Object of Desire: Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle
Cyclingnews takes a closer look at the limited-edition Selle Italia saddle designed to commemorate Mathieu van der Poel's 2020 Tour of Flanders victory
As the moniker suggests, the Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP is a lightweight, performance-focused saddle designed with creative input from Mathieu van der Poel. It's one for the memorabilia collectors
Pros
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Lightweight properties
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Proven build quality and performance
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Exclusive, limited-edition
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Tasteful attention to detail
Cons
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White colourway prone to showing up scuffs and dirt
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Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle comes in a special box with a magnetic closure system(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Box features MVDP logo branding(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The box doubles up as a display case as well as celebrating Van der Poel's cycling successes featuring his Palmares across road, mountain bike and cyclo-cross disciplines(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
To coincide with the 105th running of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Selle Italia created a limited-edition saddle with input from the 2020 race winner, Alpecin-Fenix's Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman has been using these saddles for the past five years as part of a sponsorship agreement between Selle Italia and Alpecin-Fenix and has taken quite a liking to one model in particular - the Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow, a saddle he uses for both cyclo-cross and road racing. The Flite Boost model pictured here is unique in that it combines the lightweight chassis and performance attributes we've come to expect from the best road bike saddles with design cues and personal details as provided by Mathieu van der Poel.
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The saddle is predominantly white in appearance(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Compared to the standard-issue Selle Italia Flite Boost, the MVDP Edition is almost a complete inversion but retains all the hallmark design features...(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
...including the Boost central cutout, Selle Italia wordmark on the right flank and Flite logo on the nose(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
A Mathieu van der Poel name and signature are set on opposite ends of the longitudinal cutout to further validate the saddle's credentials(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
It follows the same flat-top profile of the Flite range providing enough surface area for most ischial bone arrangements(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Van Der Poel uses this saddle for both cyclo-cross and road racing(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
No disputing who it belongs to...(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Another angle showing off the MVDP logo graphics(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The black graphics do well to offset the dominant white colour scheme(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle comes in a special box with a magnetic closure system. There's a lot of fanfare going on here but it's all very sophisticated and refined. The box doubles up as a display case as well as celebrates Van der Poel's cycling successes featuring his Palmares across road, mountain bike and cyclo-cross disciplines. There's also a fact file on the saddle outlining its specifications and full nomenclature which is a bit of a mouthful - Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow.
Naturally, the saddle is predominantly white in appearance. While not the most practical colour when it comes to cycling - and this spans everything from kit and bikes to components - few can dispute the clinical precision white as a colour provides in spades. As an evangelist of this particular hue, Van der Poel is one of the very few professional cyclists who can properly pull it off, especially when it comes to items such as bib shorts and skinsuits.
It is a rather striking saddle. The bold and expressive black graphics are a contrasting addition to the design, which softens the dominating white to a certain extent. Like the model on which it is based the padding is set upon a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic base complete with TeXtreme carbon rails. Compared to the standard-issue Selle Italia Flite Boost, the MVDP Edition is almost a complete inversion but retains all the hallmark design features including the Boost central cutout, Selle Italia wordmark on the right flank and Flite logo on the nose.
There's no localised dimpling texture on this particular version. Instead, a flat Fibra-Tek sheath provides the canvas on which van der Poel applied his design - a simple-yet-effective MVDP graphic with letters arranged in a clockwise direction. A Mathieu van der Poel name and signature are set on opposite ends of the longitudinal cutout to further validate the saddle's credentials.
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TeXtreme fibres in the rails double up as an aesthetically pleasing design trait(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The TeXtreme fibre rails help keep weight to a minimum (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Weighing in spot on with the claimed 162g, the Flite Boost MVDP represents one of the lighter saddles on the market(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The saddle is constructed according to the company's 'idmatch' L3 sizing philosophy with dimensions of 145 x 250mm(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The Flite Boost MVDP is available in one size only and is constructed according to the company's 'idmatch' L3 sizing philosophy with dimensions of 145 x 250mm - the large central channel is designed to improve comfort and pressure dissipation, ideally suited to cyclists with high pelvic rotation. It follows the same flat-top profile of the Flite range providing enough surface area for most ischial bone arrangements.
Weighing in spot on with the claimed 162g, the Flite Boost MVDP represents one of the lighter saddles on the market. Much of this comes down to the central cutout, liberal use of carbon composite in the base structure and TeXtreme fibres in the rails, the latter of which doubles up as an aesthetically pleasing design trait.
In terms of the Fibra-Tek sheath, the fine microfibre surface will provide decent enough traction when seated, even though it lacks the dimpled texture of the original Flite Boost saddle. Another thing to take into account is the maintenance required in keeping the saddle clean. Not only is white known for exacerbating scuff marks and the like, but it also's prone to becoming stained and discoloured from fall out and road grime.
View the Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle at Selle Italia
Verdict
White isn't the most practical colour around, especially when it comes to touchpoints but the Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition is a beautifully designed saddle - minimalist yet striking in appearance. It's light too and features some of Selle Italia's novel attributes such as Boost and idmatch, the combination of which makes it a performance-enhanced option that still supplies some semblance of comfort.
This saddle, however, is best suited to the collector rather than racer based purely on its limited-edition nature. At £300 / $499.99 / €349.90, it's not particularly cheap either. In fact, you can pick up the exact same saddle sans the ornate MVDP garnishing for £25 / $15 / €35 less, in the form of the regular Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow.
Tech Specs: Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle
RRP: £300 / $499.99 / €349.90
Weight: 162g (actual)
Dimensions: 145x250mm
Rails: Carbon
Shell: Carbon composite
Colours: White
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Aaron was the Tech Editor Cyclingnews between July 2019 and June 2022. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he completed his BA honours at the University of Cape Town before embarking on a career in journalism. Throughout this career, Aaron has spent almost two decades writing about bikes, cars, and anything else with wheels. Prior to joining the Cyclingnews team, his experience spanned a stint as Gear & Digital editor of Bicycling magazine, as well as a time at TopCar as Associate Editor.
Now based in the UK's Surrey Hills, Aaron's life revolves around bikes. He's a competitive racer, Stravaholic, and Zwift enthusiast. He’s twice ridden the Cape Epic, completed the Haute Route Alps, and represented South Africa in the 2022 Zwift eSports World Championships.
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