Selle Italia

Flite TM Flow Saddle

While we don't have a body of scientific evidence in front of us to support the fact that many of us are drawn to the pressure-relieving cutout of the Selle Italia Flite TM Flow Saddle, we feel like the cutout speaks for itself. If there's nothing there to provide pressure, then there's no pressure. Simple.

Compared to the standard Flite, which is made with titanium alloy rails, the Flite TM line saves money and gains a little weight by featuring manganese rails; however, the Flow version's cutout offers a buffer by cutting the weight gain in half. The TM line also eliminates the carbon component in the base Flite's body, which is no doubt responsible for adding a few more grams by requiring additional fiberglass reinforcement to keep the nylon shell from becoming a trampoline when cadence tops 85rpm.

The Flite TM Flow has the same slight increase in padding as the standard Flite, which makes slightly more forgiving than the SLR but doesn't quite tip over into throw-pillow bulk. That combination of a moderate width and that light padding may be responsible for the Flite's enduring popularity. It's wrapped in Duro-Tek, an equally enduring synthetic that exhibits an uncanny ability to provide stability but doesn't abrade Lycra.