Does Selle Italia Make any comfortable saddles?

Mark

Hi all, In my quest for a better saddle, I'd like to garner opinions
of what saddles should I consider looking into. I presently have
mounted on my bike a Selle Tri-Matic, and this thing is just murder!
(Came with the bike, and yes, I've read the reviews about not trying
to raise a family after using this saddle)

Oh sure, it looks nice, but I can remember my ole '70's Motobecane
Le-Champion with unpadded hard leather Brooks Saddle, and it never
killed me the way this Selle does! Ouch.

I had considered the Selle Gel Flight saddle, but I'm unsure from what
reviews I've read if I'm going to be any happier with this one?

No it doesn't have to be Selle, and I couldn't care less about price,
so others are definitely considered here (Fiz-ik, etc)

I wish to stay with a road bike saddle, definitely do not want a
fat-ass mountain bike saddle on my Bianchi road bike! Thanks all!
Mark

Sheldon Brown

Mark wrote:

> Hi all, In my quest for a better saddle, I'd like to garner opinions
> of what saddles should I consider looking into. I presently have
> mounted on my bike a Selle Tri-Matic, and this thing is just murder!
> (Came with the bike, and yes, I've read the reviews about not trying
> to raise a family after using this saddle)
>
> Oh sure, it looks nice, but I can remember my ole '70's Motobecane
> Le-Champion with unpadded hard leather Brooks Saddle, and it never
> killed me the way this Selle does! Ouch.

Yep, still the best! http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/saddles

> I had considered the Selle Gel Flight saddle, but I'm unsure from what
> reviews I've read if I'm going to be any happier with this one?
>
> No it doesn't have to be Selle, and I couldn't care less about price,
> so others are definitely considered here (Fiz-ik, etc)

"Selle" is not a brand name, it's the Italian word for "saddles." As
such, it is part of the names of several different Italian saddle
makers, including "Selle Roayal," "Selle San Marco," and "Selle Italia."

Sheldon "Not To Be Confused With 'Gant' Gloves" Brown
+-------------------------------------------------+
| Live near Boston? Want to learn to play jazz? |
| See my jazz site: http://www.artsforall.com |
+-------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Chris

"Sheldon Brown" <captbike@sheldonbrown.com> wrote in message
news:4071BB90.5030900@sheldonbrown.com...
>

> +-------------------------------------------------+
> | Live near Boston? Want to learn to play jazz? |
> | See my jazz site: http://www.artsforall.com |
> +-------------------------------------------------+

You can't learn to play jazz, Mr. Sheldon. You can only learn to release it
from inside of you.

Chris

Ningi

Chris wrote:
> "Sheldon Brown" <captbike@sheldonbrown.com> wrote in message
> news:4071BB90.5030900@sheldonbrown.com...
>
>
>>+-------------------------------------------------+
>>| Live near Boston? Want to learn to play jazz? |
>>| See my jazz site: http://www.artsforall.com |
>>+-------------------------------------------------+
>
>
> You can't learn to play jazz, Mr. Sheldon. You can only learn to release it
> from inside of you.
>

And I sometimes wonder from which orifice

Pete

Kinky Cowboy

On 5 Apr 2004 12:45:55 -0700, apoman60612@yahoo.com (Mark) wrote:

>Hi all, In my quest for a better saddle, I'd like to garner opinions
>of what saddles should I consider looking into. I presently have
>mounted on my bike a Selle Tri-Matic, and this thing is just murder!
>(Came with the bike, and yes, I've read the reviews about not trying
>to raise a family after using this saddle)
>
>Oh sure, it looks nice, but I can remember my ole '70's Motobecane
>Le-Champion with unpadded hard leather Brooks Saddle, and it never
>killed me the way this Selle does! Ouch.
>
>I had considered the Selle Gel Flight saddle, but I'm unsure from what
>reviews I've read if I'm going to be any happier with this one?
>
>No it doesn't have to be Selle, and I couldn't care less about price,
>so others are definitely considered here (Fiz-ik, etc)
>
>I wish to stay with a road bike saddle, definitely do not want a
>fat-ass mountain bike saddle on my Bianchi road bike! Thanks all!
>Mark


To answer the question, yes if your butt fits them. YMMV. FWIW, I
think the SLR is comfortable. There's no real way to tell if you will
without giing for a decent test ride.


Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

MikeYankee

I've had a Tri-Matic on my Merckx for 5-6 years and it's one of my favorite
saddles. I've had 'em on other bikes, too.

