Handmade in the Italian Dolomites, component maker Alpitude adds a new customizable, limited edition Gardena Heritage saddle combining modern ultralight carbon construction with Italian leather finishing. Plus, their superlight Stelvio GPS mounts get much stronger without adding weight, now including GoPro or light mounts for one of the lightest multipurpose out-front mount setups anywhere…
Alpitude Gardena Heritage custom ultralight leather & carbon saddle
New from Alpitude is a customizable de luxe version of their already light carbon Gardena saddle, sharing the same two-piece full carbon construction of 7x9mm carbon rails bonded to the lightweight shell – but now with a handmade Italian leather cover. It still isn’t a padded saddle, but with a perforated, natural leather top it adds more grip, a bit more comfort, and a lot more style.
A collaboration with the custom leather expert Riccardo Migliorini of Officina del Miglio in Verona, the new Alpitude Gardena Heritage is crafted entirely by hand, one at a time from fine, vegetable oil tanned Italian leather. The patterned perforated leather cover offers tiny windows that can either reveal the underlying carbon surface structure, while also giving a bit of texture under your seat instead of a slick carbon top. And, for those looking to add a bit of color, the shell can be first painted to match the exact color of your bike for a subtle, color-coordinated accent.
Each leather saddle top is carefully hand-finished by the Miglio artisans to ensure a perfect bond and flawless rolled edges under the saddle, in a throwback to an era of artisanal Italian leatherwork that has become rare in modern production, hence the name of the limited Heritage edition saddle.
This special saddle is made in small batches, even more so than the standard handmade carbon Gardena (in Trentino), so lead times are longer too – typically around 90 days.
Alpitude says the 389€ Gardena Heritage will only be sold for a limited time. Buyers should order now until the end of 2021 to get their custom Heritage saddle in the new year.
Saddles are available in 128, 140 & 150mm widths in the same ergonomic cutout, curved-top, short-fit shape as the original Gardena saddle. Claimed weight for the 245mm long leather-topped saddles are still ultralight at 92g (128), 97g (140) & 101g (150mm).
Stronger, more versatile Stelvio carbon out-front GPS mounts
Alpitude has also updated their wide range of Stelvio out front cycling computer mounts, opting not to make them lighter, but instead to make them stronger so they can serve double-duty mounting more accessories. Now in v3, an improved ultra-hi-mod T800/T1100 carbon layup delivers better strength at the same 13-15g weight (depending on mounting style.)
Generation 2 already added some GoPro style mount compatibility, but now Alpitude says the new Stelvio 3 mounts will keep your action cam and GPS steady no matter your cockpit setup.
Many mounting options are available via variable 7075 alloy brackets, including the offset universal mount that attaches via one stem faceplate mount, to special versions for Darimo, Deda, Extralite, Mcfk, Ritchey, THM, or 3T stems. There are also several Stelvio Corretto versions that direct mount underneath most integrated 1-piece bar & stem cockpits.
The 4-bolt computer interface also allows for compatibility with most modern cycling GPS devices from Garmin, Polar, Omata, or Wahoo. And there are two standard lengths available to suit smaller or larger head units. Mounts generally sell for 105€ with your choice of computer insert (85€ for direct mount), or 130€ including the GoPro adapter. The old version 2 is still listed on Alpitude’s website, but buyers now will be shipped the new v3 once they are ready in the coming weeks.
Manghen ultralight carbon top cap
Want a lightweight top cap to finish off your bike while you are ordering other goodies from Alpitude? For 25€, their minimalist CNC-machined Manghen top cap certainly won’t make your bike heavier at just 6g total including its titanium bolt. Pick from 3K twill, 1K plain, or 6K spread tow fibers to finish off your carbon cockpit look – all made in Italy.
