 |
TECH NEWS: RBA TECH: SELLE ITALIA’S MONOLINK SEATPOST AND SLR FRICTION FREE SADDLE
Road Bike Action
September 6, 2011
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
In 1897, McKinley was the 25th U.S. president, World War I wouldn’t begin for another 17 years andthe world’s first motorcycle race was held in England. Meanwhile, over in Italy, a small company called Selle Italia began making bike saddles. From that point on, Selle Italia has been responsible for developing some of the best saddles on the market today.
Adding another layer to Selle Italia’s rich history is the product that has been in the works for the past three years: the new Monolink SLR Friction Free saddle and Monolink seatpost. Although Selle Italia wasn’t the originator of the singlerail saddle/seatpost design, they are promising new benefits that the decade old design wasn’t able to deliver.
THE TECH
Selle Italia has some big claims for the benefits of the Monolink system. How big? How about up to a 10 percent increase in performance? With the Monolink rail being narrower than the traditional double-rail design, Selle Italia was able to re-engineer the nose of their popular SLR saddle by shaving approximately 4mm off the width of the nose and continuing its narrow profile to the mid-way point of the saddle. The new profile of the SLR Friction Free reduces the contact area between the saddle and one’s thighs, as well as relieving pressure on the sciatic nerve, while still giving the same support at the rear of the saddle for the sit bones. Seems all well and good—less friction, more comfort—but will it make you faster?
After conducting over 100 tests with their pro athletes and the only variable being the saddle, Selle Italia claims to have seen an 8 to 10 percent increase in power during a threshold effort.
Weighing in at 375 grams for the Monolink seatpost and SLR Friction Free saddle, it puts it on the light side. But, comparatively, a Ritchey WCS carbon- railed saddle with WCS alloy seatpost costs $290 and weighs only 10 grams more. Dollar-to-gram ratios put the Monolink at $1.67 per gram, while the WCS combo comes in at $0.75 per gram. That’s a significant price difference for similar weight. One thing the Monolink rail can offer that a double-rail system can’t is the amount of saddle fore-aft adjustment; a full 10 percent more adjustment forward and 25 percent further aft, compared to a double-rail saddle. But, unless you’re riding a frame that’s the wrong size, chances are you won’t need the extreme fore-aft adjustments.
The carbon Monolink seatpost has the option of being used with either the Monolink rail or a double-rail saddle. There are currently only two Monolink saddle options to choose from: the SLR and SLR Flow (the Flow has an anatomic cutout). While Selle Italia plans to expand the Monolink saddle line in 2012, it leaves riders out of luck right now who are looking for more comfort than what the minimally padded SLR offers.
SETUP
The Monolink seatpost’s clamping mechanism is well designed, making the saddle installation and adjustment simple. The Monolink rail is held in place by two carbon inserts—one on each side of the post—while alloy wedges are installed under the inserts with two 4mm titanium bolts to secure everything together. With the clamping mechanism’s wedge design, saddle tilt wasn’t dictated by where the teeth line up like on most other seatposts. By loosening the bottom bolt, we were free to adjust the tilt to the exact saddle angle we wanted. For saddle fore-aft adjustments, both bolts needed loosening, which was easy, but after an adjustment, the saddle tilt needs to be reset again.
Once tightened together, the two carbon inserts clamp their jaws around the saddle’s
Monolink rail, creating a slip-free, easily adjustable saddle/seatpost combination.
Both saddle and seatpost have measurement markers on them, helping us to get the saddle adjusted correctly without any hassle. We were afraid we would be out of luck mounting a seat pack on the Monolink. Fortunately, there ended up being just enough room to get the straps through where the Monolink rail splits in two, connecting it with the rear of the saddle.
THE RIDE
There’s no denying the fact that there’s less thigh friction with the SLR Friction Free saddle. It’s subtle but noticeable. The saddle was comfortable for the racer types, providing good sitbone support and what seemed to be an adequate amount of padding. The reduction in width of the saddle’s nose surprisingly didn’t have a negative impact on comfort. Actually, it felt better, allowing a more fluid, uninhibited pedal stroke. Just like the original SLR saddle, the Friction Free model has a Lorica synthetic leather cover that allows good movement for position changes, whether sliding forward for a max effort or sliding back to power up a climb. On long four-plus-hour rides, we were impressed with the SLR’s comfort. Between the Monolink rail and the composite shell of the saddle, there was enough flex to keep our backsides happy.
THE VERDICT
Selle Italia took the single-rail saddle/ seatpost concept and gave it the elegance, function and performance we have come to expect from the Italian saddle maker. While it’s hard to validate the exact performance advantages of the SLR Friction Free saddle, there’s no doubt that it does allow for better pedaling fluidity. Is it enough to get people to swap out their “old” saddle and seatpost for the Monolink?
By using the Monolink rail, Selle Italia was able to narrow the nose of the SLR, creating the “Friction Free” saddle. The reduction in friction between our thighs and the saddle is subtle but noticeable.
The diehard Selle Italia fans and some racers looking for a few watt advantages will jump on the Monolink bandwagon, but the extreme price tag and lack of saddle options make it tough to swallow. If Selle Italia can lower the price over time and add more Monolink Friction Free saddle choices, then we could see the system becoming much more than just a niche product.
PUNCH LINES
• Even Bill Gates would find it hard to justify the price vs. benefit ratio
• The seatpost’s compatibility with both a Monolink rail as well as double-rail saddle opens the door to more potential buyers
• Simple clamping mechanism makes getting the perfect saddle adjustment a cinch
STATS
Price: $308, SLR Monolink Friction Free saddle; $320, Monolink seatpost
Weight: 163 grams, SLR Friction Free Monolink saddle; 212 grams, Monolink seatpost w/ hardware
Sizes: 31.6, 27.2 mm diameter; 300, 350 mm length
Selle Italia Saddles
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|