# lightest weight comfortable saddle??



## dahowe

Hey all you ww's what is your favorite? Does something exist that is both LW and comfortable? I like the idea of the new bonti xxx lite carbon, but I am not sure if is rideable?? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.


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## ewitz

The Selle Italia SLR (claimed weight 135 gr) is both very light and very comfortable. But like all saddle YMMV. 

I have done double centuries in a SLR with no more pain than normally experienced when spending 12 hours in the saddle.


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## 1speed_Mike

dahowe said:


> Hey all you ww's what is your favorite? Does something exist that is both LW and comfortable? I like the idea of the new bonti xxx lite carbon, but I am not sure if is rideable?? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.


I love all of my Selle Italia SLRs...all my bikes (road, MTBs and CX) have one. They weigh-in at ~135-140g. :thumbsup: Over the years, I've racked-up way too many miles on SLRs (including, 3 x solo 24-hr MTB races). My only real complaint about them is the leather wears quickly. But, then I just strip it and go naked (ever lighter).


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## nrspeed

SLR carbonio


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## zac

Best weight reduction bang for the buck...Selle Italia SLR. I have ridden on them (and a gel flow too) for years, many thousands of miles. _Butt_ YMMV. Never weighed mine, don't care, but next time I shred my gel flow it is going nakid (there was another thread about this...pretty cool finish job too).


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## PigmyRacer

How durable is the leather? Will it get shredded the first time you go down in a race or is it fairly scuff resistant?


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## 1speed_Mike

PigmyRacer said:


> How durable is the leather? Will it get shredded the first time you go down in a race or is it fairly scuff resistant?


It's pretty thin leather, so, you'd probably scuff it if you went down. Mine wear at the tip and sides of the tail. Once it gets bad enough, it's time to strip the leather and minimal padding and go naked. They are great saddles and fit my butt perfectly, but your result may differ. Considering the hours/miles I log, I'm happy with them.


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## Forrest Root

I've had great luck with my Specialized Toupe, but you have to keep in mind that all of the suggestions here come as the result of someone else's experience with a saddle pressed against their butt. No one can tell you, with any accuracy at all, what will feel best pressed up against your butt.


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## PigmyRacer

How has durability been with that Specialized? I'm a little worried about racing with a leather saddle like the Selle because it would get destroyed the first time I go down in a crit.


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## Forrest Root

PigmyRacer said:


> How has durability been with that Specialized? I'm a little worried about racing with a leather saddle like the Selle because it would get destroyed the first time I go down in a crit.


It's been fine, and I haven't been particularly nice to it.


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## MIN in PDX

I have a SLK Gel Flow but it's not very light (247 g actual). It's incredibly comfortable though. I've been thinking about trying out the SLR.

Any guesses to how much this would weigh if I stripped the gel and leather?


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## JamesLondon

Forrest Root said:


> I've had great luck with my Specialized Toupe, but you have to keep in mind that all of the suggestions here come as the result of someone else's experience with a saddle pressed against their butt. No one can tell you, with any accuracy at all, what will feel best pressed up against your butt.


+1 for Toupe - 155g in 143mm width but no two ar*es are the same, so ride one and see!

And do at least three >80km rides on it before drawing any conclusions. You can't really gauge a great deal without some decent time on the saddle.


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## Dr_John

+2 for the Toupe, +3(?) for the SLR 

I have two Toupes (non-gel, non-team; so I guess they're "the classic") and just picked up an SLR flow carbon. I have > 11,000 miles and several crashes on one of my Toupes. It's held up well. All decorative silver paint on the seat surface is gone, as is a lot of the fake carbon weave, but other than that, no problem. A great saddle. The only minor thing I don't like about it are the rather abrupt, hard edges.

I bought the SLR for a new bike because it's cheaper, lighter, looks way better made than the Toupe, and appears to be similar size, shape, etc. I had picked up another Toupe, but as I walked out of the store with it, I noticed the rail squeaked in the shell. Yes, I could have greased it, but shouldn't have to for a top-of-the-line, new, saddle. So if you pick one up, make sure and check. I'm not the only one who has noticed this problem.


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## Dr_John

... to add to my previous post. Just finished 55 miles on the SLR. The saddles are pretty similar. I think the Toupe may be a bit more 'flatter,' which for me works out a little better. My only real complaint about the SLR is the carbon rails. The saddle unfortunately definitely will not work with my Specialized Pave seat post, so if you're considering it, make sure your seat post can accommodate the slightly unusual shape of the rails.


