Selle Italia SLR saddle

My first impression of this saddle was: [expletive] me, this thing is light! The SLR is a true featherweight at a mere 135g, proudly advertised on the saddle and ratified by the road.cc scales. And it looks fast too. You might think at this weight comfort would be, shall we say, a secondary consideration. You'd be mistaken: it's a well designed and reasonably comfy minimalist perch.

It takes a little bit (5 miles or so) of getting used to, but then doesn't every saddle? It's a bit shorter than the saddles I'm used to, but that's not saying much as I'm mainly comparing it with a Brooks Swallow and a Fizik Arione, which are both pretty long. I quickly learnt that the nose of the saddle is not where you want to be, and consequently the SLR would never make it onto my TT bike.

On the racer though it's beautiful, both aesthetically and functionally. The carbon composite shell on hollow titanium tubes with a breathable leather cover (separated from the shell with a thin layer of EVA padding) flexes just the right amount to be really quite comfy. It's got fewer comfortable positions than the Arione, but then at just over half the weight I'm not complaining.

Verdict

Seriously light, surprisingly comfy and looks the business.