saddle question fizik

He is right, you are better on a flatter saddle you can move on. My road bike has a Selle Italia Prolink Gel Flo, it is longish and flat. Check out http://www.trysport.com.au/services.htm for articles on bike fit and saddles. Good pix of athletes bikes too.

I don't think you can categorically say "a flatter saddle is better". Everybody’s different. I very much dislike very flat saddles. But, that said, the saddle is probably the single-most important piece of equipment when it comes to comfort, so I say spare no expense.

jandbzpapa said:

I just got a bike fit done on me yesterday. The man highly suggested a flatter saddle. The one he recommended was a fizik arione. I was wondering what you guys think of the importance of saddles and if you specifically like this one. Is it worth the price (about 150)I was told that since there is some sway in my saddle I am locked into one position in the saddle. He said there is alot of benefit to being able to move some back and forth with canging terrain.

So I am asking for some of you informed cyclists. Thank you for your help

I love my fizik arione.
I found a bit harder to find the correct angle than other saddles, but since I found it I love it!
However keep in mind that with saddles, what works for me could be very bad for you.

You can't really judge a saddle by appearance. Gotta slap your butt on it, and rack up some miles. If you're going to spend any time at all on the bike, the saddle is critical, and most low to midrange bikes come with rubbish for a saddle.

I went through five saddles before I found one that I could last for several hours on. In my case it was a Fizik Aliante, though I also had a Selle TransAm that runs a fairly close second.

JohnO said:

I went through five saddles before I found one that I could last for several hours on. In my case it was a Fizik Aliante, though I also had a Selle TransAm that runs a fairly close second.

Questions for ya JohnO....

My butt has been disagreeing with saddles in general these days (a problem I never really had before). Because of this, I've really been on the search for the best saddle for me. I purchased an Aliante off eBay and I was wondering:

1) What angle did you find made it most comfy for you? It's hard to judge "flat" because the back is not level with the nose. Is your nose level causing a raise to the back or does your nose have a "slightly upward" angle?

2) Do you find that saddle "great" or just "I can deal with it" good? I've heard people claim they never feel their saddle when they have the right one, but I'm having trouble finding that for myself.

the whole "can't find a comfortable seat" is what eventually landed me on a recumbent...the comfort level just cant be matched...but then again, I'm not a competetive cyclist, or aspiring to be one for that matter...so that makes it a very personal decision. Size, weight, type of bike and intended riding all are factors. So I would have to agree with earlier statements that said "spare no expense" when it comes to your saddle comfort. Nobody will want to do long distance if sitting on the seat becomes painful.

Initially, I set the Aliante using a level set fore and aft across the seat, the old method that one used with a Brooks saddle. That seems to have worked out for me.

I find the Aliante to be 'very good'. Still get a bit sore after a while, but not nearly as bad as it once was. I had good luck with the Selle TransAm, but you had to sit on it just right. Move a little forward or backward, and you started getting sore. The Aliante lets me move around a bit and not get uncomfortable.

One thing I have noticed - it helps to put the sitz bones on the broader section of the Aliante. It's a very comfortable seat if you're far back on it, but not so comfortable if you creep forward.

Postie said:

Questions for ya JohnO....

My butt has been disagreeing with saddles in general these days (a problem I never really had before). Because of this, I've really been on the search for the best saddle for me. I purchased an Aliante off eBay and I was wondering:

1) What angle did you find made it most comfy for you? It's hard to judge "flat" because the back is not level with the nose. Is your nose level causing a raise to the back or does your nose have a "slightly upward" angle?

2) Do you find that saddle "great" or just "I can deal with it" good? I've heard people claim they never feel their saddle when they have the right one, but I'm having trouble finding that for myself.

As some of the others have stated, what works for one person may not work for someone else. I bought a new bike this past summer that had a Fi'zik Arione saddle. The salesperson raved about it, and spent a lot of time fitting me to the bike. When I went on longer rides, though, the saddle caused me a lot of problems with numbness in areas that a man would prefer not to be numb. :o

I tried different angles, etc., but couldn't get comfortable on the Arione. After I did a metric century on it and had numbness for several days afterwards, I switched the seat -- a Selle San Marco Arrowhead -- from my old bike onto my new one. No more problems with numbness.

Maybe I could have found a comfortable position using the Arione saddle if I'd spent more time with it. But for me, the Selle San Marco just felt right from the start. YMMV.

JohnO said:

Initially, I set the Aliante using a level set fore and aft across the seat, the old method that one used with a Brooks saddle. That seems to have worked out for me.

I find the Aliante to be 'very good'. Still get a bit sore after a while, but not nearly as bad as it once was. I had good luck with the Selle TransAm, but you had to sit on it just right. Move a little forward or backward, and you started getting sore. The Aliante lets me move around a bit and not get uncomfortable.

One thing I have noticed - it helps to put the sitz bones on the broader section of the Aliante. It's a very comfortable seat if you're far back on it, but not so comfortable if you creep forward.

Thanks JohnO. I've played a bit with the angle but I'm not sure if I ever had it quite that 'nose up' as to say I leveled it from front to back. I'll give that a try and see how that works out.

One more question then... How big of a drop are your handle bars from your seat? My position is probably more aggressive then I personally need, so I wonder how that will affect the "perfect angle" on this saddle.

Cheers.

jandbzpapa said:

I just got a bike fit done on me yesterday. The man highly suggested a flatter saddle. The one he recommended was a fizik arione. I was wondering what you guys think of the importance of saddles and if you specifically like this one. Is it worth the price (about 150)I was told that since there is some sway in my saddle I am locked into one position in the saddle. He said there is alot of benefit to being able to move some back and forth with canging terrain.

So I am asking for some of you informed cyclists. Thank you for your help

Jandbzpapal, before you purchase a saddle remember one thing, it is a very personal thing. You have not said what kind of bike you have. Specialized dealers have a seatpost that you sit on and measures where your sit bones are and then can determine what kind of saddle will be of some benefit to you. I own two saddles one costs five quid and very comfortable and on my other bike a san marco rolls, old shape but good fit. Good luck

I'll tell you what I tell everyone after I sell them a bike. Most assume that they need a new saddle right away. I tell them to wait, break it in and see if you like it. No sense in spending the extra cash without even giving it a chance.

And personally, I dont like the arione. Try the aliante.

markk said:

Jandbzpapal, before you purchase a saddle remember one thing, it is a very personal thing. You have not said what kind of bike you have. Specialized dealers have a seatpost that you sit on and measures where your sit bones are and then can determine what kind of saddle will be of some benefit to you. I own two saddles one costs five quid and very comfortable and on my other bike a san marco rolls, old shape but good fit. Good luck