This article was produced in collaboration with Selle Italia and was published in Issue 138 of Rouleur
The headquarters of Selle Italia, a 1960s industrial building with a staggered, convex roof, concealed gutters integrated into the columns and ribbon windows framed in red, was once the production hub of Brionvega, a historic consumer electronics company. It was here, during the years of the Italian economic boom, that goods destined to become icons of Italian design were developed – like the famous ‘Cubo’ radio, one of which is on display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
The building itself is considered a landmark of Italian industrial architecture. Its rainwater collection system, which channels water into a central basin to be reused reflects a design culture that values function as much as form.
Through the windows, the view opens onto a landscape of soft, green hills, gently rising toward Monte Grappa, the scene of legendary battles in the Giro d’Italia. This is a land shaped by human hands, where cycling is much more than a sport – it’s a way of life.
In the late 1960s, Selle Italia was producing leather saddles shaped using water presses.
Some of those machines, along with a collection of saddles used over the years by many great champions, are on show in a corridor leading to one of the building’s meeting rooms. It’s a living museum – each model is accompanied by a label that describes their technology and links them to the athletes who used them. The walls are a hall of fame of cycling greatness: photographs, dedications, newspaper clippings and famous names tell a long story of victories, passion and innovation.
Selle Italia’s Vice President Riccardo Bigolin, who has been involved in the company’s product development for years, welcomes Rouleur to HQ.
“The first SLR came after an iconic model created by my father, the Flite, which had removed a significant portion of the saddle’s side panel,” he says. “It was a design aimed at reducing weight and increasing comfort.
“Then in 1999, the first SLR arrived — and it shook up the market a bit thanks to its carbon shell, inherited from the Flite, but with a more distinctive and very minimal structure. It weighed just 135 grammes.
The first advertising campaign we ran in 2000 showed a feather-shaped saddle with the tag-line, “The lightest saddle in the world.” It was covered in leather and padded with polyurethane, making it stand out from others, which weighed between 180 and 190 grammes. SLR has always stood for lightness, without ever sacrificing comfort.”
The first version embodied the spirit of its time. It was long and narrow, but already very light, and designed for racing. Not surprisingly, it quickly became the go-to model for professional riders.
In 2010, the second generation arrived, maintaining the elongated shape but introducing, for the first time, a second size – a step towards greater attention to ergonomics. It was in this version that the Superflow – the perineal cut-out designed to increase comfort – first appeared, along with the model’s side wing, which would go on to become a defining feature.
In 2018, the third generation was introduced, at the height of the boom in short saddles. This trend was a technical evolution rather than a passing fad – today, 85 to 90 per cent of saddles sold are in this category. This version retained the two sizes and the Superflow cut-out, but also introduced a wider adjustment scale on the saddle’s rail – essential for short saddles, which require precise positioning. It was also the first to feature an exposed shell, unlike previous versions where the cover extended all the way underneath the saddle.
Which brings us to 2025. This year marks the arrival of the fourth generation of the SLR, which retains the same seating style but shortens the overall length by six millimetres compared to the previous version.
“The seating hasn’t changed – you don’t mess with a winning formula,” says Bigolin. “Over the years, we’ve focused on reducing weight, always searching for better materials. It’s been a steady evolution, backed by investment in research and development to keep comfort as the top priority. The people who buy our saddles are mounting them on high-end bikes and spending many hours riding.”
He says this with a sparkle in his eyes, because the SLR is a flagship product for Selle Italia. It is a brand within the brand, and cycling aficionados immediately recognise the product name as iconic.
“Thanks to the idmatch Pressure Map technology – our scientific measurement system – we’ve revolutionised the way we approach saddle sizing,” says Bigolin. “We’re talking about 100,000 bike fittings, which played a key role in the development of this saddle. The new SLR measures 242 millimetres in length, very close to the regulatory limit set by the UCI. The advantage of being slightly shorter is that it makes it even easier to find the optimal position compared to the previous model.
“We also have a 3D version, which represents the new frontier of technology,” adds Bigolin. “The 3D-printed padding allows us to create differentiated cushioning zones, significantly improving comfort in the saddle. The material is also more breathable– it’s a high-end solution with no compromises.
“It’s happened more than once that someone told me they postponed buying a new phone just to get an SLR!”
All versions in the new range are lighter, while the area supporting the ischial bones has not been altered. As a result, what’s known as the Biomechanical Reference Point remains in the same position as in the previous versions. This ensures continuity in saddle feel and makes the transition from the previous model to the new one much easier.
“At the end of May, we invited 45 distributors from around the world to see the new SLR. I was struck by the look on their faces when they saw it – it was a genuine ‘wow’ effect,” Bigolin says. “We let them try it out, and they all took it home with the care you reserve for something truly special.”
