This saddle by Stella Italia, is another great product from a famous established cycling brand. It is well crafted out of high quality materials, and provides a comfortable ride with that important relief cutout and the promise of being quality built.
Saddles are a personal thing, but this one works for me. I have it on three road bikes. It's light, stylish and - for me - comfortable. It is flat and firm and probably best suited to a more aggressive riding position. If you ride a more upright bike, you may not like it, but it suits my drop bar road bikes. It's normally not cheap, but I bought my last one on sale and, at the price I paid, I'd say it was a good deal. All three of my saddles are 145mm by 275mm. I mention this only because I have heard SI will be changing the dimensions of this saddle at some point in the future and I want to be clear as to which version my comments apply.
Now I am 61 but still believe I'm 31. My Bottom begs to differ.
Last year, inspired by my Gravel Biking, Ultra Endurance, Rock Star, adult daughter (sorry, I get carried away when it comes to her) I began taking the Carbon Diverge out on Solo overnighter bike packing - some wild camping in the Coast mountains in Oregon. But before that, I was doing some good 20 - 40 mile mixed surface rides couple times a week and regular commuting. Before going gravel I was road cycling just day trips and all my errands. so I was in decent shape.
In May 2020, The day AFTER I purchased the slightly used 2018 Specialized Diverge, I completed my FIRST EVER competitive bicycle race, on Gravel, in Bend, OR 43 miler on a new Ergon yet absolutely HORRIBLE saddle ($135). I was just happy to finish before they took down the inflatable archway. Butt needed relief so Within weeks I tried a WTB saddle ($50 used) was better but not correct width. I rolled all over the Brooks Cambia I tried ($140) before going "Italia". I wanted a combination of flex gel comfort with lightweight, streamline design.
Riding the Selle Italia now about 2 months I can say it's a good fit for me so far. I've done several 35+ mile rides both day trips and overnight, packed down to camp. I still need to get off the saddle to stretch every hour or so riding but I can say, I do not curse the moment now when I return to My Rear Contact to pedal onward.
It seems to me that two things matter in a saddle, comfort and durability. Since I've only owned the saddle for a short time, I can't speak to its durability other than to say that I've had previous Sella Italia saddles that lasted for quite a long time. With regard to comfort, I've been very pleased with the saddle. Although, since starting to use it I haven't done any rides beyond about 45 miles. But at least I can say that it's been quite comfortable for numerous rides in the 20 to 30 mile range.
When I first rode with this saddle my first impression wasn't good. I realized I didn't have it level, and it was a little too high. Once that was corrected, and a few rides later, I dont even notice I have a saddle underneath me. It's comfortable on long rides and no more numbness.
This was a replacement of a mid-level seat I have had for many years. Was looking for a bit more comfort on distance rides (>50mi). Have only tested it to 30 miles, but it is providing better comfort than what it replaced.
Just the right amount padding for those long rides. Very easy to install and adjust.
This is my 4th Selle Italia Max Saddle over the past 7 years. I average 4,000 miles per year and lots of long distances rides. This saddle is great for longer (50+mile) rides, comfortable and fits just right.
This saddle replaced the original one that came on my Trek Domane. So far with about 60 miles ridden this saddle is so comfortable and I get the support where I need it most.
Comfortable saddle. No numbness and the right amount of padding. This is the most comfortable saddle I've owned when in the drops. A word of caution. The saddle is fairly tall, so you may have to adjust seat post height to get the same saddle height, depending upon what your previous saddle was.
I have been riding Selle Italia for many years. This saddle is a replacement for the stock saddle on my new Lynskey titanium road bike. I won't ride anything else.
i have two primary criteria for a saddle how comfortable is it while riding and how does my rear feel after the ride and for the next day or so. this saddle is one of the first ever that has worked for me right out of the box. i've only done three rides on it thus far but the saddle has caused no discomfort so far. some of my favorite saddles, including the previous edition of this saddle on my other bike, have taken some time and many trials to determine whather they were keepers or not. barring surprises, this saddle looks like a lucky find. it is comfortable with just the right amount of padding. perhaps a little weighty.
Very comfortable and very well made saddle. Not bad looking either ??
Nice saddle. Well made. Works well for long rides.
Nice saddle. Well made. Works well for long rides.
Nice saddle been out on a few rides to made some finer adjustments saddle feels good on short and long rides.
I had never ridden a cutout saddle and didn't know what to expect. This saddle is very comfortable to me. I like the relief the cutout provides. The gel is plenty firm. For a few extra negligible grams I believe I made a good choice in selecting this saddle.
It was a little tough at first but i love it now.
I still have a 5 year old Selle Italia seat that I still use. However I purchased a new Full carbon bike and the seat that comes with this bike is not comfortable for me. This particular seat that I ordered from Tires Direct was a little too firm for me. So I talked to an associate from the returns dept. who was very helpful in suggesting a seat that might be more comfortable for me. So I ordered it and his advice was excellent. I really like this new seat. It is Selle Italia L2 Man Gel Flow, a good fit for me and meets my comfort needs. Great company to do business with, quality products at very fair prices. I have been road biking for 60 plus years but my passion for the last 20 years is mtn. biking.
I ride gran fondos and do training rides of 30 to 60 miles in between. This seat is soft enough to make the ride as comfortable as possible yet rigid enough to transfer the forces efficiently. i feel most comfortable on seats with cut out's, and this one fits me well.
