The Selle Italia Flite Boost saddles up on the thirtieth anniversary of the original Flite, a true 90s classic. The Flite was considered an ultrathin saddle back in the day, and was as loved by road cyclists as it was mountain bikers. It was, and still is, a winning high-performance saddle, ridden to victory under Marco Pantani, Philippe Gilbert, and most recently, Mathieu Van der Poel at the 2020 Cyclocross World Championship. The Selle Italia Flite Boost is a compact short-nosed saddle with a length of 248mm, 27mm shorter than a Flite. Let’s take a closer look.
Selle Italia Flite Boost
The Selle Italia Flite Boost recalls the classic “T” shape of all Flite saddles. It also maintains the same elegant style and traditional flat seat that defined previous Flite models. The new saddle is compact and aerodynamic and features a more stylized and updated version of the Selle Italia logo.
Update: The Flite Boost is available in two widths; 135mm and 145mm. Selle Italia’s proprietary idmatch measuring system informs riders as to which saddle is most appropriate for their shape and riding style. This essentially takes some simple anthropomorphic measurements to make an educated guess as to the perfect seat size and shape for each individual. There are four idMatch sizes: S1, S3, L1, and L3.
- S1 is for a rider with a narrow intertrochanteric distance (space between your two sit bones) and low pelvic rotation. This saddle does not have a center cut-out.
- S3 is for a rider with a narrow intertrochanteric distance and high pelvic rotation. This saddle has a center cut-out (called Superflow).
- L1 is for a rider with a wide intertrochanteric distance and low pelvic rotation. No cut-out.
- L3 is for a rider with a wide intertrochanteric distance and high pelvic rotation. Superflow cut out.
The new saddle is available in three different rail options. Kit Carbonio is the lightest option, weighing in at a claimed 157g in the Superflow model. The Manganese (TM) railed option is the heaviest, weighing a claimed 243g. Middle of the road is the Flite Boost TI316 – the titanium rail option, like the original Flite saddle of the 90s.
Pricing & Availability
Suggested retail pricing of the Selle Italia Flite Boost is between $150-400 / 130-285€. The saddles will be sold on the Selle Italia website and through its network of distributors and independent bicycle dealers starting immediately.
