Replacement for my Arione Wing Flex?

grv said:

OK, so I really liked my Arione Wing Flex, but after less than a season, I've worn out the cover on the nose. I know there used to be saddles that had different, more durable material in that area, but I can't seem to find them now. Maybe it was a fad...

If I had the disposable cash for disposable saddles, I'd just keep trashing more Ariones because they're really comfortable, but I sadly I don't.

Can anybody suggest anything comparable that has a tougher cover?

Thanks!

I used my Arione for two seasons, 10K miles, until the foam softened up. Don't mind riding a worn-looking saddle, but one that's broken down isn't any fun. The life of the Arione vs. cost wasn't impressive, but I suppose 10K miles is enough for any saddle.

Based on my experience with an SSM ERA, a saddle with a Lorica (synthetic leather) cover may be more durable and longer-lasting than real leather. Particularly if you ride in the rain, or sweat heavily in the heat, the Lorica may be more water-resistant and hold up better in the long run. My experience base is pretty limited here, so it's hard to generalize.

You guys must be tough on saddles, I've done 8.0k on my Arione Carbon braided and its still basically new, the alacantra strip down the middle has become smooth but the leather is still good condition, I've applied leather conditioner and cleaner from time to time.

grv said:

OK, so I really liked my Arione Wing Flex, but after less than a season, I've worn out the cover on the nose. I know there used to be saddles that had different, more durable material in that area, but I can't seem to find them now. Maybe it was a fad...

If I had the disposable cash for disposable saddles, I'd just keep trashing more Ariones because they're really comfortable, but I sadly I don't.

Can anybody suggest anything comparable that has a tougher cover?

Thanks!

The Selle Italia SLR and Arione are similar in shape and profile - flat and thin. I'm using both (on different bikes - road & commuter), but not enough to have worn either of them out yet.

Having said that, I find the SLR quite hardy especially the XC version, which is made of lorica with kevlar sides. That's currently sitting on my commuter, which gets its daily share of use, and although well used, it still looks in good shape after 18 months.

The bike with the arione gets ridden 2-3x weekly, and the saddle is starting to show signs of wear in the thigh areas after a year.

As for which is more comfortable, I'd say the SLR, but then that's what suits my @ss.

Take that FWIW,

n

kleng said:

You guys must be tough on saddles, I've done 8.0k on my Arione Carbon braided and its still basically new, the alacantra strip down the middle has become smooth but the leather is still good condition, I've applied leather conditioner and cleaner from time to time.

Can't argue with you there - this is the third saddle model I've worn out in exactly the same way. On the flats, I tend to sit forward and power along (well, if you can call it "powering"😉.

I checked out the Selle Italia SLR XC, and it looks comfy, but the kevlar bits are in the back. I suppose that's to prevent scuffs from leaning your bike against walls, or the occasional spill. My issues are with the nose area. I did some more Googling today, and there are some saddles like the SDG Bel-Air that have kevlar sides, but they're aimed more at the non-road set from what I can tell.

Finally ordered a Token RTM kevlar. It's supposed to be comparable to the Arione, and maybe the kevlar cover will hold up. For under $70, I won't be too distraught if it doesn't. Thanks for the replies!

grv said:

OK.......
Can anybody suggest anything comparable that has a tougher cover?

Yes, I sell these salt water resistant nylon saddles to triathletes for $10! 😄

BMX saddle FTW.

SLR is reasonably different in shape to an Arione.......

If you are using a non-black Arione, get a black one. Also, the fact the nose wore down before anything else is strange. Do you ride on the nose a lot?

bobbyOCR said:

If you are using a non-black Arione, get a black one. Also, the fact the nose wore down before anything else is strange. Do you ride on the nose a lot?

What's the difference in materials between colors? Mine is red.

Yeah - on the flats I spend a fair amount of time there. Frame doesn't seem to big (52 cm and I am 5'7"😉. 90mm stem and not too much set back on the seatpost. It's just one of the spots that seems comfortable. On a longer ride it feels like I'm using different muscle groups there as opposed to back on the seat more, so I alternate.

gclark8 said:

Yes, I sell these salt water resistant nylon saddles to triathletes for $10! 😄

eek!:eek:

kleng said:

You guys must be tough on saddles, I've done 8.0k on my Arione Carbon braided and its still basically new, the alacantra strip down the middle has become smooth but the leather is still good condition, I've applied leather conditioner and cleaner from time to time.

My Arione looked fine after 10K miles, but by the third spring with it I found the foam had really softened up, ie, could press down with a thumb and hit the pan. Riding in heat and humidity (and resulting sweat) may be a factor.

Just an aside, my Selle Italia Gel Flight has a mfg-recommended replacement interval of 9K miles due to fatigue life of the ti rails. So, perhaps 10K miles is a reasonable life for any of these lightweights.

grv said:

What's the difference in materials between colors? Mine is red.

Yeah - on the flats I spend a fair amount of time there. Frame doesn't seem to big (52 cm and I am 5'7"😉. 90mm stem and not too much set back on the seatpost. It's just one of the spots that seems comfortable. On a longer ride it feels like I'm using different muscle groups there as opposed to back on the seat more, so I alternate.

