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review

Selle San Marco Shortfit Racing Iridescent Saddle

8
£144.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Comfortable, innovative saddle that caters for a variety of different riding styles
Comfortable in a variety of positions
Suitable for men and women
Light for the price
There are more comfortable saddles for long distance riding, though it's not bad…
Weight: 
180g

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The Selle San Marco Shortfit Racing Iridescent Saddle is a supremely comfortable design for short distances, allowing for a lot of flexibility in positioning, especially for those who like more aggressive rides. This iridescent model is a tenner more expensive than a standard black or white/black/red version, but it's a lot more eye-catching too – and you can get matching Selle San Marco Presa Corsa Team Iridescent handlebar tape, if you're willing to stump up £44.99 for the pleasure. 

Before we start this review proper, bear in mind that everybody is different when it comes to saddles, so what might be wonderfully comfortable for me could be incredibly uncomfortable for you. We always recommend testing out a saddle before you buy.

> Find your nearest dealer here

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There has been a trend towards smaller or noseless saddles in time trialling, but Selle San Marco has introduced this to road-specific saddles with its Shortfit range, taking its Racing, Dynamic, and Carbon FX models and cutting them down to size. The Racing that I tested was 250 x 144mm, which puts it noticeably shorter than any of the saddles on my other bikes.

2020 Selle San Marco Shortfit Racing Iridescent Saddle - nose.jpg

The idea behind this shortening is to provide increased variation for those who like to move closer to their handlebar and adopt a more aggressive riding position. Movement is noticeably easier; I used it a couple of times on a track bike and found this particularly useful.

However, it is not only during short rides that this saddle delivers. I used it for a few long-distance rides and found it fine throughout; there are more comfortable saddles for long rides, but it's not bad at all. There is a cutout that runs the length of the saddle which really helps with relieving pressure on the perineum, and the varying foam densities across the saddle help too, offering just the right amount of support.

> Buyer's Guide: 10 of the best performance saddles

The upper is made from a durable 'Microfeel' material which is hardwearing and grippy enough that I felt secure in position when using it, while the shell is a carbon-reinforced nylon material. This keeps the saddle stiff and allows for good power transfer without too much flex.

In terms of shape, the saddle has a slight 'wave' in it because of the recession caused by the cutout, and is designed for those with both a flat back and accentuated lumbar arch.

Selle San Marco has used Stealth Xsilite for the rails, a material with 'a high percentage of silicon with particles of titanium and carbon'. They offer a lot of stiffness and there wasn't any perceptible flex even when sprinting from the saddle. Textured grip areas help to keep the saddle in place.

2020 Selle San Marco Shortfit Racing Iridescent Saddle - underside.jpg

The saddle weighs in at 180g, which is pretty good compared with others of a similar type. The £129.99 Fizik Tempo Argo R3 saddle comes in at 244g, for example, while the Fizik Vento Argo R1, which retails at £184.99, is 186g. 

The Specialized Power Expert saddle is cheaper at £110, but it's also heavier at 235g.

> Buyer's Guide: 10 of the best short saddles

The Selle San Marco Shortfit Racing Iridescent Saddle's rrp of £144.99 (£134.99 if you don't feel that you need the iridescence in your life) is about what I'd expect for a saddle of this quality; it offers a comfortable ride, little flex, and a wide variety of potential positions.

Overall, I was very impressed by this saddle. It's light enough for most types of riding, comfortable to sit on for even the longest rides, and allows for a real variety in positioning.

Verdict

A comfortable, innovative saddle that caters for a variety of different riding styles

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Selle San Marco Shortfit Racing Iridescent Saddle

Size tested: 250 x 144 mm

Tell us what the product is for

It is designed to allow more comfort for those who adopt more aggressive riding positions or those who prefer to have a smaller saddle.

From ZyroFisher, SSM's distributor: "The all new ShortFit saddle was created to meet the needs of the most demanding cyclists who prefer fixed and aggressive positions on the bike. The ergonomic waved shape aide's pelvic rotation and the shorter length can allow riders to move their positions into a more aggressive engagement, closer to the handlebars.

"The special ergonomic shape of this new saddle features reduced length and ensures proper support in the generous rear section and optimum pressure distribution in the front section. The wide nose & shape also makes for a comfortable and lightweight TT saddle and is suitable for men and women looking for a quality high performance saddle."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Selle San Marco:

Rail : Stealth Xsilite

Shell : Carbon Fiber Reinforced

Foam : Biofoam 

Cover : Microfeel, available in black and white/black/red (both £134.99), as well as in this iridescent version

Dimension : 250 x 144 mm

Weight : 180 gr

Level : Racing

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well made with little flex in the body and a hardwearing material for an upper.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Performed well throughout the review period, offering comfort and stiffness for power transfer.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Well-made body and an upper that seems to be fairly resistant to damage.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10

Its 180g is pretty good for a saddle at this price point.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Allows for a variety of riding positions, while also supporting your weight well thanks to the variable foam densities.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

About where I would expect a saddle of this quality to be.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Performed very well; it allowed me to adopt aggressive positions on the bike more comfortably, but was also fine for longer, less intensive rides.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

It is very comfortable, with the different densities of foam and the cutout combining with the shortened shape working really well.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing jumps out.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

A well-designed and well-made saddle that allows you to adopt an aggressive riding position easily but still be well supported and comfortable during longer rides.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 29  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Mercian King of Mercia or Cinelli Gazzetta  My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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1 comments

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Dr_D | 4 years ago
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I bought this saddle more or less purely based on this test as I found one in white that perfectly fits my bike color scheme..  1 Anyway, I was surprised about how light it is (mine measured just 160g, the one that came with the bike was 305g) and I was also a little bit shocked about how thin the padding is, but then it immediately felt comfortable sitting on it. After 2 rides I find myself staying in the saddle over small bumps and there has been zero numbing thanks to the cutout.  I also find myself in a lower position for longer parts of the ride and the saddle feels great in any position.

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