Test: For the majority of bicycle fans, Giant should primarily be in the mind as a bicycle manufacturer - of course, how could it be otherwise with one of the largest two-wheeler manufacturers. In recent years, however, the bicycle giant has continuously expanded its range of accessories and components. With the Giant Contact Neutral SL, we tested one of the now quite numerous saddles in the range.
Saddle tests are always a thing – for the tester too. Every butt is different and whether you are comfortable or not often simply depends on personal preferences and anatomical conditions. But that's exactly why it's a big plus when a manufacturer offers different sizes or orientations for their saddles - this is exactly where Giant can score. The three saddle product series Contact Comfort, Contact SL and Contact SLR are each available in three different orientations: Forward, Neutral and Upright.
These three different orientations refer to the rider's seating position on the bike - whether stretched, neutral or upright. Accordingly, the three variants come in different shapes, widths and upholstery. For example, while stretched riders need very selective support with their sit bones, the weight of upright riders is distributed over a larger area. Which of the three forms is the right one for you can either be determined by the Giant dealer or, best of all, you can try it out with a test saddle. Of course, the type of bike already determines the direction in which you can go: On an aero bike you will hardly choose the upright position, just as you will hardly sit too stretched out on an enduro bike.
The Giant Contact SL is a real all-rounder and is intended by Giant for road, cross, gravel as well as for the MTB disciplines up to enduro. With a weighed 235g, it is quite light for a saddle with metal struts - the latter are made of a special steel alloy on the Contact SL and are therefore stable enough to survive a few seasons and falls on the MTB without damage.
The surface of the saddle consists of a slightly perforated Microtex material that feels slightly rubberized and therefore offers enough grip even in wet conditions so that you don't slide back and forth like wild ones. A channel runs through the middle to relieve the perineal area and prevent unpleasant feelings of numbness even during longer journeys.
So far, so good: The key data of the saddle make a promising impression. We had the Contact SL Neutral variant for testing, which had to prove itself on both the XC race hardtail and the trail bike. Mounting the saddle is no problem at all thanks to the round metal stays, regardless of the seat post used. The saddle is thinly padded over the entire surface but feels fairly tight. Thanks to the flexing shell, however, it remains extremely comfortable over a longer period of time - at least if you can handle the tight padding yourself.
The channel in the middle of the saddle served its purpose extremely reliably for us. We didn't notice any numbness, even on long rides lasting several hours. Another positive side effect was the slightly more comfortable climate on the buttocks, especially on hot days. As already mentioned: We used the neutral saddle on both the XC hardtail and the trail bike. It was an extremely good fit for this, although it should be mentioned that the hardtail does not have an extremely stretched seating position either.
The saddle really scored when it got wet and muddy. In this case, the surface not only proved to be extremely non-slip, but also very durable: Although the mixture of water, mud and chafing buttocks is a tough test for every saddlecloth, you can see the Giant Contact SL Neutral after more than half a season and many Kilometers hardly any signs of wear. He also had to take one or two falls – these also left only a few harmless marks.
We didn't like the extremely hard side areas that much: Especially when used on the trail bike, the saddle on the lowered seat post repeatedly had quite rough contact with the thighs. Due to the lack of padding on the sides, this can quickly prove to be quite painful.
