One of the lightest road bike saddles is here and we're about to sit on it
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The shape of Selle Italia's lightweight C59 saddle is based on the firm's existing SLR Tekno Flow model (Image credit: Oliver Woodman/Immediate Media)
See, we weren't telling fibs! That's 2g lighter than claimed (Image credit: Oliver Woodman/Immediate Media)
The dimensions are 128 x 265 mm, if you were wondering (Image credit: Oliver Woodman/Immediate Media)
New construction methods had to be deployed in order to get the C59 both light and strong enough for the task (Image credit: Oliver Woodman/Immediate Media)
The rails blend seamlessly into the saddle's nose and hull (Image credit: Oliver Woodman/Immediate Media)
The dramatic centre cutout is not unique to the C59(Image credit: Oliver Woodman/Immediate Media)
Right now we are hands on with the C59, Selle Italia’s lightest ever saddle. Before we mount it to a bike and try it out, let’s take a closer look at this blade-like carbon creation.
In creating the C59, Selle Italia took the basic shape of its SLR Tekno Flow road saddle — complete with its dramatic centre cutout — and reworked it in the form of a one-piece, 100 percent carbon fibre construction.
The C59 takes its name from the prototype version of this saddle, which came in at exactly 59g. The production saddle doesn’t quite nail that figure; we weighed our sample in at 61g, although that’s 2g lighter than the claimed weight Selle Italia prints on the C59’s packaging.
The dimensions are 128 x 265 mm, if you were wondering
Compared to similar products from other major manufacturers, this is the lightest saddle we’ve heard of. Even when you look into the produce of lightweight specialists such as AX-Lightness and its 65g Phoenix saddle, this is still a lighter component.
To our knowledge, this saddle is second only to German company Becker and its Typen road (47g in ‘light’ form and 57g without) and Endurance saddle (47g). In fact, the Typen road light is so extremely light that Becker itself states it “has been exclusively designed for racing bikes that are used on smooth roads,” and then goes on to advise riders never to cycle over obstacles, including grids or potholes, while remaining seated.
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Even the more substantial road version of the Typen states that riders should “still avoid cycling over road surface irregularities without briefly removing your weight from the saddle in order to protect it, your back and your racing bike.”
Neither the packaging nor Selle Italia’s website seems to hold similar warnings for the C59, nor could we find a rider weight limit for this saddle — although we'd be surprised if Selle Italia doesn't have one. Should you want to buy a C59 then you better have been saving, the retail price stands at £399 / $549.99 / AU$TBC.
Aside from the obvious effort to reduce weight, the C59 boasts what Selle Italia is calling “unparalleled comfort”. The C59 will be passed on to our slimline speedster Jamie Wilkins, who will be putting it through its paces. As usual, stay tuned to BikeRadar for the full review.
