Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow

mrc1

I'm trying to find a saddle for my new build and am keen on one of these, but having only sat on one for a few minutes I wondered if anybody on here has had one and whether they found it comfy on longer rides?


http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Selle_Italia_Flite_Gel_Flow_Saddle/5360031333/

cjcp

Not me, sorry. Being 80kg+ most of the time, I opted for a beefier saddle in the form of a BG Alias 165. I previously used the Selle Italia SLR and I often rode with gritted teeth, particularly come the end of the week. Never again.

mrc1

Haha I have a 143 Alias on the Touche which I do actually get along with but I had heard good things about the Flite.

Admitting to an element of tartyness I think some of the motivation behind the Flite is not wanting to put a generic specialized saddle on my new Italian toy......


(edit)...................Widening the search slightly in the quest for a comfy minimalist saddle.......If anybody has a Specialized Toupe normal/gel then is it still comfy on long rides? I like the Alias so I am a fan of the BG fit idea but I am a little concerned that the Toupe may be a bit too minimalist.....

Sorry for the rambling...........

jonginge

Saddle width is all important, that Flite is a lot narrower than the BG. Pretty much the entire range Selle Italia range is aimed at euro-sized racing snakes. I like 'em 8)

Edit: The Prolink is about the same width as the BG: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Selle ... 360031329/

cjcp

Not used the Toupe either. I've got two Alias 165s. I don't like change, me.

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

Not used the Toupe either. I've got two Alias 165s. I don't like change, me.

Me neither. Which may explain the 20 year old selle italia turbo on my hack bike (It's slowly falling to pieces, bless it)

mrc1

I think I may just stick to the Alias in that case as I know that I get along with it and the Flite is a lot of £££

Next question is white or black 8)

itboffin

I have two, one black one white and whilst they are hard I can ride any day with no discomfort unlike the bonty broken glass and barbed wire instrument of pain that comes as standard with Treks.

My most comfortable saddle is a old/used spesh plastic bargain box thing i've looked everywhere to find another alas I think it might have been discontinued a long time ago.

cjcp

Colour of saddle depends heavily upon the colour of the bar tape. I was pulled up by those more learned than I on colour co-ordination, JG included :P , for having white bar tape with a black saddle. Actually, "pulled up" is understating it; "savaged" is more like it. :P

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

Colour of saddle depends heavily upon the colour of the bar tape. I was pulled up by those more learned than I on colour co-ordination, JG included :P , for having white bar tape with a black saddle. Actually, "pulled up" is understating it; "savaged" is more like it. :P

White bar tape and black saddle!?! what were you thinking!?!

I'm swapping my white bar tape from the Trek and as a result I will be changing the £80 saddle, see how that works :roll:

I'm also V close to buying another SSFG frame

stevedb55

Just got hold of a Brooks B17 standard saddle, and its great! Also love the retro look of it, its a real quality piece of kit.

Steve

always_tyred

I used one of these for years, with the cut out but not the gel.

I now use a Spec Toupe 143.

They aren't particularly different in terms f width, but the curvature of the shell is much greater for the Flite. This means weight is distributed more evenly on the Flite as its shape is more like your shape => less hot spot in your hot spots, whereas the Toupe relieves pressure on the nad-artery a good deal better as your sit bones perch on the outside.

The Flite isn't a saddle which flexes too much, so the gelmight be a good idea. The Toupe flexes a lot.

I think that the Selle Italia SLR range are somewhat similar, but with a flatter shell, if you think that might be the way to go for you.

mountainroadie

ive got one of these saddles its hanging up in the shed its got bent rails

in fact always seem to have problems with sella italias :?

on my commuter ive got a boardman branded saddle wich is the same as a FIZIK ARIONE saddle . and is very comfortable.

so ive been looking a fizik saddles just yesterday

mrc1

itboffin wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Colour of saddle depends heavily upon the colour of the bar tape. I was pulled up by those more learned than I on colour co-ordination, JG included :P , for having white bar tape with a black saddle. Actually, "pulled up" is understating it; "savaged" is more like it. :P

White bar tape and black saddle!?! what were you thinking!?!

I'm swapping my white bar tape from the Trek and as a result I will be changing the £80 saddle, see how that works

Yeah I made sure that the shop are using white bar tape when they put it together. White bar tape, white saddle and white shoes

always_tyred

mountainroadie wrote:

ive got one of these saddles its hanging up in the shed its got bent rails

in fact always seem to have problems with sella italias :?

on my commuter ive got a boardman branded saddle wich is the same as a FIZIK ARIONE saddle . and is very comfortable.

so ive been looking a fizik saddles just yesterday

I think saddles are one of those parts that are a bit like forks, in that a number of brands are made at the same factory. (I recall, for example, that Selle San Marco and Selle Italia are made in the same factory). This means that the rails will likely be the same specification for many brands.

