Selle Italia’s Green-Tech production process was developed as an eco-friendly production process to minimize environmental impact, utilize sustainable materials and achieve competitive pricing points. The Model X Green Superflow is the first bike saddle to emerge from the Green-Tech process and is constructed from 100% sustainable materials. It’s an innovative saddle that achieves a high performance design without the use of any glue. Despite the sustainable made in Italy construction, the Model X Green Superflow has a highly accessible retail price of only $55.99. The saddle uses FeC alloy rails, a Carbon Iron Steel alloy, combined with Flex Control design that improves flexibility and rigidity. Total Gel covers the top of the shell and provides dampening and keeps you stable while riding.
The Selle Italia Model X Green SuperFlow combines a 100% sustainable construction with a high-performance yet affordably priced cycling saddle.
| Rating | 9.4/10 |
| Retail Price | $55.99 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 312 |
| Likes | + Sustainable construction + Easy to clean thanks to seamless interface between shell and padding + Comfortable and stable for long rides |
| Dislikes | – Visible molding edges + Sizing is limited to the L3 idmatch currently |
| Where to Buy (US) | Selle Italia |
UNBOXING
The Selle Italia comes attached to a thick cardboard backing with specifications printed onto it. With the saddle fully exposed, the packaging is designed to hang off local bike shop racks and allow potential buyers to feel and interact with the saddle. Unlike the Selle Italia Flite there is no fancy storage box included with the saddle.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Model X Green Superflow is instantly recognizable as a Selle Italia saddle with its short-nosed profile and SuperFlow center cutout. It has a high performance design with a waved form that Selle Italia claims helps maintain a stable saddle position. Compared to the nearly flat Selle Italia Flite the Model X is slightly angled upward at the rear of the saddle. Despite the budget price, the Model X looks like a premium saddle thanks the one piece Total Gel padding. It’s slightly gray in color which contrasts against the semi-gloss saddle base and features simple debossed Selle Italia branding and perforations. The Total Gel padding feels rubber-like to the touch and has a non-slip texture that should help keep riders stable.
The padding design is similar to Velo Saddle’s Atmos Shaping and has a seamless interface between the gel and the base. It’s a sleek design that’s also far easier to clean compared to traditional saddles that have bulky seams along the underside of the shell. The Model X also has a unique rail design that incorporates Flex Control. Selle Italia describes it as a “differentiated elastic module inside the shell” which is designed to improve damping and flexibility properties. From the exterior you can see the wide connectors on the nose of the saddle as well as the tall angled brackets at the rear of the rails. There are also wide slit cutouts on the Flex Control connectors that are perfect for saddle bag straps. Note, there are some visible molding lines and unevenness on the saddle base but you have to look closely to see them.
ON THE ROAD
While the budget price point of Model X Green Superflow may make it sound like it would be an entry-level saddle, it’s surprisingly high-performance. The combination of the L3 idmatch, Superflow center cutout and Flex Control rail design creates a comfortable yet supportive saddle that works on short or long rides. The Total Gel padding has a nice non-slip surface that we found helped us stay securely in position even during hard efforts. It’s hard to quantify the dampening effect of the Flex Control rails and Total Gel padding but we found it to be comfortable even on pothole filled roads and fast descends.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Selle Italia Model X Green Superflow to be a comfortable and innovative saddle. Despite the budget price point, the saddle features an eco-friendly construction that leverages Selle Italia’s Green-Tech sustainable production process. The saddle has a short-nosed profile that provides flexibility and comfort as well as a Superflow center cutout. We were also impressed with the Flex Control rails and Total Gel padding which help dampen imperfections on the road. It’s also an easy saddle to clean as the Total Gel padding sits on top of the base. The only downsides of the saddle is that sizing is limited to the L3 idmatch and some of the molding lines are visible on the saddle base. That said, if you’re looking for an eco-friendly and high-performance saddle then the Model X Green Superflow is one to consider.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Selle Italia. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.