In this article I’m going to give you my top picks for the best narrow road bike saddles.
My focus for this article has been to provide a number of options that can be deemed allround to race-worthy and won’t hurt your wallet as much as some of the other options do. I’ve done so by looking at what your money actually buys you, and feeling that dishing out an extra 100 dollars for a set of carbon rails just isn’t worth the money.
What you can find in this list are both classically-shaped road bike saddles, and some short-nosed options for people who like the benefits those saddles offer.
These saddles fall into the range of average to long rides, riding both in the hoods and drops. With some options leaning more towards racing than touring.
In terms of weight they hover around 200 grams, which in general can be considered fairly light for a road bike saddle.
I have a huge number of saddles and have researched hundreds of them. Narrow is obviously a broad term, but if I take into consideration my personal experience with what the market currently offers, I decided to fill this overview with saddles than do not cross a width of 140 millimeters, and rather are around the territory upwards of 130 millimeters. Go lower than that and you’re actually looking at time-trial offerings.
So enough talk, here are my contenders for the best narrow road bike saddles.
Fabric Line Elite Shallow
The Fabric Line Elite Shallow is a great value-for-money allround saddle that will suit the majority of riders.
Its nylon shell is supported by titanium rails and has a narrow width of 134 millimeters and a length of 270 millimeters. For the materials used and the padding it has a reasonable weight of 237 grams.
Shallow means the saddle supports a more upright position with a medium amount of padding versus the more race-oriented flat saddles. This means it’s suited for riders who like to ride on the hoods, but it’s safe to say that the saddle feels equally comfortable in the drops.
The very clean design of the saddle features a non-padded center that runs the length of the saddle, with padding on either side.
The overall allure of this saddle resides in the combination of price, comfort, design and allround suitability. It’s the perfect choice for weekend warriors who favor short leisurely rides that won’t cross the 100 mile mark. Although saddles will also always be a very personal choice, this saddle has been in Fabric’s lineup for years for good reason.
- High quality affordable, allround saddle
- None
Fizik Arione Classic
The Fizik Arione saddles are instantly recognizable and many riders swear they will never touch another one again because of its racing comfort. The Fizik Arione Classic is the most affordable of all the versions and probably your best entry point in terms of value as well.
It offers the same shape, the same Kium alloy rails, the same carbon reinforced nylon shell, and the same Microtex cover as more expensive options. Granted it’s the heaviest at 225 grams, but all things considered that’s not that heavy at all.
And what you get is a really comfortable race-proven saddle that’s been used by many in the peleton, and looks really distinctive with dimensions of 300 x 130 millimeter. That’s really long and really narrow.
The already narrow saddle offers Wingflex technology, which means the area closest to your inner thighs are more flexible, allowing you a greater freedom of movement because it moves with you. It means the saddle doesn’t try to grab your attention by chafing.
The saddle can be considered flat and great for riding in the drops. Even with its length the nose doesn’t get in the way and the non-cut out saddle actually offers enough padding in this area to prevent numbness.
If you’ve ever wanted to ride this race-proven classic the Fizik Arione Classic is a fantastic entry point.
- Great option to obtain this comfortable, and classic design for a relative good price
- None
Prologo Nago Evo Pas
Prologo offers high build quality when it comes to road bike saddles, and the Prologo Nago Evo Pas is a gorgeous allround saddle for dynamic riding.
I can understand why the overall shape of the saddle made Prologo state the saddle can also be used for cross-country rides.
You have the option of two different types of material for the rails, with the carbon version dipping below 200 grams at 185 grams. With TiroX steel alloy it means the saddle will sit at 211, which is still pretty light for a non-carbon saddle.
Forgoing a center cut out this saddle instead has a no-padded area in the middle. And at 275 x 134 millimeters it has a narrow width and standard road racing length.
- Versatile saddle used for dynamic riding
- None
Selle Italia Flite Boost TM Superflow
Selle has gone all-in with short-nosed saddles and the Selle Italia Flite Boost TM Superflow is a great affordable option.
The Flite name has been around for an extremely long time, but this saddle looks nothing like the first iterations.
The narrow version of this saddle sits at 135 x 248 millimeters. The stubby nose means less sliding around, for those who appreciate that, putting your body more firmly in place and more easily in a forward position. The entire notion is a better power transfer to the pedals.
True to its racing nature this is an almost entirely flat saddle with a huge cutout, something a lot of Selle Italia saddles are known for.
The overall build quality of this saddle is superb, with a gorgeous perforated cover
- Superb build quality, short nose saddle, relatively affordable
- None
Selle Italia Novus Endurance TM Superflow
With endurance in its name it should be obvious what the Selle Italia Novus Endurance TM Superflow is for.
Its unique-looking design looks similar to those used by ISM, with the nose cut in half and slightly dipping.
