Selle Italia is a venerable company, having been started in the village of Corsico, just southwest of Milan, in 1897. The company's business was making leather saddles for everyday bicycles.

In 1967, the Bigolin family acquired the firm. The new company manager Giuseppe Bigolin moved the company from Milan to Bassano del Grappa, in the Veneto Region. He wanted his factory to be in Veneto, the heart of Italy's bicycle industry.
Bigolin had to start with the company's ancient saddle-making machinery and was able to produce only 30 or 40 saddles a day. Slowly he modernized the firm, making modern saddles with innovative designs.

In 1980 the company hit a home run with the Turbo. At the time, it seemed to be the most popular racing saddle on the market. Since then, the firm has gone from strength to strength, introducing the revolutionary Flite saddle. The company still works hard to stay on cycling's cutting edge

When Peloton magazine asked Bigolin which saddle he was most proud of, he answered, "Oh, that would be the Turbo. It just changed so many things. I’ll never forget, back in 1980, we signed a contract with Bernard Hinault. He had been riding a San Marco Concorde for the past five years. But I got him to come ride our saddles. It was a real coup for us and it proved to be one of our greatest successes. Looking back, I’m still really proud of that saddle. It was just so far ahead of its time."

Here's an Italian Selle Italia ad from the 1980s.

Selle Italia Turbo. Used

Selle Italia introduced the Turbo in 1980, calling it the first completely anatomic saddle. The padding was thicker under the sit bones and thinner where it wasn't needed. Selle Italia called this "differential thickness". Revolutionary stuff in 1980.

We have three: #1 | #2 | #3

Here are pictures of the very famous Turbo saddle box.

Here's a bit of history. There was a time when every bike shop had these boxes on the shelves.

From another angle

The bottom of the box. Note, it is old enough to have a telex number. Until the rise of the fax machine, telex printers were how international companies corresponded.

Selle Italia Turbo #1. Used, $80.00

No "Turbo" printed in the front of the nose.

The classic

Side view

Top view

And from behind

Selle Italia Turbo #2. Used, $80.00

Lovely condition

Top view, from the other side

And from behind.

Selle Italia Turbo #3. Used, $80.00

The classic.

The other side

And from behind

Selle Italia XO Yellow yellow saddle with hollow FeC (steel) rails. New, $40.00/each

The XO has a low profile and wider seating area. Using the time-proven Flex Control padding and differentiated thickness shell design, the XO offers comfort in critical areas.

We have one left in stock.

A wider back area for comfort, but still a sleek looking saddle.

From the other side of the saddle

From behind.

Close-up of the hollow steel rails.

Looking underneath the saddle

Selle Italia Flite Kevlar w/Titanium rails. New, $200.00/each

Part# 40113

The classic Flite saddle with Titanium rails and Kevlar edges.

From the other side

From above

Here's the saddle flipped over.

Selle Italia Flite Genuine Gel saddle with Titanium rails. Used, $75.00/each

Three-quarter view

The saddle turned around.

From the front

The sadle's underside, showing its Titanium rails.

Selle Italia Oktavia Genuine Gel Blue saddle. New, $100.00/each

Part# 40075

Oktavia is an innovative saddle featuring elastomer technology developed by Selle Italia. The rear “wing” suspension system included in the design of the saddle base ensures outstanding comfort. The elastomer laminated to the nylon base cushions the rider effectively and reduces road vibrations.

Gel & suspension

From the other side.

From above.

Flipped over, you can see the webbed base that helps make this saddle comfortable.

The tubular Maganese steel rails are a cost-effective way of shaving weight off the saddle.

Selle Italia ProLink Genuine Gel saddle w/Titanium rails. New, $200.00/each

Part# 40202

A good-looking grey saddle that will go with just about any bike.

Here's the saddle turned around.

From above.

The saddle's underside

Here's a close-up of the saddle rails.

Selle Italia ProLink saddle w/stainless steel rails. New, $95.00/each

Part# 40203

Viewed from the front

The saddle turned around to show its other side

Close-up, from behind.

The saddle flipped over to show its underside.

Another view of the saddle's ProLink shock absorber system

Selle Italia Signo Gel Flow saddle w/Titanium rails. New, $215.00/each

Part# 40199

• We have three in stock
• Selle Italia Signo Gel Flow's Axial suspension system responds with your weight for controlled oscillation during the pedal stroke.
• Gel Flow gel inserts under sit bones and around cutout
• Leather top with carbon detail, axial suspension system

New, in its factory box.

Just the saddle

The saddle turned around to show its other side.

From above.

From underneath.

Here's a close-up of the saddle rails.

Selle Italia SLK saddle with Vanox steel rails. Lightly used, $75.00/each

Vanox is Selle Italia's trade name for the high-end Vanadium steel alloy they use on their saddle rails.

Sharp-looking saddle

It isn't new, as this scuffing shows.

From above.

The saddle flipped over.

Close-up of the saddle rails

Selle Italia SLR saddle w/Titanium rails. New, $215.00/each

• Selle Italia says this saddle weighs just 135 grams.
• The rails are hollow Titanium.

We have this saddle in Black | Yellow

Selle Italia Black SLR Ti saddle. New, $215.00/each

Part# 40228

New, in the box.

Out of the box

Here's the saddle turned around to show its other side.

From above.

The saddle's underside

Close-up of the rails

Selle Italia Yellow SLR Ti saddle. New, $215.00/each

Part# 40226

Here it is in its factory box.

Just the saddle.

Here's the saddle turned around to show its other side.

From above.

The saddle's underside

Close-up of the tubular titanium rails

Selle Italia Trans Am X2 saddle. New, $65.00/each

Part# 40191

This saddle is new, but has been on a bike in the shop and possibly used in a fitting. The rails show some seat post scratches from having been mounted on a bike in our shop.

From the side

Here's the other side of the saddle.

From above.

Close-up of the nose

Here's the saddle flipped over.

Close-up of the rails.

Selle Italia Yellow Xeno saddle. New, $40.00/each

This saddle was taken off a new bike.

From the side

Here is the other side of the saddle.

Close-up from above and behind.

From above.

Close-up of the saddle rails

A look underneath the saddle

Selle Italia Black/Red Vanadium-steel railed saddle. Lightly used, $50.00/each

Side view

Here's the other side.

From behind

The saddle's underside

Close-up of the vanadium steel saddle rail.

Selle Italia Saddle. New, $45.00/each

This saddle came from a new bike in our shop.

Side view

Here's the other side of the saddle

From above

From behind

The saddle's underside

Selle Italia Tri-Matic nose piece. New, $15.00/each

It's upside down here, but you get the idea.

A close-up

This is how it actually sits on the bottom part of the saddle nose.