Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing Saddle Review (2023)

The Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing Saddle is already a great saddle for anyone who likes a narrow, short saddle with a little wave and a big cutout. Adding 3D printing to the equation makes it even better by allowing more precise padding adjustment. Go with carbon rails, as the price is already high and the jump to carbon is small.

When it comes to high-end modern saddles, innovation has shifted to 3D printing. That's not to say that 3D printed options are dominant on our list ofbest road bike saddles, they continue to represent only a small part of the market mainly due to prices. Production 3D printing is still very new and the price represents that. Put price aside though, and it's this small part of the market that's driving the real innovation.

The latest company to join the option pool for 3D printed saddles is Selle San Marco. In November of last year, the brand announced the Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing saddle as a new top-of-the-line option for the Shortfit 2.0 line of saddles. Two options are available based on your preference for rail shapes and overall weight, and we're starting to see both become available for sale. I recently had the opportunity to take the stainless steel rails option on an adventure through California while testing theFSA Group K-Force We 12sand I am ready to share the details about it. If you're considering buying a new saddle this summer, read on to see if the Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing Saddle might be right for you.

Design and aesthetics

Selle San Marco is not the first to market a 3D printed saddle. In fact, the brand isn't even close, as Fizik and Specialized have already moved into second-generation products. There is also no single new version of the 3D printing process. Like others before it, Selle San Marco is using a process that employs a process called DLS or Digital Light Synthesis from the Californian brand 'Carbon'.

DLS differs from other 3D printing in a few important ways. Instead of placing a layer of physical material, DLS begins by shining ultraviolet light through a dead zone in a liquid. As the light hits the liquid, a layer forms and the object moves away from the edge of the liquid, making room for the next layer. Eventually, a finished part emerges from the liquid with a minimal layer visible and no internal voids. The final step is heat curing, which adds more strength. Seems to work well for saddles, recentlydebuted in helmet padstoo, but, as mentioned, it's not exclusive to Selle San Marco.

Rather than focus on a new production process, the designers at Selle San Marco focused their efforts on building from a known quantity. That starts with the same shape as other Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 options which, in the smaller S3 version, starts at a size of 140 x 255. That length falls between the two main competitors for 3D-printed saddles, the 242mm Specialized Power and the 265mm Fizik Vento Argo. If you prefer a wider saddle there is also the 155mm wide L3 option and both the S3 and L3 are available with carbon rails and less weight.

If you look beyond the dimensions, you'll find a slight wave in the Shortfit 2.0 3D. I warn you, it's mild, so if you prefer a deep wave, you'll want to look elsewhere. Instead there is a steep back kick, then a slight incline and climb before a very light descent begins which continues all the way to the nose. In the center of the saddle is a wide depression that starts at the rear kick, then tapers slightly and continues in a teardrop shape almost to the nose. The outer wings are steep and droop quickly.

One place where 3D printing is dominant is the aesthetic of the Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D. Specialized uses a fairly closed exterior on the Power Mirror and while the first generation Fizik Antares Versus Evo is a bit more open, Fizik closed the pattern even more for the second generation Vento Argo. Selle San Marco avoids both with a much bolder design language that really shows off 3D printing.

Looking at the fill, you will see a series of three pointy shapes. Depending on your perspective, it's a series of triangles or starbursts. However, in any case, it is a very open and close examination showing the layers created in the print. However, even with the open nature of the matrix, you cannot see any light through it. Each section of the padding sits on a carbon-reinforced nylon cover.

performance

The first time I got on the Specialized 3D-printed saddle, I was in love. I wasn't necessarily enamored with the shape, but using 3D printing for the quilt absolutely changes what's possible. The ability to vary the structure of the matrix with great precision allows a brand to adjust softness versus stiffness in a way that is impossible with traditional foam. What you get, at least from Specialized, is a saddle that is much softer than you would expect from a performance saddle.

The next opportunity I had to test a 3D printed saddle was from Fizik. The Fizik Vento Argo Adaptive is a second generation product and Fizik was quick to point out the increased ability to adjust the padding. In the end, the shape again isn't my absolute favorite, but it's good enough that I've put thousands of miles in that saddle, too. One thing I always tell people though is that Fizik doesn't seem to take the same liberties with the capabilities of a 3D printer. The padding feels much more traditional, though it's still pretty good.

Now after a few years I've had the chance to spend some time on the Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing saddle in size S3 and I'm in love. While I'm generally a fan of switching to a shorter saddle shape, I'm not that big of a fan of losing narrow saddles. I'm not a big person and my hips are narrow, so I constantly want the narrowest saddle option for testing.

While both Fizik and Selle San Marco cite a 140 width, the specs don't really tell the story. The Shortfit 2.0 has a steeper wing design and the drop is fast and steep in the wings. The result is that the section you actually sit on is around 60mm and about 30mm narrower than the Fizik's gap.

Selle San Marco also seems to have really understood how to get the most out of 3D printing technology with quilting. There's no unnecessary stiffness you'll find in traditional foam. The combination of a narrow front and a large cutout for this saddle basically leaves you balanced on long, straight virtual tubes of padding. That, along with the wave and kick, keep you pretty static when sitting down. It could amount to torture, but the sections are softer than you'd get with foam and there's even some give that comes from the nylon cover. For me, it's perfect.

verdict

A saddle is a personal preference and no saddle will be perfect for everyone. That doesn't change when it comes to a 3D printed saddle. The only difference is that 3D printing allows for a much more precise fit of the padding. A large saddle company can exploit this new tool to do what it has always done before, only with more precision.

What that really means is that you have to forget about 3D printing technology in the first place. If you're a petite person who prefers a narrow saddle, then the Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 3D Racing Saddle might be a good choice. You'll also need to be someone who prefers a bit of a wave to help keep you in place while sitting, but likes to be on your feet regularly enough that you appreciate a saddle that makes it easy. If that sounds good, check out the Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0, and if you have the extra cash, the 3D printed version is smoother without having to worry about chafing.

My only caveat though is that it's worth going for the carbon version. It's a big price jump to get the 3D printed version, but a relatively small price jump to make it carbon. The stainless steel rails and nylon work well, but they don't match the quality of the top visually. If you're willing to invest in the 3D-printed top, take it a bit further and add glitter to match. It's also a bit lighter in carbon, though it's still not a featherweight saddle.