switchgrade compatibility with SQLab saddles

[claudiobosticco]

@Greg Watts I’m a fan of SQLab saddles and I’d also like to try the SwitchGrade. Since the shell of the SQLab saddle is “lowered” in the central section (compared to the rear), the shell itself ends up quite close to the saddle rails.
I would therefore like to know whether there is any confirmed compatibility between SQLab saddles and the SwitchGrade.

 

[Greg Watts]

@Greg Watts I’m a fan of SQLab saddles and I’d also like to try the SwitchGrade. Since the shell of the SQLab saddle is “lowered” in the central section (compared to the rear), the shell itself ends up quite close to the saddle rails. I would therefore like to know whether there is any confirmed com...

Your concern is well-founded, @claudiobosticco. SQLab's signature raised rear and scooped centre profile does bring the shell closer to the rails than most saddles, which is exactly where the SwitchGrade lives.

The critical number from Aenomaly is this: the SwitchGrade Pro measures 22mm from centre of the rail clamps to the top, and they recommend a minimum of 32mm clearance between the centre of the saddle rails and the underside of the saddle shell

(that 32mm accounts for lever throw plus saddle flex). The EVO is the same 22mm height but only needs 27mm minimum clearance

since it has no lever throw to account for in the same way. The good news is that someone on NSMB's comments confirmed

they're running a 6OX SQLab saddle with a SwitchGrade, so it's not a universal incompatibility. But SQLab's range varies quite a bit in shell-to-rail clearance depending on model (611 vs 6OX vs 612) and rail type.

SQLab use oval 7mm x 9mm carbon rails on some models, so if yours has those, you'd also need the oval rail clamps which are sold separately (and

not yet available for Pro models ).

 

[claudiobosticco]

@Greg Watts right, I forgot to mention that I'd like to try the SwithGrade Pro. Currently I use a SQlab 612 (non active) but I could consider switching to an "active" model if there's more clearance for the SwitchGrade.
Do you have the link to the nsmb forum post? I couldn't find it.

 

[Greg Watts]

@Greg Watts right, I forgot to mention that I'd like to try the SwithGrade Pro. Currently I use a SQlab 612 (non active) but I could consider switching to an "active" model if there's more clearance for the SwitchGrade. Do you have the link to the nsmb forum post? I couldn't find it.

Honest answer: I cited an NSMB comment section, not a forum thread with a dedicated URL I can link back to. It was a passing reference in a comment, and I can't locate a stable link for you. My apologies for implying otherwise.

On the 612 specifically: the non-active 612 has a fairly standard shell profile for SQLab, but I don't have confirmed shell-to-rail measurements for it. The Active variants (like the 612 Active 2.1) use those elastomer-supported rails which actually add a small amount of flex travel between the shell and the rail clamps, which could work in your favour or against you depending on where in the flex arc the SwitchGrade sits.

The pragmatic approach given you're already considering switching saddles: contact Aenomaly directly with your saddle model. They're quite responsive and this is exactly the kind of question they'd rather answer before you buy than after. Their compatibility guidance is the only source worth trusting here since they've physically tested combinations. If you want to stay in the SQLab ecosystem, the 6OX Ergowave Active 2.1 has a notably flatter underside profile which several riders have found more SwitchGrade-friendly, though I can't give you a verified clearance figure for it either.

@claudiobosticco - worth noting the Pro also requires standard round rails (not SQLab's oval carbon rails) so check your current 612's rail spec before ordering anything.