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## cpark

+1 for SLR.
I couldn't believe how comfortable they are considering the minimal design.


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## cotocalicyclist

I have been riding an Arione (heavy) for a while and it has been a good but not great saddle. In the never ending quest for saddle nirvana, I decided to give the Toupe (130 mm) a shot. It is light and looks good; although, the build quality of the saddle is not great. If you look underneath where the "leather" is attached, there is glue everywhere and the edges are uneven. Consequently, I am not surprised to hear that the decals and pseudo-carbon rub off over time. For 150$ Specialized could do better.

All that being said, I went for a relatively short ride yesterday and the saddle felt great! There was more pressure on my sit bones but very little perineum pressure. I imagine it will take a little adjustment (as others have said) to get used to long rides, but I think that in the end, this will be my favorite saddle ever (I have probably tried about a dozen). Note: I generally do well with flat saddles, not curved like the Fizik Aliante or Sella Italia Flite.


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## single1x1

I run the wtb shadow V ti rail version, pretty minimulist, and just over 200g, about 206-208g on my postal scale if remember correctly. I havn't tried a SLR, but have heard of many of them breaking on cyclocross bikes, I also run a fizik pave Ti but it is about 240-250g, heven't weighed it though, I suppose one of the newer fizik alantes would be nice and a little ligher , but even the regular ti insead of carbon rail version is spendy. I probably wouldn't go much if any ligher then 200g on a cross bike, and definitly wouldn't want to pay more then $100 on a seat.


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## Juanmoretime

Everyone is different. I find great comfort in an AX-Lightness Sprint which is a 71.5 gram all carbon saddle. Yesterday was my second time out this year other than 60 minute roller sessions and after a 64 mile ride my backside was ready for more. Although the rest of my body was not!


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## Reparto

I've got a Bontrager Race XXX lite all carbon saddle that is comfy but a little fragile for cross in my opinion. I believe the weight is 110 grams? somewhere in that area. If anyone is looking for one let me know as I would like to get a heavier saddle that I can beat up more on my cross bike.


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## mattrider

sella san marco skn, weighs in at 184g and fits me great. the best part about this saddle is that it's cheap!


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## tod

I agree on the Toupe. But, positioning is critical. Be sure you take a multi-tool on your first couple of rides. I spent 30+ minutes fiddling with mine on the trainer and still had to adjust it on the road. 

Mine (Team Edition) must have been a pig. It weighs 158g for a 130 width saddle!

P.S. I had tried a Toupe once before, and hated it. I can't stress enough how critical position is with this thing.


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## Dr_John

> Mine (Team Edition) must have been a pig. It weighs 158g for a 130 width saddle!


The claimed weight on the Specialized site for a Toupe team 130 is 170 g.

P.S. I really like how Specialized has a "Toupe Paolo Bettini World Champion Saddle." He doesn't even use a Toupe saddle.


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## Camilo

I'm currently riding an E3 Form titanium which is very comfortable and around 190 grams (measured). For experimenting purposes, I just bought a WTB Devo saddle because it's a little wider. I measured it also and it is 205 grams. Plan to try it on my commutes the next couple of days to see if it's worth considering.

Neither of these are super light, but they're within an ounce of the lighter ones. I'm not recommending either since my comfort has nothing to do with yours. However, the E3 is definitely worth considering, and if you buy it from Performance, you can return it if it doesn't work out.


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## Mark16q

Another vote for the Toupe. I've tried lighter and different but they hurt me. The Toupe positioning is important, as there isn't much there. iirc, my 143 weighed in the 160's. 

And though I haven't crashed it, the bike done a few tip-overs on windy days and the seat held up without damage.

mg


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## B15serv

Ive used bontrager, scott, sette, toupe gel, alias, arionne, slr, san marco, brooks, and now terry fly. The fly is finally what fits my butt.... the brooks was nice too but would look weird on my new bike. I think its just what works for different people. Theres alot of slr fans out there but it just didnt work for me. glad it works for them though, its a great looking saddle and crafted really well


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## tantra

I am very happy with my Alliante, but it's kind of heavy (219 g). Anyone compared the SLR to the Alliante for comfort?


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## Dr_John

> And though I haven't crashed it, the bike done a few tip-overs on windy days and the seat held up without damage.


I had crashed on one of mine quite a bit, and it help up very well. I was sad to see it go when I warrantied it due to a broken shell (which wasn't crash related). I had 11,000 miles on that one and it still looked pretty good.


