Bontrager sport saddle review
Images by Haus of Hiatus
Cost
★★★★★
Performance
★★★☆☆
Overall Score
★★★★☆
Overall Score ★★★★☆
Verdict: A good choice for adventure seekers and everyday riders looking for comfort without breaking the bank!
It’s designed with versatility in mind, offering plush foam and a flat profile that support various riding positions. Whether you're a commuter, recreational gravel rider, or mountain biker, this saddle delivers decent comfort, making it an ideal upgrade from the rigid stock saddles that often come with new bikes.
One of the standout features at this price, is its cut-out and pressure relief groove, which excel during long rides, especially for those who prefer a more upright position. At 163mm wide with broad wings and a gentle upward scoop at the rear, the saddle allows you to easily shift forward or back to find your sweet spot. Though it’s not aimed at performance cyclists focused on cutting weight, the Bontrager Sport is perfect for less competitive riders who prioritise comfort over speed.
While its wider rear and softer padding aren’t suited for aggressive racing or those spending hours in the drop position, it’s a dream for commuters or those enjoying leisurely rides. The foam interior does a solid job of absorbing shocks from rough city streets or gravel paths, even though the steel rails offer little flex on their own. Casual riders will appreciate that it provides ample comfort, even without padded cycling shorts, making it an ideal choice for people new to biking or those who aren’t keen on committing to full cycling gear.
In summary, the Bontrager Sport Saddle combines affordability with comfort and durability, offering a supportive ride for those who spend most of their time in a more relaxed position. It’s a great addition to any mountain or gravel bike for riders who value comfort over speed.
You might also like:
A popular choice among adventurers, the Petzl Tikka is a compact, lightweight, and reliable head torch designed for camping, hiking, bikepacking and general adventures
Featuring a stainless steel blade with a smooth and serrated edge, the Petzl Spatha is a compact and lightweight rope knife designed specifically for climbers, mountaineers, and rescue professionals.
Featuring an internal aluminium layer to keep your drink hot or cold, the Wozinsky Water Bottle Bike Bag is a lightweight and compact solution for bikepackers who need a secure and stable way to carry their flask or water bottle, even during hours of off-road riding.
Packed in a bright red (so as not to be mistaken), the Lifesystems Sterile First Aid Kit is a compact medical kit designed for travellers, adventurers, and anyone heading to destinations where medical facilities may be limited or unreliable.
Whether you’re commuting, bikepacking, or heading out for a weekend ride, the M-Wave Rotterdam Top Tube Bag is a compact, lightweight, and practical storage solution designed for cyclists who need quick and easy access to essentials while on the move.
Built around a 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS sensor paired with a 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T lens, the Sony ZV-1 is a compact digital camera designed primarily for content creators, vloggers and social media enthusiasts.
Designed to fit neatly under the saddle, the Topeak Aero Wedge Saddle Bag is a popular choice for riders looking for a sleek and functional storage solution for carrying essentials like a spare tube, tyre levers, a multi-tool and even a small pump or CO2 cartridge.
Weighing just 92 grams, the Topeak Mini 9 Multi Tool is a compact and lightweight cycling tool designed for on-the-go repairs and adjustments.
A compact and highly portable (and potentially lifesaving) tool designed to provide safe drinking water when travelling and adventuring.
The rear light of the ELOPS FL 920 set is a versatile and efficient USB-rechargeable LED designed to enhance visibility and safety during night riding.
The Maxxis Fat/Plus 26” Fatbike Inner Tube is designed to meet the specific needs of fat bike tires, offering exceptional durability and reliability for extreme terrain at a really good price!
The Montane Atomic Waterproof Pants are a great, lightweight option for bikepackers, fastpackers and generalist adventurers seeking reliable protection in wet conditions, at a decent price.
The Rab Men’s Microlight Vest strikes a solid balance between warmth, mobility, and eco-conscious design, making it a versatile choice for us outdoor enthusiasts.