For lunch, Rouleur shares a table with Enrico Andreola, Selle sItalia’s Project Manager, and Enrico Grando, Marketing Manager, at a traditional osteria in the centre of Asolo. On the menu, we’re tempted by bigoli, a long pasta similar to spaghetti but thicker and rougher, extruded through a traditional press that gives the surface the perfect texture for holding the sauce. After lunch, a stroll among arcades and narrow streets leads us back to the main square, where a fountain topped by the winged lion of Saint Mark is the centrepiece. On the horizon, the rolling hills stretch out, and their gentle profile feels like an open invitation to ride.
It’s the perfect moment to pick up the thread and dive deeper into the work that led to the creation of the new SLR range, which has launched on the market in three versions. Starting in September 2025, additional configurations have been released to complete the lineup.
“The goal – for both me and Roberto (Testolin, head of design), who gave me great support – was to be ready by the end of May for the presentation to the distributors,” says Andreola.
“I personally carried out many tests, working carefully on every detail and phase of the setup. I have a box full of prototypes. The guys on my team did an excellent job.”
The development of the new SLR range is the result of a collective effort, driven by a holistic vision. Every contribution helped shape a more complete product.
“A large part of the development is thanks to the professional riders on the teams that use our saddles,” explains Grando. “But we also rely on local teams – demanding cyclists with perspectives that differ from those of the pros. Professionals are valuable, but their point of view alone risks pushing development toward overly specialised solutions.”
In recent months, Andreola adds, gran fondo riders and in-house colleagues have also been involved.
“We’d hand them a saddle and say, ‘Bring it back on Monday and tell us how it went.’ We’re a company made up of cyclists. We don’t just develop products – we use them too. None of us represents the ‘typical’ user, but we’re still part of the process. Feedback comes in many forms: phone calls, forms and direct conversations. We’ve involved former colleagues and friends in the industry, and we’ve gone to local races to speak with mechanics and athletes.”
At the core of the R&D process is the analysis carried out using idmatch, which developed a pressure-mapping pad capable of precisely identifying the areas actually under stress during real-world riding.
The analysis showed, for example, that a rear section of the saddle, previously padded, was never actually used – a key finding that allowed for further optimisation of both weight and functionality, supported by objective data.
“The scientific approach of idmatch helped us move past certain assumptions based on experience and long-held beliefs,” adds Grando. “Thanks to pressure mapping, we followed a clear principle: remove what’s unnecessary and provide support only where it’s needed, without compromising comfort.”
The ‘minimum where it matters’ philosophy led to a shorter saddle. The structure has also been optimised, especially in the versions with carbon rails: the new layup makes the frame more efficient, with revised geometries designed to improve vibration absorption while maintaining the necessary stiffness.
Seated once again in the meeting room, we are shown the differences between the carbon rails.
“The most important work started with the frame,” explains Andreola. “We did what you do when designing a bike: we played with the angles to achieve the desired characteristics. As you can see from the comparison, dimensions and orientations change between versions. In an industrial context, the simplest choice would have been to use a standard frame for all the lines. But we realised that, to reach our goals, a complete rethink was necessary. We started from scratch.
“We developed a new carbon layup. The result is a thinner, and therefore lighter, structure with the same stiffness. The adjustment introduced with the third generation has been retained, but is now broader: it improves vibration absorption without sacrificing stiffness, and increases comfort in the saddle.”
In terms of aesthetics, the SLR adopts a total black look, minimalist and refined, in line with the modern design of road bikes. The 3D version builds upon and enhances the legacy of previous models.
“We don’t rely on software to generate the lattice structure that acts as support and padding: we designed it ourselves, pillar by pillar,” explains Andreola. “This allows us to know exactly where and how to intervene to adjust stiffness, point by point, with maximum precision. It’s one of the aspects that clearly sets us apart from the rest of the market.”
All models are available in different sizes, but the weights indicated here refer to size S3. According to the company, the SLR 3D CARBON, at 137 grammes, is the lightest 3D-printed saddle on the market today.
The SLR 3D ELITE, featuring lightweight tubular steel rails, improves upon the previous SLR Boost 3D TI316, being 28 grammes lighter. The SLR CARBON, on the other hand, pairs carbon rails with hand-covered padding, a detail that highlights the artisanal work behind each piece, with a total weight of 118 grammes.
And finally, the collection has expanded with the recent models: the SLR ELITE, with lightweight tubular steel rails, weighs in at 170 grammes; the SLR ADVAN, with tubular steel rails, is 188 grammes; and finally, the SLR RACING REPLICA, designed for those seeking maximum performance, features carbon rails and EVA padding, and weighs just 106 grammes.
Any bike ride is a journey of learning and discovery. And just as with every ride, we come back from our visit to Selle Italia with confirmation that innovation comes from people, passion and application of technology.