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## weightweenie5

selle italia slr carbon flow. amazing saddle. light as hell and comfortable as hell.


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## DIRT BOY

tantra said:


> I am very happy with my Alliante, but it's kind of heavy (219 g). Anyone compared the SLR to the Alliante for comfort?


Can't compare. they are totally different. The Prologo Scratch Ti is similar and lighter than the Alainte.


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## ECXkid04

what is the difference in the feel between a regular SLR/SLR carbon and the "flow" model? im debating between the SLR kit carbon and the SLR kit carbon flow. thanks.


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## nor_cal_rider

I have found that I prefer the Bonte saddles to the Spez. Toupe or Alias. I heard that Selle is making the RL and RXL for Bonte and just ordered a RXL. Everyone has an opinion.....YMMV


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## lionheartdds

I have a crate full of saddles as a result of the quest for the most comfortable saddle while saving weight. It's all about what fits your butt. No one can tell what fits your butt except your butt. Find one that fits. Some local bike shops will have saddles you can try out for a time to see if the shape fits you. Start there. Once you find a saddle that fits right, stay with the models available in that models line. My personal saddle(s) that fit right for me-Selle SMP, Bontrager X Lite Pro (2007 model and not previous years), Selle San Marco Aspide. Everything else went into the saddle crate (Fizik Aliante's, Ariones, Specialized Toupe, Avatar, Alias, Token Success and variants, Bontrager X Lite pro 2006, both regular and full carbon versions, Edge carbon, Terry Fly,...the list goes on). One of these days, I'll ebay the excess saddles...


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## vboy19

I am looking to replace my Bontrager X Lite saddle with a new Selle Italia Saddle but don't know which model to get. I am looking for a lighter saddle with the more comfort. I love the look of the SLR saddles but don't know if there to stiff and the cut-out seems nice. But current bontrager saddle has some discomfort in the pelvic area and on the tip of the saddle. Do you guy recommend any of them? let me know thanks.


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## lionheartdds

I gave up lightness for comfort a while ago. It's hard to bike hard and fast when your butt is killing you. I lucked out that the saddles that fit me are lighter than the average saddle. As far as Selle Italia, I have one, a gel flite model from 2 years ago. It was inexpensive ($60), it was banana yellow to match the yellow tires and handlebar tape on my Leader, which was the only reason I bought the saddle. I gave up the saddle and the yellow color scheme on my Leader after about 140 miles. imho, it's all about how well the saddle fits your butt bones. A rock hard seat is comfortable if it fits you, and a well padded gel saddle will kill your butt and the family heir supply if it doesn't fit right. A good LBS with a good selection of saddles will be able to help you narrow down your choices.


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## bikerchyck

I found the Selle Italia SLR is the lightest saddle for the money and most comfortable. It does seem a bit trial and error finding that correct saddle until one feels correct.


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## ewitz

vboy19 said:


> I am looking to replace my Bontrager X Lite saddle with a new Selle Italia Saddle but don't know which model to get. I am looking for a lighter saddle with the more comfort. I love the look of the SLR saddles but don't know if there to stiff and the cut-out seems nice. But current bontrager saddle has some discomfort in the pelvic area and on the tip of the saddle. Do you guy recommend any of them? let me know thanks.



Check out the new Fizik Antares.

I have found that the SLR wears out after about six months. The leather along the edges on the front of the saddle is very thin and will wear through.

The Antares seems to be a very similar shape and will hopefully avoid this flaw.


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## crispy010

Another vote for the Toupe. I've found the comfort is maximized when wearing specialized bibs and shorts.... I think they're designed to work together.

Do not test ride this saddle without bike shorts on.... it's absolutely horrid if you're not kitted up.

I must of course stress the extreme nature of the YMMV rule for saddles.... Everyone I've ridden with likes something different. Find a shop with a generous return policy on saddles and try some.


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## Bob Ross

tantra said:


> I am very happy with my Alliante, but it's kind of heavy (219 g). Anyone compared the SLR to the Alliante for comfort?


I have an SLR on my backup bike and an Aliante Sport on my main bike. Aliante > SLR. No comparison. To me the Aliante is an extremely comfortable saddle that disappears when you need it to (which is most of the time) and offers up a variety of usable positioning options when you need them. The SLR, in contrast, is a tolerable saddle. For short rides (under 40 miles) it's fine, but beyond that it becomes somewhat uncomfortable.




lionheartdds said:


> I gave up lightness for comfort a while ago.



