Spank Oozy 220 Review

Spank Industries is a components manufacturer that makes everything from wheelsets and pedals to cockpit items like handlebars and grips. They also make a handful of saddles, including the moderately priced Oozy 220. Our testers liked virtually everything about this comfortable and high-performing model, although it lost a bit of ground to the competition for its heftier weight. That said, we'd probably be willing to pedal around 50 or so extra grams for the comfort the Oozy 220 provides. While it didn't outperform the competition this time around, we feel this is a great reasonably priced option for any rider who isn't overly concerned with weight.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

We found the Oozy 220 to be a very comfortable saddle. Spank did a great job designing it with comfort features like a pressure relief channel, pressure zone contours, a nice wide nose, and a slight rise in the tail. We found the 144mm width to be agreeable, and it provided excellent support and a great shape that was comfortable from the moment we got on it.

The Oozy 220 is only offered in a 144mm width. This width is a happy middle ground that should work for a relatively wide range of sit bone widths and rider preferences, and our testers found it to feel perfect. The saddle has a classic teardrop shape with a wide nose and flat-ish side to side profile. There is a shallow pressure relief channel down the middle that we found to be quite effective for taking pressure off the sensitive parts. Toward the back of the saddle, Spank employed their human factor design with pressure relief contours for the sit bones. These contours are visible on the underside of the shell in the form of obvious dished spots where the sit bones rest on the wings. The contours work a bit like cradles for your sit bones, and there is room for a little extra padding where the majority of your weight rests. It also has a little bit of rise in the tail, which adds a pleasant feeling of support while pedaling. The upper is made with a medium density co-molded foam, and it extends to the edges, which are smooth, curved, and pressure point free.

Performance

We were relatively impressed by the performance of the Oozy 220 on the trail. Not only is it comfortable, but it has a great snag-free shape, low friction cover material, and anti-slip texture where you want it. It's a faithful companion while laying down the power or climbing, and it fades into the background on the descents.

Assuming the 144mm width agrees with your sit bones, this saddle has a great shape with wings that slope gently and provide excellent support without inhibiting the pedal stroke in any way. The medium density padding provides a high level of comfort, yet it isn't so soft that it feels like its sapping your power. The nose of the saddle is on the wider side at around 50mm, and we found that we liked the width when we scooted forward for super steep climbs. Likewise, the slight rise to the tail provides a nice supportive platform and subtle cradle shape that keeps the rider in the ideal position while climbing.

On the descents, we found the shape to be snag-free with smooth, low-friction cover material that slides easily across shorts materials. The nose of the saddle is broad with a smooth rounded tip that doesn't hang up on the crotch of your shorts. The tail tapers significantly from the widest part of the wings, making it easy to move around it on descents. The 265mm length is also on the shorter side, helping to make the Oozy 220 even more invisible while riding downhill.

Durability

The Oozy 220 appears to be a well made and durable mountain bike saddle. The construction appears robust, and we feel that it will likely last a very long time, assuming it doesn't hit the dirt too often.

The shell is made from a Fiber Reinforced Polymer that runs edge to edge on the underside of the saddle. The saddle rails are attached at the tip and tail and appear very well connected to the shell. The one-piece synthetic cover material is full coverage and drops down on the edges of the saddle and is tucked in and bonded to the shell for a very clean look. Spank claims the saddle has reinforced impact zones, but there isn't any obvious reinforcement visible on the tail or wings of the Oozy 220. Perhaps there is something internal that isn't visible. Either way, the tail and edges of the cover material do look susceptible to damage, should you go over the bars and smash the saddle into a rock garden. That said, most saddles would likely suffer in that same situation.

Versatility

The Oozy 220 strikes us a relatively versatile mountain bike saddle. It was designed for trail riding to support the rider well on the uphills and perform well on the downhills. Based on our experience, we feel that it works well for everyday trail riding, enduro, and downhill, though XC riders will likely shy away due to the heftier weight. Given the high level of comfort this saddle provides, we also wouldn't hesitate to mount it up on a gravel a bike to make those long days in the saddle just a little bit more pleasant.

Weight

Tipping the scales at 280-grams, the Oozy 220 doesn't exactly qualify as lightweight. It's among the heaviest saddles in our test and nearly 80 grams heavier than the lightest models we tested. That weight is definitely something to consider if you're looking to shave some grams off your bike. If you aren't particularly weight conscious, this saddle offers up a high level of comfort and performance.

Value

With a price that falls on the lower end of the spectrum, we feel the Oozy 220 is a good value. This saddle impressed us across all of our rating metrics, other than weight, and we feel this is a great moderately priced option for any type of mountain bike short of XC racing.

Conclusion

The Oozy 220 is a comfortable and high-performing mountain bike saddle that we have no problem recommending. Our only qualm with it is its slightly heavier weight, which will only dissuade the gram-counting, weight-conscious cyclists out there. If weight isn't a huge concern, then this saddle is a very comfortable spot to rest your haunches and will look good on any type of mountain bike.

Other Versions

Spank makes a total of four different reasonably priced saddles, including the Oozy 220 we tested. The Spike 160 and the Oozy 280 both share similar length/width dimensions and price to the model we tested, but with slightly different shapes and padding.