This affordable long-distance offering features a lot of extra padding for a weight penalty, tipping the scales over 300 grams. But this is not a saddle for those looking to shave an extra 100 grams of their bike, and people who’ll actually be doing gran fondos will care less about such a thing.
What they will care about is comfort and this saddle excels in that area. You can actually take this saddle on roads that don’t necessarily resemble smooth tarmac, and the plush ride will allow you to enjoy it from start to finish.
Selle Italia offers a number of magnificent showpieces, and this saddle is not among them. It’s purely functional with a core focus on being able to eat mile after mile of road. So if that’s your thing there aren’t many options that offer a greater return on investment, if any.
- For long distance riding, extra padded
- Relatively heavy, design might not suit everyone
Selle Italia SLR TM Superflow
The Selle Italia SLR TM Superflow is pretty similar in specs to the Selle Italia Flite Boost TM Superflow except it offers a more traditional design.
If you’re not into short-nosed saddles, the classic design of the SLR measures 131 x 275 millimeters. As with many other saddles from Selle Italia, it offers a large center cut out for pressure relief.
You get a nylon shell with extra padding for comfortable rides. A manganese rails for a bit of flex to take out road buzz, in a package weighing 205 grams.
It’s a classically shaped road bike saddle from this big brand name, which offers loads of comfort for everyday riding and endurance races.
- Classic design, extra padded, loads of comfort
- None
Selle Italia SP-01 Boost TM Superflow
The Selle Italia SP-01 Boost TM Superflow is a relatively new design from Selle Italia, where the center cut out moves all the way through to the end of the saddle.
That means no more saddle bags, you won’t be able to attach them. But instead you get more flex in the rear because of the two halves that can move more independently from each other. The result is more road feel in a less bumpy ride while you ride in the drops.
Personally, I like the innovation but I can understand that such a design might not be for everybody. But you have to realize that you not only get independently moving halves, but also more flex in the saddle itself. And at the end of the day it does work to improve riding comfort.
It’s like riding a saddle with more padding, without actually having that extra padding. That means the weight of the narrow 130 millimeter saddle stays at 200 grams, while the 250 millimeter short and straight length locks you into a comfy racing position.
I’m all in for cycling tech or else I wouldn’t be writing this stuff, and I can only applaud Selle Italia for taking the next steps when it comes to road racing saddles. And with Their SP-01 they’ve hit the mark just right.
- Innovative design, comfort without extra padding
- None
Selle San Marco Aspide Supercomfort Racing Narrow
The Selle San Marco Aspide Supercomfort Racing Narrow is a road bike saddle with a very long name and lots of padding.
That doesn’t mean it’s heavy with a weight sitting at 207 grams. And to achieve such a feat you get a stiff carbon injected nylon shell atop a Stealth Xsilite alloy rail, a mixture of silicon, carbon, and titanium. They claim the rails are basically bomb-proof and resistant to the elements.
The reason you might want to buy this saddle is because its classic-looking race-shape of 277 x 132 millimeters offers a plushness in a package that also features a center cut out, running basically all the way to the back of the saddle. Not everybody likes to be riding a super firm race saddle, and Selle San Marco is targeting that market with this saddle.
So if you actually like a bit of extra padding for your rides, this could very well be the saddle that ticks those boxes for you.
- Lots of padding, lightweight for an MTB saddle, classic shape, cutout
- None
Specifications narrow road bike saddles
Name | Rail | Price | Dimensions | Weight | Shell | Padding | Cover | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fabric Line Elite Shallow | titanium Ø7×7 mm | 105 USD | 270 x 134 mm | 237 g | nylon | microfiber | ||
Fizik Arione Classic | kium Ø7×7 mm | 129.99 USD | 300 x 132 mm | 225 g | carbon reinforced nylon | microtex | ||
Prologo Nago Evo Pas | nack carbon / tirox | 134 euros | 275 x 134 mm | nack 185 g – thyrox 211 g | ||||
Selle Italia Flite Boost TM Superflow | manganese tube Ø7 mm | 150 euros | S 135 x 248 mm – L 145 x 248 mm | S 230 g – L 233 g | nylon | Soft-Tek | ||
Selle Italia Novus Endurance TM Superflow | manganese tube Ø7 mm | 100 euros | S 138 x 282 mm – L 149 x 282 mm | S 306 g – L 310 g | nylon | extra padding / gel | Fibra-Tek | |
Selle Italia SLR TM Superflow | manganese tube Ø7 mm | 160 euros | S 131 x 275 mm – L 145 x 275 mm | S 205 g – L 210 g | nylon | Fibra-Tek | ||
Selle Italia SP-01 Boost TM Superflow | manganese tube Ø7 mm | 130 euros | S 130 x 250 mm – L 146 x 250 mm | S 200 g – L 205 g | ||||
Selle San Marco Aspide Supercomfort Racing Narrow | Stealth Xsilite | 159 euros | 277 x 132 mm | 207 g | carbon reinforced nylon | biofoam | microfeel |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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