In this article I’m going to give you a list of the most expensive road bike saddles that will seriously drain your wallet.
To make the list a bit more interesting I’ve only added the two most expensive Selle Italia saddles, which are the SLR C59 and SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow. Selle Italia has dozens of bike saddles in the hundreds of dollars, which would make for a very singular brand list.
As can be expected of extremely pricey road bike saddles, all of them have both carbon rails and carbon shells, with a select number opting for a smidge of padding.
Carbon rails need a specific seatpost which is compatible, so if you actually decide to purchase one of these, that’s something to keep in mind.
With all that carbon you’re not only looking at the most expensive road bike saddles on the market, but also some of the lightest, with the SLR C59 sitting actually well below 100 grams.
Another tip for such saddles is to use a bolt on seat clamp, not a quick release. You want your precious saddle to be stolen with a simple flick of a lever.
Enough talk. Feast your eyes on the most expensive road bike saddles.
Fabric ALM Ultimate Shallow
The Fabric ALM Ultimate Shallow promises above-average levels of comfort in a minimal package of just 140 grams.
The slightly padded carbon shell sits atop carbon rails which act as a leaf spring, similar to some carbon seatposts. This provides just a bit of travel to take out road buzz. It actually works making this premium saddle with a rider weight of 100 kgs one you can actually use for all kinds of riding, not just to show off.
It’s an extremely pristine and clean no-show design, so it’s not the best saddle to impress visually, unless you like an understated design.
The padding doesn’t extend all the way to the edge of the seat, so be careful when parking your bike so you don’t scuff the carbon edges.
It has 282×142 mm dimensions, which means it’s pretty long and of average width.
The Fabric ALM Ultimate Shallow has a suggested retail price of 375 USD, but in exchange you get a very lightweight, comfortable and innovative saddle that’ll work for the majority of riders.
- Lightweight, comfortable full carbon beauty
- Extremely expensive
Fizik Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive
The honor of bringing the first 3D-printed saddle to the market goes to the Fizik Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive. It’s a saddle with carbon rails and shell, with a 3D printed EPU 41 polymer padding that’s extremely comfortable.
Because it’s 3D printed it has an otherworldly spacious design which ensures the saddle tips the scales at just 168 grams for the small version, or 171 grams for the large one. That’s very impressive for a saddle with such padding volume.
The padding acts like memory foam and conforms to the rider’s anatomy. Since there are two halves it means that pressure is only applied to the sit bones and very specific to the respective rider.
It’s one of the most distinctive saddles money can buy, and besides the light greenish version, Fizik now also offers a black one.
It comes at two widths of 139 and 146 millimeters.
From an innovation standpoint the Fizik Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive is a fantastic product, that’s comfortable enough to use for long hours in the saddle. The only downside could be that the light open structure is more prone to damage and dirt lodging into the innards of the padding.
But if you like the original Antares and you really want the-latest-the-greatest for your bike, this is the saddle for you.
- Outrageous 3D-printed design you buy for its novelty
- Expensive, delicate, and hard to keep clean
Selle Italia SLR C59
The lightest saddle in Selle Italia’s lineup, the Selle Italia SLR C59 is a remarkable piece of bike saddle technology.
To achieve such a low weight the saddle has a huge cut out and is really narrow at 128 millimeters. So if you’re used to wider saddles, this is definitely not one for you.
If you’ve ever ridden a non-padded saddle, you know that from a comfort standpoint it doesn’t matter, as long as you don’t use it on your gravel or mountain bike.
Such a light and narrow saddle for such a steep price means you’re either a professional hill-climber athlete or fancy extremities in bike tech.
I have seen it cheaper than its suggested retail price of 600 USD, but even with a lower price, expect to dig very deep into your wallet for this beauty.
- Ultralight, boutique-style full carbon goodness meant to show off
- You don't like to show off
Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow
I can’t shake the fact that the name of this saddle could be some underground German house song. It’s cool though, but not nearly as cool as this saddle.
Each half of the Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow is only connected at the nose. This causes them to flex more noticeably when riding ostensibly making the ride more comfortable.
It’s the most beautiful saddle from this list and my first pick if I could have found it for a price my wallet deemed more amenable than its full retail price of €450. Road.cc called it “sex on rails”. I agree.
- Saddle from outer space
- Dare I say none? Ok, price
Specifications most expensive road bike saddles
Name | Rail | Price | Dimensions | Weight | Shell | Padding | Cover | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fabric ALM Ultimate Shallow | carbon Ø7×9 mm | 375 USD | 282 x 142 mm | 140 g | carbon | ultra-light PU foam | ||
Fizik Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive | carbon Ø7×10 mm | 399.99 USD | S 274 x 139 mm – L 27 4 x146 mm | S 168 g – L 171 g | carbon | EPU 41 | ||
Selle Italia SLR C59 | carbon Ø7×9 mm | 600 euros | 265 x 128 mm | 61 g | carbon | none | ||
Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow | carbon Ø7×9 mm | 560 euros | S 130 x 245 mm – L 145 x 245 mm | S 105 g – L 110 g | carbon | none |
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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