The Eurobike heralded the end. For 17 years, no race seemed too tough for the "Flite", no route too long and no pair of trousers too sweaty. But this year it had to resign at the trade fair in Friedrichshafen. The revolution eats its children: just as the "Flite" displaced the "Turbo" back then, it now has to make way for a younger, more advanced model.
The Flite made its debut 17 years ago - at the IFMA 1990, when it was presented in mouse grey, wide and shiny. This 235 gram saddle signalled a revolution for the rear ends of the cycling world. Those who had previously whipped their bikes over the trails mainly sat on a "Turbo" or "Rolls" saddle: round, heavy and - especially on filigree steel frames - simply ugly. Almost as if there was an apple instead of a cherry on the cake. Everything changed with the "Flite". The original father of the "Flite", Giuseppe Bigolin, President of Selle Italia, had been working on the seat revolution since the mid-1980s - inspired by the shape of the Concorde and sore bums. "Leggerezza", "design", "titano", "frizione pedalata" - lightness, design, titanium and friction when pedalling were his buzzwords. The design revolution was also intended to be particularly light. However, the two steel rails under the plastic shell stood in the way of this. Without further ado, the rails clanked into the rubbish bin. The Italian wanted to put the saddle on a diet with titanium struts. The technical realisation was miserable: sometimes the frame collapsed, sometimes the plastic shell deformed into a banana. The lightweight metal deformed too quickly. Only after many cracking rails, breaking shells and even more outbursts of anger did the first series "Flite" steam out of the press.
In 1991, the "Flite" was in the shop window and blossomed into the sedan chair of the cycling elite. World champions sweated their way to victory on it, Alpine passes were conquered and it was whizzed through city traffic. The seat Concorde has sold three million units to date. In addition, countless "Flite" subtypes have been created: sometimes coloured, larded with carbon and Kevlar or with a seat slot. Today, there are ten different "Flites" in the shops. The myth lived on - until now: for 17 years, the machines pressed the "Flite" together almost unchanged. No other bike part can claim this: the "Mag 21" only trickled out of the gaskets for a few years, Tomac only whipped his "Yeti" to victory in the last century. The "Flite", on the other hand, rides and rides and rides.
Perhaps there will be a real hunt for the original "Flite", the old model with the white lettering. Perhaps the bids on Ebay will be overturned when the cult saddle is counted down on the screen. It's hard to find a saddle in good condition. In the course of the lightweight craze, most of the "Flites" had the skin removed and the plastic body perforated with a drill. This certainly saved 15 grams of weight - and quickly resulted in torn trousers.
