Since I’ve had great experiences with Selle Italia saddles before, I was stoked to receive the new SLR Super Flow (145) for testing.
Looking at the picture above, I am pretty sure most people would think that that saddle is installed on an XC bike. WRONG.
I admit it: I’m a weight weenie. I’m always looking for ways to keep the weight of my Santa Cruz V10C low and this saddle does the trick, saving me a measured 30 grams.
This saddle comes in at 179 grams, 6 grams less than advertised. With a length of 275 mm and a seat width of 145 mm, this slim-line saddle fits much like a regular SLR–just without padding in the middle. What is left is a 30% carbon composite shell with a good balance of fore and aft flex, and a decent amount of flex side to side.
The saddle covers the EVA padding (Ethylene-vinly acetate) in perforated full-grain leather. Despite looking very stiff, underneath the front nose there is a small elastomer that acts as suspension, giving you that flex front to back. Along with the elastomer, the 7 mm titanium rails also add a bit of flex in addition to keeping the weight down.
Having installed the saddle on my V10C first, I had no issues with it! Now granted, on a DH bike you don’t use the saddle as often as you would with other types of mountain bikes. You do, however, put the saddle through some rough abuse when your body slams off a hard landing from time to time. And in that respect, the saddle did pretty well. Getting used to the saddle took a bit of time, as the lack of the center material opens things up down there. One upside: the large opening allows for some extra breathability.
Once my Nomad Carbon arrived, I swapped the Super Flow saddle over to that bike. Now on my Nomad I typically ride for about 2 hours or so and I’ve had none of the pressure issues you might think would occur during that time. The trick there is the width: you can get the SLR in either a 130 or 145 mm width. Once you get that right, you have your seat bones right on the wings of the saddle with just enough padding.
Now again, I have been riding for ages and have lost the sensitivity that new riders have when seated on saddles for any length time. So for a first time rider, this may not be the saddle for you. If you’re a racer or advanced rider who spends many hours in the saddle, then this feels pretty darn good.
If you’re interested in purchasing one of these featherweight saddles, you can contact Pronetcycling.com or the retailer nearest you. The SLR Super Flow 145 saddle sports an MSRP of about $300, so light weight and comfort don’t come cheap… but think of Selle Italia as the Ferrari of mountain bike saddles!
I’d like to thank the folks at Selle Italia for sending down the SLR Super Flow for a review.
