The road bike saddle has remained relatively unchanged over the years, but the rise of 3D-printing techniques has seen them improve in comfort and become even more dynamic in appearance. Prologo is no stranger to innovation – as a leading manufacturer of cycling saddles, the Italian company introduced its radical CPC technology in 2013 with conical 3D nanostructures on the cover of the saddle for enhanced grip and vibration absorption. It is no surprise that Prologo has naturally embraced 3D printing to boost its saddle portfolio even further with the exquisitely designed, high-performance Nago R4 PAS 3DMSS saddle and, now, the new ultra-comfortable Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS.
The Prologo Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS takes everything we know about the Scratch M5 platform - a saddle used by road professionals such as Jonas Vingegaard, Egan Bernal, Sepp Kuss, Wout Poels, John Degenkolb, Romain Bardet and Magnus Cort - and betters it in every way. Read on to find out all about why the Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS could be your next saddle, regardless of the terrain and bike you ride.
A saddle for all occasions and disciplines
Like the regular Scratch M5 PAS saddle, the new Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS can be used across disciplines - road, gravel, cyclo-cross and even mountain biking - also thanks to its rounded shape, which Prologo says provides extra support to the lumbar area of the lower back. We’ve already seen the platform used at the highest level of mountain biking, most recently by Alan Hatherly, who won the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Championships aboard the Scratch M5 PAS saddle.
The new Prologo Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS retains the same ergonomic T-shape and compact dimensions (250x140 mm) of the Scratch M5 PAS, and was developed based on studies and pressure tests by different types of professional and amateur cyclists. This data formed the foundation of the new saddle, which employs a 3D-printed cushion with separate double-layer sectors to further enhance comfort. These sectors adapt perfectly to different pressure areas and ensure maximum performance during all phases of pedalling on all surfaces and terrain.
All-new 3D Multi-Sector System (3DMSS) technology
The Prologo Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS is available in one size: 250 x 140 mm. That’s a good thing, as long-time users of the saddle can upgrade to the new model without needing to worry about dimensions and fit. The cushion of the Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS combines Prologo’s MSS (Multi-Sector System) technology with a 3D-printing process that uses digital light projection, oxygen-permeable optics and engineering-grade materials to produce polymer parts with exceptional mechanical properties, resolution and finish.
The Multi-Sector System now comprises 3D-printed double-layer sections: an upper and lower layer with different geometric shapes and densities spread over three separate sectors on each side of the saddle. These sectors can adapt to the individual pressure areas of your physiology.
To provide support when positioned on the tip of the saddle, the front section of the saddle uses medium-density Voronoi shapes on the surface and Kagome patterns near the base.
At the rear, high-density Voronoi shapes on the surface transition to rhomboid shapes towards the base to support the ischial bones that form the lower part of the pelvis. These shapes also aid in the pulling phase of the pedal stroke. Comfort for the soft tissue around the sitbones has been achieved by including a lower-density central section with Voronoi geometric shapes on the surface and tetrahedral shapes near the base.
The M5 PAS 3DMSS saddle also employs the unmistakable PAS or Perineal Area System, an open-channel design that reduces pressure and numbness in the most delicate areas.
Lightweight and comfortable platform available for all
In terms of weight, 3D-printed saddles are traditionally heavier than regular options, but Prologo looked at ways to trim unnecessary material where applied pressures on the saddle were lower. As a result, the corresponding areas use specific 3D geometric shapes that minimise the resultant material without compromising comfort or limiting saddle performance.
As a result, the Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS is an impressively light and supremely comfortable saddle – 176g for the Nack option and 209g for the Tirox. Together with the weight-cutting measures, the saddle also uses injected long-fibre carbon in the base to save a few extra grams, while also improving rigidity and compliance. There’s a choice of two rail hardware options: the Nack (7x9.3mm) made of carbon fibre, Kevlar and aluminium filaments and the Tirox version (7mm), constructed from light alloy steel, which offers an excellent weight-resistance balance and vibration absorption.
The Prologo Scratch M5 PAS 3DMSS is priced at €390 (Nack carbon rail) and €290 (Tirox rail).
