Mark Adams Tirox: Rail light-alloy steel, highly resistant to traction, and torsion, for its physical characteristics and light weight, is used in the aviation and aerospace industry.
T-Irox then turns out to be a rail with a good balance between weight and strength, that doesn’ t fear the normal stress that addresses a bicycle.
Carbon Injection Monocoque: After countless hours of R&D, the PROLOGO engineers have developed a new production process for injected carbon fiber, to create a “Monocoque injected” base. This results in less weight (about 15%), increased stability and even an improved overall finish of the saddle.
Active Density: It is the system patented by PROLOGO that combines multiple base stiffnesses and multiple padding densities for a new level of comfort.:
Features:
- Size: 280 x 134mm/280 x 143mm
- Weight: 219g/221g
- Base: Carbon fibre injection
- Rail: Tirox
- Cover: Microfiber
- Padding: Lightfoam
Prologo Scratch 2 Saddle Review:
After riding saddles like the Selle Italia Zero Titanium and Fizik Arione (Beaded) I found myself looking for a comfortable saddle that was going to be affordable enough to throw on the road bike. I’d read about the pros and cons of the saddle and I was wary of a saddle that might cause pain.
The Prologo Scratch 2 turned up at a great price from the Pro Bike Shop – http://www.theprobikeshop.co.uk and for only £35 I thought it would be an ideal saddle to try out for a long ride, short ride or tackling a sportive. As always, thanks to the Pro Bike Shop, I have to say I was more than happy with the saddle. Within a few minutes it was fitted to my road bike and ready to ride – if not long term.
The Scratch 2 is a very nicely designed saddle. It combines the carbon fibre base with a Microfiber cover which is comfortable and looks great. All the stitching and the Prologo logo look smart. I chose the 280 x 143mm size which fitted well on my bike and provided plenty of room for my legs. I’m 5 ft 10 and I found the size a good fit and not too big for my build.
The light padding on the base of the saddle can’t be removed and gives a firm level of support. The cover perhaps lifts the cushioned level a little which is good for those longer rides when you need a bit of padding to rely on. I didn’t encounter any initial pressure points and liked the comfort level of the saddle. I have to admit too for those short rides that I am happy just to get on a bike and ride – then it really is about the saddle you are using.
The first test ride of about 80 miles proved to be quick and very easy. I didn’t get that sinking feeling of pressure that many saddles have given me in the past. Quite a bit has already been said about the Scratch II’s by other people but for me all the reports were true. It feels good on longer rides and short rides. As a novice endurance rider it fitted my riding style perfectly and unless I needed a significant upgrade I will certainly keep going with the Scratch 2.
PROs:
- Cheap Price
- Cheap but not tacky
- Comfortable
- Good looking
CONs:
- Nothing bad to say about this saddle. Maybe the light padding means you have to get off the saddle a few times during a long ride but other than that you will not feel any pressure points.
- My advice is, even if you have a race saddle get yourself one of these as a back-up or as a back up for when you ride with friends. It’s certainly cheaper than some of the cheaper original branded gel saddles and it’s got the look and feel of a much more expensive option.
Prologo Scratch 2 Saddle Review:
The Scratch 2 is a newish (2010) model of a popular and successful saddle. It has a high-density base of foam which is covered with a thin micro-fibre padding. However, this padding can’t be removed and it is in this area that I felt the Scratch 2 fell short. After 55 miles in the saddle, the pressure point on my sit bones was quite painful. This was a very long ride and I needed to stop off many times so it could be to do with having to get off to stretch my legs. Theoretically, because it is only the base of the padding that sits on the saddle rails, this shouldn’t happen to any degree, and perhaps it would prove less painful for a rider with a larger sitting area.
To compensate, I decided to put some gel padding on the base of the Scratch 2 to give me a more comfortable ride. This worked for me but I am left wondering if improvement could have been made by using a firmer foam in the padding and making the top cover a bit thicker. This would also make it easier to “grip” the saddle whilst moving about on the bike and would probably encourage more riders to sit on the saddle.
The Scratch 2 is laid out well with no excess of material and the carbon fibre rails provide a comfortable contact point. The upright riding position of this saddle made the long ride far more comfortable than other saddles I tried. There are also no adjustment features on the Scratch 2 so I can’t see that it could ever be moved into a more narrow position. Riders would need to look elsewhere for that feature.
The price is very favourable for the Prologo Scratch 2 but the convenience enhancements offered by other saddles may prove to be important to your overall level of comfort.
I am still on the hunt for a good saddle and the Scratch 2 is a serious contender. I liked the fact that it was easy to retro-fit a gel cover for added cushioning and the fact that the Scratch 2 can be fitted to almost any frame with a 31.6mm seatpost. However, I think I need to test it again on a long ride, but on a hard road (my Scratch Vium has a bit more cushioning on the base but the whole thing is unstable during fast riding). The Scratch 2 is also only available in one.
