Why the Selle SMP should be on your bike 

I would like to thank Neill and Cam for producing and sharing this video about Selle SMP saddles. Because of the content of this video I was able to overcome more than 10 years of hip pain by switching to the Drakon saddle. After 6 rides I have not had any hip pain!! While the "look" of the saddle is odd, it feels better not to be moving around on the saddle so much. It has improved my pedaling, comfort, speed and cadence. Your efforts have helped me tremendously.

I too would like your thoughts on SMP vs SQ Labs as a comparison. Love the channel

I could listen to Neil for hours

Great vid and info! Still can’t get over how they look.

I got one and I get slated on my channel regularly for it!

I can second what Neill says about the nose tilt, and the Nymber. I've had one for two years, and once I finally dropped the nose down, it really is the saddle I prefer on my 'speed' bike. I alternated between it and a SI Flite with a Superflow cutout. The Flite goes on the endurance frame, the Nymber is on the aggressive frame.

thanks Neill for getting me on the Dynamic years ago and thanks for this video. it is so helpful explaining the differences between them ( so many to choose from) has i have a new bike and a new saddle in needed. a 209 or drakon sound like the one.!

Thanks for all the truly helpful information! I am a retired senior (75) getting back into cycling for fun and health. So many channels have great info if you are going to be competitive or younger :-). After watching this video about 8 weeks ago I went on the website, used their saddle finder, and it gave me 3 options. I found a fairly local shop that carried smp and tried out 2 of the 3 they had in shop and settled on the smp 1st recommendation for me. Since I have put it on a new bike and have finally gotten the height and position pretty close to right I think and it has been great! Thanks so much. Wish I had seen something like this before retirement as I used t travel to Oz a couple of times per year for business (Melbourne and Sydney) as I would greatly appreciate being able to consult with you for fitting shoes, etc. I have not been able to find a fitter here in our area. Again thanks for all the great info!

6:45 I guess I had mine too steep, on my most recent 300 km tour. The first 200 km were nice and the last 100 km was a struggle. I’m looking forward to make up for that mistake on this years tour (Vätternrundan) Thank you so much for the tips!

I’ve used the Selle Well saddle on all my bikes. Replaced other well regarded saddles and would never go back. Whether on my trainer or on my outdoor bikes they are very supporting and comfortable. Several century rides and mountain races with excellent comfort. They have an app that guides you to select the recommended saddle

Brilliant Video...!! I have been looking for ages for information on Set Up Levels....Now I know..Thankyou..!!

Thank you very much, I need a new saddle and always looked at SMP but didn't know where to start.

My first encounter with SMP saddles was at a fitting: the fixture had a SMP Carbon Lite (bare carbon, SS rails) mounted on it. I looked at it and thought, "Boy that looks uncomfortable but at least I won't be on it very long!" Found it so comfy that I got one and rode on it for several years! Then I developed a cyst Down There (probably NOT due to the saddle). After that healed, decided some padding might be prudent. Now I use Dynamics (same shape as the Carbon Lite, 5mm padding) on the road and a Drakon (same shape, 1cm padding) on the trainer. Rarely aware of the saddle at all while I''m riding, which is what you want. SMP's are pricey but at least they shouldn't be a wear item. (1) Yes the range of saddles they produce is too big. It helps that many of them fit into two basic shapes with varying thicknesses of padding. The wider Carbon Lite/'Forma/Dynamic/Drakon/etc and the narrower Carbon family. (2) Because the saddle angle is so critical, it's important to level the bike axle-to-axle by shimming when setting the angle. This includes trainers, which IME require shimming for use (unless you want to train up or down hill constantly). Rather than measure drop of the saddle, I prefer to use a digital level set on a (straight!) block of wood resting on the top of the nose and the top of the rear of the saddle. This ensures consistent measurements when trying different angles.

Got the Well M1. Excellent coming out of 143mm wide saddle.

