Selle Italia Novus Boost Evo Kit Carbonio saddle review

When I tested the Novus Boost Evo Superflow I was impressed with the 245mm long and 145mm wide design. However, that mid-range saddle comes with a firm hull that won’t suit everyone. This premium Kit Carbonio model therefore induced a little apprehension because as saddles get lighter and pricier they also get firmer, which could push the Kit Carbonio into the realms of discomfort. Here the opposite is true.

Yes, this is a premium saddle (just take a look at the price) and it’s incredibly light at only 166.1g, but it’s measurably more comfortable than the standard Boost Evo.

The carbon fibre hull is minimal and the one-piece carbon fibre rail anchors into a slot at the nose and is plugged into minimal mounts at the heel.

The oversized holed channel in the hull allows for plenty of flex on the wings of the saddle and noticeable movement in the mid-section, which works superbly at damping rough surfaces.

The slickly bonded padding is covered in a perforated soft-touch cover. It’s a matt finish that gives plenty of grip in all weathers. The density of the padding shifts from soft up on the nose past either side of the channel then gets progressively firmer at the rear, where most of your weight sits as you ride.

Using its ‘idmatch’ system, Selle Italia classifies the shape as L3, which won’t mean much unless you’ve been measured with Selle’s equipment.

What I can tell you is that L3 is a shape suited to high levels of pelvic rotation, which means a more aggressive on-road position that works well for those with a wider intertrochanteric distance (the distance between the greater trochanters of the femurs – that’s the outside top of your thigh bones to the layman, and not, as commonly mistaken, the distance between the sit bones).

The Kit Carbonio has served testing time on both a road and a gravel bike, and its ability to smooth out rough surfaces, kill vibrations from the road and absorb bigger knocks when hitting rough gravel ruts at speed is impressive.

It’s an expensive place to perch, but it’ll look after you and your posterior.