Selle San Marco offers saddles to meet various body types and riding positions, for specific riding preferences. Racers come in all shapes in sizes, just as recreational cyclists do. The Italian manufacturer has long resisted referring to a saddle as gender-specific, as what fits and feels right matters most. Yet there some generalized fits and designs that may favor some female cyclists over their male counterparts. Case in point, the Shortfit Carbon FX Open-Fit Saddle. It is not a "women's specific" model but it does work well for many women. This saddle was created to meet the needs of the most demanding cyclists who, for certain types of training sessions or rides, rotate their upper body a lot while moving to a position close to the handlebars. The special ergonomic shape of this new saddle features reduced length and ensures proper support in the generous rear section and optimum pressure distribution in the front section to offer more comfort and support in a racing position.

As a Shortfit saddle in a 150mm length, the regular riding posture is very consistent, with little fore-aft movement. If the saddle fit and angle is correct, this maximizes pedaling power transfer, stroke after stroke, while supporting the spine and keeping limited pressure on soft tissue areas. in the Open-Fit concept this is largely achieved with a long central cut-out that guarantees all-day comfort and support on the whole length of the saddle. This feature improves the blood flow, preventing numbness and providing relief from pressure on the perineum. This combination of the Shortfit length and Open-Fit concept is recommended for individuals with averagely high pelvic rotation and for women cyclists.

This Shortfit design also features the side profile of the seating surface with a central depression of more than 5mm- similar to a curved line. For this reason, it is listed as Waved saddle. SSM saddles with the Wave shaping are recommended for individuals with both ?at back (retroverted pelvis) and accentuated lumbar arch (anteverted pelvis). Both can achieve a semi-aggressive to aggressive riding posture, the former manages this a forward rotating pelvic tilt and resulting flatter back, while latter achieves this with less pelvic rotation but greater spine and overall flexibility in the torso to achieve a closer-to-the-bars set-up.

The carbon fiber reinforced shell has the right balance of flexibility and support to provide a solid cycling platform to offset the greater stiffness of the carbon rails and DNA X-Shaped Waist. This unique design sees a literal x-shape criss-cross carbon construction that allows the frame to be both lighter and more rigid. The X-shape creates a frame which is torsionally strong to reduce twisting and flex, even when you are running your saddle position to the ends of the rail in fore or aft position. The carbon fiber reinforced shell and DNA carbon rails help keep the Shortfit Carbon FX Open-Fit Saddle to respectable weights in both the Narrow 134mm option at 135 grams, and in the Wide 144mm at 140 grams. Choose your width depending on your preference, sitbone pressure points. If you have ridden full length versions in a 130-140mm width range you will likely opt for the 134mm Narrow version on this Shortfit model. Over 140mm, we'd recommend the 144mm.