​Selle Italia SLR Gravel: The tried-and-tested SLR gets an off-road update

Anyone who’s ever ridden on gravel knows that rough terrain puts significantly more strain on the saddle than smooth tarmac. With the SLR Gravel saddle, Selle Italia now offers more options for gravel riders. This isn’t entirely new territory for the brand: with the SLR Boost Gravel TI316 Superflow, the Flite Boost Gravel and the Novus Boost Gravel, there were already gravel variants in the range – the SLR Boost Gravel TI316 Superflow, for example, already featured reflective panels at the rear. The new SLR Gravel therefore builds on familiar concepts and develops them further.

Off-road SLR

The fourth generation of the SLR range was launched just last year – SLR stands for ‘Super Light Racing’ and, since 1999, has been the name given to Selle Italia’s range of particularly light, stiff road bike saddles. Now, Selle Italia is applying the SLR principle to off-road cycling. At the heart of the design is the Bow Rail System: the rail and saddle shell work together to make the whole saddle more flexible and better at absorbing vibrations. This system has already proven its worth on other models in the range, and is now making its debut on the SLR. It is complemented by specially developed shock absorbers designed to absorb the typical impacts of gravel riding – for a smoother, more controlled ride when the going gets rough.

Changes have also been made to the shape and padding: more padding and a wider nose – both designed to provide greater comfort and support without the saddle losing its characteristic SLR feel. Sizes and dimensions remain the same as usual; the gravel version can be recognised by its own graphics underneath the shell.

Dry and clean

The cleverest feature is the removable insert for the Superflow opening: it prevents water and mud from splashing up from below in wet conditions and seeping into the padding. If required, it can be easily removed – returning the design to its open configuration. A simple yet well-thought-out compromise.

The saddle is rounded off with reinforced side edges to protect against impacts and abrasion, as well as integrated reflective inserts for improved visibility in low light. It’s interesting to note that reflective material is now found on several of Selle Italia’s gravel saddles, but not on their road bike models – even though reflectors actually need headlight beam to be effective, and the danger posed by cars tends to be lower on isolated gravel tracks than in road traffic. Why gravel saddles, of all things, have been given this feature remains a mystery.

Only the test will reveal whether all this works as well in practice as it does on paper.

The SLR Gravel is available in sizes S3 and L3, each in the Elite and Advanced trim levels.