After a long deliberation and reading Steve Hoggs reviews, I finally bought a Dynamic saddle. The thing is definitely not cheap but it’s the first saddle that I’ve ever really felt rock solid on. Should of got one 20 years ago! The angle is a pain to set up, but the setback is great-the rails allow you to move back and forwards without have to correct your seat height. The saddle tells you if your not sat correctly, cos you feel either the ramp or the tail if it’s out. Posture is a lot better too since I’m sat snug and can’t move around. I can even feel my core being more relaxed than before. Great videos by the way Neill 👍. They really have helped a lot . Thanks 🙏

Next time, please discuss SMP Well S. Very unusual construction - for size S, the shape differs significantly from the M version. There are special "holes" for ischial tubercles, the manufacturer thought that for very narrow pelvises, the construction and not just the width must be different ! AMAZING stuff :)

Had I not found this channel, I wouldn’t have tried any Selle SMP saddles. I need a more padded saddle due to an asymmetric ischial pubic ramus, so I started with a Well S Gel. The gel feels great, but the transition from gel to high-density padding was too abrupt and I would get hot spots at the transition point. Went with a standard Well S and it feels so much better. I also purchased the Hybrid, which is the lighter version of the Extra and has more padding than the Well for use on my stationary/Zwift setup.

Thanks Neil, love my SMP evolution. Best saddles on the planet

Been rocking the carbon rail drakon for years! so comfortable I love the that your secure and don't slide back and forth while seated. Hopefully SMP will offer a 3D printed version at some point.

The Gel Flow version of the Selle Italia Turbomatic Team saddle (which came out in late 2009) has almost the exact profile of their SMP Nymber. Both also have carbon rails, and weigh 230g. Where the Nymber saddle is 239X267mm, the Team is 250X275mm, making it about 5mm wider than the Nymber per lobe. More importantly, with the obvious exception of the anteater nose on the Nymber (which is why it's shorter), a visual inspection of the two saddles proves them almost identical. There's an ever so slight increase in the slope or rise of the Nymber back in the last couple inches which, as you say for the SMP generally, tends to help anchor the rider. It's accomplished by padding, not platform/substrate. But what the Team saddle does at that same juncture is close off the split. This is right where the coccyx plants, and this accomplishes the same thing as the SMP without the slight change in rise. I find it remarkable that your favorite version of your favorite saddle is a race winning profile Selle successfully hit upon fourteen years ago.

I've been using ISM saddles for years, transformed my riding beyond belief!

O, how I have longed for a proper side by side style rundown of these saddles! I've been interested in trying these out (coming from a Spesh Romin addiction), but their cost is not conducive to experimentation. Thank you Neill, this one is going straight to the bookmark section for future reference. Great vid!! 👌

The shape reminds me of the old SSM Concor Supercorsa. My favorite current saddle is the Pro Stealth which is the opposite of this: broad, flat and short.

I was stupidly put off by the looks of SMP saddles, but got a Selle Italia Novus Boost, the old model. It's an SMP copy, less curved and I love it. The new Novus is now a Power copy.

Taken the plunge with a dynamic, good second hand FB marketplace £90 purchase. First ride instantly felt the relief the open channel gives the old chap , Will fine tune over next few rides but wow what a difference from my fizik Aliante 👍👍👍

I just bought one for my tri bike. I got the T3. I ordered mine from Germany. It was the best price I could find.

I, too, also like the sensation of being held 🥺

Neil has definitely changed my outlook on bikefitting - as well as instilled a healthy skepticism for all bikefitters I encounter! Please pass a huge thanks on to him. With regards to the saddle issue - I switched to a SQlab saddle about 4 years ago and it changed things for me drastically. Recently I‘ve been riding 1000km+ distances. As my behind parts are pretty much sit bones covered by skin - it‘s caused me to look for other options. I would really be interested in hearing Neil‘s opinion on the Infinity bike saddles - saw that a couple other people mentioned them in the comments. Thanks again for the great videos and all the time you invest in the channel - makes me wanna move to Australia!

Been on a Selle Drakon for years then moved to sqlabs, but after a bit of adjusting I’ve finally found the sqlabs works well for my parts…also it was important to install on a 0 offset seat post (bmc roadmachine 01) which I had to buy seperately , I had a lot of trouble with a +15mm offset, something to look into as a lot state you need a zero offset for it their saddles to work best… Neil was my first fitter when he was Melbourne based, luckily I’ve become a bit of a part time fitter myself, highly recommend him and his process.

