When Nick at Charge ( @chargebikes ) first showed me the Bucket Saddle over a year ago, I was thrilled to have a Turbo knock-off on the market. At the time, Selle Italia hadn't re-issued their classic Turbo, so there were only a few options. I finally got my hands on one about 3 months ago and immediately put it on my Bruiser. Initially I was skeptical as to what would feel better, the Bucket or the Turbo re-issue. On both my road bikes I've got vintage Turbos, so I spend a lot of time sitting on one and like most people, I'm very particular about my saddles.
I was convinced that the re-issued Turbos were the way to go but I quickly changed my mind.
Check out more photos and the continued review below.
As you can see, the silhouette of the Bucket is identical to the Turbo. So identical that I feel like I'm getting on a vintage Turbo when I ride it.
The synthetic cover takes a beating and only once did I rip it after many falls and kick-outs. Coincidentally, this one rip is from when I fell really hard two weeks ago, spraining my wrist. The fake leather is really soft and having the Charge logo embroidered is a nice touch. Another aesthetic note is the under-saddle color. The Bucket matches my Bruiser's fork perfectly with a bright neon red color.
The construction of the saddle is sturdy. I've yet to bend the rails riding it and the padding is super comfy. My only critique is that the finishing is kind of hacked out where the material wraps but you never see it and It's not a major issue.
One of the spots all my saddles wear is at the nose. This is mostly because I wear jeans all the time. You can barely see the wear on the Bucket here. It's almost obsolete. Aside from black, the Bucket also comes in brown, white, magenta and a soft lime color. The retail is, get this $30 - $35. That's cheap! Less than half of the price of the re-issued Turbo. Not bad. The Charge Bucket is distributed through BTI, so tell your LBS to order a few and see how they sell.
I've found a replacement to my replacement saddle and I couldn't be more pleased. Hopefully it holds up for another few months. Big thanks to Tom for bringing me back one from London.
Comments
Pretty rad. Anyone ever try one of those Soma "Ta-Bos?"
http://www.somafab.com/sad_tabo.html
Posted by: Fred Grote | April 16, 2010 5:52 PM
I hated the Tabo. Way too "slick" I felt like I was going to slide off all the time. The shape was also really narrow and the rails bent in a day or two.
Posted by: prolly | April 16, 2010 5:54 PM
Prolly,
I know you do FGFS and such but how the fuck do you bend the rails on a saddle?
Posted by: rayumnd | April 16, 2010 7:25 PM
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g116/aker129/IMG_2966.jpg
That's my Bucket after about 3 months. Definitely a great seat, I really enjoyed its shape and its a great alternative to the turbo re-issues.
But John, your much bigger then me, so just sayin, keep an eye out.
Posted by: Shea[DPH] | April 16, 2010 8:28 PM
Damn Shea, did it get run over?
Posted by: prolly | April 16, 2010 8:33 PM
Nope. My seats go through alot of wear and tear, so all the holes and rips dont ever really bother me. I actually liked the Bucket because after it rips, the pink inner mold shown through, and was kind of a cool feature.
But it bent just from normal tricking. There wasn't any definitive trick that did it, I just looked at it one day and went "Oh, that's why it felt weird."
Posted by: Shea[DPH] | April 16, 2010 8:37 PM
Anyone know how one can get ahold of one in Canada? Any dealers?
Posted by: Marty | April 16, 2010 9:03 PM
ive been ridin one of these since the fall, super comfortable, durable, and cheap. citygrounds has em for 25 pre shipping
Posted by: alex{PORTCITY} | April 16, 2010 10:13 PM
Any shops in NYC carry this yet?
Posted by: Drawler | April 17, 2010 11:00 AM
Chari & Co had some in last month...
Posted by: prolly | April 17, 2010 11:12 AM
The Tabo from Soma is horrid. It is extremely hard and not even similar to the Turbo. The shape is entirely different. I'm with Prolly on this one... I've been riding a bucket for a while and it is fantastic.
Posted by: ez | April 17, 2010 12:53 PM
http://bicyclerevolutions.blogspot.com/2010/03/charge-bucket-seats.html
We got em!
Posted by: Fuzzy | April 17, 2010 9:16 PM
Hey Prolly. Super random question, but do you still have this saddle kicking around? I just special ordered one (being vegan, it was one of the best options I could find.). It is going on my custom bike that my good friend Marty (Geekhouse) is making me. The bike has an integrated seat post, and I need to know the height of the saddle from the rails to the top of the saddle. I can't find one ANYWHERE to measure. If you have it kicking around, do you think you could measure it for me? If you can, it looks like my new Geekhouse will be ready for me to ride/show at BFF NYC next weekend!
Posted by: Gavin Heverly | June 13, 2010 7:46 PM