The saddle has got to be the most important piece of equipment for the cyclist when it comes to comfort and performance. If your ass is rubbing the wrong way, causing chafing and sores, or all circulation is cut off rendering you unable to locate vital organs for nature breaks, then it’s fair to say you don’t have the right saddle. And just as it is with significant others of the human kind, finding ‘the one’ is usually a trial and error process that can take years before you hit on the perfect companion for your nether regions.
Most pros will have a favourite saddle they will use throughout their career, and despite sponsorship commitments will often go to great lengths to ride the same model, perhaps disguised to try and fool the fans or appease said sponsors. Or they’ll just insist that their new team gets on board with the seat supplier to keep them happy. It’s that vital. Rumour has it that Mark Cavendish insisted on Sky teaming up with fizik when he joined them for the 2012 season. And having been riding on their Aliante for the last month, I can see why.
I’d had an early version of the Aliante on an old Giant TCR back in the mid 2000s, and it was a great fit for me. The curvy shape seemed to work with my riding style and/or body shape pefectly. I did a long road tour of Tasmania on it, riding 2500 kms in ten days with nary a grumble from downstairs. Then they released the Arione, longer, flatter and firmer, and I was attracted to it and switched over. While I never hated it, we just didn’t seem to get on as well and I consequently moved on to many more relationships, most not very long lasting and ultimately unsatisfying.
When the Keepers Tour partnership with fizik was in its conception, I was excited about their new shoes, but a touch apprehensive about the saddles; I checked out the website and looked into their Spine Concept, where you can enter information about your body type and riding style and be recommended one of the three shapes on offer. All my characteristics pointed me back to the Aliante, as I’m apparently a ‘Bull’. The shape and profile of it also was most compatible with the older school styling of my Profetta. I requested a black cover with braided carbon rails, as the weight weenie in me influenced my decision. But how would it handle the cobbles and long days ahead in Flanders and northern France?
Well, I think if I ever find the perfect woman, she’ll be a lot like the Aliante. Shapely, sexy, reliable and great to sit on. Ok, maybe not the last one. This sadlle is awesome. To be able to ride for over five hours in a sitting (pardon the pun) on the roughest ‘roads’ in Europe and still be able to tell what’s going on down there at nature breaks is all you can ask for. I didn’t get a hint of a saddle sore or any chafing, even without chamois cream. The carbon rails survived the constant pounding and the cover endured some pre-tour crashes with flying colours. When my seatpost head loosened and slipped a cpuple of times on our second Roubaix ride, our mechanic Matthias was leery of cranking up the bolt onto the rails. He asked what the torque was, and not knowing I replied “as far as you can go”. It was torqued so hard that when I tried to loosen the bolt to fix the seat clamp, it took an extra long allen key with a pipe on the end to budge it. That’s some serious torque, but the carbon wrap didn’t even have a mark. Impressive.
I think I’ve found my perfect match in the Aliante. At least that’s what my boys are telling me, and in this case it’s better to be doing the thinking down below than up top.
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@Dr C this is the Velominati, science counts for nothing here especially as I doubt many of us have any physiology qualifications. But, if you read about the subject Specialized measure the width of your sit bones, Fizik use body shape and others make ugly saddles.
I've only ever had saddles that I thought looked good - Turbo, Turbomnatic, Rolls, a green Flite to match a bike, Fizik, breifly a Specialized and a SDG. The whole issue of "dead wood" I would argue is bollocks (so to speak). I've ridden for 20 years, have never used for saddles to protect my bits and I've got kids. In fact I don't know of anyone who has ridden a bike and hasn't been able to have kids.
Saddles are one of the most contentious subjects out there simply because it is down to the individual. You just have to try different saddles until you find something comfortable.
@Dr C
Selle SMP - the best way to alleviate pressure on the perineum by removing that contact point with the saddle.
Makes you strong. Like bull!
Took me about one ride to be converted.
@Dr C
By the way- just like the other saddles you need a width (different models diff widths) that matches your ischial tuberosities (so much better than saying sit bones). Check their website and get yourself an arseometer. Two bits of bread work fine.
I spent most of my riding life on Flites, believing that it was more a case of bedding my arse into the saddle rather than vice versa. Decided to take the plunge and kitted a new MTB out with a Fizik Gobi XM and was converted. The road rig now sports an Arione, and I wonder why I wasted so much time on Flites.
For the record, prior to buying the Gobi I did the whole Specialized arse-o-meter thing and tried their saddles but couldn't get comfy. Despite needing a mid-width Specialized, I get on fine with the skinny looking Arione. But then again I'm flexible enough to touch my toes.
@Marcus
Aaarrggh fuck it you're WRONG. That distance that is measured by the sit bone device changes the further forward you lean, or the further back you sit. It's a fucking gimmick. the only thing of value it tells you is you're either a midget, normal or a giant since there are only three fucking sizes of saddle anyway and you don't need to squish two pieces of bread to your arse cheeks to figure that out.
But to change the topic to something important, what the fuck is the point of AFL? The only good thing about it is you can smash people who don't have the ball. Ball bouncing poofs.
(I'm so going in the ditch if I ever actually meet any Strayaminati)
If you live in the London area, check out Elite Sports located at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre. You can try all of the fi'zi:k saddles and test them on a major tour climb on the simulator - cost is £50 but is instantly rebated against the cost of the saddle if you buy http://www.elitecycling.co.uk/fizik-saddle-centre.html.
I always have this latent desire to try out new saddles. I don't know why. With some seat posts putting on a new saddle can be damn hard. And then you have to monkey with the position of the saddle for a few rides. And then you realize you don't really like it. And you've back to the original. It's like a disorder.
I think I must have adaptable nether regions, since I like a few different saddles just fine.
@minion
You are a frustrated little Elmo. You don't even have sit bones.
As my name implies, I am more than a bit retro and find it difficult to understand how people can sit on modern day razor blades.
Fortunately, when I returned to road cycling about 20 years ago I immediately found my ideal saddle, the San Marco Rolls :
Not only is it all day comfortable but it looks splendid with its gold rear band and nose badges. The band is immediately identifiable on peloton photos from the 80's and later. I suspect there may still be a few in use.
Unfortunately, nothing seems to stay perfect for ever and San Marco have replaced the smooth, shiny leather covering with a matt patterned version which does not look so good and also seems to stop you easing your position on it. Not the lightest of saddles but comfort comes before grams and a version is availble with titanium rails and (horror !) even in colours.
I've been searching for my ideal saddle for a few years now after an uncomfortable experience with a Spesh Alias (despite getting measured with the memory foam). I really liked the look of the Aliante but just couldn't bring myself to shell out over £150 without the opportunity to try it first. Instead, I bought the similarly-shaped but cheaper Prologo Scratch Pro Ti 1.4 and, while I'm getting on with it quite well, a little voice keeps telling me I should have gone for the fi'zi:k, or maybe the San Marco Regal-e.
It's a pity there isn't a saddle exchange service somewhere where you can trade in your nearly-new saddle that doesn't suit you for another model that someone else has traded in, thereby eliminating the risk of buying an expensive saddle in the first place.
I can understand why some of you have stockpiles of a favourite model!