Selle Italia Saddles

SELLE ITALIA "EVOLUTION" CARBON FIBER TITANIUM SADDLE

Selle Italia has found yet one more, and were sure the last, way to reduce the weight of a saddle. This saddle uses all known tricks in weight reduction. The Evolution saddle shell is molded as a single piece of thin carbon fiber, in a shape that strongly resembles the Flite model of their saddles. You can feel the fiber mesh on the bottom of the Evolution, but the top of it has a totally polished and satin smooth surface. The texture of the carbon fiber cloth is visible through this highly reflective top surface, and the mesh gives the saddle a translucent Grey tinge.

On the underside, at the rear are two rail receivers molded of carbon fiber at the time the shell was formed, then drilled afterward for the rail ends to slide in. The rail return curve is at the front, 2 1/8" from the front. The return curve is housed in a bridge also made of carbon fiber at the time of the shell construction, which joins the nose sides and top in a firm structure. The bridge is molded with the bottom open so the rear rails slide in first, then the front return curve lies into this bridge. At first the curve is held by hot melt adhesive, but then a plastic plate lays over the opening with two 3mm machine screws securely fastening the rails to the saddle. Incidentally a micrometer revealed to us that the shell thickness is just 1mm thick. The rails are made of a single piece of solid Titanium 6Al-4V rod.

As for the comfort of this saddle with no added padding or upper cover? The Titanium rails provide some spring, and the saddle shell top and sides flex a little. We found about 6mm of give with the firm downward pressure of one arm on it. Our Evolution saddle weighed out at 155 grams. Caution should be observed in using this saddle while involved in riding that will produce outrageously severe impacts on landing, as a catastrophic failure will compromise delicate human anatomy. $ Price in Catalog

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