SELLE ITALIA's MAX FLITE uses a suspension that gives all-over cushioning without any moving mechanical parts. The front of the saddle features a combination of “Active Suspension” and “shock absorber”. Inserting the rail into a “wing” located on each side creates suspension in the rear of the MAX FLITE. Also available is the MAX FLITE TRANS AM with extra padding and “Specific Soft Tissue Relief” design that reduces pressure in the soft tissue area.
Bike Setup: trek 4300 flat carbon bars eggbeaters lx and xt drive train saches new success hubs
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Submitted by
Rex Paladin
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Rosa, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2007
Strengths: beautiful construction, its italian and comes in red, its fairly comfy, its a comfort saddle that doesn't look like a "cruiser saddle", oh and did I mention it comes in red...
Weaknesses: its just "fairly" comfy, it has a fairly high suggested retail price of over $129.99 but I imagine you can always find it for less as I did...
Bottom Line:
Ok I admit it, my main draw to this saddle was that it came in bright red. I was obsessed with sticking as close as possible to the "red" theme on my Homegrown build. It also helped that this seat was billed as a comfort seat for larger riders as I am currently pegging the scale at 215#. The gell cushioning seems to fall directly under my sit bones while the cutout serves its intended purpose well. The seat does flex well which helps provide a good buffer between my butt and the bumps. All in all I am happy with my selection and it really looks beautiful on my red bike as I get stares and compliments everytime I ride. If your a big guy and want a beautiful comfortable saddle that is easy on your but give the Max Flite a go. I give 4 (red) chillies for value based upon its fairly high suggested retail price (even though you can always find it for less). I give 4 (red) chillies for overall rating since it met my needs well but most would probably be less obsessed with the asthetics of the saddle than I was.
Similar Products Used: a cheapo original equipment Schwinn seat made of faux cast iron that I got off ebay just to get my bike on the road...after several hundred miles on that, anything was an improvement.
Bike Setup: 2000 Schwinn Homegrown HT Frame (in red), Race Face Next LP Crank (in red) spinning Crank Brothers Hans Rey 5050 XX Rasta platforms, Rock Shox Recon 351 Fork, Ahead ICBM Headset, SRAM PG-990 Cassette with red spider, SRAM X.7 derailleurs and triggers, Avid Single Digit Ultimate brakes with Speed Dial Ultimate Levers, Race Face Next XC Carbon Seatpost, Race Face Next XC Carbon Riser Bar lovingly held by a Deus XC stem, Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires (in red) mounted on Bontrager Modified Race Wheelset (in red), Selle Italia Max Flite Saddle (you guessed it...in red)
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Submitted by
Robert Fehse
a Cross Country Rider
from Garland Texas
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2003
Strengths: good quality, stiff, durable, great leather i am 205lbs and it held up good for me even afer hard hits
Weaknesses: It is very hard after a while and makes noise if you move on it
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Its a good saddle but its more at home on the road, its too hard to ride off road. buy it for the road or if you have a real soft fsb
Bike Setup: Team Marin with a Bergmann Fork (now that is a fork no wrench on it in 3 years)Magura brakes XTR
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Submitted by
john
a Weekend Warrior
from windsor Ct
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2001
Strengths: Looks, weight, comfy after breakin time
Weaknesses: Break in time, nose is hard, broke after 2 months
Bottom Line:
I liked the seat when i got it it was a little hard but once the seat broke in it was great. until right above where the pipe enters the shell in the rear the plastic cracked all the way from the rear middle half way down the seat. i was just riding it no crashes on it. i was dissapointed but im gonna get a new one on warranty and give them another shot. if it happens again sella italia no more. 3 chilis cause it was nice when it wasnt broken but it broke and thats no good.
Weaknesses: A little hard up in the "nose area" of this saddle...
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This is an excellent saddle,It performs about as good as it look's.At first glance when looking at this saddle, it's almost a shame to put your "butt" down on it, because the style,look, and craftsmanship is so good on this thing. I ride 40mi. long hauls in this saddle with very little discomfort.In general this saddle is very light, but feels pretty plush, the only gripe I have is, that the front end "Nose area" is a bit hard, but nothing too bad as I don't find myself on that region of the saddle too much.The "Gel" area in the center works very well and the shape of the rear area of this saddle offers alot in way of position-change if you like to move around the saddle alot when going around "switch backs" etc.I have the "Vanadium" rail's on my MaxFlite,and I'm about 175Lbs.this saddle is as strong as hell and I expect to get mucho miles out of it. I'd like to give this piece of art 5 flamin' jalapenos for craftsmanship and value amd 4 flamin' jalapenos for overall. I will though, go for a full "10" if Selle will promise to push a bit more stuffing up in the "nose" next time.
Similar Products Used: Have used the WTB SSTx for 2 yrs.,but will switch over to Selle Italia "Max flite" on a full-time basis now...
Bike Setup: "Access Alu" W/lx and xt components,Manitou SXr front end, Kore-lite Bar and stem,Selle max flite,IRC Mythos 2.1's on Mavic rim's...
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Submitted by
Erik van Lier
a Weekend Warrior
from Driebergen
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2001
Strengths: The look
Weaknesses: Not real leather, saddle broke on the Max point
Bottom Line:
My wife used to bike with this saddle for 2 years. She weighs about 65 kg's (= 125 lbs.) and the point where the rail comes into the saddle with the word Flite broke (plastic). No warranty because it was a 4 year old model..... But we bought it 2 years ago..... So a saddle may brake in 2 years with a light person on it and just XC riding...... No more Selle Italia anymore!!
