Saddle recommendations: moving on from Fizik Arione VS

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lrdunc
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by lrdunc

Hi everyone,

I'll preface this by saying that I understand how personal saddle choice is...everyone is different and all that. Understood. As I'm new to the road game, I'm just looking for some guidance to get me in the right ballpark.

I'm brand new to cycling. Got my first bike in August of this past year. It's a 2014 Specialized Allez Sport, 54cm. I also have a Thomson Elite setback post.

I've been riding the Fizik Arione VS saddle since I got the bike (immediately swapped out the stock one), so roughly 2,300 miles so far. It's worth noting that I got the Arione from my dad (he rides as well and it was one of his old saddles), not because I determined it was the proper size / shape for me. While it's much better than what came with the bike, it's just not working out for me. Typically I'll start to get that glorious taint-discomfort at around the 35 mile mark on a ride. As an interim solution, I've moved the Arione forward a bit, which has helped. On Sunday I did 55 miles and barely noticed any soreness whatsoever. But, of course, this is far from ideal.

I got a proper fitting from my local shop when I first got the bike. I went into the shop yesterday and asked about potential new saddles and the fitter suggested the Aliante when I described the sort of soreness I've been experiencing. Problem is, I'm not a fan of the black / red color scheme...it matches my bike, but I'm just not a fan. I'd prefer something all black, or with much more subtle coloring. I know the Aliante comes in all black, but that would also require getting the carbon version which is considerably more expensive (right?).

So, with all of that in mind, I'm just looking to get some general recommendations. There are just so many choices out there...I'm hoping to get it narrowed down to a small handful that I can then demo before purchasing.

Obviously, comfort in the saddle is huge and if to get that I need to pony up $300, so be it. I'm also open to looking for something used.

Thanks in advance.

Rondje
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by Rondje

Is your local shop a Fizik dealer? If they are, then they most likely have test saddle's. I would suggest just try a few different saddle's first. Don't look a color's yet, first just try them out and see which suit you best. If you find 1 that suits you then look at possible color's.
About the price, I think it's useless to spend up to $300 for it. As far as I know the only differences in the highest range is the carbon rails/shell, less weight etc. I doubt they add much comfort.

As you said it yourself, a saddle is personal. Try a bunch of them and then you'll feel what's best for you. But I must say it's weird that you sit better when you change your saddle position. Makes me wonder if they fitted you correctly.

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showdown
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by showdown

Do you generally like to move around on your saddle- that it, are you sometimes on the rivet and sometimes scoot back... the Aliante is a hammock-type saddle in that it puts you in one place and cradles you there whereas a saddle like the Arione is a platform in that you can scoot around on it with ease and find different positions for different uses (I ride one and like the ability to move around, some folk don't)

Also, one has to keep in mind that the first fitting you get from the shop is mostly useless and just to see if you are buying the right bike- it gets you onto the target but it's hardly a bullseye. After spending a year or season riding your body has changed a lot and so too has your position so I would recommend asking if the shop would do a followup fit. They'll probably want to charge you but you might suggest that it would be good business to take care of customers and that any new equipment needed (saddle, stem etc) will be purchased from them in turn. My guess is that a re-fit will yield a better position and alleviate some of the pain. (I've been racing for aver a decade and I get fitted every year when the new bike comes and often i change my position between winter, spring and summer)

You can always buy a used, worn saddle and recover it yourself or take it to a tailor or shoe repair and have it recovered in black leather. It's really easy to recover a Fizik saddle and really cheap too.

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lrdunc
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by lrdunc

Rondje wrote:Is your local shop a Fizik dealer? If they are, then they most likely have test saddle's. I would suggest just try a few different saddle's first. Don't look a color's yet, first just try them out and see which suit you best. If you find 1 that suits you then look at possible color's.
About the price, I think it's useless to spend up to $300 for it. As far as I know the only differences in the highest range is the carbon rails/shell, less weight etc. I doubt they add much comfort.

As you said it yourself, a saddle is personal. Try a bunch of them and then you'll feel what's best for you. But I must say it's weird that you sit better when you change your saddle position. Makes me wonder if they fitted you correctly.


I think it's just because, with the saddle slid forward a bit, I'm now spending the majority of the time sitting on the wider back portion of it, which feels much more comfortable to me.

