saddles as the base extends behind the saddle. Also, the Y-Cutout extends the familiar center channel cutout to the rear of the saddle to form a Y shape.
For this review we looked at the Ti-alloy railed version which weighed in at a light 196g. Although not as impressive as the carbon railed version’s claimed 133g, it compares well to the 160g we weighed the Selle Italia Flite Boost Carbonio and is lighter than the 242g Velo Senso Ray. With the Ti-alloy rails, Velo also provides a wide range of seatpost attachment locations between the indicated ‘stops’. We measured the allowable attachment range to be nearly 2 inches (51 mm) which provides a lot of adjustment to find your perfect fit.
Unlike many women’s specific products that are simply the product with more feminine colors, the Women’s Velo Angel TT saddle has incorporated a more meaningful change. While we don’t have the standard Angel TT saddle to compare the padding side-by-side, the Women’s Angel TT looks thicker and feels softer than the Selle Italia Flite and Velo Senso Ray saddles. The padding also has variable thickness with the nose of the saddle feeling the softest to the touch with a slow memory-foam style rebound to pressure. There is a visible seam between the cover and the saddle base which makes cleaning the saddle a little more difficult as the ridges may collect dirt.
COMFORT
The bike saddle is something most riders don’t put much thought into, unless it becomes uncomfortable. If you’ve experienced a poorly fitting saddle, you’ll know it can make even short rides painful. However, saddle fit is very much personal so we highly recommend you try the saddle yourself instead of taking the word of reviews. Hence we don’t want to say too much about the actual comfort of the saddle, as your results may vary. Nevertheless, we did find that the saddle was quite comfortable as it provides nice shock absorption. For us the center cutout feels similar to other saddles such as Selle Italia’s Flite Boost Superflow and provides welcome pressure relief. It’s worth mentioning that the saddle is only available in the single 241x143mm size which is a standard width, so if you need a wider width saddle you should consider Velo’s other offerings.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Velo Women’s Angel TT to be a good looking and comfortable bike saddle. As a part of the flagship Angel series, the saddle’s ArcTech rail and Y-cutout features result in a high-performance yet comfortable saddle. The soft padding of the saddle is well dampened to accommodate a wide range of rider positions. Even with the Ti-alloy rails, the saddle’s $189 retail price puts the saddle in the premium range. However the under 200g weight and attention to detail make it a competitive offering. Although your local bike shop may not have the Velo saddle on their shelves to test, thanks to their wide distribution network they should easily be able to quickly order one.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Velo. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.