Specialized bring their Power Mirror 3D printed saddle tech to the masses with the new Power Expert Mirror
The new Power Expert Mirror retains most of the key features of previous models but with a more wallet friendly price
The Specialized Mirror saddles are renowned for being one of the best MTB saddles for comfort and having the latest 3D printing saddle tech. However, they have only been available in S-Works and Pro versions that came with a hefty price tag of around $450 / £350 / €400 for the S-Works version and $325 / £290 / €370 for the Pro model, which meant for most people it was fairly hard to justify the comfort gains against the cost.
Specialized is now making its Mirror Technology more attainable to the masses with a new Expert level saddle. The Power Expert Mirror saddle uses the same 3D printed technology as the S-Works and Pro Power with Mirror, with the main difference being that the Expert version has the strategically placed 3D printed Mirror foam inserts, incased in a 4-way stretch cover. Specialized say this keeps mud and debris out of the nooks and crannies of the previously exposed Mirror lattice which had made the previous models fairly difficult to keep clean.
Specialized says their new dirt-shedding feature makes the Power Expert Mirror saddle super durable, yet lightweight with its hollow titanium rails, which they claim makes the Power Expert the smart choice for the best gravel bike riding, mountain bike riders, in addition to those who stick to the road, making it an ideal all-rounder in the best bike saddle market.
As mentioned this more attainable version retains all the same features as the previous versions including, as the name suggests, the Mirror Technology, which Specialized developed by 3D printing from a liquid polymer. This revolutionary process creates a complex honeycomb structure that allows Specialized to infinitely tune the density of the material in a way impossible with foam, with the result being a matrix of struts and nodes, that specifically target sit bone comfort.
Mirror Technology is combined with the Power Shape cutout, which is Specialized's patented Body Geometry design. Along with their pressure mapping system, blind comfort testing, and blood flow studies, and makes the Power Expert saddle, regardless of the rider's shape, size or weight, one of their highest-performing and most comfortable saddles. They also for this version have added additional sizes with a 130mm and 168mm model.
Pricing and availability
The new Power Expert Mirror saddle is available now priced at $200 / £160 / €180. It is available in four widths starting at 130mm, 143mm, 155mm and 168mm. Power Expert weighs in at 210g in the narrowest width, and up to 229g on the largest 168mm model. Further information can be found at Specialized.com.
Paul Brett joined BikePerfect as a staff writer in 2022. He has been an avid cyclist for as long as he can remember, initially catching the mountain biking bug in the 1990s, and he raced mountain bikes for over a decade before injury cut short a glittering career. An award-winning photographer, when not riding a bike, he can be found at the side of a cyclocross track or a downhill mountain bike world championship shooting the action. Paul was the founder, editor and writer of Proper Cycling magazine, and he's traveled the world interviewing some of the biggest names in mountain biking and writing about some of the biggest cycling brands.
Current rides: Canyon Inflite, Specialized Diverge, Marin Alpine Trail 2