Saddles: Regal vs Turbomatic

[mcteague]

I'm still looking for a saddle to replace my torn Aliante and am considering the San Marco Regal as this old school saddle still gets lots of raves. I used to love the old Turbos but picked up a Turbomatic4 a while back and found it too padded. Has anyone tried this saddle and the Regal? As I cannot check it out first, only web stores carry it, I was curious if it felt similar to the Regal. The Aliante is pretty good but I often get a bit numb, not plumbing wise - just around the sitbones, after a while.

I just finished trying a Brooks Swift and it did not work out as hoped. Too much pressure in the middle.
The Toupe was a torture device for me. VERY painful for the sitbones.

Tim McTeague

[saab2000]

Very personal of course, but for me there is simply no substitute for the Turbomatic. For me, the best of the lot is the Turbomatic 2.

But for some odd reason, some batches had different padding. The soft ones are no good. They are not as comfy and wear out much quicker.

They are also kind of hard to find. Pictured is one of my Turbomatic 2s. For me it is the gold standard.

Regals are more plentiful online. I have never owned one.

[saab2000]

And another thing. Saddles are one item where the companies each year come out with new, more grotesque abominations. And drop the old faves. I don't remember a lot of people whining about Turbos and Rollses and Regals in years gone by.

I know they are trying to make money, etc. But some of the seats on bikes I see now just look uncomfortable. I don't know if they are or not, but they just look terrible.

Even the Flite has been turned from a nice looking seat to some overstyled "Objet d'art".

Most of the modern seats truly are an answer to a question which nobody was asking. Modernize them with Ti rails. Fine. But the rest I don't need.

[rpm]

I went to Regals after the turbomatics became hard to find. I agree with Saab that the turbomatic 2 was the best of the lot. Some of the later ones, especially with gel, weren't that good. The Regal is a little wider, flatter and less padded, but it is curved like the Turbomatic. If you like one, you'll probably like the other. I have still have one Turbomatic 2 on a bike, and two Regals. I like them both just fine.

[fiamme red]

And another thing. Saddles are one item where the companies each year come out with new, more grotesque abominations. And drop the old faves. I don't remember a lot of people whining about Turbos and Rollses and Regals in years gone by.

I know they are trying to make money, etc. But some of the seats on bikes I see now just look uncomfortable. I don't know if they are or not, but they just look terrible.

Even the Flite has been turned from a nice looking seat to some overstyled "Objet d'art".

Most of the modern seats truly are an answer to a question which nobody was asking. Modernize them with Ti rails. Fine. But the rest I don't need.Well said.

Selle Italia had two classics in the Turbo and Flite. Then they started making variations: cutouts, adding gel, rubber inserts, etc. Eventually they discontinued the classic models and sold only the parasitic abominations.

Now to get a simple Turbo or Flite, I have to go to eBay.

[michael white]

I'm riding an Aliante, a Turbo, a Turbomatic (this one is the 3, but I have a 2 somewhere too), a Rolls, a Regal, and a Brooks Pro. I love and ride them all about equally. All other seats suck!

[Jeff N.]

The Selle Italia Turbomatic series of saddles remain my number one choice. I own about 10 road bikes, all of which have Turbomatics on board. For me, there really is no other choice. Jeff N.

[Fixed]

for riding without bike shorts with reg shorts nothing is as good as a rolls I've tested all those over the years imho
cheers

[Grant McLean]

Well said.

Selle Italia had two classics in the Turbo and Flite. Then they started making variations: cutouts, adding gel, rubber inserts, etc. Eventually they discontinued the classic models and sold only the parasitic abominations.

Now to get a simple Turbo or Flite, I have to go to eBay.


Selle Italia pulled a "new coke" for sure.
But at least the Flight is still available as "Flight Classic (http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB='0947-05)".






-g

[fiamme red]

Selle Italia pulled a "new coke" for sure.
But at least the Flight is still available as "Flight Classic (http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB='0947-05)".Good to know that they're still making the simple Flite!

[I Want Sachs?]

