Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio saddle

The Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio is a short saddle that's perfect for fast rides. It offers a decent level of comfort that's better suited to shorter outings, and is reasonably light at 182g, if not weight-weenie level, so you might consider looking elsewhere if that's important to you. As you might expect from an expert Italian saddle manufacturer, it's a very high quality saddle that would look stunning on your Sunday best.

The Selle Italia Flite is a classic racing saddle that is still on sale today despite being released back in 1990. Bicycle technology has moved on a fair bit since then, and to celebrate the Flite's 30th anniversary, Selle Italia has given the classic design a modern makeover.

The result is the Flite Boost – a big evolution over any iteration of the Flite that's come before it. Its stubby profile is thoroughly on-trend, and it's one of the most beautiful saddles I've come across in some time, with a timeless design (much like the 90s original).

It's now shorter than before at just 248mm in length, which is about somewhere in the middle of the longest and shortest 'short' saddles out there. For reference, the standard Flite saddle is 275mm long.

Depending on your needs, and your wallet, there are various configurations to choose from. The standard Boost, on test, has a shallow channel to help relieve pressure, while the Superflow version has a full-on cutout which should, in theory, give you greater relief on longer journeys (unless you hate this style of saddle, and many do).

Both versions are available with manganese, titanium or, as our test saddle has, carbon rails. As you might expect, the saddle gets more expensive the lighter you go. The Superflow version is lighter than the standard Flite Boost because of its cutout, which makes sense.

The saddles are also available in two different widths: small (135mm) and large (145mm).

The Flite Boost is geared more towards the racy end of the spectrum. Selle Italia says it's ideal for medium rides (5/5), less so for long distance 'granfondos' (3/5) and cycle touring (2/5), and not suitable for endurance rides (0/5). I'd say it's definitely not a saddle suited to a great deal of miles.

As a short saddle, it's designed to lock you into one position and keep you there. That might seem a strange proposition if you're used to being able to move around a bit; I tend to fidget a lot when I ride, but once I'd got over the initial weirdness I found that being effectively told where to sit soon became a very good thing. Of course, this is a personal thing and you might dislike not being able to move about, especially on longer rides.

The shorter nose also means you're able to get in a tucked position more easily than on a standard saddle, and with greater comfort, as well as there being less saddle for your legs to interfere with.

The padding isn't too thin (unlike the classic Flite), but it is quite firm. The Carbo Keramic (carbon fibre with a ceramic coating) rails are also quite stiff, with little flex when you push down on the saddle by hand with a good amount of force.

In theory, you would expect this to be a stiff and unforgiving saddle, but that's not the case. Granted, it does feel a little firm from the moment you sit on it, but you get used to it, and at no point did I feel any discomfort build during any of my test rides. The carbon rails do a good job of absorbing buzz from the road, and their stiffness means you're not going to be bobbing about when you're pedalling hard.

Even with a relatively modest cutout, there's no numbness either. The Superflow version, with its cutout channel, is meant to be better suited to riders wanting to get lower down in the drops. Although I found no discomfort with the standard version, which is designed for those with a lower pelvic rotation, according to the idmatch fit system on Selle Italia's site I should be on a Superflow, which offers better pressure relief for those with a higher pelvic rotation. The standard Flite Boost might be a better choice if your riding position is racy but a little less extreme on the spectrum of tilt.

The flat design of the saddle does mean you feel as if you're perched on top of the saddle rather than nestled in it, as you do with other types.

The microfibre covering over the beautiful T-shaped base is quite grippy and seems durable.

Value and conclusion

There's no getting away from the elephant in the room here, and that's the price. Sure, there are a few saddles nowadays at this level, but I can't help feeling the kudos of the Flite brand is what's pushing the price up. Yes, it's a bit exotic, especially with the cachet of the Italian brand, and it certainly is a good looking, high quality product, but it's not particularly light when you compare it to the competition.

> Buyer’s Guide: 18 of the best high-performance lightweight saddles

Although not quite as attractive, in my opinion, Selle Italia's other short Boost saddle, the SP-01 Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow, is £30 cheaper and weighs 12g less. Matt raved about its comfort thanks to the 'suspension link movement' too.

The short Repente Latus M saddle also fared quite well when it was reviewed this year, being not only loads lighter than the Flite Boost Kit Carbonio at 145g, but also £50 cheaper and comfortable too (if the shape suits you).

Then again, it looks like a bargain compared with the £440 Selle Italia Boost Tekno Superflow...

Verdict

Comfortable, reasonably light and beautiful – the classic Flite reimagined for the 2020s – but it comes at a cost