Selle SMP Stratos Saddle

My first three rides with the Stratos were 75, 75 and 124 miles respectively, and this saddle has been awesome so far! I've suffered no pain, discomfort, chaffing or saddle sores. My sit bones are roughly 85-90cm apart and they are well-supported by the 131mm width of the Stratos.

Setting up the Stratos was easy, but required some experimentation with the angle. I achieved the best balance of comfort and performance by levelling the center portion of the sadle rather than levelling the highest points on the saddle. With the center portion level, the rear ramp will be the high spot. This creates a nice stable platform for my sit bones; and because of the curvature of the saddle it does not push me forward. My hands are relaxed on top of the hoods, and when I get into the drops the high point towards the nose of the saddle does not put pressure on my soft bits. The Selle SMP saddles are not inexpensive, but I'm on my bike 5-6 days per week and need a saddle that provides ultimate comfort without sacrificing performance. The Stratos is awesome!!!

I need a saddle with a good relief channel and I've been using the ISM PN1.0 and 1.1 for a couple of years. However, I needed a bit more curvature to keep my support my hips and keep my body from wanting to slide forward. The Selle SMP Evolution family seems to work well for me, as it seems to have the "least slop." I have an Evolution on my road bike now and a Stratos on my gravel and CX bikes, as they are similar in shape, but padded a bit more. It took a bit of trainer time to nail the angle, for sure, and when compared with my ISM saddles (which seem to be set quite a bit back) this saddle seems to be set quite a bit forward, and I had to change from setback seatpost to a zero-offset seatpost.

This saddle just works for me. Bought in 2008, still going strong. I like that SMP has different sizes/models to match your pelvis size (ischial tuberosity width), and using their size chart dialed it in for me (I ordered the next size up as well to be sure, but using their size chart nailed it). Took a couple rides to dial in the tilt. Comfortable for long rides and no numbness. It has minimal padding, which I prefer, relying on the bibshorts for cushion. It could be a little lighter (250g), but then, it might cost more. They are a bit spendier than your average price, but I don't think you should cut corners when it comes to saddles......

It's certainly not cheap but it's without doubt the best saddle I have used. Now have a collection of basically new saddles on shelf from Specialize, Fizik, San Marco etc and the SMP stays on the bike full time. Saddles are a personal preference but I do not hesitate recomending this one, lots of 3 hour plus rides on it.

Great seat! I've tried many others in the past and have found this one to fit the best. Follow the measurement recommendations for the proper fit and choose the Selle SMP seat that fits your needs the best. Quality product worth the cost.

I've had the first seat on my bike for over 2 years now and purchased another for my second bike.

On my Road Pinarello F10

On my gravel Specialized Sworks Diverge

On my Titanium Haley travel & century bike

NO MORE SADDLE SORES!!!! DONE!!!!!!!

Comfortable saddle. good position for climbing as well.

This is a great saddle. Solved all my problems and it is very comfortable. Price is high but well worth it!

Fantastic, comfortable saddle once you get it dialed in correctly - it took me some experimentation to get it right. I've been riding on it for 2 seasons now. My sitbones measure 112 and the Stratos fits me better than the Evolution or the Glider.

There is nothing not to like about this saddle. Very comfortable and gives full support both front to back and side to side.

I needed a saddle that would eliminate numbness and this did the trick. After much searching and a leap of faith, I went with this one. I concur with other reviews I've read in that it takes a while to get truly comfortable with this saddle but it 100% eliminated my numbness. I've now had it for 6 months and I'm perfectly comfortable in the Selle on long rides, it's my only saddle. Definitely worth the money.

May need some extra padding but the seat great.

I searched and searched and searched and after reading all the forums I made the decision to jump on this Selle SMP saddle. Coming from the Fizik Alliante I had perennial issues and pressure which made riding uncomfortable.

The Selle SMP Stratos solved these issues and now I can ride further without having to periodically to stand on the pedals to relieve my arse.

Would definitely buy again and buy from BikeTiresDirect as they had the best price on the net

This is my second selle smp stratos, I got a second bike. They are terrific and I have several high end saddles around which I don't even bother with anymore. I was chatting with a friend who owns a store and races and he too said they are much underused. The price here and service was excellent.

pIf you're looking at this saddle, you're probably drawn to the center cutout relief area and the pocket most SMP saddles have between the flared up tail and sloped nose. I felt the same way, having found some old Bontrager and Titec saddles pretty comfy, so I took this one out for about 25 miles. p

pFor comparison's sake, I often use an ancient, pre-Gel-flow Selle Italia SLK (no longer made) with a full split all the way from the back up to just before the nose, and I find the Fizik Antares shape to be very comfortable, too. I've ridden a bunch of WTB saddles and usually find them to be a little wide (even though I'm a fat guy). p

pFirst ten miles on the SMP were extremely comfortable. Probably never had a saddle seem like such a natural fit. And it stayed pretty comfortable, but what I found at about 20 miles was that the advantage-the pocket-became a bit of a disadvantage. I couldn't find many other spots that were as comfy as one specific area.p

pApparently, I move around a bit and that works with saddles with a more gradual valley or pocket, but the walls of the SMP were a little too high, if that makes any sense.p

pI'm still considering giving it a second chance based on how comfy it was right from the start and how little time I spent tinkering with angle and fore-aft position. It was pretty incredibly comfy in that one sweet spot. But I did go back to my old saddle, which gives me a few more viable spots and a little easier movement.p

After laying off cycling for 18 years, I came back to a good bike but after painful rides, found I needed a saddle upgrade. Technology and fitting has come a long way over those years, and I did the research to find the right product. I found that my "sit bones" are relatively close together (I didn't know!) and chose the Stratos partly for that reason. Of course, the reviews helped. The saddle was much more comfortable than the old, right from the first ride and increasingly through use. I almost forget it's there.

I have one on my road bike and one on my gravel bike. I have slim hips and this fits me perfect.

My friend who recommended it say's it's a bucket seat for your bike...I don't move around on it like others, feel more planted which gives you more power.

A must use for older riders, cradles your soft tissues extremely well. You have to ride and adjust 3-4 times before you dial it in but after that it becomes part of the bike. The saddle is well constructed and thought out.

This saddle is super comfy as long as you don't move. Unfortunately I move around a lot. With the way the center of the saddle dips you can not move fore or aft without great discomfort, and heaven forbid you hit a bump in the road while not perfectly centered. I gave it 2 stars for the amazing build quality and it actually is amazingly comfortable as long as you stay put in one spot. But if the pace quickens and you scoot forward to get more leverage you are in for a world of hurt as your boys rest right on the top of the eagle beak which as you can see is curved the wrong way for that kind of maneuver.