Ok so I started with a Nymber and it is great. One comment for everyone trying SMP, don't be afraid to dip the nose, I found nirvana at 25mm down. I started at 12 and kept moving down in 2mm increments using an allen key for a spacer and then levelling the level, worked a treat.

I have the Vulkor and absolutely love it! I must thank Colby Pierce for getting me on one!

This content is golden.

Best thing I ever bought - supreme comfort and well worth the money.

I don’t care about looks either and some time ago had actually given this saddle consideration until I learned of the cost and availability. If there was a situation where I could borrow an SMP saddle for 30 days to try and know for sure it was good, I’d buy one, but I can’t roll the dice for $300 on one. I’ve already done that with others and I’m done doing that.

I am 90kg and have used the Selle SMP Dynamic for over a year and I love it.

Neil, thank you for making these videos. After all these years I finally had a pro size my me and my bike correctly. I fractured my neck(c4and 5) and T something not sure which a number of years ago and a disc replacement a year and a half ago. Now I'm finally able to ride again after many years and 30 lbs of weight gain. So I took your advice and after trying quite a few saddles went for the VT30 SMP. I'm almost 66 years old and have ridden all my life and a little race experience in the early 70's. The VT30 has a little more padding than the others, good for my bum since I've lost a bit of muscle back there. Anyway is the tilt the same on all SMP saddles? Mine is at -2.5 degrees nose tilt. Seems ok, just wondering your thoughts.Thanks

Loved my SMP saddle when I used MTB. Numbness was gone once I started using it. Was an amazing saddle. And as a heavy (100+) person, it was great and comfortable to me.

My favorite saddle.

Hi Neil, I've used a Toupe for many years however I'm currently on a SQ lab Active size 13, after watching your video and am reasonably happy however in the interest of progress, where do you think i should start if I want to try SMP, Drakon, Well, Dynamic, Nymba, Blaster etc? I'm about 78Kg older rider.

Been using Selle SMP saddles since 2016, not looking at anything else anymore. Started with the Drakon which I love. I got it fitted on the bike perfectly from the start. First time riding with the Drakon, together with some very good bibs, and I literally didn’t notice the saddle at all after multiple hours on the bike. Wanted to try less padding and got the Dynamic. Drakon went on the MTB. Dynamic had a bit too little padding for me at the time. But since then and now I lost a fair amount of weight and the dynamic is a very good fit for me now. Tried the F30 but that didn’t suit me too well. My trekking bike has an SMP and so does the indoor trainer. Got my wife an SMP on her trekking bike and my son a Drakon on his first road bike. All fantastic. Now I just noticed that they have some new models - F30c s.i. and F20c s.i. I just finished building up an allroad bike, now fitted with my old Dynamic - but playing with the idea to try out the F20C s.i. Have you come across this model yet, and what‘s your take on it?

I had discomfort and numbness on a regular saddle - I bought an SMP Well saddle and have never looked back! Appreciate there’s not one “perfect” saddle for everyone though. Great video!

I ended up here as I'm a faithful user of Sell SMP saddles in all my bikes. But I can't help noticing that Spanish BH (BH stands for 'Beistegui Hermanos') is a damn mean rocket. Stiff, aero, no-nonsense rim brakes. Gotta love it.

I've been using a SMP Composit for over a decade. If I ever needed to replace it (they're very well made) I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

I've used an SMP for longer than I can remember, used the lite 209, raced on that though then went to Pro Shimano thing but I'm on a tt5 and its got cushioning... A mate tried my bike and he said 'it feels like theirs nothing there' lol and I said, yes that's because you aren't getting the pressure on your knob and prostate, they make a lot of sense!