Saddle preferences are very personal. This said, the Tri-Matic has a very
conventional shape by modern standards and should be comfy to many. Is yours
set up properly? Start with a level position (adjust the tilt so a
straightedge along the saddle's centerline is parallel to the top tube), as
nose-up can be really hard on your sit zone. Also, is yours leather or fabric?
I think most roadies, myself included, prefer a leather saddle that allows us
to slide. Generally I adapt pretty well to new (to me) saddle types, but
without exception I have been uncomfortable on embroidered or fabric-covered
saddles that do not allow me to slide and shift position easily.




Mike Yankee

(Address is munged to thwart spammers.
To reply, delete everything after "com".)

Chris Zacho The Wheelman

Sure Selle Italia makes comfortable saddles. So does Brooks, Vetta,
Terry and almost every other quality saddle maker. For someone, anyway.

Saddles are like shoes. Comfort is as comfort fits. try different makes
and models (A good LBS will let you try them out). When you find
something that really fits, buy it.

- -

"May you have the wind at your back.
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

Cipher

I personally can't use anything from Selle Italia for more than
just a quick trip around the block... My personal favorite is a San
Marco Rolls.



--

Gonzo Bob

I've ridden a lot of Selle Italia saddles and the Tri-matic is probably
the worst I've tried. The Flite Gel is a bit better and the Turbomatic 3
is a step up from that. But the most comfortable Selle Italia for me is
the old Turbo. Got one of them on my "brevet" bike.



--

Alex Rodriguez

>I wish to stay with a road bike saddle, definitely do not want a
>fat-ass mountain bike saddle on my Bianchi road bike!

Hmm. You shouldn't worry so much about looks and get the saddle that fits
your butt best. I presonally like the selle italia flite, but unless your
ass is just like mine, you might not like the fit.
--------------
Alex

GaryG

"Mark" <apoman60612@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:68236fb6.0404051145.66f4c9f3@posting.google.com...
> Hi all, In my quest for a better saddle, I'd like to garner opinions
> of what saddles should I consider looking into. I presently have
> mounted on my bike a Selle Tri-Matic, and this thing is just murder!
> (Came with the bike, and yes, I've read the reviews about not trying
> to raise a family after using this saddle)
>
> Oh sure, it looks nice, but I can remember my ole '70's Motobecane
> Le-Champion with unpadded hard leather Brooks Saddle, and it never
> killed me the way this Selle does! Ouch.
>
> I had considered the Selle Gel Flight saddle, but I'm unsure from what
> reviews I've read if I'm going to be any happier with this one?
>
> No it doesn't have to be Selle, and I couldn't care less about price,
> so others are definitely considered here (Fiz-ik, etc)
>
> I wish to stay with a road bike saddle, definitely do not want a
> fat-ass mountain bike saddle on my Bianchi road bike! Thanks all!
> Mark

Oddly enough, I find the most comfort in their minimalist SLR model. I
tried 3 or 4 saddles before settling on this one, including a Bontrager, an
Avocet O2, and a Specialized Body Geometry Comp. The SLR was the most
comfortable, for me, by far.

Butt, as others have indicated, saddles are highly personalized and one
man's comfort is another man's torture. Perhaps your LBS or some of your
cycling buddies have some saddles they're not using that you could try out.

--
http://www.shastasoftware.com - Shasta Software - Consulting, Design, and
Programming Services
http://www.CycliStats.com - CycliStats - Software for Cyclists
http://www.StrideWare.com - StrideWare - Software for Runners and Walkers

Werehatrack

On 5 Apr 2004 12:45:55 -0700, apoman60612@yahoo.com (Mark) may have
said:

>Hi all, In my quest for a better saddle, I'd like to garner opinions
>of what saddles should I consider looking into.

In my experience, the only answer is "try them and see". I have found
that two similarly-priced units from the *same* maker may have
dramatically different levels of comfort for me, despite relatively
similar appearance. I have had no Selle Italia saddles, but I've had
Titecs that fit and Titecs that were awful, ditto for some others.
This is one interface where the most important rule is "What fits
*you* properly and well is not necessarily what fits *anyone else*."

(I will note that there is one more or less glaring exception in my
personal case...I have yet to ride a Brooks that didn't manage to
become comfortable within 20 to 50 miles. Your experience may still
vary!)

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

TBGibb

In article <68236fb6.0404051145.66f4c9f3@posting.google.com>,
apoman60612@yahoo.com (Mark) writes:

>Oh sure, it looks nice, but I can remember my ole '70's Motobecane
>Le-Champion with unpadded hard leather Brooks Saddle, and it never
>killed me the way this Selle does! Ouch.

Go back to the Brooks.

Tom Gibb <TBGibb@aol.com>

Phil Brown

>Go back to the Brooks.

Or send it to me. I like 'em.
Phil Brown