Bike Setup: Madone 5.2 58cm with:
-full Ultegra and Dura-Ace rear Derailleur; velocity wheels, GP4000's, Carbon stem and 46cm handlebar. And who can forget the Selle Italia SLR Saddle
Summary: I bought this saddle hoping to make the transition to a lighter saddle that promises more comfort and power on longer rides than those "Squishy saddles". I ride 100-200 miles per week and this saddle is great on those 40 mile rides, but I am a larger rider (6'1" @ 205lbs.) and this thing became excruciating on a 70 mile ride this past weekend.
I have this saddle on my race/serious training bike, madone 5.2, and overall I give this a 4 out of 5, with no fault to Selle Italia! The craftsmanship is unlike any I've ever seen, I'm just to large for the saddle. I think I will be going with the new Selle Max Flite w/ cutout given that it is practically the same saddle, but 1 inch wider. If any of you guys are my size and have had good luck with a saddle, please email me and let me know, otherwise, the search continues.......
Strengths: -The finish is unparalleled by any other saddle.
-Great color (yellow, LIVESTRONG ALL ;)
-Comfortable on short rides
-great flex (shock absorbing)
Weaknesses: -Very narrow @ 5" wide
-find myself moving around on the saddle a lot.
-excruciating on any ride over 60 miles for me.
Similar Products Used: Serfas RX, Bontrager Race Lite Lux, etc.
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Bike Setup: Bianchi 928 Lugged Carbon, Fully Campy Record, FSA carbon seatpost, Deda Newton Bars, Campy Neutron Ultra Wheels
Summary: Great Saddle....Light enough at 205 grams but still very comfortable on long rides...
I really prefer saddles with a cutout--so this suits me well...
I am looking at Selle's new 120 gram saddle with both a cutout & carbon rails...of course, that costs $180
Strengths: Light, comfortable & great cutout....
Weaknesses: Not too flashy looking
Similar Products Used: none lately....have the same saddle on all 3 bikes
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Bike Setup: 06 S-Works Tarmac, DA Components, K-Force Compact, EC90 Bars, Ksyrium ES Wheels, Zero Gravity Ti brakes
Summary: This is for the SLR Gel Flow. I got a used one on a used bike I purchased. I never intended to use it at all, but ended up going for a ride before I had a chance to put another saddle on. It didn't feel too bad over a 1.5 hour trip, so I decided to give it a chance. I just kept riding it. I went back to my Alias and quickly went back to this one. I've now put nearly 2000 miles on this used saddle, including the moutainous Grizzly Century (nearly 8 hours of seat time). I was surprised that it works for me, because it's pretty narrow. I always thought that at 5'10" and 200+, I needed a wider saddle. I just purchased a Signo Gel Flow because it's a bit wider to compare, but I'm not expecting much because this has raised my standards considerably.
Strengths: reasonably light, very comfortable, effective cutout, reasonable price, excellent quality and durability
Weaknesses: Some might complain that approx. 200g is too heavy, but I defy anyone to show me a sub-200 saddle that's anywhere near as comfortable.
Similar Products Used: SLR, Specialized Alias, Fizik Arione, Bontrager Race Lux, Terry Fly, SLK
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Bike Setup: Litespeed Tuscany, Ouzo Pro fork, Easton Orion II wheelset, Campy drivetrain & shifters, brakes.
Summary: Selle Italia SLR Gelflow saddle. Best saddle I've ever had! It's just plain comfortable, great quality workmanship, and very good customer service. I started using it last July (05), and about 3 months later the right rear rail came just a little loose where it joints with the saddle. I sent it back to Selle Italia (actually, to a company called ProNet here in the US), and they replaced it, no questions asked, with a brand new saddle (and the turn-around was less than a week!). They also apologized for the inconvenience and included a brand new skull cap as a "perk". They stood behind their product, which counts for a lot. 2 other riders in my group also have this saddle and really like it. A third wants to get one, too.
Strengths: Very good workmanship, light enough for fast recreational riding (185 gm, advertised), quite comfortable on long rides, and excellent customer service.
Weaknesses: Maybethe lack of color selection (only available in black), but that's a very minor issue IMHO
Similar Products Used: Terry dragonfly, San Marco, and a bunch of other low-end saddles.
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Reviewed by: Samuel Garcia Galante(Unregistered User)
Favorite Ride: Anything that doesn't require winter clothes
Bike Setup: Stock Specialized Tarmac Pro, Dura Ace, wireless Flight Deck, Mondo (stock) tires, Ksyrium Elite wheelset, ultegra brakes and ft derrailleur
Summary: Narrow saddle, I imagine it suits better small and light riders. I'm waist 31, weight 156 lbs. IMPORTANT: the SLR XP is one saddle, the SLR Gel Flow is another. This review is for the Gel Flow. Even tough it increases it's weight from 165 grams (XP) to 215 (Gel Flow), those 50 grams of gel make a huge difference. Compared to the Pro Link Gel Flow (a very comfortable 375 grams saddle I have on my training bike), this SLR is 95% as comfortable, but much ligher. Previous Specialized BG Alias saddle prevented me to ride this bike for about 5 months!!, with this saddle I just completed my first century.
Strengths: At 215 grams, it is much lighter than other COMFORTABLE saddles, like the Pro Link Gel Flow (the older one, at 375 grams). I favor comfort over weight, but this saddle seems to have both factors in balance. I would not save the gel's weight under any circumstance. It does make the difference.
Weaknesses: None so far, but I have only used it for about 350 miles.
Similar Products Used: Selle Italia Pro Link Gel Flow, Specialized BG Alias (came stock with my new bike, stay away from that rock solid saddle)
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