Our first tangible interaction with Wove saddles was at the 2023 Sea Otter Classic, having only previously seen their handcrafted saddles in photos. We sat at the Weathertech Laguna Seca Raceway, and Woves Nick Lehecka taught us a hands-on lesson in all things Wove.
Wove’s current saddle offerings — Wove Mags and V8 saddles, were on the table between us. Together the pair represents nine years of development and testing. Wove firmly stands by its claim that these are the most comfortable, lightweight, and strongest saddles on the market today. After laying hands on them and listening to the custom tuneable grip and padding options (including replaceable padding), I was eager to check one out.
Who are Wove Saddles?
For those unfamiliar, Wove is a high-end performance bicycle saddle company. They offer handmade lightweight carbon saddles manufactured in the USA. The saddles are performance-focused, aimed at comfort, speed, and neck-snapping looks. Wove is focused on rider comfort in any position, at any speed — because comfortable is fast.
Wove Mags Saddle
The Wove Mags is a road and gravel saddle; it’s lightweight (like sub 130g) with a one-piece carbon shell and rail construction. Fit-wise, the Mags has a nice perch to allow riders cozy up on the 146mm wide rear for all-day comfort with no thigh rubbing. For those that migrate to the front of the saddle during efforts, the 30.5mm nose offers solid pedaling comfort with no soft tissue pressure. The padding is hard to describe, but it’s a firm shock-absorbing feel with a plush outer layer — very impressive.
The Wove Mags is available in two different cover materials; grippy (V8 TT, non-slip grip) and Standard, with a light tack but better for slight movement.
Price: $595
Wove V8 Saddle
The Wove V8 is the first Wove saddle that caught our eye and is still on my “must try” list. The V8 is the TT and Tri-focused Wove saddle; it comes in around 140g with a slight box-ish shape. Wove prides itself on the shape of the V8 and claims it exhibits no soft tissue pressure and no thigh rubbing when riding out on the nose of the saddle.
Wove made the cover material on the V8 grippy to hold the rider in place while in the aero bars. The padding is similar to the Mag but has slightly more depth in the nose of the saddle. Just enough padding to sink in and hit your numbers.
Price: $595
Is the Wove V8 UCI legal? The Wove V8 measures 30cm long, making it UCI-legal. It also has a rear-facing water bottle attachment, perfect for TTs and training rides while keeping aero.
The V8 has the hardware to mount a water bottle cage and a retention loop to keep bottles of any diameter and volume/size secure over even the roughest roads.
Where Can I Demo a Wove Saddle?
Wove has a demo program allows a free 2-week trial of their saddles. There’s a waitlist for their demo saddles rotating throughout the US, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. You can find more information at wovebike.com/demo
What if I crash, or the saddle just doesn’t fit? Wove offers a 30-day no-questions-asked return policy, a lifetime guarantee on the carbon shell and rails, and a one-year guarantee on the foam and cover.
How long does a Wove saddle last? Wove says the carbon shell and rails will last for many years and offer a foam and cover replacement program for a nominal fee after one year from purchase as part of a commitment to make non-disposable bike parts.
Look for more and a review ride on the Wove Mag; for more information, check out WoveBike.com.