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lrdunc
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by lrdunc

showdown wrote:Do you generally like to move around on your saddle- that it, are you sometimes on the rivet and sometimes scoot back... the Aliante is a hammock-type saddle in that it puts you in one place and cradles you there whereas a saddle like the Arione is a platform in that you can scoot around on it with ease and find different positions for different uses (I ride one and like the ability to move around, some folk don't)

Also, one has to keep in mind that the first fitting you get from the shop is mostly useless and just to see if you are buying the right bike- it gets you onto the target but it's hardly a bullseye. After spending a year or season riding your body has changed a lot and so too has your position so I would recommend asking if the shop would do a followup fit. They'll probably want to charge you but you might suggest that it would be good business to take care of customers and that any new equipment needed (saddle, stem etc) will be purchased from them in turn. My guess is that a re-fit will yield a better position and alleviate some of the pain. (I've been racing for aver a decade and I get fitted every year when the new bike comes and often i change my position between winter, spring and summer)

You can always buy a used, worn saddle and recover it yourself or take it to a tailor or shoe repair and have it recovered in black leather. It's really easy to recover a Fizik saddle and really cheap too.


Before I moved the saddle slightly forward this past weekend, I did find myself sliding front-to-back a bit on rides. Typically I would start to slide myself back a bit when I started to experience discomfort...getting onto the wider, rear portion of the saddle has felt more comfortable. With the saddle now slid slightly forward, on my past two rides I've been feeling pretty fixed in a single position. It terms of general preference (aside from discomfort issues), I would say that I like the ability to move around a bit.

I paid $125 for the initial fitting at my shop and that price covers lifetime adjustments, etc., which is great. I've already taken advantage of that when I swapped out the stock stem (100mm) for a 130mm Ritchey...I had gotten a lot more flexible and wanted to get into a lower position. I'm already finding myself wanting to get lower again, so I know this is going to be an ongoing process.

I ordered some Ultegra 6800 brakes from my shop, which should arrive tonight or tomorrow night. I'll be going in to have those put on this weekend, so I can have them take a look at my positioning at that point and see if they have any suggestions.

I guess maybe I'll just start by demo-ing the Aliante then go from there. What sort of mileage do you suggest putting on a saddle if going the demo route? Do you think 100 miles or so is enough to get a solid idea as to whether it's a proper size / shape?

Raineman
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by Raineman

Regarding how long to ride a test saddle, that is completely up to you. I would say see how long you can have the saddle for and take it back when you know it is the wrong saddle (and why) or when the test period has run out.

I find I can tell if a saddle is wrong in under 10 miles, but not if it's right until the 10th ride without thinking about it.

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lrdunc
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by lrdunc

Raineman wrote:Regarding how long to ride a test saddle, that is completely up to you. I would say see how long you can have the saddle for and take it back when you know it is the wrong saddle (and why) or when the test period has run out.

I find I can tell if a saddle is wrong in under 10 miles, but not if it's right until the 10th ride without thinking about it.


Makes sense...I'm actually not sure how long their test period is. I'm sure it varies a bit shop to shop. Thanks for the input!

kode54
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by kode54

if you find yourself moving back n forth on the saddle, maybe you need a saddle with a dip in the middle, like the Fizik Aliante or Tune Speedneedle (for the WW) when seats you in a more static position on the saddle. i like to move front and back on the saddle as i climb or descend. but like others have said, it does take time to settle into a saddle shape and position...so give it some time.
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importbible
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by importbible


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06SpiceRed
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by 06SpiceRed

I recently switched from the Arione VS to the Aliante last week myself. I was noticing the same exact issues you were having particularly on longer periods of time on the bike. Ive gone through numerous saddles throughout the years, starting with the Aliante back in 2009. From there I switched to the Prologo Nago Evo which I loved but sadly I sold the bike that it was on and that went with it. After that, instead of forking out the 300 bucks they were asking for a new one, I went with the Specialized Toupe. It was ok, but I didnt love it. From there I went back to Fizik with their Antares VS, and the Arione VS, and once again back to the Aliante now. What Ive come to determine is that saddles with the channel down the middle is simply not doing it for me. You might try the Aliante as you mentioned, but maybe give the Arione without the channel a shot and see how it goes.
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lrdunc
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by lrdunc