The Bontrager Sport Saddle is a good choice for adventure seekers and everyday riders looking for comfort without breaking the bank.
The FL920 bike light by Decathlon’s ELOPS is designed for both visual efficiency and versatility, making it effective for use in bike-borne adventures.
The Merida 5.4L Framebag Travel is a good choice for mountain bike packers seeking a half-frame bag with high-capacity (we opted for the large with 5.4 litres of space) storage solution for bikepacking adventures.
These simple adaptors from German bike kit manufacturers, M-Wave, are a super affordable way to turn a set of Shimano SPD pedals back into flats, for mountain biking or gravel riding when you need your feet free.
The Apple Watch Series 9 is a solid companion for those who lead adventurous lifestyles, offering a good balance of performance, durability, and utility at a good price when compared to other sports watches.
The Bergamont Grandurance 8 is a standout gravel bike that offers great value for money (and cool looks!), making it an excellent choice for both seasoned riders and newcomers to the gravel scene.
Priced competitively, this bike offers a feature set typically found in more expensive models, making it a smart investment for those looking to explore various terrains without breaking the bank.
These pedals are a popular choice among XC mountain bikers due to their robust design and reliability. Despite being lightweight, they feature a durable aluminium body and a Cromoly steel axle, ensuring longevity and consistent performance across various disciplines.
The Sonder Bomber Flared Drop Bars are a great choice for bikepacking expeditions, offering a blend of comfort and control that enhances the riding experience across varied terrains. Constructed from 6061 aluminium, these bars are both lightweight (275g) and comfy, making them suitable for long-distance journeys where you need extra space for the front gar.
If you’re embarking on multi-day bikepacking expeditons, gel pads for your handlebars are an excellent addition to your set-up, especially for those embarking on really long bikepacking expeditions (i.e., anything above 1500km).
The Merida fork bag and cage is a solid choice for bikepacking adventures, whether you're heading out for an overnight trip or just need some extra storage on your ride.
As you can see from our photos, the Road 100 shoes by Decathlon’s Van Rysel are a sleek, aerodynamic design that looks like a much more expensive shoe.
The Procaliber 6 is an affordable cross-country mountain bike, built for those who crave adventure on challenging trails.
In our humble opinion, the Hilly 'Marathon Fresh' anklet socks are a pretty great choice for ultramarathons, multi-day bikepacking races, and trekking adventures at an okay price.
The Garmin Inreach Mini is a compact and lightweight satellite communication device that allows users to send and receive text messages and track their location in remote areas where cell service is not available.
These overgloves are designed to provide an extra layer of protection atop your non-waterproof winter gloves (such as the Rab Baltoro gloves we reviewed recently).
My track record with headtorches hasn’t been a great so far, with 2 Black Diamond headtorches stopped working annoyingly, however I’ve always had good experiences with Petzl for the last decade since starting out with their entry-level Tikka.
The Actik headtorch features a maximum brightness of 350 lumens (compared to the Tikka’s 300 lumens), which is more than enough for most expeditions. It also has a wide beam mode for when you need the extra light, and a red-light mode, which helps preserve night vision and is useful for reading maps or navigating in low-light conditions.
Probably one of the best things we’ve bought for mountain biking, gravel riding and bikepacking, is a pair of dual-sided pedals.
It’s optimal to ride clipped in for speed and efficiency, however there are times (particularly in urban areas) where you’ll want not to be, to react quicker to unforeseen obstacles and get your foot out to stabilise yourself. We use a bought a pair of these Boardman dual-sided clipless flat pedals that have worked well in all situations.

About the Author:
Chris is the founder of Hiatus.Design, a mission-driven branding and website design company that works with clients all over the world.
Over the course of his life, he has travelled to more than 60 countries across six continents, earned two Guinness World Records, completed the legendary Marathon des Sables, summited Mont Blanc and unclimbed peaks in Asia, become a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS), rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and obtained a Masterʼs degree in Business Management (MA).