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Have been going round the replacement saddle merry-go-round recently after finally replacing all my knackered and threadbare shorts and suddenly finding all my existing saddles very uncomfortable!
It was a good opportunity to take the plunge and try out some Selle Italia saddles on the cheap and I'm glad I did, the Flite seems the perfect fit for me.
However the Flite Flow that I put on my good bike, in anticipation of more time on the drops or stretched out, is a lot less comfortable than the standard Flite (no cut out) on the other bike.
I think I've tracked this to the sides of the saddle (either side of the cut out) flexing so much that it ends up like a hammock, and my taint/sack is sort of resting on the transition from the hammock section to the rigid front section. The standard Flite doesn't do this.
So, I'm guessing the Flite Flow just maybe isn't suitable for an 85kg rider? Or should they be stiff enough not to significantly deform under a rider's weight?
Possible an excuse just to buy that posh Kit Carbonio Flite I've seen on sale...
just because you fit a standard flite does not automatically mean you will fit allthe others in the range.
are you sitting on the saddle how its designed or are you trying to force your body in to a bike fit prescibed position ?
and futher to that - if you find flights are comfy then the SLR 135 is a good match - but relies heavy on the shape being right as theres minimal padding.
Stuck one on my Propel about 6 weeks back to steal my flight for the turbo trainer bike. done 2x 200km rides since and had zero saddle related ills.
I thought the premise was that they were all the same shape (ignoring the Boost etc).
I'm using the L size (e.g. 145mm) so the only difference should be the cut out.
SLRs look a lot more similar to the Fabric Line/Specialized Phenom that I've just moved away from, e.g. a more gentle taper from wings to nose. I like the 'T' shape of the Flite as it gets the saddle away from my thighs quicker.
Will try moving saddle forward, just not sure if that means I'll end up sitting further back on saddle, or if it will just move my whole pelvis forward with it and put me in a weird position over pedals!
I've got SLRs on all my bikes now because I found the original 135g version very comfy. The flow ones are fine for me as well but they're not the same.
I’m more than 85kg and I find Flites with (and without) cutouts perfectly comfortable, but I only use the original shape; there seem to have been a number of variants over the years. Which specific ones are you talking about?
The L2 flow, this one.
Looks identical to the Flite TM (the basic manganese version) with the exception of the cutout.
The L2 flow, this one.
Looks identical to the Flite TM (the basic manganese version) with the exception of the cutout.
That’s what my 110kg arse is currently comfortably residing on. Personally find it very comfy. In my teens (more than 20 years ago) I was happy on a classic Flite Ti, but when I tried the Flite 1990 re-release a couple of years ago I just couldn’t get on with it. I need the cutout these days.
But everyone’s arse is different.
I think the bigger difference is the SLR is flat on top, whereas the flite is designed to be a hammock shape, it does also sag a lot.
If anyone want a Flite gel flow in white I've got one sat doing nothing as it's an instrument of torture for me despite the same version of the SLR being perfect.