Weird problem with SI SLK Lady Gel Flow saddle

[nscrbug]

I recently brought home my new Cannondale Synapse Carbon Fem 3...yay!!! :D However, the stock saddle (Prologo Kappa Dea) had my behind protesting quite loudly on the first ride (93 miles). So I decided to swap it out with the saddle that is on my "backup" bike...which happens to be a Selle Italia SLK Lady Gel Flow. As my hubby was installing the saddle, he noticed that the left side of the saddle was sitting lower than the right side. For those that don't know...the SLK saddle has a "split" design, with a cut-out that runs from the nose all the way back to the rear of the saddle, thus creating a left and a right side. SO...the left side is sagging below the right side which obviously has altered my riding position...not to mention what it has done for my comfort level. I contacted the place where I bought the saddle (online) and was told that this is likely a warranty issue and that I would have to take it up with their distributor. They contacted their distributor for me, and they want me to send the saddle to them for evaluation, and they will then determine if it is, indeed, a warranty issue. They also said that the only cause for an uneven saddle would be a bent rail caused by a hard impact to the saddle. I don't recall any unusually hard impact to this saddle, so I am baffled as to why this happened. I do plan on sending the saddle out to them, but I'm not very optimistic about it being covered under warranty. By the way...the saddle is ONLY 2 months old!!! IMO, this should NOT happen to a brand new saddle. Needless to say, I'm a bit disappointed.

Interestingly, the place that I bought it from suggested that I try a Terry saddle...citing that they are made by Selle Italia, but have a better return policy and warranty. They steered me toward the women's Terry Falcon X, as replacement...saying that it is a close match to the SI SLK Lady Gel Flow. Any comments or feedback on this???

Are there any other SI SLK Lady Gel Flow users out there, that has experienced this particular "unevenness" issue with this saddle?

Linda

[Zen]

There's nothing wrong with the saddle. It's accommodating your body. You made it do that.

If you had saddle that didn't accommodate you, you'd probably be walking like me (you don't wanna know)

Mebbe I need to get me wunna those.

[Cataboo]

Lol. Obviously zen's right & your *** is lopsided and bent the rails.

but in the oft chance that your *** is symmetrical and so is your leg length, they really should replace that saddle for how much they charge for it. Generally companies are good at that.

[Zen]

It's rare for someone to have both legs the same length but another thing the saddle might be accommodating is pedal stroke, i.e. a more powerful stroke on one side. Kind of a "pimp walk" pedal stroke

[nscrbug]

Hmmm...I do see your point about the saddle accommodating me. However, halfway into my rides, I start to feel the "ridge" where the left side dips lower...and it's definitely NOT a good feeling. Interestingly enough, when we took the saddle off the bike...it no longer looked uneven. Very strange! :confused: Almost as if it being clamped into the seatpost clamp, is somehow causing the unevenness. Now I'm not sure what to do about it. If I send it back, they will likely take one look at it, and tell me that the saddle looks even and there is nothing wrong with it. Yet, the second I put it back on the bike and secure it to the seat clamp...it'll become uneven again. I wouldn't care, if it weren't for the fact that the lopsided-ness is causing me discomfort.

Linda

[ridebikeme]

From reading your posts, I'm assuming that you did NOT have the problem on your old bike?? Assuming that the saddle was installed correctly.. ie that both rails of the saddle were clamped, I would think that you might want to check the seatpost and see if there is an issue there.