Brooks B17 and Old Turbos. The only seats for me.

[11.4]

Among Turbos, the original Turbo had a lot of padding but was very firm. The saddle had a lot of width in the front and mid-sections and a semicircular cross-section. The Turbomatic (first generation) basically did the same, but with suspension on the rails. The Turbomatic II (second generation) was quite significantly narrower in the front and mid-sections compared to those that preceded and followed it, and had more curvature to the topline in profile. The Turbomatic III (third generation) added a little more bulk in the front but quite a bit more in the rear (the II was the narrowest in the rear). The IV came in several iterations: Standard Turbomatic IV, Turbomatic IV gel (first version - small oval stitched gel patch), Turbomatic IV gel (second generation - long gel patch), and the Turbomatic IV Gel Flow (with cutout). The first version gel was very soft and gave little room to move on the saddle, plus it was quite wide. The second version gel was almost as wide but the gel was less pronounced and had better durability as well. The Gel Flow was softer on rough roads or on fast turns; it also had quite a bit cutout that helped some people, bothered others. The standard Turbomatic IV was wider than the II by a good bit, slightly wider than the III, and tended to have a straighter topline in profile. The topline softened with a lot of use, but it tended to be a slightly stiffer and less shaped saddle. The IV's all had a different nose suspension that took a little bit more room and also allowed the nose to twist and pivot more readily -- didn't seem to affect rideability much but was perhaps the reason for the extra bulk. The rear suspension changed with each generation with the suspension on the II and III the most durable and that on the IV being the most cushioning.

Compared to Turbomatics, the Regal is wider in the mid-section so if you have large glutes or hamstrings or if you tend to rotate your hips upward while riding, you'll feel them rubbing on the saddle. The nose is somewhat less supportive than on Turbomatics because it tends to thin out and carry less padding near the front. The rear has less curvature in the mid to near-rear sections than the Turbomatics, but then becomes quite flat at the rear. This creates either a nice ledge for your ischia or a place to rub yourself raw, depending on how it fits. The Regal doesn't have the same level of suspension and depends on flexibility in the plastic shell itself for comfort -- it's a philosophical difference between Selle Italia and Selle San Marco (the latter tend to use simpler rail systems and try to make the shell more compliant). The Regal comes in both steel and ti rails, with the steel frame needing a bit longer to break in but then being both bulletproof and very comfortable (the ti isn't needed for comfort as they advertise, but it takes longer to achieve that result -- the ti makes it feel better out of the box but then the saddle can be a tad soft after broken in).

Hope that helps.

[fiamme red]

11.4, wonderful post! Thanks so much for the detailed information.

[saab2000]

This Turbomatic is great. But the Turbomatic II on the other bike is even better.

They are both very firm though and good for long rides. The soft seats are bad and that's why I never could justify dropping the coin for an Aliante. Similar shape, but too soft.

I like the saddles with a pronounce 'saddle' shape.

[Fat Robert]

i prefer the regal

i always end up sitting way back on the saddle (which has ended up slammed back on the rails), and the regal and rolls are the widest things out there. like 11.4 said, I do put wear spots in the middle where my glutes and hamstrings rub, but the wide flat platform in back suits me perfectly. i thought that the turbos were too narrow....

[conorb]

I'm still looking for a saddle to replace my torn Aliante and am considering the San Marco Regal as this old school saddle still gets lots of raves. I used to love the old Turbos but picked up a Turbomatic4 a while back and found it too padded. Has anyone tried this saddle and the Regal? As I cannot check it out first, only web stores carry it, I was curious if it felt similar to the Regal. The Aliante is pretty good but I often get a bit numb, not plumbing wise - just around the sitbones, after a while.

I just finished trying a Brooks Swift and it did not work out as hoped. Too much pressure in the middle.
The Toupe was a torture device for me. VERY painful for the sitbones.

Tim McTeague

I've always likes the San Marco Rolls. In terms of classic saddles it really works for me.

This is, of course, why they make chocolate and vanilla.

Good luck,

conorb