Selle Italia Saddles - Hand-Crafted in Italy

From 1897 Selle Italia has been recognised as being a leader in the bicycling industry thanks to its continued efforts to comply with consumers' needs. All products are "hand-crafted" in Italy from the highest quality materials available. Saddles and components are created through laboratory research and state-of-the-art technologies that combine lightweight and anatomic shapes to provide maximum comfort.

Tested and used by great champions as F.Gimondi, E.Merckx, B.Hinault, M.Indurain, F.Moser, J.Ullrich and M.Pantani the high performance saddles have won awards from both Design News and I.D. Magazine for its innovations and patents.

The "Genuine Gel" series of saddles have a gel insert specifically positioned in the centre of the saddle and under each of its sit bones that provide even more comfort for those cyclists wanting extra support in these critical areas. These are known as 3-spot gel saddles. Combined with leather cover material and tear resistant synthetic Kevlar corners, the Genuine Gel saddles are seen on Road, MTB and BMX bikes around the world.

How to Choose your Saddle

Not everyone has the same requirements for comfort, fit, looks, etc. With that said, the following information is offered in an effort to help you find the most comfort in a saddle for you. The final shape, cover, material, padding is like the color - it is your choice.

1. The more flex the rail of the saddle has the more comfort. Flex absorbs road vibrations and impacts rather than being passed on to the rider. The most flexible rail material is Titanium (it is also the most expensive.) The least flexible rail material is steel (it is the least expensive.) Cr/Mo, Manganese, Vanox and Forged are other materials that vary in flex and price. Also, the rail should be as long as possible. The longer the rail the more flex and shock absorbing it will be.
2. The base of the saddle should be nylon (or nylon composites) not plastic. The flex of the nylon will provide more vibration and shock absorbing than a plastic base. You can usually see the difference by pushing against the saddle base with your thumb. If it is nylon, the saddle base will move. Plastic will not move. (All Selle Italia saddles are manufactured using a nylon or nylon composite base.)
3. Padding alone is not enough to judge comfort. Have you ever sat on a pillow or cushion on a bleacher? You will eventually feel the stiff bleacher even with lots of padding. It is the same with a saddle. If the saddle has lots of padding but the base and rail don't flex it will become uncomfortable.
4. Make sure your saddle is adjusted properly. This will take patience and cannot be done by anyone but you. A saddle must be positioned so that you don't reach too far forward or sit too upright. This cannot be done by sliding your seat forward or aft on the rails more than a few millimeters. (Your saddle should be mounted as close to the center of the rail adjustment as possible.) It may require a different handlebar stem than your bike is equipped with. The angle and height of the seat is important as well. The height of the seat should be adjusted so that your leg is straight out when your heel is resting on the pedal at the bottom reach of the crank. Don't over extend the leg and don't have it curled. The angle of the saddle should adjusted to fit "you". If you find yourself getting sore on the "sit" bones, tilt the seat down a little. Try it again and adjust it a little at a time. If you find yourself getting sore in the front soft tissue area, raise the nose a little. Try it again and adjust it a little at a time. Don't go from one extreme to the other. It won't help.
5. Leather covers don't sweat like synthetic covers. Because leather doesn't sweat, it causes less friction and less irritation. The leather costs more but it provides more comfort.
6. Shape is important! There are 2 basic "shapes" for middle-high end racing MTB saddles - flat and curved. The flat saddles like the Selle Italia Fluid, Flite, SLR, Max Flite, Trimatic 2, Nitrox have several riding positions. The curved saddles like the Selle Italia Prolink, Turbomatic 4 , XO, Lady, Oktavia have 1 or 2 riding positions. Analyze your riding style so that you ride the saddle that best fits your style of riding. If you move around a lot and ride in several positions, a flat saddle should be more comfortable. If you have a tendency to sit in 1 or 2 positions, a curved saddle should be more comfortable.

Rail Criteria

None of the materials have a rider weight limit! They will all work extremely well used in a normal course of riding.

Most riders have problems with bending or breaking rail:

1. When impacting the saddle during landing after becoming airborne! The earth won't move or give so the saddle must. This usually happens during aggressive MTB riding when the bike gets airborne, the riders foot slips off the pedal/rider loses balance/or ? and the rider impacts the seat when the bike hits the ground. Bent rails can even happen when road bikers "jump" a pot hole/curb/railroad tracks/? and don't time the jump correctly impacting the saddle; or
2. Stress riser caused by the seat post cradle (sharp edge of the seat post cradle creates stress riser which will eventually cause the rail to break.) As with most things that can bend or break (stems/handlebars/rims/seat rails), the riders riding technique or riding circumstance when it bends/breaks has more to do with durability than the product material. The advantages of Titanium are it is lighter and it flexes more than other materials. The advantages of Cr/Mo and/or Manganese are they are lighter and flex more than steel.