Ouch! I didn't know how badly I was suffering until I got a Bontrager Race Day, then tried to swap the Max Flite with a forward seat post for Time Trials. The narrow part of this saddle sticks up and applies pressure right where you don't want it. Moreover, it applies no support to the sit bones, and I have a fairly narrow butt. This was the most painful saddle I have ever ridden.
Similar Products Used: Selle San Marco (Bontrager) Race Day; Selle San Marco Squadra Chromo, Specialized OEM (not Body Geometry)
Bike Setup: Alu Specialized Allez M2 and Airborne Zeppelin Ti -- Both with Shimano DA and Ultegra mix
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Submitted by
Susan
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2000
Strengths: Can you say vinyl??? I didn't even put it on my bike. I can't have a vinyl seat in hot, humid, nj summers - you can figure it out. Not worth the money... I saw in a previous review that Price Point says its a leather saddle. They admitted to me that it is synthetic leather, but won't re-imburse my shipping. I feel ripped off. Gonna by a saddle from Speed Goat - not sure which one yet - perhaps the real leather flite trans am. :)
Weaknesses: Fake, artificial, cheapo, synthetic, stick to your buns leather.
Bottom Line:
I give it only 1 chili for not being open about the synthetic leather. 1 chili to Price Point also.
Similar Products Used: WTB "fake" leather seat that came on my bike
Bike Setup: Stumpjumper M2 Rockshox, Ask my fiance the rest.
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Submitted by
Kurt
a Cross-Country Rider
from Ann Arbor, MI
Date Reviewed: December 30, 1999
Strengths: Lightish
Weaknesses: Doesn't absorb much shock
Bottom Line:
I've tried many different saddles for long road rides and they have performaed as follows.1. Flite, the tried the true and actually the last (and best) one I've tried. I'm staying with Flite's for a long time 2. San Marco Ti, bought a beat up one for $5, it's a reat seat. 3. Vetta Lite, many many mile on this one. It rates as an OK. 4. Flite Max. It didn't hold up to any of my expectations. Seemed even rougher than the Vetta lite. 5. Turbomatic, this one only lasted a couple of rides. We simply did not agree.
Similar Products Used: Flite, San Marco Ti, Vetta Lite, Turbomatic
Bike Setup: Breezer with Marzocchi Superfly, ESP 9.0
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Submitted by
Brian
a Cross-Country Rider
from Arlington, TX
Date Reviewed: September 2, 1999
Strengths: Light
Weaknesses: weak rails synthetic leather cover
Bottom Line:
I paid $40 for this saddle from Price Point who assured me that it was a leather cover. When I received it, the contrary was true. I called Price Point and they argued with me assuring me that it was indeed a leather cover....NOT. I also ordered 5 other saddles from them and picked the best one, which in my opinion is the Flight. Flight Gel is OK, but not worth the money. Flight is also lightest by over 25 grams.
Similar Products Used: Flight Flight Gel Vetta SL WTB SST
Bike Setup: Specialized Hard Tail
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Submitted by
Tony
a Cross-Country Rider
from New York
Date Reviewed: May 17, 1999
Strengths: Strong as hell. Looks spectacular. Top notch workmanship. ***Customer service is second to none:)***
Weaknesses: Takes a while to break in.
Bottom Line:
This saddle was a gift it was the sky blue one with the gel spots (very nice, very expensive), it's only weakness is that you have to break it in. On the up side it is one of the strongest saddles out, the Vanadium rails never bend and the leather never comes off. The kevlar edges hold up to all types of mountain abuse and never ripped except... I was cycling on the New York bike tour and on a downhill doing 30 and somebody up front crashed, thus sending me into someone else. I proceded to smash into a rather large pothole with two other cyclists and on impact I came off my cleats and was thus sent flying. Going back to my bike aside from some bloody scratches and a bent front rim I thought my bike was fine, I found my loved sella saddle had snapped off from it's rails. Sending it back to Mike from Pronet he said he'd never something like it and he sent out a replacement free of charge. with customer service like that I will never buy a saddle from another company again, I recommend these to anybody not only for great customer service but because of thier quality and style.
Submitted by
Tim Crabbe
a cross-country rider
from London, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 18, 1998
Bottom Line:
I'm 6'4 and 260lbs, and I bent my stock seat like a pretzel. I found the Flight Max on sale at CBO for forty dollars while looking for something a little stronger. The Flight Max was cheaper than just about everything else in its class, so I bought it. At first, I found it hard and too narrow, but after a week or two, we became better acquainted, and we've been good friends ever since. I've put 500 miles on it, and it hasn't bent, hasn't creaked, hasn't misbehaved in the slightest. The suspension aspect of the seat is nice, absorbing more impact than a seat should be asked to. The only thing I'm worried about is how the suspended structure has started to sag. Perhaps my mass is slowly destroying it, or perhaps it's just slowly breaking in. This is a solid piece of hardware that has demonstrated an ability to endure serious punishment. I recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonably comfortable, rather light seat.
My butt feels much better thank you very much! An excellent product. I've raced with it, done long rides, rough technical rides etc . . . under all conditions it has been very comfortable. Furthermore it's thin, making it easy to get over your back wheel for steep downhills. An excellent product.
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Submitted by
Marcelo Iannini
a racer
from Brasilia, DF, B R A Z I L
Date Reviewed: October 2, 1997
Bottom Line:
The best saddle I ever ridden!!! I had ridden on Turbo's and Regal's before, the Regal was OK, the Turbo a little stiff, but I liked both. These were the only remarkable saddles I ridden. The Max is just the best, comfy, and coolest-looking. It's the most confortable saddle I did ever ride on.
