Saddles are a highly personal component – many of us find our perfect match and stick with it for life. The Gel Diva Flow saddle from Selle Italia came highly recommended to us as the pinnacle of perches for ladies, so I was keen to find out what all the fuss was about.
Looking at the Diva Gel Flow, it immediately screams comfort over style. It's a large saddle and although the widest point at the rear measures 152mm (a standard for many saddles) it appears larger. This is due in part to its height, with the flat top sitting well above the seat clamp, meaning it’s not suitable for riders looking for a low profile seat.
The Diva Gel Flow is well padded as the name suggests, using silicone gel inserts alongside a large cut out to increase comfort over sensitive parts. The saddle weighs 270g, about average for a multipurpose MTB seat.
Like sitting in an old armchair I immediately felt at home on the Diva Gel Flow with its broad rear and super soft silicone gel padding.The middle cutout is wide and long, relieving pressure well.
Over short distances I enjoyed the comfort the Selle Italia saddle provided, but during longer rides I found it to be unnecessarily bulky, with our thighs rubbing on the sides. This problem was exacerbated if the ride was particularly muddy or if the shorts I wore were thick. On my long-term test bike I found the higher, wider, more voluminous form of the Diva Gel Flow restricted movement when the dropper post was down and I was descending aggressively. Finally, although it looks smart in leather, the covering of the saddle started to wear at the rear after a few muddy rides – not something expected given the relatively steep price.
As mentioned above though, saddles are a personal choice and although the Diva Gel Flow isn’t for this tester, don’t discount it if you like a lot of padding for your backside.
- Price: £75 / US$ TBC / AU$ TBC
- Rail: Vanox
- Weight: 270g
- Size: 270mm x 152mm
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