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Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow Review

A narrow saddle with a flat to rounded profile, best suited to a rider with narrow sit bones who likes heavy padding
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Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow Review (Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow Saddle)
Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow Saddle
Credit: Selle Italia
Price:  $195 List
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Manufacturer:   Selle Italia
By Curtis Smith ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Nov 21, 2016
73
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 30% 7.0
  • Performance - 30% 7.0
  • Versatility - 20% 7.0
  • Durability - 10% 8.0
  • Weight - 10% 9.0

Our Verdict

This version of the Flite Gel Flow is no longer in production.
REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable
Versatile
Lightweight
REASONS TO AVOID
Very thick padding
Narrow width
The Flite Gel Flow is an excellent choice for the rider who has narrow sit bones and likes a lot of padding and an anatomical cutout. It is lightweight, durable, and will be at home on many different types of bikes. Aesthetically pleasing, it will enhance the look of any bike, and likely help you shave a bit of weight compared to your OE specked saddle. It is narrower, a bit lighter, and offers more padding than the Editors' Choice Specialized Phenom.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Comfort


The Flite Gel Flow is a very comfortable saddle. It offers generous padding, some of the thickest of any of our test saddles. The leather cover allows for easy movement. A full anatomical cutout provides pressure relief to sensitive areas. At 130mm in width, it is somewhat narrow. This was the only area that brought its overall comfort score down. Most of our testers preferred a slightly wider saddle such as the Phenom or the Top Pick Fabric Scoop.

Performance


Overall we found the performance of the Flite Gel Flow to be very good. It does allow the rider to get into an aggressive position, and the anatomical cutout relieves pressure when down in the drops on a road bike. The Flite Gel Flow has very thick padding, which we found to be a bit of a performance determent, especially while climbing. There is a fine line between too much and too little padding when it comes to high-performance saddles, and we feel that the Flite Gel Flow has a bit too much as compared to a saddle such as the Specialized Phenom that strikes the perfect balance.

Versatility


The Flite Gel Flow is a versatile saddle, excellent for road, mountain, and cyclocross use. We even liked it for commuting duties where its thick padding becomes more of an attribute than a detriment. The only feature that detracts from its versatility is the cutout, which allows mud and water thrown from the wheel a direct path to the shorts. But this is a drawback of any saddle with a cutout.

Durability


We generally ding saddles with exposed seams, especially on the top or sides of the saddle where they are exposed to the most abrasion from rider movement. Despite the exposed seams, the Flite Gel Flow has proven to be very durable, even with an extended stay on the cyclocross bike where it was regularly exposed to sand, water, and mud. Lack of side bumpers, or at least a tougher material on the sides like the Specialized Phenom, kept it from the highest rating.

Weight


At 229g the Flite Gel Flow is among the lightweights of our test group. It benefits from titanium rails, and if it were not for the heavy padding it would likely tip the scales closer to 200g. Regardless, it makes the cut as a featherweight racing saddle.

Best Application


Selle Italia markets this saddle for road racing, and it shines as a racing saddle while offering substantial comfort in the way of thick padding. We also like it on the mountain bike and cyclocross rig. If using it for off-road pursuits, keep in mind that it does not offer scuff guards and may show some abrasion if it makes contact with a rocky trail. In addition, if you live or race in a wet muddy area, the cutout will allow mud and water direct access to your shorts, which will shorten their lifespan.

Value


Italian racing saddles are not cheap. You will likely pay over $150 for the Flite Gel Flow, making it one of the pricier options in the test group. If you find this saddle to be a match made in heaven for your anatomy, then buy it. Otherwise, there are numerous other saddles that offer many of the same attributes at a lower price, including the Editors' Choice Specialized Phenom and the Selle SMP Extra Saddle.

Curtis Smith