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Lightweight and durable saddle.
Specifications:
- Weight: 320 grams
- Rail: FeC Alloy Ø 7 mm
- Size: 135×280 mm
- Use: Road/Offroad
Selle Italia X1 Saddle Review:
Watch your pressure
I’ve been riding Selle Italia saddles since my first days of cycling. The consistency and quality of their products has always impressed me. When I decided to get a new saddle, I thought long and hard about it.
I decided the X1 would be a great cheap, durable seat for off road use. I intended to use this seat on hardtail 29er for about a year before upgrading to something better.
First impressions of the X1 are great. The X1’s construction is solid with a minimalistic appearance. The X1 has an extremely minimal design. There are no fancy frills, just a nice comfortable seat.
The first ride in the X1 was slightly discomforting. My body was leaning forward to absorb the shocks on the back of the saddle and to make handling easier. I wasn’t expecting this and thinking back on it now, I haven’t noticed any problems on time trials and road rides with other saddles.
On single track the X1 can be a little rough. The lack of a significant nose and the difference in pressure where I am sitting on the saddle has caused some numbness on my inner thighs and seat.
I recommend riding the X1 with a little less pressure than my other saddles. Riding with a higher pressure in the X1 is probably what caused my numbness.
As with all of my saddles, I recommend spending a week or so breaking the X1 in with higher pressure. It’s never too late to reach for one of your other saddles though.
All in all, the Selle Italia X1 is a lightweight, durable, minimalistic saddle. I’ve yet to hit any potholes with this saddle and it’s only showing minor scratches. I’m planning on trying out some more off road parts for my hardtail and the X1 will be coming with me.
Selle Italia X1 Saddle Review:
I purchased the x1 cover from hyper that fits my large version for about 9$. Its now a year later and the cover still fits strongly, and has survived all weather conditions.
The cover covers the front of the saddle even with the small version and extends past the rear of the saddle. it’s coverage is equal to that of the stock cover supplied by selle italia.
Appearance of the cover is that of the stock cover except that it is black.
X1 Saddle Cover – Hyper Bicycles
The title says it all. I’ve been racing since 2000, and have been riding bikes for longer than that, and I’ve never ridden a saddle that was so comfortable. I buy bikes, and I swap saddles on all of them trying to find the right one for me. Each time, I think, “Hey, this one is the one! This is the saddle.” Then on a ride, I find that the saddle (wedge, nose, gullet) is causing discomfort in an unexpected place. So, the search continues. I was amazed that the x1, without any break-in period at all, caused me no pain. It is the first saddle that has given me no trouble. My description isn’t great. Don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself.
I put mine on my current cyclocross bike, a Giant CRX. I was surprised at the overall comfort and the reduced numbness. So, I decided to try out some longer rides on the x1. My first real ride on a longer course was a training ride up Mt. Baldy. I set out with an old saddle, and before the ride was half way over, I hastily switched to the X1. No more numbness. It was so comfortable, so soothing that I didn’t mind the big climb. I was so surprised, I decided to go for a very long ride a few days later. I did my first brevet, a 200k ride. The x1 held up with no chafing, no trouble at all. I can’t say enough good things about the x1. It’s a great saddle for all disciplines. Try one!
A couple things- people say it hurts their crotch. I was worried about that, but I don’t think that is the case. I was worried about the nose too, I didn’t think it would be comfortable. But it was plenty comfortable. I was really worried about my bum (being I am pretty big (230 lbs) But the saddle was great. I think the best way to put this (is like a shoe), if you put on the right shoe and it feels great, then it’s the right shoe, just like if you put on the saddle and it feels comfortable, then it’s the right saddle. It helped me because I tend to like to move around when I ride, and the nose is flat and level, so I could move around as much as I want. It was very nice, and I am hoping to get another one soon.
I would recommend this saddle if you ride lots of different terrain and if your not a weight weenie either!
I bought this saddle after having read so many good reviews about the same model except for the carbon rails which I felt were too heavy and expensive. I’m writing this while siting on my new X-4C which is definitely a nice upgrade. It’s even a little firmer than this X1 which I didn’t realize would be a good thing at first as I’m used to a “wider” seat and on my other bike I have a Selle Italia Flite gel and on this one I have a superfly elite clone saddle.
I’m a 155lb rider who does 3-4 rides per week ranging from 20-40miles. I bought the x1 to use on my cross bike (Giant Anthem)and my road bike (Ventura). It had been a couple of years since I bought the x1 and it still looked great after a couple of seasons (I live in Las Vegas) no fading or tears in the cover. I put it on my road bike a few weeks ago and was surprised how comfortable it was… I’ve only done a few rides on it (its been a cold winter here in Las Vegas) but when I was on my cross bike a week ago, I noted I went a little harder than I normally do on it. I felt like I could get away with this because of the extra foam padding in the seat. My butt definitely felt better than on my previous superfly elite clone and I will likely try and use it more often on my cross bike because I have a feeling I’m gonna be sitting on it more than I intend to.
I’m not sure if we can attribute my increased performance level on my cross bike on the x1 or less training due to winter but either way, its a good seat at a good price point and I would buy it again.
cheers!
