Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to REVIEWS
review
Saddles
Selle Italia SLR saddleSelle Italia FIlte SLR saddle

Selle Italia SLR saddle

8
by Iwein Dekoninck
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published May 4, 2009

0
£97.86

VERDICT:

8
10
Seriously light, surprisingly comfy and looks the business.
Weight: 
135g
Contact: 
www.chickencycles.co.uk
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

My first impression of this saddle was: [expletive] me, this thing is light! The SLR is a true featherweight at a mere 135g, proudly advertised on the saddle and ratified by the road.cc scales. And it looks fast too. You might think at this weight comfort would be, shall we say, a secondary consideration. You'd be mistaken: it's a well designed and reasonably comfy minimalist perch.

It takes a little bit (5 miles or so) of getting used to, but then doesn't every saddle? It's a bit shorter than the saddles I'm used to, but that's not saying much as I'm mainly comparing it with a Brooks Swallow and a Fizik Arione, which are both pretty long. I quickly learnt that the nose of the saddle is not where you want to be, and consequently the SLR would never make it onto my TT bike.

On the racer though it's beautiful, both aesthetically and functionally. The carbon composite shell on hollow titanium tubes with a breathable leather cover (separated from the shell with a thin layer of EVA padding) flexes just the right amount to be really quite comfy. It's got fewer comfortable positions than the Arione, but then at just over half the weight I'm not complaining.

Verdict

Seriously light, surprisingly comfy and looks the business.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Selle Italia SLR saddle

Size tested: Black

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
10/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Definitely

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 32  Height: 1.78m  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: All of them!  My best bike is: Cervelo Dual

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, touring, club rides, fixed/singlespeed, Audax

SLR
Selle Italia SLR Saddle
Selle Italia
Saddle
Lightweight saddle

Latest Comments