Wife and I have spent the last 7 months touring through Europe on Brooks hard plastic saddles. Travelled over 9200km on 54kg loaded bikes. We have never needed to ride with knicks once. So incredibly comfortable! Whilst I am aware that the geometry on my disc trucker is quite different to my roadie or MTB, I plan to try one of those SMP full carbon set ups on my return that was mentioned in the video

Have one. Love it

I tired few SMP's for quite a time but after longer ride there was always something that's bug me.. now I run Fizik Airone with minimal nose down angle and that's fit me best in my trial and error testing. Everyone's bottom side is different

I endured an entire riding season of lower back pain with saddle. I added it before my first spring ride after taking the winter off. Out of the gate I had lower back spasms, but I thought it was rust from the winter layoff and my body just needed to adapt. I tried everything, including all sorts of new stretches and exercises to relieve the pain. In September I finally put a different saddle on the bike and the back pain went away. I think the curve of the saddle was tilting my pelvis, that’s by best guess.

lol this is one of the best advertisements for a saddle I've seen.

I have been curious about these. I currently run a ISM PL 1.1. So I'm used to "funky" looking saddles haha. Its a good saddle But might have to check out that Nymber. Im 5'10" 155lbs I sit up right but rotate my hips for the aero bars.

i like this guy...great insights...

I bought SQ Labs 612 following a recommendation on this channel. So is SMP ‘better’? The SQ Labs is ok but not fantastic. I have tried SMP on a trainer but couldn’t get a comfortable position with it. But there are so many models I may have tried the wrong ones or still not got the angle right. Almost tempted to have another trial but they are very expensive to get wrong.

Great review Neill, I've been on SMP for over a decade, Dynamic is my current one, love it, before that was Forma, same as Dynamic but no padding.

The SMP lite 209 was a game changer for me.

Love the principle of SMPs, and have tried several, but as someone who doesn’t sit squarely on the saddle (despite several bike fits) I can never get fully comfortable on them (or any saddle for that matter). The feeling of stability they offer is fantastic, and you can feel your back and core muscles relax when using them, far more so than with traditional saddles. Whilst expensive, if they fit you then there’s nothing better out there.

Can you tell me if all the SMP range have the same measure or angle. I have the full carbon model just like yuors and it seems that the back end is higher and more vertical than the other ones you're showing there. If that´s the case then the 10-14mm gap wouldn´t apply, right? Also, could you tell me how the leather skin was applied in your seat? was it just glued? Thanks in advance. Great content!!

Dealers usually have the factory red & yellow "test" seats to try

I tried several of the non-pro versions and liked the Well (formerly with the better name, Hell), but found that I had a little pinching on my inner thigh. Tried the Well S (about 5mm narrower and shorter than the Well), and loved it. When I got the angle dialed in I knew immediately. Back pain went away completely. Tried the Extra (same size but more padding). Thought I'd prefer it for gravel. It was fine, but found that the muscles in my lower back fatigued more, so now I have the Well S on everything. I prefer the coverings of the non-pro to the leather of the pro, because I can slide a little easier (not slip). Have you compared the pro to the non-pro series?

One issue that I had with the SMP Drakon was on the trainer. As Neil mentioned, these saddles tend to lock you into place, which could be good for outdoor riding, but really challenging on an indoor trainer. I had to switch to Selle Italia Bost for indoors.

Tried the SMP Pro last summer. Hated it. Could never get comfortable on it. Replaced it with a San Marco. I went back to it this winter on the trainer where I could make adjustments until I got it right. After 4-5 adjustments I got it dialed in. Best, most comfortable saddle I’ve ever owned. Actually purchased a Lite 209 for my second bike. I’m definitely a fan of these saddles

Neil, first off, thanks for all of your great videos. I became a subscriber shortly after finding you on RU-vid. Now for the pesky questions. My pelvis isn't symmetrical, making me not square on the saddle. Would the SMP potentially help or would going with your previous favorite, SQ Labs be a better direction? I'm about 70kg and 71 yrs. old. Thanks much.

I have bought an SMP Well to try it. Watching few videos decided to set it level - rear of the saddle with the highest point of the nose. Gosh, I could barely walk next day after 1hr ride. Got pain in lower back for two days. Then I put the nose down 12mm and decided to give it another try - did 150km. Wasn't bad, but I felt a bit pain on my inner thighs (migth be that other pair of knicks with different pad shape and chamois creme could help). I'm worried, because have to finish 300km granfondo in July and still looking for good saddle position. For those who use SMP Well - what's your saddle drop and fore/aft posistion regarding to standard saddles ? Might be, that the SMP needs to be placed more toward the BB ? Really appreciate your help and comments.

