GelFlow Bike Saddle Review Reviewed By:Tim Cameron Reviewed On: November 24, 2003 Product Page:Selle Italia Price: $89.95
In-depth Look
I noticed under the bottom the leather appeared to be glued to carbon nylon composite that could become unstable if it were to get wet. After communicating with Selle Italia, and a full explanation of their glueing process and the extreme conditions they have put the saddles through, I don't believe this would ever be a significant problem. If the glue did become unstable, it would be covered by warranty, if there was no modification or tampering. It is recommended to allow the leather to dry slowly if it does get wet. It appears to be a high quality saddle and the GelFlow saddle is truly a beauty so we lost no time in installing it on a bike for a ride. It bolted on quickly and easily. I have used a lot of bike saddles in the past but never a Flite Gel and found that I was riding in style. This time I am riding without my standard biking shorts, however, I will take them with me just in case, so this should be interesting. The saddle was comfortable enough starting out but the real challenge was ahead. I was going for ten miles on a rough mountain bike trail. This trail wasn’t new to me but I did manage to find a different spot that I had never ridden. The bike saddle was doing well when I rode across a rough area with small rocks. The length was a little longer than I was accustomed to but that didn’t make for any problem. It was a little narrower than other bike saddles I have ridden but I think that made it a more positive ride. I was five miles into the ride and a little sore without my padded biking shorts so I decided to put the on. It made a noticeable difference with the shorts on and the saddle seemed to be very comfortable for me. It began raining before I made my way back to the trailhead and I wondered what, if anything would happen to the saddle. When I arrived back at my vehicle I thought I would see if the red leather dye would fade. The saddle was good and wet by this time and I took a white t-shirt I had with me and rubbed it hard across the wet leather. To my surprise, there was no fading, no red dye on my white t-shirt.
