Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow saddle

The Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow saddle is an updated classic that's lost weight and some of the usual depth of cushioning, and gained a slightly flatter and wider shape.

The shell is carbon-fibre with a significant amount of flex to it, especially around the central cutout, while the rails are lightweight CarboKeramic which, you'll not be too surprised to find out, is carbon-fibre with a ceramic coating to protect the rails from the clamp.

There's less depth to the padding than there is on other Flites, resulting in a firmer feel towards the nose when you climb aboard. Whether that's right for you is purely a matter of personal choice. Don't get the idea that this saddle is harsh; it isn't. But some people will certainly want more cushioning.

Our Flite Tekno Flow hit the road.cc Scales of Truth at 137g, a little higher than Selle Italia's claimed 125g but still very light for a saddle of this kind. To put that figure in context, we've tested a Selle Italia Turbomatic Gel Flow Team saddle in the past that weighed 257g, while the Bontrager Team Issue saddle we reviewed last year was 211g.

The saddle shape is slightly flatter than normal for a Flite, and a little wider. I have a Flite Gel Flow here from a few years back and the widest part of the nose is 37mm across. The widest part of the Flite Tekno Flow's nose is 43mm.

Can you feel that difference? Just about. I can't say it really bothers me either way but you're aware that the Flite Tekno Flow's nose is a touch wider.

The shell is fairly wide (145mm) towards the rear of the saddle too, although the padding and cover don't reach right to the edges or to the back. Check out the picture and you'll see what I mean. The cover is bonded to the top of the shell back there so, despite the difference in size, the actual seating area is about the same as that of the Flite Gel Flow I mentioned.

That bonding looks like it's going to last. At least, I've been using this saddle for a few weeks over the wettest, dirtiest time of the year and it hasn't shown any signs of coming unstuck.

Overall, this is a lightweight saddle with a fairly shallow amount of padding, but the flex in the shell, especially through the central section, means it feels firm rather than harsh.

The price, though – that's a hard one to swallow. You don't need me to tell you that £313 is a lot of money to spend on a saddle. The Flite Tekno Flow is almost twice the price of the next most expensive Flite, and getting on for four times the price of the cheapest.

A quick look back through the archive shows that this is the most expensive saddle we've ever reviewed. Whether it's the right buy for you depends on how much you value shaving off the grams.

Oh, and with a price tag this large, you'll want to be absolutely certain that the saddle fits you and is comfortable before splashing the cash. Head along to a Selle Italia dealer and get measured up using their idmatch system http://www.selleitalia.com/en/idmatch/discover-idmatch/ system to be sure.

Verdict

Lightweight saddle with shallow padding, but flex in the shell means it feels firm rather than harsh