+1
I think a saddle is the _last_ place I would look to Save Some Weight...too much is at stake. Find a saddle that's comfortable, period, end of story. Carry one less water bottle if you're that concerned with the weight.


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## tsutaoka

ewitz said:


> Check out the new Fizik Antares.
> 
> I have found that the SLR wears out after about six months. The leather along the edges on the front of the saddle is very thin and will wear through.
> 
> The Antares seems to be a very similar shape and will hopefully avoid this flaw.



+1 for Fizik Antares. i just swapped my SLR to the Antares as it's slightly wider in the rear...which made it comfortable for me.


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## dhtucker4

You ought to check out the Selle San Marco Aspide (no cutout). It has a durable synthetic leather covering, and the padding is in the right places. I put 1,000 miles on this saddle last month. Plus, when you lean your bike on a tree or anything else it won't scuff. The standard Aspide is 170 grams.

I think it's a more durable saddle than the Selle Italia SLR. I know people who have had an Aspide for over 6-9 years, and every one of them has taken some road spills.


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## lionheartdds

tantra said:


> I am very happy with my Alliante, but it's kind of heavy (219 g). Anyone compared the SLR to the Alliante for comfort?


If it fits your butt, and you can ride it all day, who cares about saving 50 grams?
carry less water in your water bottle if weight is that important. I've tried a gazillion lightweight saddles, and the only lightweight saddle I can ride all day is my '07 Bontrager Race Light Pro (150 grams), which I can't find anywhere anymore except on ebay (which is why I've collected 5 of them for future use.). However, my everyday saddles is my Selle SMP Extra. Absolutely the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden, and it weighs a ton-well, ok, 395 grams, but who cares, I can ride all day on it. Going from 219 grams to 150 or even 100 grams isn't worth the geometric increase in cost when your current saddle is comfortable enough for everyday riding.
just my 2 cents. btw-I have a crate with about 25 saddles of all sorts, most of them under 200 grams that just don't fit my butt like the Bonty race light pro or the SMP Extra. Took about a year to figure out that weight is WAY over rated, and comfort is the only important thing when it comes to saddles.


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## David Loving

selle italia SLR, no question. Runner up, Specialized Toupe/toupe gel 143.


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## DanielM3

Another vote for SLR Carbonio Flow. The non cut out (flow) version is not comfortable for me at all (and I get numbness), but with the cutout, it is perfect for me. It looks great, is comfortable, is light...

I run one on my mountain and road bike.


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## Mdeth1313

Isn't this thread kind of useless? Saddles are such a personal choice I'm thinking this only gives ideas of what to try. Some people have saddles that are all carbon while others need padding.......... it comes down to your butt!


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## MattSoutherden

MIN in PDX said:


> I have a SLK Gel Flow but it's not very light (247 g actual). It's incredibly comfortable though. I've been thinking about trying out the SLR.


I also have an SLK, though I just popped it on the kitchen scale, and it comes out at 233g

I think it may be a bit too flat on top for me though. I'm considering getting a Prologo Scratch.


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## Bob Ross

Mdeth1313 said:


> it comes down to your butt!


Well, technically your butt comes down to it.

Unless you're riding upside down.


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## Tzvia

I cannot imagine someone suffering for miles and miles because the saddle weighs 30g less than the comfortable one. Ok, take a swig of water from your bottle and spit it out. There you go, you saved some weight, now go get the comfortable saddle.

I lucked out and found the Bontrager RXL is a perfect fit for me as I am a woman with wide sit bones and they make it in 154. It fits and feels like I am floating on a firm piece of cotton ball. Like it's there supporting me but there is really nothing there. However it took some ten rides for it to feel that way, at first it hurt. Previously, wide saddles were either big fat Brooks, or padded cruiser things, or painful Specialized WSD models. I also got the RL for my MTB and it feels awesome too; all that bouncing over rocks, ruts and roots and I don't feel beat up. 

Yea there are lighter saddles out there, but it has to fit and feel good first. 

A good place to start your saddle search is a sit-bone measurement; not everyone will fit a 130 saddle. And you may or may not find something lightweight that is comfortable and does not cause issues.


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## terzo rene

tantra said:


> I am very happy with my Alliante, but it's kind of heavy (219 g). Anyone compared the SLR to the Alliante for comfort?


Take the plastic guards/bumpers off the nose and rear of the saddle. They look light but are apparently made out of the same material as a bowling ball. Can't really remember the numbers but the last Aliante braided carbon rail saddle I took them off of ended up ~168g so it must be around 30 grams difference - for nothing.


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