There's really nothing wrong with Selle Italia's longevity. Mine's about 10 years old.

mountainroadie

ALWAYS TYRED WROTE
I think saddles are one of those parts that are a bit like forks, in that a number of brands are made at the same factory. (I recall, for example, that Selle San Marco and Selle Italia are made in the same factory). This means that the rails will likely be the same specification for many brands.

There's really nothing wrong with Selle Italia's longevity. Mine's about 10 years old.[/quote]


mmm sella san marco/sella italia are made in the same factory
but fizik is a competitor :? ????

my thinking was i was going to upgrade to carbon rails {no chance of bent rails}

i do have an old flite in the shed in french team colours /censored rails but it would clash with my bike .

spasypaddy

get a Fizik Arione! ARIONE!!!

Aidy

I've got a Flite Gel Flow, and I quite like it.

Saddle choices tend to be pretty individual, though

lost_in_thought

Aidy wrote:

I've got a Flite Gel Flow, and I quite like it.

Saddle choices tend to be pretty individual, though

+1

biondino

The pink Planet X Arione rip-off is now on my fixie and I've only done 23 miles on it and possibly not quite got the angle right, but the increased amount of padding over my Toupé does mean it wins on comfort, over short rides at least. I need to do a longer ride with it to get a better idea - I know that over 65 miles the Toupé is alright, though it's all a bit tender (though not chafed) by the end.

Cubic

Selle Italia do a 30day trial on their saddles. I was able to buy a Gel flite flow and an SLR from Wiggle, try them out on a few rides and, as I didn't get on with either, return them for a refund.
In the end I got a Fizik Arione, which suits me much more.

I checked in a few shops (Evans, Prologue and Up and Running) and they all do the 30 day trial on Selle Italia saddles too.

As the only way to know if a saddle will suit you is to ride on it, this is a really handy service from the company.

bigmat

mountainroadie wrote:

i do have an old flite in the shed in french team colours /censored rails but it would clash with my bike .

Is it going spare? Might be interested in making you an offer for that.

I have a Flite (non gel version) on my road bike, its not exactly comfortable but it does the job. Think the titanium rails help a lot. Comfiest saddle I have is my old Turbo on my commuter - don't even need padded shorts for short rides on that!

jonginge

MatHammond wrote:

mountainroadie wrote:

i do have an old flite in the shed in french team colours /censored rails but it would clash with my bike .

Is it going spare? Might be interested in making you an offer for that.

I have a Flite (non gel version) on my road bike, its not exactly comfortable but it does the job. Think the titanium rails help a lot. Comfiest saddle I have is my old Turbo on my commuter - don't even need padded shorts for short rides on that!

Turbos are great. See a few others on the commute from time to time. Still got a 20yr old one on my commuter but it's slowly dying
Luckily I have a boxed one sitting in the cupboard at home

mountainroadie

MatHammond wrote:

mountainroadie wrote:

i do have an old flite in the shed in french team colours /censored rails but it would clash with my bike .

Is it going spare? Might be interested in making you an offer for that.

I have a Flite (non gel version) on my road bike, its not exactly comfortable but it does the job. Think the titanium rails help a lot. Comfiest saddle I have is my old Turbo on my commuter - don't even need padded shorts for short rides on that!

pm me mathammond and its yours :shock:

snooks

I've got a Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow on my road bike and Selle Italia Max Flite Gel Flow Saddle on my other two.

The Max is broarder heavier and much more comfortable which is why they are on my MTB and my wide slick commuter.

The Flite gel flow is narrower, and I can feel the difference as is hasn't got the shock absorbsion that the Max has. It's still comfy to ride around on but if I sit with all my weight on it and go over a bump with my tyres at 100psi it can feel quite harsh, as happened today as I was just coming to the end of the headwind frenzy that was my ride home.

The hole for your more sensitive bits just works for me, with other saddles I could feel the pressure on that part of my body, and without the pressure riding became so much more comfortable.

If you want a lot of comfort go for the Gel Flow Max, if you just want a little comfort go for the Flite Gel flow

m0scs

I have the gel Max Flight model that I bought to replace my standard spec saddle last year.

Saddles are a nightmare. I tried to make sure that I got one that fitted my sit bone postion.

I find it pretty good, but I am thinking about trying one of those SMP selle saddles with no nose that are meant to be very good even if they do look a bit weard.

mrc1

Thanks for the comments everyone. I stuck with what I know and ended up getting another Spesh Alias as it seems to tick the comfort after 80+ miles and light(ish) weight boxes.

DonDaddyD

I have a Selle Italia C2 Gel flow and I think its comfy.

Though I have a Specialized BG Alias and I think that is as comfy, if not more so than the Selle Italia...

il_principe

The Toupe rules. Very comfy on long rides. I used to have an Arione (now used for commute) it was fine for short rides but I always got numb n*ts on 50+ milers.

DonDaddyD

Loathe as I am to admit this. As a wider bottom person, I think the Specialized BG Alias may be more comfy on than my Selle Italia gel flow....

mountainroadie

mathammond you should get the french flite censored rails on sat
posted this morning 8)