I'll definitely try an smp next, but I'm finding it hard to turn my back on the trusty old flite titanium and my fancier speedneedle saddle.

Would like to know your thoughts on 3d printed saddles, the Specialized or the new Fizik.

on the sq lab saddles for the last few years going to the smp soon enough

Hi Neil, love your videos. Question, I suffer lowerback pain (after an hour) during MTB XC riding, and look for a saddle that helps me to correct my posterior tilted pelvis. Currently riding SQL Active, which helps by being a bit flexible but doesn`t support me in maintaining a correct pelvis position. What SMP saddle would you recommend? (I weigh 87 kg, 1.89m) thanks mate!

What happened to SQ labs saddles being the best? I was just about to buy one. Do you find the wide slots cause haemorrhoids?

OK this is my two cents. The Selle SMP TRK saddle first came to my notice via a riding pal of mine who had one on his Scott E-MTB hardtail and the moment I sat on his bike, I was sold. It’s been on my bike (a Giant Fathom E-MTB hardtail) for almost four years and done well over 1400 miles and in that time it’s been really comfortable, which on a touring e-MTB hardtail was really important. Alas of late, I’ve noticed a quality control issue which has completely destroyed my confidence in the saddle. This issue first came to my attention again via my mate, when his saddle suddenly stated to fall apart with the leather cracking before the material separated itself from the frame of the saddle. He did all kind of hack and bodges in a vain attempt to remedy the problem but in the end he was forced to abandon the saddle altogether. I did not know that it was a fore taste of things to come with my saddle but today my saddle is now scrap with deep gashes and cracks in the leather which could no longer be covered by gaffer tape. Given the cost of the saddle, this poor build quality simply wasn’t good enough. So my final analysis is that the Selle SMP TRK saddle is a great saddle especially if you’re a big/heavy rider doing your thing on a hardtail but (given it’s cost) the quality of it’s build and durability is really poor. As a long term investment for your bike, it isn’t worth it.

I’ve been running a TRK model and I like it quite a lot. It’s not particularly expensive, either. I think it cost me $80ish.

One small note - the black saddles are leather. The ones in colors are synthetic.

Would love to see what you think about the new smp f20c s.i.

Love my Blaster. Wish they were lighter though…

Thank you very much, Neill for sharing your knowledge. I've tried SMP but because of functional and and physical asymmetry I can not get square on the saddle, which makes it very painful. Would you ever suggest the Brooks C-series saddles just purely for comfort in this case? Thanks.

I just rode my first ride on the SMP Lite 209. All I can say is Holy. Sh*t!!! Hands down the BEST saddle I have ever ridden. At first I wasn’t so sure. I had to tinker a little with the tilt and dropped the nose like suggested and when I hit the sweet spot it was gold. I thought my seat was pretty good before (Berk Lupina) but thought I’d give this a shot to see what all the fuss was about. Now I know. I might try the drakon for every day. The 209 is pretty heavily padded for me but would be my choice for a century + ride for sure

Which one would You recommend for person with anterior pelvic tilt/ 12.6mm sit bone distance? Smp suggests the VT30c ( gel)

i don't own one but I think they look brilliant , just on looks alone it might be my next purchase.

I have a "DA BOMB" , Booster urban camo saddle which has a similar shape and it is not bad at all .

Hi, question, i feel pression sometimes on My right pelvis bone while pedaling, why is it for? Maybe wrong cleat position?

I am 90kg and an occasional rider on the stock TCR contact saddle... pretty average hamstring flex. would i be right thinking the light 209 or draken?

Hi Neill, my bones are narrow just like yours, 91 mm. I like the Nymber but I'm wandering what do you think about SMP Evolution? Do you have any experience with that model? Thanks!

