Far North Racing - Cycling

Selle Italia Flite Kit Carbino Review

Saddles are a very individual preference item. Some seats fit some posteriors, others not so much. The WTB Rocket that came with my Norco is actually pretty comfy, but it is also very, very heavy, so I decided to shad some weight by swapping on something else.

The Selle Italia Flite has been around nearly forever in about a million different configurations, and I stumbled upon a killer deal on the "Kit Carbino" version. This model comes with carbon rails and uses a shiny vinyl-like covering called "Endura". It is also very light.

At the price I got I couldn't say no, so I bought it.

Saddle Comparison

The Flite is firm, but not outrageously so, and I wear bibs so the chamois padding helps. I rode this saddle in a 4-hour endurance race with no comfort issues. If loaded hard, it occasionally creaks and flexes, but it hasn't broken, and the springy-ness of the carbon rails helps comfort.

The only issues it has are that it needs to be mated to a top-clamp seat post, because the rails are ovalized up/down, so a side clamp post like a RaceFace Deus won't fit. The shiny part of the Endura covering is scuff-resistant, but if it encounters something hard it can be scraped off. I was afraid that the Endura would prove to be slick, and that I'd be sliding all over the place, but that has proven to not be the case.

Overall, this has proven to be a good saddle. I would prefer the covering to be actual leather (and I'd trade a little weight to get it) but it is holding up well - and at half the weight of the stock saddle, the weight reduction aspect was well worth it. Recommended.


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