A saddle can make or break your ride, so is it worth the extra price? If so, what exactly do you get from a saddle that costs as much as an entry-level bike? Meet the Wove Mags Saddle.
You might remember the $595 Wove saddle from our news piece not too long ago. The carbon-clad perch (hence the Wove name) boasts a super-lightweight design and is manufactured right here in USA.
Are reduced weight and prestige the only benefits of a Wove saddle? No — when you dive into the Wove saddle world, you enter a realm of bike fit theory and positioning that can turn your preferences a little on their head.
Wove Mags Saddle
Wove has been designing saddles for nearly twenty years. Initially, the team pursued a “zero soft tissue pressure, no chamois-bunching, and zero thigh rubbing” quest. Over the years, they prototyped, tested…made more prototypes, tested, and eventually agreed on something that was market-ready.
For this review, we examine the Wove Mags saddle. The Mags is the most practical in the Wove assortment. The brand’s other initial offering, the V8, is a Triathlon and Time Trial (TT) focused design. The two share many similarities in design and manufacturing, so if you’re a TT or Triathlon-focused rider, keep the V8 in mind.
Comfort is King
Wove describes the Mags as a road and gravel saddle that will reduce your bike’s weight while adding comfort. Now, I care little about one of those selling points and a lot about the other. But let’s talk more about how Wove achieves both because they are not easily positioned together, much like performance and low cost.
The idea behind the Wove Mags saddle is short, efficient, and, above all, free hip movement. The rider adapts a particular saddle setup when dialing in the Wove Mags. The instructions for set up ask the rider to place a level on the flat part of the saddle nose and adjust the saddle angle so that the level is 0°.
Of course, the rider can adjust as needed, but Wove likes the setup a bit nose down. This fit style is becoming increasingly popular, especially with slammed stems and narrow bars to reduce frontal area. Wove, however, wants the hip angle as open as possible with the hips rotated forward. This means the saddle can be anywhere from 0° to 1.5° nose down. They also like the saddle more forward. This move forward is slightly correlated with the overall length of the Mags.
The Mags measures 24cm—the UCI minimum for saddle length—but the usable section is much shorter. The rear of the Mags is mostly carbon fiber. It looks cool and offers a nice placement for the saddle rails for suspension, but doesn’t offer much, or any padding for that matter.
Shorter Nose
I am a fan of short-nosed saddles, and it’s partially why I took this review on. The idea of a saddle that looked (in photos) closely enough to the Specialized Power and CADEX AMP that I mostly ride was attractive. The Wove promise of comfort was too much to ignore.
When I received the saddle, the first thing I noticed (besides a very nice presentation) was the padding height and unique dimensions.
It’s like a mix of saddles:
Wove Mags Measurements
- Length: 24cm
- Nose: 30.5mm
- Rear: 146mm
- Rails: Carbon fiber 7mm round
- Weight: 124g
Wove Mags Saddle Install
I followed the installation details from the Wove site but took my fit measurements into account. The Mags was slightly taller than the Power it replaced, but the fit movements were all you would expect from a “new saddle dial-in period.”
I went with a conservative 1°down, matching my previous saddle regarding the nose and angle. This bike has more of a drop than my others, so I kept in mind that I might need to adjust later.
The round rails are a nice bonus. You don’t see many (or any, really) on full carbon saddles. Most come in an oversized shape or something more robust to help with flex and breakage. Wove offers a warranty (plus a 30-day comfort guarantee), and they are confident in the integrity of the round rails. It’s a unique flex, but I dig it. I didn’t have to change out my seat post for the ti-railed saddle the Wove replaced, making things slightly easier on me—which I like.
The Nose
One thing with short-nose saddles is that there is no standard on nose width; for some, like the Specialized Power, the nose tapers fast and to a near point. However, on the Bontrager Aeolus and the PRO-Stealth, the nose stays wide with no real taper. The Wove Mags has a slight mix of the above, with a slight ta
per and very soft plush padding that conforms to the rider’s pressure points.
The padding is another critical feature that sets the Wove apart. The padding is thick but not super dense, and from what we hear, it is replaceable via Wove factory if you take it down in a crash. The cover material is slightly tacky (more on that later) and thin. The thin material allows the foam to act like memory foam and cushion the rider without sinking in. The sensation is as different as sounds describing it, but it works.
Ride Impressions
My review rides were a generous mix of road, gravel, and Zwift. After my initial setup of 1° nose down, I opted for another degree sloping, putting me at -2°, where I would stay for most of the review rides.
My first rides were on the road, and right off the bat, I could tell the Mags and I would get along fine. The road chatter took a back seat, something that is common on full carbon-shelled saddles. This was more apparent. I could feel the cushioning and support. That said, it could be from the foam or the thinner round rails. Either way, that saddle felt good.
I liked the independent movement and support of the nose. It reminded me slightly of an ISM saddle, but it was easier to move about when putting out harder efforts. The ability to move around on the saddle is diminished with the Mags, but there is still a light bit you can do. I find myself sliding to the nose on climbs or in the bunch responding to attacks. You can do this on the Mags, but only slightly.
The grippy texture of the saddle (they are available in two cover options) didn’t agree with my winter bibs and would squeak slightly. I found myself annoyed with this on more than one occasion, and if I could, I would have liked a less tactile feel. The 3D-printed saddles are just enough for me, and this was a tick above what I liked. But the sensation varied depending on the makeup of the shorts, I’d say it was about 20/80 on the extra grab feel.
No Hot Spots
I really liked the Mags on the trainer and the gravel; you can really feel the support. I can’t remember having a hot spot on a ride with this setup. I’m usually filled with “I’d change this position slightly or move this back, etc.” but with the Mags, I felt comfortable.
Climbing in the saddle felt as planted as going hard in the drops. The versatility of the saddle is something that I wasn’t used to. Sometimes, a saddle can feel very different going uphill, especially when you’re putting pressure on the nose. The Mags, however, felt consistent in all.
Is it worth the money?
The 595 dollar question: “Is it worth the money?” Well, if money were no object, then yes, I would ride the Mags and have it on all my bikes. I like the feel and comfort, etc. But money matters, and this is the most expensive saddle I’ve ridden. If it were more in the $300 range, it would be worth 100% of the money, but the $595 price point is extreme and hard to justify.
For most riders, we like to have a saddle on each of our bikes that is similar or the same. I have various saddles with the same shell and varying weights to accommodate the bike’s needs. Having saddles and parts at this price is hard to swallow. I understand the manufacturing and experience that goes into it (just look at the thing – it’s awesome), but the cost is just too much, in my opinion.
Final Thoughts
The Wove Mags is an excellent saddle; it does everything that it claims: feels great, super lightweight, powerful pedaling from the hips, etc. This is it if you have the dough and want a short-nose saddle that will give you the most performance you can stand.
I would love to see this excellent ride and the quality trickle down to a more affordable level without compromising the performance.
