thanks for tuning in today we're going to be reviewing the Selle Italia Model
X Green Superflow bicycle saddle.
Selle Italia's green tech production process was developed as an eco-friendly production process to
minimize environmental impact utilize sustainable materials and achieve competitive price points.
The Model X Green Superflow saddle that we have here today is the first bike saddle to emerge
from that process and it's constructed from 100% sustainable materials which is a pretty
impressive feat. In terms of packaging it's pretty simple you just have a cardboard backing
basic specs printed on there with a nice white dot pattern and the saddle actually
attached on here. We already took off the zip tie that would secure it on here
we'll go ahead and pull this off and go over the specs. So retail price on this is $55.99 so
very affordable and that's pretty impressive for the 100% sustainable design. There's no glue
or other non-sustainable materials used here it has a short nose profile so you can see it's 145
by 245. This is an L3 according to Selle Italia's id match system it's the only one currently available.
It has a super flow cutout so nice pressure relief channel in the middle
and FeC alloy rail which is a carbon iron steel alloy for nice durability and competitive pricing.
You have a Total Gel padding on top which is really nice materials no glue which is really
impressive and a seamless attachment so it wraps all the way around with a clean unmodified bottom.
So nice and flat easy to clean you also have their Flex Control rail system so you
can see how it attaches to the base provides some nice dampening as well as stiffness.
In terms of what comes with the saddle obviously get the saddle you get a little instruction card
and that's about it. Now let's take a look at the Model X weight. So the saddle comes in at 310
or 312 actually so a little bit lighter than the 315 that's claimed a little bit on the
heavier side in terms of racing saddles but still pretty impressive considering the low price point.
Visually the Model X looks like a much more expensive saddle than the retail price would
suggest. You get the aggressive short nose profile and the instantly recognizable Selle Italia styling
so you can see how it sort of curves off on the edges
and even in this L3 which is the wide version still looks quite compact.
You can see it has only the L3 option currently i'm sure they're gonna offer more in the future
but with this one it's designed to be a little bit wider and allow for a little bit more rotation.
You can see it is a matte black finish or semi-gloss almost on the base and then you
have the charcoal color Total Gel padding. So nice gel padding not too thick but still soft
will dampen out some of the vibrations and you can see one piece essentially wraps all the way around
and has these perforations on there as well Selle Italia printed here.
You have a little branding on the front as well and then Green-Tech
and then Model X printed down the center. Pretty sleek looking overall too i like the two-piece
design where you have the gel and kind of cut out with the pressure relief channel down the middle.
With the Total Gel style you have this seamless interface between the gel and the
base so you can see it doesn't wrap around like a traditional saddle would you have a nice flush
flat bottom and integrates right in the top so really easy to clean just wipe it down and then
you're done. Selle Italia describes this as a waved form so you can see it slightly curves up at the
back fairly flat in the middle extra padding on the front and then it contours on the sides.
You have their standard FeC alloy rails so nothing too fancy we expect them we'll
probably add some carbon versions in the future. What sets this apart is the Flex Control design
so you can see where the rail comes in it sort of comes through this little bridge with these angled
plates so really well integrated and it allows you to have that flexibility that you need
when you're riding but still be stiff enough so you're not really flopping around.
It's a nice compromise and you can see the back also has these exaggerated plates
as well as a little slot cut in so where a traditional one would have rails all the
way through this one you have cutouts so you could put a strap of a saddle bag through here
or other accessories but again you can see how well integrated the flex control is.
In terms of our riding impressions we found the Model X to be really comfortable.
The L3 id match works with our anatomy so it's a very good fit it's a nice wide
base with a little bit of a incline near the rear so it keeps you nice and stable.
The Total Gel padding is also non-slip and quite comfortable so it helps dampen out some
of the harshness of the road and even though it's priced like an entry level saddle it's actually
quite high performance it reminds of us a lot of the Selle Italia Flite saddles that we've
reviewed before but for the quarter of the price so definitely a great saddle that you can use in
long weekend rides commuting or even multi-hour rides as it's quite versatile.
Now let's compare the Model X saddle with some other saddles on the market. Here we have the Selle
Italia flight it's one of their very popular 1990s models they've actually reintroduced it so you can
still buy this and you can see it has nearly a flat design while the Model X has a little bit
more of a curvature but you can see with both of them they slightly flare up near the rear and that
helps you stay on the saddle. You can also really see the difference between a short nose saddle
and a standard saddle here you can see how the nose really just chopped off so
the original Flite was a normal length and you can see a lot more extension on the front.
With these short nose you have a little more flexibility on saddle and it's a really nice
modern feature you see with a lot of saddles and you can see the big difference with the
railing as well so this is a standard rail design they usually connect into the base of
the saddle while with the Model X you have this more integrated approach with the Flex Control.
So you can see how they extend down where this one would just come to a single point and then the
rear instead of going all the way back really is integrated into the frame itself so pretty unique
looking. The design of the Model X also reminds us a lot of the Velo. They have something called Atmos
Shaping so you can see that same padding design how it just comes to the edge and then wraps in
so you don't have a seam on the bottom as you would see here where it would collect a lot of
dirt so kind of a similar approach as the Velo. The Velo is also an affordable one this is the Senso
but you can see the Model X more sustainable and actually cheaper as well.
Again the Flex Control is a unique design typically you have a bridge
with some sort of internal structure but here it's much more exaggerated
and then the center cutout the superflow gives you that extra pressure relief as well. Now let's go over
the pros and cons for the Model X saddle. What we like about it is that a sustainable construction,
the Green-Tech production process is really innovative and great to see within the cycling
community. It's also very easy to clean thanks to the seamless interface between the gel padding
and the saddle base so there's nowhere for dirt to hide. You just wipe it down and it looks brand
new again. It's also quite comfortable and stable for long rides with that wave like profile. Some
of the cons for the saddle is the fact there are some visible molding lines at the edges. You have
to look quite closely to see them but they are there. Also sizing is limited to the L3 idmatch
currently but we do imagine Selle Italia will offer more sizing options in the future. Taking
everything into account we give the saddle a 9.4 out of 10. It's a great sustainable and affordable
saddle that offers great high performance. Thanks for watching this review, don't forget to like and
subscribe. You can see more content from us on our website at thesweetcyclisst.com or go follow
us on Instagram at @TheSweetCyclists. This is The Sweet Cyclist reminding you to enjoy the ride!