Short saddles are popular for their support for a stable position on the bike. The shorter, wider saddle shape helps you to put down the power and position yourself further forward over the saddle for optimum pedalling efficiency.
At the same time, more riders are discovering all-road and gravel, riding for longer and mixing off-road exploration with on-road speed.
Now Selle San Marco has introduced the Shortfit Allroad range of three saddles, designed to offer the benefits of short saddle geometry to all-road and gravel riders.
The saddles have a distinctive waved profile for long distance comfort both on-road and off. This shape, Selle San Marco says, promotes correct positioning and provides support at the rear of the saddle. This provides increased stability and support and optimum load distribution across the saddle surface regardless of the surface you’re riding over.
The Selle San Marco Shortfit Allroad saddle range is available in three models, each in two widths, with prices starting at £74.99. Full details are on Selle San Marco’s site.
Bow Rail System helps absorb vibration
Key to the saddle range’s comfort on choppy surfaces is its Bow Rail System, in which the saddle rails rotate slightly within the saddle top’s shell to help absorb vibrations and micro-impacts.
Along with its integrated shock absorbers in the saddle shell this feature dampens vibration while keeping the saddle responsive, helping to increase control, reduce fatigue and make it easier to pedal smoothly over varied surfaces.
Each of the three Shortfit Allroad saddles is available in two widths, S3 which is 140mm wide and L3 which is 155mm wide. They’re designed to suit different sitbone widths and all the saddles have a wide Superflow pressure relief cutout with a thin covering across the central section to keep mud and damp away from your seat pad.
The Selle San Marco Shortfit Allroad Sport saddle is the entry model, with a suggested £74.99 retail price. It’s a saddle that Selle San Marco says is strong and sturdy and recommends for all-road and gravel cyclists.
It sits on solid manganese steel rails with a carbon fibre enhanced, variable thickness nylon shell and is topped with Biofoam low density padding and an abrasion resistant, weatherproof microfibre surface.
Selle San Marco says it has a 294g claimed weight in S3 and 302g weight in L3 width. Both saddle widths are 262mm in length.
The Shortfit Allroad Racing saddle costs £134.99 and is a saddle that Selle San Marco says offers control, responsiveness and reliable performance for road and fast gravel riding.
It uses superior materials, including hollow Xsilite rails, with a similar upper structure to the Shortfit Allroad Sport. The weight is cut to 210g for the S3 width and 218g for the L3, with both widths again 262mm in length.
The third option is the Shortfit Allroad Supercomfort Racing saddle, which Selle San Marco recommends for endurance focused all-road and gravel riders, who are looking for comfort on longer rides.
Priced at £144.99, this offers a 242g weight and 140mm x 256mm dimensions in S3 and 256g weight and 155mm x 260mm size in L3.
The saddle has thicker, variable density Biofoam Plus padding, with additional silicone gel support to help increase the absorption of surface vibrations.
Selle San Marco says that all the saddles in the Shortfit Allroad range are designed to provide support, comfort and control throughout the ride, from smooth tarmac to the roughest section.
The Shortfit Allroad saddles have already seen action at The Traka in Girona, where they were raced by the Metallurgica Veneta Pro gravel team as part of the set-up of its latest Team Edition Merida Mission gravel bike.
Check out full details of the Shortfit Allroad saddle range on Selle San Marco’s site to learn more.
