WTB Koda Titanium Review

While it may have originally been designed for the women's market, the WTB Koda Titanium was a saddle that our male testers couldn't stop talking about. Male and female anatomy aren't the same, obviously, but we quickly discovered that the same design elements that make this saddle comfortable for women also make this an excellent option for men. The Koda was one of only a few contenders that testers didn't want to take off their bike, and we often found ourselves switching it between our mountain and gravel bikes because it was just so darn comfortable. In the end, it took home our Top Pick for Comfort Award.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Koda Titanium proved to be the most comfortable saddle we tested. It is designed for medium to wider sit bones and is only offered in 142mm (tested) and 150mm widths, so that is something to bear in mind depending on your fit needs or preferences. For people who fit these widths, we don't think a saddle gets more comfortable than this.

The incredible comfort of this saddle starts with its shape. WTB has been making mountain bike saddles for a long time, and they have applied their years of experience in the making of the Koda Titanium. In their typical style, it has a slight swoop in the middle that rises slightly to the tail creating a little bit of a cradle, offering some support towards the back of the saddle.

The Koda Titanium has a teardrop shape that appears especially pronounced due to the shorter overall length of 255mm. It contours nicely from nose to tail with a great shape that allows for an unencumbered pedal stroke. WTB has employed their "DNA" padding on this model which is soft but supportive with a nice cushion from tip to tail. There is also a very pronounced anatomical groove that extends from the tail of the saddle about 2/3 of the way forward which helps keep the pressure off sensitive areas.

Underneath, the Koda has a "Flex Tuned Shell" which allows for a moderate amount of flex through the middle of the saddle. There is also a "Comfort Zone" cutout through the middle of the shell that is intended to allow the saddle to have even more give in the center to reduce pressure on your parts.

From side to side the Koda Titanium has a bit flatter of a profile than a saddle like the Tioga Spyder Outland which has a more rounded shape. This is especially noticeable when viewed from the nose, as the saddle is rounded through the middle, but flattens as it rises towards the tail. Testers found this shape to be great for extended periods of pedaling as it allowed them to settle into the sweet spot and stay there.

Performance

On the trail, the Koda Titanium performed quite well. This was primarily due to the high level of comfort when seated and pedaling. This saddle just felt great. The teardrop shape of the saddle is perfect and doesn't inhibit the pedal stroke in any way, although the generous padding may absorb a little of your power from time to time.

The performance of the Koda Titanium doesn't stop at the comfort, however, as its shorter length, 255mm, allows for excellent freedom of movement. Getting your body in front or behind it was easy, although some riders may prefer a more tapered tail profile. If you're accustomed to a WTB saddle, like many of our testers are, the Koda's tail profile is quite similar to most of their other models. The microfiber seat cover is also covered in a pattern of small triangles that provide a little anti-slip grip. Your shorts don't slide entirely freely on this saddle covering, but minor adjustments to your position aren't hard to come by either.

Durability

The Koda Titanium scored well in our durability rating metric for several reasons. First, WTB has a long history of making quality mountain bike saddles, and it seems they have continued that with the Koda. The quality of craftsmanship seems to be spot on, as usual.

The Koda Titanium is made with a microfiber seat cover that shows no signs of wear after heavy use during our test period. The back corners of the tail are covered with a durable abrasion-resistant fabric to prevent damage to those areas in the event of a crash. There are also no exposed seams on the saddle, the microfiber cover is one piece that is attached to the shell on the underside, and the abrasion fabric on the tail is stitched from the inside.

The seat rails are as straight as the day we got them, and not a single noise has been noted coming from the front or rear seat rails connections.

Versatility

Overall, the Koda Titanium is a very versatile saddle. Testers found themselves switching it between their trail, gravel, and road bikes due to its impressive level of comfort for extended periods in the saddle and we wouldn't hesitate to use this saddle all day every day on every one of our bikes. As mentioned above, the Koda was designed with women in mind, although it obviously works just fine for men too, so it is clearly appropriate for both genders.

The fact that the Koda is only available in medium to wide widths does limit this saddle to people who need or want that width. The short length of the nose of the saddle probably won't appeal to people who do lots of steep climbing and like to weight the front of the saddle for traction. That said, testers felt the comfort of this saddle made it great for virtually any cycling application.

Weight

For as comfortable as the Koda is, it also impressed us with its light weight. It's the second lightest in our test selection at 203g for the 142mm width we tested. This is only 1g heavier than our Top Pick for Light Weight Award winner, the Tioga Spyder Outland when it is equipped with the anti-slip pads. It is 25g heavier when it is used without them.

The Koda Titanium weighs in 11g less than our next lightest competitor, the SDG Circuit Ti-Alloy, and full 40g less than our second highest-rated model, the Specialized Phenom Comp. The Koda Titanium is the lightest version of the Koda saddle, with three other versions available in different weights and at different price points (see other versions below).

Value

The Koda Titanium certainly costs a pretty penny to get your hands on. Considering its lightweight, outrageous level of comfort, and high level of performance, we'd have to say it's a pretty good deal. Fortunately, if you can't justify the expense, WTB offers the same comfort in a slightly heavier package at a lower price in any of the three other models they make.

Conclusion

We weren't quite sure what to expect with the Koda Titanium mountain bike saddle. It's billed as a women's model, but we found it to be every bit as functional for men. It was the most comfortable saddle in our test, with a great shape and padding that lent itself well to long days of pedaling. It's also impressively lightweight, the 2nd lightest in our test selection, meaning you don't have to lug around a bunch of extra weight to have this kind of comfort on the bike. Testers also found this light and comfortable saddle to be impressively durable and versatile; it's the total package.

Other Versions