The evolution of the SLR saddle. (Credit: Selle Italia)

We recently caught up with Selle Italia’s Global OEM Sales Manager and ex-professional rider, Alberto Curtolo. He dove into the topics of the new SLR (4th gen), Selle San Marco brand, idmatch, and more.

“SLR, for us, is the brand inside the brand,” he said. “We launched the new SLR to the aftermarket and consumer in July. But since the SLR was born in 1999, this is our 4th version of it.” The SLR makes 50% of Selle Italia’s turnover across the brand, so it’s obviously a very key product.

Selle Italia has carefully identified 2 KPIs: one is comfort, the other being design—making sure that the SLR can still be easily identified on any bike. “To ensure comfort, the secret of the design is the small wing we’ve used since the beginning called ‘edge of shape.’ “It’s visible and recognizable from the lateral view,” said Curtolo. It aims to provide greater comfort for ‘dynamic cyclists,’ but also to support ‘static cyclists’ better. It comes in two width sizes, the “S” at 130 mm and the “L” at 145 mm.

The new Selle Italia SLR range has the same saddle outline and changes across models, but what differentiates the range is the different materials, weights, and pressure-relief cut-outs. The entry-level SLR Advan uses tubular steel rails, while the SLR Elite lightweight tubular steel rails, both featuring a carbon-reinforced shell. The SLR Carbon model has full carbon rails and a lighter shell, reducing weight and giving a firmer, race-oriented feeling. The 3D Carbon version is “the lightest 3D saddle on the market.” This saddle has carbon rails and a 3D-printed lattice cover. The “Superflow” takes the premium Carbon versions one step further; they have a larger central cut-out for pressure relief, which can improve comfort and airflow further.

Mr. Curtolo holds out the SLR Boost 3D Kit Carbonio Superflow (left) and the Carbon SLR (right) (Pic: Ash Suter)

Check out the full range HERE.

Selle Italia has worked to ensure that the SLR design remains aggressive while retaining the cut-outs to relieve perineal pressure. Thanks to a new rail mounting angle, the saddle is ‘more comfortable and provides better shock absorption.’ Mr Curtolo said, “For professional cyclists, we offer a further refined, super-lightweight solution with a special carbon skeleton that blends with the shell to provide greater rigidity without affecting weight.”

The new SLR Carbon offers the same riding feel as the classic SLR that everyone knows, but it has been modernized. It is slightly shorter overall, and the rear section has been slimmed down after idmatch pressure mapping showed that most cyclists did not actually use that certain part of the saddle. The carbon rail version helps dampen vibrations, and the rails are slightly longer to facilitate adjustments. “It simply looks like a lighter, cleaner, and more refined version of the same familiar shape,” says Selle Italia.

Selle Italia’s ‘Greentech’ eco-friendly product range also has a new saddle in the pipeline, with the Model A being introduced to the catalog—something they expect to do well over the next few years.

Mr. Curtolo said that during the recent Taichung Bike Week, the Model A had a “successful week.” He said, “We have a complete range from steel to manganese rails. We developed the Model A to replace the Model X, with a Greentech shell padding and cover. The rail is inserted at our factories in Italy.”

The new Model A on manganese rails. (Credit: Selle Italia)

“We had many profitable meetings, and the reaction to the Model A and new SLR has been really positive,” said Curtolo. “We are a premium saddle brand, and we’d like to keep our position. Yes, we do have some commuting and comfort saddles doing well, like the ST7 (popular in their comfort range), but we still focus on road and performance.”

The ST7, with its comfort and safety features, is continuing to do well. (Credit: Selle Italia)

Selle San Marco

Selle San Marco the Selle Italia group brand most aligned with the “outdoor” world, has a new saddle for enduro, bikepacking, and heavy bikes - the “Mantra”. The Mantra has a “special design” that distinguishes it from the market. “When you try it, you’ll fall in love with it,” said Mr. Curtolo. “It’s one of the most comfortable saddles on the market, even if its design looks simple.”

The Mantra is “perfect” for the new 32” wheels because the nose is a “little wider,” allowing for “better control of the bike” with “increased comfort,” explained Mr. Curtolo.

The Mantra promises great comfort on climbs and comes in three variations. (Credit: Selle Italia)

idmatch

“We stick with our philosophy of having two sizes, with our idmatch bike fitting system collecting data every day.” With centers around the world, Selle Italia collects around 3000 riders’ data per month.

‘idmatch’, another brand of the Selle Italia group, is a bike fitting system consisting of software and hardware that offers cyclists of all levels the opportunity to find the best position on their bike, ensuring maximum comfort and feel when riding.

It measures and processes various data, including height, pelvic rotation, cycling discipline and goal, as well as many other metrics, to provide detailed analysis using an automated Smart Bike and 3D cameras. They have been doing this for about 13 years and help people find the best saddles, cranks, handlebars, or even entire bikes. “When you buy a new bike, we have a database that allows you to select a specific brand and measurements to find the ideal configuration,” said Curtolo. “OEMs can then suggest longer handlebar stems or wider saddles, for example, based on our cloud data, so customers can update their inventory accordingly.

idmatch uses cutting-edge technology to optimize riding performance. (Credit: Selle Italia)

“As a saddle brand, we must follow trends, even if we have different principles. idmatch helps us understand what is correct or not,” continued Curtolo. “Do you need a wide or narrow saddle? We usually check the ischial bones. Do you need the cut-out? We check how much you can bend and how much pressure is distributed on the perineal area.”

Selle Italia suggests the cut-out design so that the saddle doesn’t need to be pushed down with a forward tilt, meaning less sliding around. “Some bike designers are lucky because of riders like Pogacar who can win with a saddle in any position!” said Mr. Curtolo jokingly. “We need to study every single case to see what is better, but we’ll never suggest tilting it down: if it’s stable, you’ll remain balanced. Many years ago the trend was to push the saddle back, nowadays, it’s inwards and down. It’s an experimental shift, but it can link to our ‘idmatch’”

Obviously, Selle Italia covers all requests to not reduce business opportunities as a matter of strategy, “not tactics.” “Tactics are for today. Strategy is for tomorrow,” said Curtolo. “Many tactics include reducing prices, but this puts pressure on everyone. The big challenge is managing margins after the boom and overstocking.”

The Selle Italia team (Mr. Curtolo (right)) are Taichung Bike Week regulars.