I don't know if this is old news or if this is simply a rebadged model from another manufacturer, but I spotted what looks like a saddle with a full cut out on Saltatore Puccio's (Team Sky) bike in yesterday's Het Nieuwsbald.

Anyone know anything about these?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50557459@N03/8504041949/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

looks a bit like a selle italia...

Looks like a lady's slr flow

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"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."

Alot of people think that saddle cutouts are just gimmicks and that the studies showing the cutouts reduce penile numbness are totally bogus.

currently grooves are the closest fizik has come to offering cutouts. personally, my *rse prefers flat seats.

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http://www.roadiemanila.com

It's just a plain arione cx with carbon shell. The central strip is shiny, that's why it seems it's hollow.

It took fizik loooong years to decide that they may loose customers because they didn't have channeled saddles in their line.
Now they have the Versus line and no wonder if it would not take another 10 years for a cutout line.

@mann2:
Assuming that you are male.
Ok with your **se which prefers flat seats. But what about the part which you have more in front..between your legs?
Does this part not need some concave styled seat part to fit in? Does it not get crashed on a flat seat?
IMO,the cutout or grooved saddle style is a design every male has to experience to understand what they have missed.

If the cutouts were sooo good, then Armstrong would've used one after he had testicle cancer.

There are professional riders who put in hours and hours of time in the saddle daily. And they have the most aggressive positions of any rider. You'd think tht if saddle cutouts were soooooo good they'd be all over them now. They aren't. Know why? Saddle cutouts are gimmicks.

...and don't give me this business that the saddle manufacturers make thes pros use saddle without cutouts because of the lame sponsorship argument. Saddle cutouts are of the over-the-hill aging Joe who thinks he is going to cure perineal numbness with a cutout saddle.

Not sure about you dudes and not boasting, but cutouts are usually pretty damn small and don't offer that much total relief for me.

and here i was thinking it was because the PEDs shrank their underbits all down to a size where the cutout wasn't needed

Cherish your younger years........

Just wait until you're riding long hard, and still low in your late 40's and beyond.......based on the competitive circle of older riders here about half will NEED a cutout if they want to avoid middle of the night potty breaks and not getting the hardware to work for the wife after a long ride.

But please don't suggest my "pro" setup is wrong.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s314 ... 8acrop.jpg

Personally, in the past a cutout largely was a crunch for a pretty poor bike fit/set up. Since putting a ton of time into working on my fit myself and really paying attention to my body, the "need" for a cutout has disappeared. Funny, how now when switching between 2 saddles Toupe and Arione, I don't really notice the cutout except for a odd bit of a breeze I sometimes feel through it

Either way, I think the cut is more personal preference with fit coming first. Logically I think most people given a very good bike fit *not a numerical system+angles+cameras type crap cough BG Fit* should be able to ride cut or non-cut saddles fine but personally there may be just a bit more comfort with one or the other.

In other words, I think it could be looked at like 2 pairs of equal shoes except 1 has a suede liner and the other doesn't. Both fit well and function fine just the suede one's are slightly better, not make it or break it difference but slightly more enjoyable/comfortable

Ok end of rant

I agree that the saddle looks a lot like a Selle Italia SLR Lady Flow just rebranded as Fizik

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Looks like I made a new 90 Proof friend

They are bogus when you consider that they've all measured bloodflow from riders on super-upright stationary bikes, controlling for effort, resistance, cadence, position, and saddle selection. I'd be more convinced if someone with a good position wrapped a pulse ox probe around their junk and rode 10-20 minutes on their trainer.

With regard to the saddle... that's a very nice reupolstering if that's in fact what a mechanic has done.

The tests that I've seen had men and women pro cyclists on their road bikes in the hoods and in the drops.
The big thing is that you could ride all day without numbness and without discomfort and still be cutting your bloodflow to near zero. I'm not saying a saddle must have a cutout, and I'm definitely not saying that all saddles with cutouts are going to keep your plumbing clear. But they ought to be designed with the intent of relieving pressure down that main channel so one doesn't wake up one day and realize that nothing works like it used to.

+1
and here is my setup
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=111825