Airo Bike Saddle: Wing-Spring

by Tyler Hofacker, PCI #1700-B
Dayton (OH) Police Department

Immediately upon opening the package, I knew I would be very interested in testing out this saddle.  The design is nothing that I have seen before.  Although it resembles a “traditional” saddle, it is truly one of a kind.  The description from Airo reads:  “The Airo bike saddle transmits minimal pressure to your sit bones and sensitive soft tissue and provides superior pelvic support and spinal posture.  The secret is Airo’s patented Wing-Spring™ technology.”

After I installed the saddle and did the initial set up, I had to adjust the attitude of the seat after several rides to get it just right.  The nose of the seat slopes down some so it was a challenge getting it just right to my sit bones.  On my first ride, I noticed the “Wing-Spring™” parts of the saddle.  With every pedal rotation, I could feel the side of the seat move with my body.  It took a couple of shifts to get used to that feeling of wings moving, but it was very comfortable.  The Wing-Spring™ of the saddle did what it says and kept my perineum off the seat with every pedal stroke.  The wings of the saddle do indeed absorb the vibrations of the road, making for a more comfortable ride.

Airo states, “Whether you’re riding in an upright or a more aggressive forward position, the Wing-Spring™ responds dynamically to maintain proper sit bone contact.  As your pelvis rotates, the specially engineered springs flex to maintain proper pelvic support”.  The saddle definitely adapts to your body and riding position.  After a good week of riding time, I noticed one of the wings of the seat had moved from where it was straight out of the package.  At first, I thought that I bent the wing, but I quickly realized that during the 30-mile ride for our Police Cyclist Course, it just adapted to my body and my sit-bones.

Airo has two sizes of this saddle that are based on your body weight/width.  Being a smaller guy, I chose the smaller option.  When I first saw the saddle, I was nervous that it was going to be uncomfortable, due to it being narrow.  I was proven wrong very quickly.  I have experienced very little discomfort with this saddle.  The only time I have worn cycling shorts with this saddle is on a 30-mile ride, because I knew that it was going to be a lot of saddle time.  There is very little to no pressure on the perineal area.  At no point have I felt any numbness riding with this saddle.

I would definitely recommend this saddle to other riders, especially to ones who have a rougher terrain to ride daily.  The saddle absorbs the shocks of riding better than you would expect from just looking at it.  Due to the high demand of the saddle they are currently experiencing a manufacturing delay so I cannot provide a price range.   At publication, there was no further information on the website regarding availability. 

Tyler was certified as an IPMBA Police Cyclist in 2016 and as an IPMBA Instructor in 2017.  He attended the Bicycle Response Team Training and BRT Instructor Seminar in 2018.  He also attended the Maintenance Officer Course.  He is looking forward to being part of the IPMBA 2020 Host Agency Committee.  He can be reached at tyler.hofacker@daytonohio.gov.

Photos courtesy Tyler Hofacker.

(c) 2019 IPMBA.  This review appeared in the 2019 Product Guide issue of IPMBA News. 

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