With the aim of redefining lightweight pain-free saddle design, Selle Anatomica, is aiming to build on its strapline as maker of ‘the world’s most comfortable bicycle saddles’. The company is crowdfunding development of its latest product innovation – a carbon framed, leaf-spring damped, carbon-topped, titanium-railed saddle.
Yet-to-be-named, the new saddle is projected to weigh less than 200g, saving more than 300g from Selle Anatomica’s current leather saddle offerings.
Going space-age with saddle comfort
The company is teaming up with local aerospace and carbon composite experts from private industry and the University of California San Diego. By working with aerospace product developers and carbon specialists, Selle Anatomica is aiming to create ‘the lightest, most comfortable bicycle saddle on the planet’.
Ti-railed and carbon sprung
“The new saddle will feature a carbon-top designed from an industry-first comfort algorithm and our patented flex-fly slot,” said Ryan Hosmer, Global Director of Retail Distribution at Selle Anatomica. “It rests on a titanium rail system embedded into a carbon leaf-spring that provides unseen levels of road-bump absorption.”
“Each side of the saddle flexes independently with every pedal stroke the rider makes, providing significantly less resistance than traditional saddles.”
Maximizing saddle development
Prototypes of the new design have been 3D printed, 5-Axis CNC-Machined, and custom-carbon-moulded.
The University of California San Diego’s (UCSD’s) composite engineering department is currently measuring the comfort properties of Selle Anatomica’s leather saddles, and the new carbon model will be tuned from the data from these tests to maximize the design and performance for the cycling end user.
Package deals for dealers
Independent bicycle dealers (IBDs) interested in ordering single or multiple saddles should contact Selle Anatomica’s Sales Manager – Fred Gonzales via fred[at]selleanatomica.com.
While production models are not scheduled for delivery until January 2016, supporters of the Selle Anatomica crowdfunding project will get their saddles in time for Interbike (September 2015), and ‘quite possibly much earlier’.
Selle Anatomica was founded in 2007 by cyclist Tom Milton after years of studying and testing nearly every saddle on the market. He found that saddle pressure on the sit bones while pedaling could be eliminated by cutting a unique slot in the centre that allowed each side of the body to move independently, while still providing support.
He patented the slot shape and created Selle Anatomica to provide ‘unheard of comfort to cyclists across the globe. Tom passed away while cycling in 2010 and the company is now family owned and operated.’
