3D printing is the hottest new development in manufacturing, and as far as cycling goes, saddles have curiously emerged as an area that has seen the most widespread application with several models on offer from both Fizik and Specialized (and more to come, surely).

Although they’re horribly expensive, 3D-printed saddles have also proven to be freakishly comfortable while still being extraordinarily light and highly supportive. But what makes them so comfortable? When might they become more affordable? And why do they have to look so weird?

In this week’s episode, James sat down with folks from Fizik and Carbon — the 3D-printing development partner for both Fizik and Specialized — to get the nitty-gritty details on what 3D-printed saddles are all about, and where they’re heading from here.