Being a weekend warrior and couple times a week rider with the odd grand fondo I’m not really sure what type of saddle I need. I am currently on a fizik tempo saddle and not overly impressed. What SMP would you Rex recommend I try. Thanks and keep up the great work.

Do you have tested the new short nose saddle with no padding, the Selle SMP F20C s.i or Selle SMP F30C s.i.? How do you liked it, in perspective of a bike fitter?

Do you have a contact in Sydney you recommend for bike fits?

My bike fit person says that my hips are very inflexible and I don't feel comfortable bending forward. Is this a saddle I should try?

Which of there saddles you recommend for heavy rider that have a quite significant leg length difference(I use spacers) and hip mobility issues? And is it a good idea to lock hips that naturally are “all over the place”?

I love my Selle SMP TRK. Something like $50 US, and it's red :D (I have a strong color preference). The angle thing is accurate. The stock seat post on my current bike (cheapo AMZN special) lacks fine adjustment. Would really like the saddle tilted back more, but the next available notch in the angle adjustment is too far, so I ride just ever so slightly tilted too far forward. Not enough to stop me from loving the saddle, but half an adjustment would be bliss.

Thanks for the info mate. Don't you find that those types of designs really want to push you forward and sort of off the saddle, as well as creating more hand pressure? What do you think? Cheers.

Can I ask who re did the leather in your seat pls.

What's your thoughts on an SMP on a TT/Tri Bike. I had an ISM on my tri bike which excited my bike fitter, but I cannot get comfortable on it. I transferred my SMP Drakon across from my CX bike and I'm a lot more comfortable. I'm nearly 60 so comfort on a tri bike is more of a dream than reality! The SMP allows you to push back in the saddle, but I'm not sure if they were designed for an aero TT position.

I have the lite 209 on 3 bikes and no more pain sitting in the saddle on long rides. Had a fizik antares before and 30min was the max i could ride . So smp really helped me not giving up

Every time I've tried something else apart from my favourite Selle Italia, I've always done my dough.

Those who know, know. Makes the bike a better place to be which is all it has to do.

Very interesting topic, and I’m fed up with buying more saddles. I’ve had 2 SMP saddles in my cupboard for 8 or more years and have recently refit my old SMP Hybrid saddle. I’m just not getting comfort, the last 4 Selle Italia SLR boost (L3) don’t work for me. I’m interested to know if my sit bone measurements 11.6cm & sit bone balance is wide left and my weight is 62kg with height of 168cm. Am I medium size rider or higher end of small rider is my question? Because using the SMP seat finder gives me SMP Well standard or Gel saddle. I’m not interested in short saddles. What your thoughts on this? Cheers Anthony

l found my SMP felt best slightly tilted down which allowed more comfort when grabbing the drops . my previous saddle was painful diamond flat shape with no relief channel WAY OUCH much better now !!

Interesting; I did a blind saddle testing with many saddles, and this saddle and the bontrager verse were the ones my butt liked. I got the Bontrager because it was quite inexpensive. But as I said the Selle SMP was very good looked like it said VT30C not Drakon

Blaster vs Evolution, which one is better for narrow sitbone (105mm) heavier rider (80kg)

I have a selle italia boost slr and when I'm sitting normally it's good, but when it roll my pelvis forward in a pseudo-aero position I get a ton of perineal pressure and it sucks. I think I should get a tt style saddle but no idea which

Hi do I take my saddle height from the middle of this saddle to the bottom bracket, taking that both the rear and front of the saddle will then be higher, has me confused

Curious how different an SMP really is from, say, a Power Arc? The Power Arc seems to offer the dip, the tapered sides, the wide cut-out. I demo-ed an SMP (good service available in the UK, only costs you postage) but it just didn't really seem any different from my Power which A) I already owned, and B) is cheaper anyway (and no droopy nose! 😁)

I think i jsut got lucky with my new emtb last week i went and bought WTBS new Comfort saddle and im a bigger set guy my new smartphone like saddle that it came with was unbelievable solid no padding but was smart but them years are gone whare a saddle was only for looks lol wtb really have surprised me with this Comfort saddle it looks bigger in pictures etc when looking but its not really its jsut thicker padding and for the price yeah its a winner for me!