Characteristics of Selle Italia Saddles

A Note on TransAm Models

All TransAm models (Max Flite, ProLink and LDY) use existing saddle models modified to add 1/8" to 1/2" of foam over the entire saddle, making each model slightly wider and softer than the original design. In addition each Trans Am model has an anatomically specific pressure relief area in the form of a cut-out to reduce the pressure to the frontal soft tissue area. The Trans Am series of saddles continually receives excellent reviews from road, MTB, men and women cyclists.

Flite, Flite Genuine Gel, Flite TransAm

Very long flexible Titanium rail mounted in front of the soft tissue area and behind the sit bones. Carbon composite flexible base. Minimal padding but because of the flexible base and rail, the saddle actually is very comfortable for many riders. The shape is "flat" in the center with the sides sloped. Overall shape is narrow.

Flite XP, Flite XP Genuine Gel, Flite XP TransAm

Same features as above but wider (3/4") and flatter on top.

ProLink, ProLink Genuine Gel, ProLink TransAm

Carbon composite rail mounted into shock absorbing elastomer pads much like the engine or suspension in an auto is designed. The Nylon/Elastomer base flexes. Minimal padding but because of the very Nylon/Elastomer base the saddle is very comfortable. The shape is the "flattest" and "widest" of all the Selle Italia high-end models. The sides don't slope but are vertical. Overall shape is wide.

XO, XO Genuine Gel, XO TransAm

Tubular Manganese rail is light and yet inexpensive in comparison to the Titanium or Carbon Composite rails. The Nylon base is more flexible than the plastic bases used on most of our competitor's saddles in this price range (middle). More padding than high-end saddles but not thick "pillow" type padding. The shape is "flat" with less slope to the edges than the Flite but not as vertical as the ProLink. Overall shape is flat. Century, Century Genuine Gel, Century TransAm - A very stiff forged Ergal (alloy) rail makes this saddle ride stiff. Add a stiff base and minimal padding; it is a tough saddle to find comfortable for many riders in North America. The TransAm has more padding but I don't know if it will compensate for the lack of flex of the base or rail. Overall shape is flat.

Lady, Lady Genuine Gel, Lady TransAm

For the first time ever a Lady saddle was in the top 5 sales for 2000. The Lady TransAm was #3. Tubular Manganese rail is light and yet inexpensive in comparison to the Titanium or Carbon Composite rails. The Nylon base is more flexible than the plastic bases used on most of our competitor's saddles. This saddle has more padding than any of the middle or high saddles offered by Selle Italia. The shape is wide in the rear, vertical edges and shorter nose. Overall shape is flat.

Max Flite, Max Flite Genuine Gel, Max Flite TransAm

Tubular Manganese rail is mounted into suspension "wings" in the rear and pivoting elastomer in the front. This suspension provides lots of flex. The Nylon base is flexible but firm. The Max Flite TransAm adds about 10-12 mm of padding over the entire saddle base making the shape different from the Max Flite or Max Flite Genuine Gel. The Max Flite TransAm top is "wider" and "flatter" than the other 2 models of Max Flite. The Max Flite TransAm received great reviews from the starting in '99 although '00 and '01 from all kinds of riders. All models listed above use leather covers that lessen friction between the cyclist and saddle. Leather also breath's reducing the sweating and resulting discomfort.

All Genuine Gel models listed above have real "silicone gel" located in the frontal soft tissue area and under each of the sit bones. Genuine Gel absorbs 300% more vibrations and impacts than standard foam.

Finally, the #1 saddle for Selle Italia the past 10 years is the Flite Titanium with black leather. This past three years the Flite Titanium "Genuine Gel" black replaced the Flite Titanium with black leather. The "Genuine Gel" insert offers extra comfort in the soft tissue area. This doesn't mean it is the best for your particular needs but it does indicate that a lot of people like it. (Other Genuine Gel models include Century, Max Flite, Prolink, TurboMatic 4, Lady, TriMatic 2, Oktavia, Nitrox, XO.)

Limited Warranty:

Selle Italia saddles are warranted to be free from defects in workmanship and materials for twelve (12) months from the date of purchase from an authorized retailer. If the Selle Italia saddle needs repair or replacement during this period, Selle Italia will repair or replace the defective saddle at their discretion.

Breaking or bending of Carbon, Titanium, FeC Alloy, Tubular Vanox, Tubular Manganese or Tubular Titanium rails may not indicate a defect. Seat post cradles can create stress risers in the seat rail which may cause the rail to break. Please follow instruction provide on the Selle Italia packaging before assembling the saddle.

Breaking or bending of a rail usually occurs due to incorrect assembly on the seat post or by the seat cradle not allowing flex of the rail and the resulting "stress riser".

A rail that has been "popped" front of the saddle base should be returned to us for re-insertion, (do not attempt this yourself as damage to the base will result without the proper equipment making the saddle un-useable). The saddle will be inspected for problems and the rail re-inserted where possible and returned.

This Limited Warranty does not apply to ordinary wear and tear, such as wear to the cover caused by abrasion, or to damage resulting from abuse, or from causes other than defects in materials and workmanship, including modification to the original product.

Limitations on Warranty: The warranty on Selle Italia saddles is limited to the Limited Warranty set forth above. There are no other warranties which extend beyond the face hereof.