By Joyce Walden, EMSCI #054, and Tom Harris, EMSCI #030
East Baton Rouge EMS (LA)

Joyce Says: I have been using the Specialized Milano Saddle for two years. I have tried many saddles in my eight years on the EMS Bike Team and the Specialized Milano is by far the best of them.

The Milano is a luxurious yet affordable saddle that looks and feels at home on any bike. It provides the full benefits of Specialized's Body Geometry design, maximizing ergonomics and preventing numbness. It also features pockets of anatomically placed padding and lightweight, durable chromoly rails.

Before I found the Specialized Milano, no matter what saddle I used or how long I was on my bike, riding the next day was painful. I was just shy of strapping a pillow to my seat! Whether taking a one-hour ride around the lake or working a 12-hour detail, this saddle is comfortable and decreases soreness to the genitalia. It also seems to be gender-friendly. Some of my male co-workers and friends have used the saddle and also find it comfortable.

In my two years using the Specialized Milano saddle, I have nothing negative to say about the product; however, my male co-workers and friends have complained that the saddle does not hold up well. Apparently, the seat cover has separated from the bottom, but after two years, mine is still holding up.

I am currently testing a different saddle and will let you know how it is performs in comparison to other saddles I have used in a future issue of IPMBA News.

Tom Says: I concur with Joyce's opinion on the Milano Saddle. In my more than eight years experience with public safety cycling, I have tried just about every saddle available. Two years ago I received the Milano in the mail. Since then I have used it extensively and found it to be the most comfortable saddle to date. If you are uncomfortable or pain, your day gets extremely long and your disposition might not be what it should while interacting with the public. The Milano helps prevent this. The only problem I have encountered with the Milano is that it is not as durable as I expected it to be. My saddle separated between the leather and the plastic base to which it is attached. I recently purchased another Milano and the new saddle is beginning to separate at the same location. I am hoping that Specialized will address this flaw, but in spite of it, I highly recommend the Milano.

The saddle comes in black and sells for about $40. For more information about the Specialized Milano, visit their website at www.specialized.com.

Joyce is a paramedic with East Baton Rouge EMS and Tom is the EMS Bike Team Coordinator. They will be coordinating the first-ever IPMBA Conference to be hosted by an EMS agency, April 19-21, 2007, in Baton Rouge. Joyce can be reached at jwalden@brgov.com and Tom can be reached at tharris@brgov.com.

© 2005 IPMBA. This review appeared in the Winter 2005 issue of IPMBA News.