A bargain basement bike could be had for a similar outlay as that necessary to secure you one of Selle San Marco's Super Leggera saddles.
The saddle makers can only produce three SLs per day, and the handbuilt TLC that goes into the construction inevitably adds up to that sky-high retail price. So can the ludicrously massive price tag be justified?
The SL shares the same design as the standard Aspide, so it's suited to narrow sit-bones, but the top-end model substitutes a nylon base for handmade carbon.
Standard rails are also switched for a crossover carbon design, which isolates the rails from the hull – enabling it to flex more than you'd expect from a stiff carbon base. The proprietary high-density thin padding adds further comfort, and the cover is applied by hand at San Marco.
Saddles that skirt around 100g aren't usually that comfortable – they're more the preserve of show-bikes and weight weenies. That the SL is arguably more comfortable than the standard Aspide makes it a truly impressive creation, but you need Grand Canyon-deep pockets to own one.
