Has anyone tried these? i saw a couple at a bike shop, and they looked either like they could be awesome or terrible. I realize saddles are very individual… Thanks in advance.
i have a friend riding one, he likes it a LOT
never tried one and i must agree that they look like it could be awesome or terrible
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They certainly look promising. I’ve been trying to find one on ebay for cheap so I can try one out but no luck yet. I’m not too crazy about dropping two bills plus on something that might not work.
I tried one awhile back, I didn’t like all the curves, made me have to point the nose down a bit and with the way the beak of the saddle curves drastically down it looked awful. If they had a straight version with a small down turn nose (no lift anywhere) then I think it would be a great saddle as it was quite comfortable.
I am now riding the adamo which still isn’t perfect but I do like it slightly better than the SelleSMP. I dont’ like the slight lip on the back of this saddle. again I would love a flat\straight version. BlackWell… SelleSMP are ya listening… FLAT please.
A friend of my rides with one (evolution) and I’ve taken his bike for a spin on a number of occasions out of curiosity.
In my (limited) experience, it was comfy as hell as long as you were riding “slack”, that is, with your sit bones back towards the rear of the saddle where they belonged. I remeber thinking “this is the most comfortable saddle I’ve ever been on!”… but when I tried sliding forward to ride the nose in a more aggressive position (like I am used to riding) - instantly uncomfortable. Actually, it was as uncofortable to ride off the nose as it was comforatble to ride positioned rearward.
My $.02
As far as SMP saddles are concerned, there are three “range” of quality :
entry range : they’re full padded, look big, weight a lot, but are very confortable (as a classic saddle)
middle range : slightly padded, nice look, as light as most equally priced classical saddles, but they’re quite hard on your butt 
you need a good bib to appreciate them,
top of the range : no padding, nice look, very light, and you can’t feel every bump on the road right up on your back…
I use one “middle of the range” SMP saddle, the “Glider”, with a good Assos bib, it’s the best saddle I’ve ever tried. Particularly on the aero position, absolutely no pressure on the perineum…
In fact, the saddle is made out of three main parts, the front, hollow and the back. the back and the front are slightly over the level of the hollow. If you ride with your pelvis bones right over the hollow, you’ll be perfectly proped up to apply full power to your pedals, or else you can’t get your pelvis back a little and have it rest on the back of the saddle, then your perineum will be like “hung over” the saddle with no contact with the padding, and you’ll fell very confortable.
Another advantage of the SMP saddle (as they’re opened in the middle), is that your bib will dry out faster, bringing up more confort… (…sounds like a baby diaper commercial… )
Some people don’t like SMP saddles, because as they’re completely(viewed from above) “opened” in two parts , the pressure on your bottom is spread out over the two narrow ridges of the saddle instead of completely resting over the full and wide padding of a classical saddle… if you choose an entry or middle range saddle, with enough padding, this will be a minor problem.
SMP saddles are great if they fit your ‘behind’. I use the Evolution and wouldn’t use any other saddle.
My only complaint is that the logo embroidery on them was a little rough and over time can degrade your lycra bib shorts. Not good when you’re talking about expensive shorts like Assos.
The 2008 models are supposed to have a lighter embroidery according to Selle.
Has anyone tried these? i saw a couple at a bike shop, and they looked either like they could be awesome or terrible. I realize saddles are very individual… Thanks in advance.
LOL, that’s exactly what I tell people interested in the saddle ( I have the Evolution on both my bikes )-- it will either be the “best” or “worst” saddle you ever ride on. As others have stated- the sweet spot on the saddle is in the middle/back section of the saddle. Riding on the front can be a painful experience-- but with all the miles I’ve racked up in preparation for IMAZ I’ve even been able to get myself comfortable on the front as well. Using the DeSoto 400 mile bike shorts (great padding) makes riding the front possible “in time”- would not want to ever ride on the front with the thin “tri” padding.
Oh, and they are saddles of incredibly high quality craftmanship- the (minimal) padding on my evolution has not deteriorated one bit- the only “wear” on the saddle after almost a year of use is a loss of the “gloss” finish on the leather where my thighs rub on the sides while pedaling.
So if you are able to move your new saddle position a few cm’s more forward (so you have the middle of the SMP where you now have the front of your current saddle), I’d say go for it.
so… you race in your bibs then?
Has anyone tried these? i saw a couple at a bike shop, and they looked either like they could be awesome or terrible. I realize saddles are very individual… Thanks in advance.
From a girls point of view…I love it. I was never keen on all the pressure landing down the center or in front when in aero and this saddle completely solves that. Now, having said that, there was an adjustment to the sit bones and how you sit on the “rails” of the saddle. You really have to give it time.
I rode all last summer on the Stratos, which is probably a mid range for size and cushioning and decided to change out to a wider more padded model. I just put that saddle on the trainer bike and went with the new Avant for the good bike. It fits better…it’s just not nearly as sleek and sexy as the stratos but I’m going for comfort. FWIW, I don’t have an insanely aggressive position while in my aerobars and I’m slow…but I have no problem riding 6+ hours in that position…and the entire girly package has no pressure and is happier than any other saddle I’ve ridden on. Looking back on long rides with other saddles, I’d tend to round my back to get off the pressure points or even sit up for no other reason than to get relief towards the end of the rides. I don’t get that with this saddle.
I agree the stitching was a pain and it landed on my stratos right where my sit bone pressure was. The newer '08 Avant’s stitching is not as raised and is placed a little further back. Plus, I sit better on it so maybe that’s why this one doesn’t seem to be as big an issue. I actually tried to find an old model of the PRO without stitching but had no luck.
Someone mentioned they felt it sits more forward on the bike than most saddles, I’ve found that to be true as well.
The curved nose makes a good hook when racking the bike too.
I used one for 3 weeks last summer. I tried every other saddle under the sun and still can’t find one I like. I figured it would be worth a shot.
The saddle does remove numbness and if it fits your body could potentially be really nice. However it puts pressure on an area where I have never felt pressure before. Almost in the joint area. Kinda weird feeling, I got used to it, but bricks were never fun.
I sold it and am still searching.
Just my 2 cents.