Ironman Nice – Sam Laidlow’s Hydro-Gains Saddle Build

I first met Sam at Ironman UK, where we fitted the Hydro-Gains to his Prologo Dimension carbon rail saddle. It was great to meet him there.

About three weeks later, at the end of August and just before September, Sam got in touch again. Prologo had made a special saddle for him to use at the Ironman World Championships. That left us with just three weeks to complete the project.

The saddle they sent was a beautiful full-carbon model, but we quickly realised how difficult it would be to attach any kind of hydration system. A standard two-screw attachment wasn’t strong enough — it wouldn’t withstand the force of a three-pound bottle bouncing over bumps. When you multiply that impact, it’s closer to 33 pounds of pressure.

We had to engineer a new solution. The strongest point of the saddle was the central carbon section, so we designed a fixed mechanism through there.

We avoided leaving the full weight on just two screws, as we felt it could snap. Instead, we developed a clamp mechanism — the screws passed through but the clamp itself spread the weight across the saddle. We also added a pull mechanism through the saddle’s centre cut-out, helping to disperse pressure further.

Weight was another key factor. The saddle itself was only 125 grams, so we kept everything as light as possible. We used titanium screws throughout, bringing the total weight, saddle, double bottle mount, Hydro-Gains and screws, to just 255 grams.

To make this possible, I drove up to Leicester, about a 200-mile round trip, to meet our engineer Will. Over coffee, we reviewed the saddle and came up with the clamp design. We had an emergency part manufactured in London and couriered to us the next day. We tested the setup, were confident it worked, and then sent it out to Sam in Nice.

Unfortunately, customs held the parcel (as they sometimes do), and with the race drawing closer we couldn’t take the risk. I decided to fly to Nice myself and meet Sam’s manager, triathlon legend Ronnie Schildknecht.

I arrived Monday night planning to fit the system straight away, but Canyon (Sam’s bike sponsor) didn’t arrive until Tuesday evening. That meant rescheduling flights and juggling everything back in the UK.

Finally, late Tuesday night, I drilled the saddle, fitted the Hydro-Gains, and finished the job around 1 a.m.

The next morning, Sam tested the setup, and everything worked perfectly.

He rode with confidence and comfort, and we were over the moon to see him go on to set the fastest bike split of the day — 4:29:29 — at the Ironman World Championships in Nice.

The journey was stressful, fast-paced, and emotional, but absolutely worth it. We’re incredibly proud to have played a part in supporting Sam Laidlow’s performance on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

Registered designs & trademarks:
Mathys & Squire LLP

EZ Hydro Gains Trademark: UK00004217827 / UK4260115