Road Cycling - Selle Italia "Trans Am" seat experiences

Has anyone tried the newish range of Selle Italia "Trans Am" range of seats. The sales pitch is that they are a "curved" design, rather than flat. They confine you to a slightly more fixed position than a straight flat seat, but have a curve/scoop that allows a bit of pressure relief on front flesh/nerve area.

Anyone tried one??? I hear the female style cutout seats are a waste of time, but I don't think this is the same thing...dunno really since I haven't had one in my hands.

I just ordered one yesterday. I will post a short review after I try it out.

Hmm,

My Max Flite Trans-Am isn't any more scooped than my flite. If you put a level on most Selle Italia saddles they'll have a slight scoop in the middle of the saddle length wise. Could you be thinking of the cut out that is in the Trans-Am models? Or are you looking at the Prolink models? (which are very scooped)

Anyway, My Max Flite Trans-Am is great. I'm not sure if the cut out is doing any good though. For me the Max Flite is a little wider and fits my sit bones better than the normal flite. I've got a little over 3000 miles on it this year and it has served me well.

In my experience I've found if your getting perineum pressure it's usually caused by a too narrow saddle (not wide enough for sit bones) or the saddle is tilted too far back. As far as Selle Italia saddles,I have the best luck with them set completely flat using a level to get it set.

Tom

I am using the Flite Trans Am and like it a lot. It is very comfortable as a minimalist saddle. I would like to try the new Pro Link version out but I have not complaints about the one I have at all.

I have a flite titanium gel and a prolink trans-am carbon railed gel... whatever they are call....

i havn't really had a chance to use the prolink much but i used to hate the flite, now i really like it. the prolink seems pretty comfy too but i dont think i really care for the cutout, seems to kinda do more harm than good for my boys anyway. guess it just depends how you're shaped. i'll let you know in a month or so when i have mor etime to use it

I have an older Trans Am Max and it's great! I will definitely get one for my road bike as soon as I get one.

I use the Prolink (non-gel) Trans Am and I love mine. Been on it for two years.

A year (or so) ago I bought max flight trans-ams for both my road and mtb 'cause I thought it was THE seat for me. This year though, on the road bike, I still had to tilt the seat down in front to allieviate pain in the nads.

Just recently I bought last year's version of the prolink trans-am. It is version with less padding and the cutout. It's kinda growing on me. It is the first seat that fits me well enough that I can set it up level and have no numbness "issues". :D Guess I have wide sit bones 'cause the prolink is wide and flat.

Thanks guys. Having had several Selle Italia "Turbos" in the 'distant' past, I think it may be time for me to give the brand another go. Keep the reports coming tho. I feel I must add I'm not a total seat weany...I've suffered the usual skin ailments in this 'area' over the years in silence, but recent post-ride nerve damage has grabbed my attention in a whole new way. ;)

The Prolink TA model is the most comfortable saddle I've used. I have both the standard TA and a Gelflow TA and both are great. The nice thing about the Gelflow model is the break-in time was 0. It was comfy from day one. The standard TA took around 500 miles to really feel good.

I also have a standard Flite TA and also an SLR TA and while I don't mind either one, they're not as good for long rides as the Prolink models.

Been giving the Octavia Trans Am a try recently. Only have about 400 miles, but can't recommend it so far. Even after all kinds of position adjustments and fine tuning, can't go more than an hour or so without numbing :( . Must not be a good fit for my rear. Will probably go back to the Brooks Team Pro. Good luck!

I've used both the regular Trans Am and the Pro Link version. Even though I found them both to be comfortable I prefer the Prolink version more. The flatter profile seems to work better for me.

I have had a "max flight trans am" (manganese rails) on my Yeti mountain bike for over a year, and it has been great.

I also have been using a "flite trans am Ti" on my Litespeed road bike. I am very happy with its comfort. I must say that the angle of these seats is important, I really had to tilt it up and down to find the right angle (it is set very close to level).

Seats are tough... What works for me may not be comfortable at all for you.

Well, I went and looked at a TransAm Flite with 'genuine gel', Ti rails and the cutout....I was pretty impressed and woulda got it if I'd had the cash right then. However, later reading Selle Italia description of Pro Link as the "modern and more comfortable" version of the Flite, has me leaning towards the Pro Link. It is wider and flatter than the Flite, but the photos I have seen show the nose of the ProLink is still very slim, which reassures me it really is performance oriented too.

