Wallonthefloor

I have tried a new turbo saddle and I am a fan, the rolls looks like a similar shape is it exactly the same?

repechage

the Rolls is very different from the original Turbo saddle.

Wallonthefloor

can you explain the difference?

masi61

I ride the modern version of the Turbomatic, a variation of the Turbo. I have ridden a Turbo in the past and am familiar with its shape. I have not ridden a Rolls, but to my eye it may be more of a flat top saddle similar to a Selle San Marco Squadra. Not sure if any of this helps this conversation along. Some of these saddles have dense padding that may take some getting used to. The original Turbo only came in one width AFAIK, same with the Rolls. Also, the Rolls seemed to come in more bling options with gold metal trim and different hides of leather. I used to ride a Selle Italia Super Turbo which was a pretty nice saddle. The Turbomatic series of the Turbo is even better for a number of reasons. Most importantly are the elastomers under each (of 3) corners where the seat rails attach. These elastomers are quite stiff but they give just enough to increase comfort over road bumps and cracks.

masi61

onyerleft - I have a Turbomatic 2 saddle that I believe is Buffalo hide. The striations in the leather seem real and actually contribute to a cooling effect. My conclusion: it is legit.

DiabloScott

Never ridden a Turbo - but I've had multiple Rolls... they have a lot of fans.



My favorite is still Regale though.

jamesdak 

I just cannot stand the Turbo saddles and the one Rolls I had was no better. On the flip side....I haven't found a leather Brooks I don't love. "These are my facts, not an opinion". LOL!

For the OP I found the Turbo and Rolls too hard and uncomfortable but it you like the Turbo I would think the Rolls may be right up your alley.

Chombi1 

I always wondered, when they say they are Buffalo hide, are they really Buffalo hide or is it just the mottled, brushed texture and pattern that they seem to just apply on to them.

PilotFishBob 

I have two Rolls, I like them both very much. I also have a crap ton of Brooks saddles and I love them too. I'm fortunate, my posterior is relatively adaptable. A description which sounds weird now that I've just written it.

masi61

Whatever the Turbomatic 2 was covered in seems like real leather. I once considered buying some buffalo hide off of eBay to use for recovering saddles. The stuff seems to have a lot of extra texture to it. But I cannot state for sure that what they called "buffalo" was the genuine article. My current Turbomatic Team Carbon saddle is covered in "Lorica" a very smooth and durable "pleather" material.

cyclezen

Just happened to be 'reviewing' some of the older saddles I still have and favor a lot, when I came across the thread...
So, maybe this can help a little
For general shape, width, these are all considered 143 width (always measured across the sitzbones area), nominal 270-275 length
all these saddles have some roundness side to side, the difference can make a difference...
Both of these saddles are from 1979, not any newer version/re-make.
Rolls Buffalo - 377 g would be considered to have a flatter profile front to back, also leg curve is slightly flatter...
Turbo - 390 g has a profile with a slight dip at about 2/3 from front to back, sharper leg curve.


Rolls, left, 377g Turbo right, 390g

I like both, have used Turbo many times in long races of 4 hrs, and rides over 6.
Rolls was used on longer rides to 4 hours - don;t believe I ever rode it on very long days.

Rolls & Turbo Top and back view
I also LOVE the SSM Strada, which was a 'later' release from San Marco - mid 80's. It's my current favorite
They were made in 3 versions - CroMo, Magnesium, and Titanium. I have all three, The CroMo and Ti are currently on bikes
but here is the Magnesium version - they all look the same, have same underlayment and leather cover.
Strada Mag - 250 g
Strada Ti - 219 g


Selle San Marco Strada - magnesium 250g

I would guess the CroMo version would be in the 300-320 g range...
Of course I have a bunch of the latest newer saddles (except Fizik - doesn't fit me well). Some are good/ok others not so much.
... at depends on your own butt... LOL!
Thx
Yuri
I don't have a Concors, because I can't ride it, Concors are 135 width which absolutely doesn;t work for me.

EDIT: in line with PilotFishBob's comment, I'm also adaptable... LOL! have been called 'chicken legs' and 'butt-less' , all true descriptives... LOL!
I make up for this with added higher dosages of suffering... LOL!

ShannonM

The Rolls is flatter across the rear... kinda like me.... and less curvy overall. Also kinda like me. Turbos don't suck, I've had two of them, but I preferred the Rolls. And they look so sweet.

