Getting your bike seat stolen isn't fun, but neither is carrying it around, post and all.
Selle Royal, the Italian bicycle saddle manufacturer, created a smart alternative:the Ta+Too modular saddle. Twist and click a dial and the seat slides from its base, preventing theft and vandalism. “We wanted to give an answer to all those people who didn't want to invest in a high quality product because they were afraid of theft or damage,” says Selle Royal’s Roberto Bucci.
The seat, which weighs just over a pound, features something the company calls 3D skin gel. It's polyurethane (not the usual silicon), which the company claims is more shock-absorbing than other materials because it distributes pressure more evenly. Selle Royal makes other seats—with names like Respiro, Mach 2, and Scientia— designed for greater performance and comfort, but aimed this one at commuters, who aren’t racing or biking for hours at a time.
Ta+Too bases come in black or white, with tops in a range of colors. Look for a line of thematic patterns commissioned from emerging designers later this year. The first theme, travel, includes wild patterns by Italian firms Van Orton Design and Hikimi and Spanish firm Brosmind Studio. “Wild,” “Love,” and “Landscape” are still to come, along with a "vintage" model that resembles a classic leather saddle. “It’s something you’ll always have with you, so it has to be unique,” says Bucci.