The black uses leather instead of the microtex centre landing strip. The microtex looks [censored], very quickly. I had a white one, and the silver wore off to black very quickly, so I went back to black and it's been great.

grv said:

Can anybody suggest anything comparable that has a tougher cover?

Thanks!

I have over 9 thousand miles on my Arione. Other than a scratch on the saddle, it remains firm and still rides well.

My only suggestion is perhaps a softer back side. Nothing wrong with the cover or saddle.

Your saddle may look good but it is very noticable that it has settled in the center. I have not had durability issues with the cover, it is the structure that is weak. It only takes a couple of months for the saddle to sag 4-5mm. I have started to notice that my saddle has bottomed out and is hitting the seatpost clamp. I to am looking for a replacement to the Arione. Comfortable when new but I can't afford to replace it 3 times each year.

kleng said:

You guys must be tough on saddles, I've done 8.0k on my Arione Carbon braided and its still basically new, the alacantra strip down the middle has become smooth but the leather is still good condition, I've applied leather conditioner and cleaner from time to time.

bushido5 said:

Your saddle may look good but it is very noticable that it has settled in the center. I have not had durability issues with the cover, it is the structure that is weak. It only takes a couple of months for the saddle to sag 4-5mm. I have started to notice that my saddle has bottomed out and is hitting the seatpost clamp. I to am looking for a replacement to the Arione. Comfortable when new but I can't afford to replace it 3 times each year.

Boy you got me on this one. How can you see a 4-5 mm sag in the photo posted? Also what is more important, the comfort of the seat or the sag? I am unable to observe a sag in my saddle and it remains comfortable even on the five 100 mile rides I completed this summer.

The saddle when new has a hump in the center. Yours is slightly concave. I compared my 2 month old Arione (looked similar to yours) to a brand new Arione and the difference was just over 4mm. Maybe this is a break in period but now at about 4 months of use my massive 150lbs is causing it to bottom out and hit the seatpost clamp. My cover still looks great but the structure of the seat has gone soft. In addition, you will have to constantly adjust the saddle to maintain position. This becomes very difficult because as the seat gets softer it sags more under weight than when new.

vascdoc said:

Boy you got me on this one. How can you see a 4-5 mm sag in the photo posted? Also what is more important, the comfort of the seat or the sag? I am unable to observe a sag in my saddle and it remains comfortable even on the five 100 mile rides I completed this summer.

bushido5 said:

The saddle when new has a hump in the center. Yours is slightly concave. I compared my 2 month old Arione (looked similar to yours) to a brand new Arione and the difference was just over 4mm. Maybe this is a break in period but now at about 4 months of use my massive 150lbs is causing it to bottom out and hit the seatpost clamp. My cover still looks great but the structure of the seat has gone soft. In addition, you will have to constantly adjust the saddle to maintain position. This becomes very difficult because as the seat gets softer it sags more under weight than when new.

Your experience seems a bit strange with the Arione. Mine never had a hump, never sagged that I could tell, and never had to be adjusted in 10K miles. In fact, after 10K miles, the profile looked just like the photo above.

Sounds like you've got a saddle with a cracked pan or a rail that's bent or broken. Don't understand why that would happen in only 4 months...unless your roads are really bad 😉

bushido5 said:

The saddle when new has a hump in the center. Yours is slightly concave. I compared my 2 month old Arione (looked similar to yours) to a brand new Arione and the difference was just over 4mm. Maybe this is a break in period but now at about 4 months of use my massive 150lbs is causing it to bottom out and hit the seatpost clamp. My cover still looks great but the structure of the seat has gone soft. In addition, you will have to constantly adjust the saddle to maintain position. This becomes very difficult because as the seat gets softer it sags more under weight than when new.

You should try the K:1 next, thats bound to have a longer fatigue life than the normal Arione.

bushido5 said:

The saddle when new has a hump in the center. Yours is slightly concave. I compared my 2 month old Arione (looked similar to yours) to a brand new Arione and the difference was just over 4mm. Maybe this is a break in period but now at about 4 months of use my massive 150lbs is causing it to bottom out and hit the seatpost clamp. My cover still looks great but the structure of the seat has gone soft. In addition, you will have to constantly adjust the saddle to maintain position. This becomes very difficult because as the seat gets softer it sags more under weight than when new.

How are you making this statement? You have never seen my saddle. I have not posted a photo. My saddle is not concave. I think you are confused. I do not need to adjust my seat to maintain my position. I have no idea what your are talking about.

I appologize if I upset you. I to have had issues with the Arione saddle. It is true I have not seen your saddle but I am refering to the photo posted. If you lay a straight edge across the top of the saddle you will notice that the center is lower. I would guess 4-5mm lower than when new because that is what I have measure on 3 other Arione saddles. When new the Arione's center is slightly raised. That is what I meant by a hump.

vascdoc said:

How are you making this statement? You have never seen my saddle. I have not posted a photo. My saddle is not concave. I think you are confused. I do not need to adjust my seat to maintain my position. I have no idea what your are talking about.