Selle Italia MAX SLR Gel TI316 Superflow Saddle

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.

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.

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.

I will start by saying that saddles are a very personal piece of kit and everyone will need to pursue there only journey in search of the right fit. WesternBikeWorks was very accommodating with this process. I ordered several saddles and tested them then returned them, and my only cost was return shipping. I am incredibly appreciative of thier support.

Now to the SI Max Gel Flow this saddle is well built and engineered. One of the big things that made this saddle work for me is the side to side shape is very flat and supports my sit bones properly. Many other saddles I tested, the side to side profile is very steep leaving less support for sit bones and putting all my weight on the perineum. Many of these saddle measure the same width profile of 143 to 145 but offer much less sit bone area. I also liked the mild front to back saddle shape. Allows you to have some front to back shape but does not totally lock you in to a single position preventing repositioning during a ride.

The cover is smooth and allows for smooth movement around on saddle. The padding is absolutely perfect, just enough to provide some comfort to the sit bones without smushing you in and preventing a good platform for you to hammer out some watts. The open center relief works to keep from having pressure causing numbness on long rides.

As far as the SI suspension coupling from rails to saddle body, I did not notice any improvements over a standard platform, but I will preface this comment with the fact that I am using a Cannondale SAVE carbon fiber seat post that is super flexy and really provides a lot of comfort.

I would recommend giving this saddle a try if these are things that appeal to you. Cheers

A little spendy, but very nice.

This is the most comfortable road saddle I have found. I bought a second one. The newest one has a pointless piece of carbon fiber sewn into the top that I dislike, but other than that I highly recommend giving this saddle a try

I switched from a Specialized saddle that I thought was very comfortable. While this new saddle has caused some saddle soreness because of different sit bone contact, overall I find it to comfortable and made with very good quality.

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.

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.

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.

Just the right amount padding for those long rides. Very easy to install and adjust.

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.