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.
Bottom Line:
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.......
Similar Products Used: Serfas RX, Bontrager Race Lite Lux, etc.
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
Similar Products Used: none lately....have the same saddle on all 3 bikes
Bike Setup: Bianchi 928 Lugged Carbon, Fully Campy Record, FSA carbon seatpost, Deda Newton Bars, Campy Neutron Ultra Wheels
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
syndicate559
a Recreational Rider
from
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2006
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.
Bottom Line:
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.
Similar Products Used: SLR, Specialized Alias, Fizik Arione, Bontrager Race Lux, Terry Fly, SLK
Bike Setup: 06 S-Works Tarmac, DA Components, K-Force Compact, EC90 Bars, Ksyrium ES Wheels, Zero Gravity Ti brakes
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
pasta-lumbago
a Recreational Rider
from
Date Reviewed: February 15, 2006
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
Bottom Line:
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: 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.
Bottom Line:
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.
I have been riding one of the original SLRs for a few years now and like it, but wondering if I'd like one of these newer models any better? Anyone have some experience with the or Read More »