I've got pretty wide hips...I'm like 71kg and 6ft (183cm), but I'm not one of those ultra-narrow bean-pole guys you see...I think a wider rear seat might be right for me. Over the last 3 weeks, I gradually pushed my seat a total of 1/2 an inch (15mm) forward, just so I could sit as far back as possible on the seat to get as much weight as possible on my sit bones. Riding one handed, 'probing' with the other hand (not a good look), I am pretty sure I can BARELY get my sit bones to properly span the Fizik Pave saddle..I can feel the plastic guards on the rear outer edges...and it's not a super-narrow style seat, probably similar width to a FLite. Actually, if you subtract the sloping bits on the side of the rear of the Fizik, then the usable rear flat bit to sit on is not that wide.

Of course the ProLink is also available in Non-Gel and other variations, I think even without the cutout. The cutout of the TransAm really has me wondering...why aren't more pros using cutout style seats? OK, I'm not going to ride TDF anytime soon, and my name isn't Lance...but I do like to try to improve and I am just wondering what it is about the cutout that may prevent you moving in the most efficient way to power a bike.

chainreka Most of the Selle Italia saddle, Flite, TA,Prolink, are the the same 275mm long, and 139 wide. The Fizik Pave is 270mm and 135mm.
The biggest problem with the cuts out are that the postion is not right for your body. Some guys just can't use them , I am one of those guys.

Dave, you say the cutouts make your sit bones sore...does that mean it at least took ALL the pressure of your perinium area?

I was reading the long thread here titled "seats", and one of the guys said it's better to have aching sit bones than numb other parts. I don't recall ever having *real bad *sit bone pain, and I wonder if this is because I haven't really been 'on' them enough. Of course, there's only so much pain a person can take in any area, and I have experienced enough ache in my sit bones to realise it's not a lot more fun than numb parts. There's not really much foam at that back section of the Fizik Pave.

Do you think GEL under the sit bones is a good idea? I've never had a seat with gel located there. Did the cut out seats which gave you problems have Gel under the sit bones? That would be the 'normal' Flite with 3 spot "Genuine Gel".

I may be getting the problem more under control anyway...moved my seat forward 5mm only yesterday during a 140km ride and had no major pain issues. I finally paid some attention to the markers on the rail of the Fizik, and guess what, I now have the "0 mm" mark level with the rear of the seat clamp, with is probably where Fizik intend it to be. I'm still leaning towards a new seat tho....maybe a 3 spot gel Flite.

No, it did not real the all the pressure, just change where the pressure was. With the cut outs in the saddle it felt like I was sitting on the toilet. I rode the Flite with gel, it helped with the pressure, but I did not like the feel of the saddle. I rode about 500 miles on the gel, and then went back to Flite. It could have had something to do with the Flite having many more miles on it.
The Pro Link looks like a very nice saddle, I just don't my anatomy likes the cutouts. I would put 500+ miles on the saddle before I would make the call thought.
Dave

I had an SI SLK Trans Am and replaced it with a Fizik Aliante.
Nuff said.

Dave, Yes, it takes me a week or two to decide about a seat, by which time I can't take it back...not to any bike shop I've bought from anyway. It could get expensive if you made several bad choices, which is why I prefer to go with 'tried and true' seats, like a Flite...even the Fizik Pave must have sold quite a few. I figure the odds of me being *that* physiologically different to all those happy users are pretty low.

I am a little suspicious of gel under the sit bones for several reasons. If your sit bones sink down into the nice cushy gel, then your other parts are going to sink with them down onto the seat padding, resulting in more pressure (?). Also, feeling the pressure on each sit bone also helps me 'keep track' of what each leg and side of my body is doing...I'm not quite symetrical side-to-side yet, but I am working and improving on it. :beer: These are the reasons that have occurred to me for gel and cutout seats for not being popular with pros.

Ultimately, it seems to come down to not what is 'comfy', but what is not 'painful'. The only comfy seat is in my car. ;)

Tom

Tom I feel your pain. At one time had 9 saddles sitting around. If you need a gut call, I would try the cut outs, but forget the gel.
Dave

Problems with soreness or numbness are usually caused by a saddle that is too soft or too narrow. If you sink into the saddle the middle part is sqeezing up and giving you a wedgie.

Some saddles have a narrow shell so you sit bones are not supported and that gives the same effect.

The Selle Italia Pro Link Trans Am has a wide flat shell with dense foam under the sit bones. It is the best saddle I have ever used.

I use the Prolink (non-gel) Trans Am and I love mine. Been on it for two years.
Same here, though I've only been in it for 1K mi. With the cutout your dick doesn't get numb from loss of blood flow.