In this article I’ll be sharing the best selling road bike saddles of the last few months. The list is compiled based on aggregated sales statistics from Amazon worldwide, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Europe.
Although the price range between saddles can be astronomical, the best-selling road bike saddles are almost all mid-tier ones, not crossing the 200 USD mark.
You could argue that everything above 100 USD is still a pretty significant price. On the other hand, your saddle is probably the single most important touch point between you and your bike.
Selle Italia saddles remain top-contenders with both standard and more endurance oriented road bike saddles taking the top spots on this list.
While almost all saddles feature some sort of cut-out. Selle Italia has pushed the envelope in this respect, having the saddles with the largest pressure relief channels. Judging by the amount of sales, they seem to offer comfort in a stylish package.
Curious to learn what other saddles make an appearance, head over to the list of the best selling road bike saddles.
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 both its racing and endurance nature this is an almost entirely flat saddle with a huge cut out, something a lot of Selle Italia saddles are known for. And it offers a thicker padding to stay comfortable with long hours in the saddle.
The overall build quality of this saddle is superb, with a gorgeous perforated Soft-Tek microfiber upper and subtle brand covering.
Although not cheap per se, you get a lot of tech from one of the biggest brands in the saddle industry.
- 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
Brooks C15
The Brooks C15 is a tad bit longer than its C13 cousin measuring 283 x 140 mm.
It looks a lot like that saddle in that it uses the same material for the shell, rivets, and cover, but as for the ride feel it’s quite different.
For starters the C15 sits on steel rails, which drastically reduces the price. Carbon rails are known for taking out a bit more road buzz and being more flexible, which makes the C15 feel a bit stiffer.
Obviously it’s beautifully finished but that longer shape and steel rails does mean you’re looking at a saddle weighing 450 grams. A weight I do not necessarily consider to be in line with a true racing machine. For the same amount of money you can have a saddle that weighs less than half.
With its race shape, with great clearance, high level of comfort, and weight, the C15 is kind of an odd saddle in the performance category. But the far majority of people prefer comfort any day over the extra 150 grams.
So that means you choose the C15 for its looks, and the overall ride quality of the vulcanized upper, which is fantastic.
- One of the best touring saddles from the Cambium lineup
- None
Fizik Vento Argo R5
As far as budget goes the Fizik Vento Argo R5 is the most premium option on this list with a suggested retail price of 99 euros. It can be had for cheaper on Amazon though.
It’s another very well made short-nosed saddle with a carbon-reinforced nylon shell with a large center cut out. This cut out transitions into a lower surface area both front and back, planting you firmly in place.
This version also has an alloy rail to keep costs down and a width of either 140 mm for the small or 150 mm for the larger version.
This saddle offers ample amounts of comfort for relaxed road riding, thanks to the plush padding and cut out.
- Affordable MTB saddle, short-nosed saddle w. cut out, wide option available, plush feel
- None
Prologo Kappa Space
Coming in both white and black with red elements thrown in the Prologo Kappa Space is the most in your face options of all the saddles listed here. So if you’re in for that type of design this one will float your boat.
Besides the design aspects the Kappa Space has a more classic looking arrow design at 270×147 mm, sitting on cro-mo 7 mm standard rails.
The center cut out and dipped area is more narrow than several of its competitors, which is also in line with more classic designs.
A great fit on a bike saddle will always be something intimately personal. But if you feel more familiar with classically shaped arrowhead saddles, and you like its design, this great piece from Prologo is the best choice.
- Affordable, classic shape, cut out design
- None
Specifications selling road bike saddles
Name | Price | Rail | Dimensions | Weight | Shell | Padding | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Selle Italia Flite Boost TM Superflow | 150 euros | manganese tube Ø7 mm | S 135 x 248 mm – L 145 x 248 mm | S 230 g – L 233 g | nylon | ||
Selle Italia Novus Endurance TM Superflow | 100 euros | manganese tube Ø7 mm | S 138 x 282 mm – L 149 x 282 mm | S 306 g – L 310 g | nylon | extra padding / gel | |
Brooks C15 | 120 euros | steel | 283 x 140 mm | 450 g | vulcanized rubber | none | |
Fizik Vento Argo R5 | 109.99 USD | S-Alloy Ø7 mm | S 265 x 140 mm – L 265 x 150 mm | S 225 g – L 232 g | carbon-reinforced nylon | type 1 foam | |
Prologo Kappa Space | 78 euros | cro-mo Ø7 mm | 270 x 147 mm | 249 g | nylon | Light foam |
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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