--Shannon

DiabloScott

One of the problems with saddles is there really isn't a good way to describe their shapes, which is what makes one feel different from another - makes it impossible to match an old saddle with a new one.

You've got length and width... that's easy to measure, then you've got ambiguous descriptions of flat or curved or swoopie, and prostate cutouts and leg trim. Seems like there should be an ISO 9000 standard for describing all these elements and making saddles comparable across brands and model years.

randyjawa 

Both are great well made saddles but, as usual, they are not for everyone. In my case, I honestly did not find them at all to my liking. They look good but I found them both to be very uncomfortable. Again, saddle choice is an extremely personal thing.

I am, fundamentally a Brooks B17 fan. I do not like the feel of the Professional and the one time I rode a B15, I made a point out of apologizing to my butt when I finally got home. But my favorite saddle...

This Mundatila (sorry about poor spelling), a perfect fit and I hardly ever even have to think about it, it is so comfortable. I have ridden this one for thousands of miles, over the years, a it is still going strong on my Jamaica Bianchi...

sincos

390g!! That's way heavier than a Rolls!

I'm with Hiro, at least my Rolls is flatter longitudinally than the Turbo but more rounded transversely, with less flare from the nose to the base. Definitely cushier as well. Though my Turbo is really a Turbomatic (Turbo with elastomer suspension)




obscured a bit by cutout but Turbomatic flatter across the back

Turbomatic has narrower nose, more flare

gaucho777 

I agree with ShannonM - Flatter across the rear for the Rolls is the best way to describe the difference. I've put more miles on Rolls saddles than any other saddle, and have a few Turbos as well. They both feel similar in terms of foam density and leather construction. Rolls leather varies in terms of texture, both came in perforated options, but generally, I find Turbos to be a little less grippy, more slippery. But the main difference I find is that Rolls feel to me more wide and flat in the back and give more sit bone support. Switching from a Rolls to a Turbo, I feel more pressure along the crown or ridge of the saddle.

Gary Fountain

In the late 70's I started out riding Turbo's for a number of years until I tried a Rolls. From then on I rode a Rolls saddle for years....until....one day I tried a Concor. Out went the Rolls and in came the Concor's. I have always had a bike or two or three with a Brooks saddle(s) - B5N or B17 and sometimes a Pro or Team Pro. I like Brooks (B5N or B17) but I must admit, the Concor is my favourite classic saddle. I find I can ride them all but, as others have said, it's your own personal 'feel' that's important.

Chombi1 

The Rolls looks a bit classier with the metal branding details at the tail and nose. The Turbo gets most of its fame from the fact they were used by so many pro riders in the big races and dominated the racing saddle market for almost the whole of the 80's......
They are quite simlar in terms of feel/comfort.

seagrade 

I started with the original Turbo in 1984 and changed to Rolls after a year or three. The Rolls is flatter overall. I felt the Turbo tended to break in or settle over time, becoming slightly more curved lengthways, whereas the Rolls maintained its flat shape. It also seemed to me the Rolls was a little more rugged and durable.

For some reason I always seemed to and still see more really worn Turbos still in use and kicking around than old Rolls.

Nowadays I use the Turbomatic Gel Flow with cutout and find them really good, even though the rails limit rearwards positioning. To me it's a really good saddle for those who grew up with and became used to Turbo and Rolls. For a time I used a Reydel GTI which was a Sean Kelly-endorsed Turbo variant.

Shamelessly drifting the thread, if anyone has a source for the rubbar/elastomer/plastic rail insertion bumpers for Turbomatic Gel Flow, especially the rear ones, please let me know - they seem to wear causing creaking and movement before the rest of the saddle gets tired. Not a complaint, the two I have must be at 25-30000kms each by now. I've thought about dremeling some urethane but there are only so many hours in the day.

Mr. Spadoni 

Before you buy hide, make sure you are getting the right thing. What we call buffalo in the US is actually bison. The Italians have actual buffaloes, what we call water buffaloes. Can’t make good mozzarella without their contribution.

stardognine

Hey, I like mozzarella too! 🥰😉

I had an old Cinelli saddle, that didn't claim to be anything special, but that leather was much thicker & softer than any other I've ridden. By reading here at BF, I figured out it was most likely buffalo hide. 😎