Slovenian brand Berk Composites has something new for those that are looking for incredibly light, but also comfortable saddles, the new Lupina Monocoque. The new saddle builds on the current Lupina Short 144 model, but with a new monocoque base in place of a shell bonded to the rails.
Berk makes some seriously light saddles. The Lupina Short 144 comes in at 98g for the padded version, 78g for the 3k carbon finished version, even with a 78kg/220lb max weight limit and a 2-year warranty. There are very few saddles out there that can boast those numbers.
The new Lupina Monocoque shares the same general shape and dimensions of the Lupina Short 144, a shape designed to help reduce pressure on the pelvic bones. The Monocoque is molded as one continuous piece, instead of the rails bonding to the underside of the shell, increasing durability even further. This allows Berk to smooth out and sculpt the saddle and tune the comfort even further. Where the Lupina Short uses Innegra, an olefin fiber (synthetic fiber made from polyolefin polypropylene) in the shell layup allowing Berk to tune flex into the base, the new Lupina Monocoque designs the flex into the shape and layup of the saddle for comfort.
The shape is a little more angular in the back as the rails mold into the base. All the edges have been smoothed to help prevent any snagging or wear on your shorts. Berk pushed the rails as far forward in the nose and as far back in the rear corners as possible to allow for maximum adjustment in positioning, but also creating additional comfort with a leaf spring affect. The shaping of the rails and the underside of the saddle has also been smoothed out to help reduce turbulence as air passes through. While Berk doesn’t provide any numbers on the aero benefits, it is already a turbulent area from a riders legs moving through their pedal stroke.
The Lupina Monocoque will be available in two versions, a road model with an open cutout and a gravel version with a closed shell and depression molded in to reduce pressure on the sensitive areas. Both share the same overall shape and dimensions of 144mm wide by 249mm long. Rails are molded to the 7x9mm standard. The road version has a claimed weight of 115lbs for a padded version, while the gravel adds just 4g for the closed shell.
Both versions are available with a natural leather cover in black, or in a range of colors using a synthetic leather cover. Padding is minimal, but there for riders putting in long hours on the bike. While other models are also available in bare carbon without padding, we’ll have to wait and see if the Monocoque eventually loses the cover.
Now for the hard part, price. The new Monocoque hits a stratospheric price tag of 546,00€ (incl. VAT). The equivalent Lupina Short 144 is still pricey, but a bit less at 319,00€ (incl. VAT). The new saddle will be available August 2024.
Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Scott joined Bike World News as the Cyclocross Editor in 2012 before taking over as Tech Editor in 2016. He has also worked as a photographer for various pro teams and shoot races along the east coast of the US, including the 2012 US MTB National Championships, 2013 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, and 2016 UCI Road World Championships. Scott has a passion for performance and technology, with 35 years of riding and mechanic experience. He also enjoys soccer, running, teaching group fitness classes, and is the founder of Lancaster Beard Company.
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