Review : Selle Bassano Virtual bicycle saddle

Review : Selle Bassano VIRTUAL bicycle saddle
Price : £14.99 in Decathlon (UK)
Verdict : Excellent comfort for the price (after 2 months of use). Recommended

My expertise : novice commuter cyclist
Priorities : Comfort and lightweight at a cheap price

About Selle Bassano VIRTUAL bicycle saddle :
Weighs : 305g
For all types of bikes ? (but mainly commuting cycling ?)

Anti-compression saddle (whatever that means)
Seems waterproof to me
Chromium molybdenum rails
Seems to be intended for short to mid length journeys

This is the Virtual saddle made by Selle Bassano. I have only seen it available in Decathlon Stores (UK & France). Perhaps it is only 'officically' avaialable there. I have seen it on Ebay but maybe they are 3rd party sellers (such as private sellers). I would say it's intended for commuters who use hybrid bikes, but I guess it could be used for a mountain bike or road bike. After 2 months use in the winter, I am impressed by it overall.

Likes : 

Comfort : It is very comfortable. I have had about 7 saddles and this is the first 'comfy' one (perhaps I have been unlucky). It absorbs any bumps that get past my suspension seat post. There is no chafing or pain in the perineal region. I have found it difficult to gather any online info on this saddle. My impression is that it is only 'officially' availalbe via Decathlon Stores (French company ... UK, France, Ireland etc). I could not see any info on it on the Selle Bassano website. The only reviews I could go on were reviews on the Decathlon sites, mainly the French site. Overall it seems to get very good reviews. It says is has 'anti-compresion', though I don't know what this means. But the padding is excellent and not too bulky. It also has a ridge in the centre presumably so things don't get too squashed there. 

Lightweight : It only weighs 305g, which is pretty light. The rails are made of chrome molybdenum.

Practical  : It's not a 'slippy' saddle. You can move about easy but it's not too easy.

Price and quality : For £15 to get such an appropriate saddle is amazing. So far I have had no issues with it, but I guess I will only learn over time if the quality has been compromised. I have seen a few reviews where someone said it wasn't waterproof (so far it seems it is to me) and others have had faults such as the side splitting or the rail breaking ? I have only 2 months to judge it on but so far it has been fine. I guess the covering is plastic etc.   

Dislikes : 

All the dislikes are minor

The front is a bit long  : The front edge juts out quite a bit, which means it can get in the way when mounting etc. Perhaps this is only an (mild) issue if your saddle is as high or lower than the handle bar and you tend to lean forwards a lot. I don't know. However it is a minor issue. I would have preferred if the front tilted downwards but who knows.  

The back edge is not so comfy : While the padding is excellent, the back edge does not seem to have as much padding, so if you sit well back in the seat the edge can 'bite' a bit. Most of the time I am not at the back edge, so it's a minor issue for me, but I am aware of it when, for example, freewheeling downhill and sitting back.

The rail measure guide is rubbing off : I just noticed that the positioning measure guide on the rail seems to be rubbing off. After only 2 months.

Overall Conclusion : 
If you are a commuter cyclist and looking for comfort and lightness at a cheap price, then I would certainly recommend checking the Selle Bassano Virtual saddle out. It seems to only be officially available in Decathlon Stores (France, UK & Eire)