Repente Nova: New road bike saddle from Repente "with a green soul" & favourable price
Sebastian Brust
· 08.02.2024
The new bike saddle from Italy: Repente Nova is made from lightweight and fully recyclable material and is designed for sporty cycling, whether on a gravel bike or a road bike. It joins the ranks of Repente's many saddle models, some of which are highly competitive but also significantly more expensive, and the company website features numerous professional sponsorships.
Committed to the name Repente - which translates as sudden movement in Spanish - the Repente Nova is also typically spartan for cycling. The minimalist seat surfaces look tightly padded and, according to the manufacturer, they are. The space provided for the sit bones has to fit, the saddle is only available in one size: 260 millimetres long, 142 millimetres wide.
A generous cut-out in the saddle cover saves weight, but is primarily intended to protect the perineal area from too much pressure. The relief channel runs along the entire length of the saddle from the rearmost end to the tip of the apparently relatively wide saddle nose. After all, if you change your sitting position on the saddle slightly and slide forwards a little, it shouldn't pinch the plexus immediately.
Cover & padding: One material, fully recyclable - plus the saddle frame made of steel
The new Repente saddle is ideal for price-conscious cycling enthusiasts who, on the one hand, are fond of, shall we say, a martial look and, at the same time, want to join the important sustainability movement. According to the manufacturer, the Repente Nova has a green soul.
Apart from the frame, the entire saddle is made from one and the same TPU material (TPU: thermoplastic polyurethane); the saddle cover and the foamed seat pad are bonded together without any additional adhesives or solvents. An additional protective layer on the surface, such as is used for other TPU bicycle saddles, is not necessary, as the material is robust enough. At the end of its life cycle, the plastic upper part can be completely recycled separately from the metal frame.
The simple construction, the standardised material and, last but not least, the restriction to just one size allow Repente to manufacture the product easily, which in turn should result in a smaller ecological footprint and lower costs. The manufacturer wants to pass on the cost benefits and offers the 230 gram Repente Nova Aero for 85 euros. The slightly heavier 285 gram version Repente Nova ST4 with a chromoly steel frame is already available for 69 euros.
Facts & figures Repente Nova Aeron (manufacturer information)
- Fully recyclable
- Anatomical channel for pressure relief
- Semi-flat shape
- Anti-slip surface
- Seat cushion: Expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (E-TPU)
- Seat cover/surface: Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)
- Length: 260 mm
- Width: 142 mm
- Weight: 230 / 285 g
- Price: 85 euros (Repente Nova ST4, 285 g, 69 euros) RRP
More about road bike saddles
Sebastian Brust
Editor