06SpiceRed wrote:I recently switched from the Arione VS to the Aliante last week myself. I was noticing the same exact issues you were having particularly on longer periods of time on the bike. Ive gone through numerous saddles throughout the years, starting with the Aliante back in 2009. From there I switched to the Prologo Nago Evo which I loved but sadly I sold the bike that it was on and that went with it. After that, instead of forking out the 300 bucks they were asking for a new one, I went with the Specialized Toupe. It was ok, but I didnt love it. From there I went back to Fizik with their Antares VS, and the Arione VS, and once again back to the Aliante now. What Ive come to determine is that saddles with the channel down the middle is simply not doing it for me. You might try the Aliante as you mentioned, but maybe give the Arione without the channel a shot and see how it goes.


Thanks for the response! Yeah, I certainly don't WANT to spend $300 on something...I would rather save that money and put it toward a full Ultegra 6800 upgrade. Of course, you could have a $10,000 bike, but if you're not comfortable on it...

I guess when I started this thread I was hoping that I could narrow down the possibilities based on width / shape, but it sounds like I really just have to put in the time to demo a handful and see what works for me.

Another question: how much stock do you put in Fizik's "spine concent" categories? I'm curious because, per their categories, I am definitely a "snake", and the Aliante is suggested for a "bull". So how much does flexibility play into it? It makes sense generally that a "bull" (less flexible, more of an upright position) would want something wider (like the Aliante seems to be), whereas a "snake" (more flexibility, therefore more aggressive position on saddle and resulting smaller contact area on sit bones?) would want something more narrow (like the Arione seems to be)...or am I approaching this the wrong way?

Thanks again for the input.

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lrdunc
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by lrdunc

kode54 wrote:if you find yourself moving back n forth on the saddle, maybe you need a saddle with a dip in the middle, like the Fizik Aliante or Tune Speedneedle (for the WW) when seats you in a more static position on the saddle. i like to move front and back on the saddle as i climb or descend. but like others have said, it does take time to settle into a saddle shape and position...so give it some time.


It's frustrating that it seems impossible to just pick the perfect one straight from the gate, but I see that you're right in that this will be a process :)

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lrdunc
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by lrdunc

importbible wrote:If you are looking for one with a dip, Aspide or Romin line might work:

http://www.sellesanmarco.it/en/products ... ion/aspide

http://www.specialized.com/ca/en/ftb/sa ... /romin-pro


Thanks for those suggestions...I've seen the Romin before but not the Aspide. There is a shop with all things Specialized near my office, so maybe I'll see about picking one up to demo this week.

racingcondor
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by racingcondor

My experience is that spin concept is marketing junk. I can get knuckles on the floor while I'm in cycling shoes and ride an Antares (from and Arione which I found good to about 50 miles). I've also been looking at the Fizik components and would use a Bull handlebar set as they're closest to my current Deda Zero100.

Trial a few saddles, don't put too much value in VS versions or anything else and see if you can use test versions until you find what actually works for you. I agree with the poster above who said you'll likely know if you have a really good fit, I knew in the shop, put the Antares on and within two weeks went on a 150 mile ride (very comfortably).

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lrdunc
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by lrdunc

racingcondor wrote:My experience is that spin concept is marketing junk. I can get knuckles on the floor while I'm in cycling shoes and ride an Antares (from and Arione which I found good to about 50 miles). I've also been looking at the Fizik components and would use a Bull handlebar set as they're closest to my current Deda Zero100.

Trial a few saddles, don't put too much value in VS versions or anything else and see if you can use test versions until you find what actually works for you. I agree with the poster above who said you'll likely know if you have a really good fit, I knew in the shop, put the Antares on and within two weeks went on a 150 mile ride (very comfortably).


Sounds about right! I assumed it was mainly marketing garbage.

I have a read a lot of really good reviews on the Antares and really like how this description sounds:

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/fizik-antares-r3-saddle-kium-rails?ti=UExQIENhdDpNZW4ncyBTYWRkbGVzOjE6NzpjY0NhdDEwMDQ5Ng&skidn=FIZ003B-BLAASY-ONESIZ

Maybe that will be the one I demo first.

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