Arione
- Thread starter angrydave
- Start date
I agree, Dave. This is one of those products for which the hype is pretty well deserved. I don't care about "wing flex" or any other Fizik talking point; I just know that the shape of this thing supports my crotch like no other saddle has managed to.
The usual "not for everyone" caveat applies, of course, but for many (like you and me), this thing is a revelation of a$s comfort.
Arione seems nice to me as well. I got one a couple of weeks back to replace my OEM Aspide. It is more comfortable than the 160 gm minimalist saddle for long rides, and certainly looks great with the fine leather and suede stripe. I noticed immediately it absorbs a lot more vibration and road shock than the Aspide.
I first set it up dead level from front to back, but had a little pressure from the nose that way. Lowering the nose a few degrees, so that the nose section is level, did the trick.
I did 75 miles last weekend and it was great.....hope it works for you this weekend on the MS150. Good luck on the ride.
I did the same thing on the setup. I initially had it dead level like my Aspide, but it felt just a touch off. Lowering the nose a couple of degrees and it was phenomenal. I really like the Aspide, but it is minimalist, so I couldnt stand the thought of a Granny seat. It turns out, the anatomic cutout on the arrowhead was causing the chamois in my Izumi;s to bunch up and pinch, I had never noticed it with thinner shorts, but I was ready for alternatives, I read up and decided to give the Arione a try. The support as described above is PHENOMENAL. The other big plus is some variety. Its shape is such that you can move around a bit, put pressure on different places, but still stay efficient for pedalling. I'm doing a few miles today to stay loose for Saturday, so I'll get a better feel this afternoon.
I've the arione set up level, and find it not able to absorb vibration as effective as SLK. And I still get numb on my crotch. Perhaps I should try to lower the front end like you guys suggested.
But only thing I can say is I can pedal more efficiently than the SLK, its very easy pedaling uphill even seated.
I won't give it a plus or minus until I've given it at least 1000 miles just to be fair
But only thing I can say is I can pedal more efficiently than the SLK, its very easy pedaling uphill even seated.
I won't give it a plus or minus until I've given it at least 1000 miles just to be fair
Sounds like we've got the Arione setup down. A change of a couple of degrees does make a big difference in where the weight falls. I've got the nose section dead-level now, letting the tail tilt up just a bit.
Arione really cushions road vibration and shock well. It seems to have just the right amount of flex built in. I noticed a little tendency to bounce at high cadence with it, but can stay smooth if I concentrate a bit. I rarely spin more than 100-110 rpm.
The regular SSM Aspide has a good overall shape....I had no numbness from it at all. But, it seems designed for a racer who will be low with pelvis tilted forward all the time....as a 160 gm saddle should be. The hard outside edges on Aspide gave me two nice red stripes on my first Century ride of the season last month. At 6', 168 lbs, it feels like I'm too big for the Aspide.
My older bike has the SSM Era, which has more rolloff, more cushion, plus a soft insert in the shell to reduce crotch pressure. The Era seems more a long distance road saddle than the Aspide...and pretty close to the Arione in comfort for me. I like the shape and look of the Era a lot also.
Lot's of trade-offs in saddle designs...weight, width, shape, padding, flex. Believe it comes down to how we ride, anatomy, and personal preferences. For crit racing, I'd keep the Aspide; for long-distance comfort, it's the Arione.
Arione really cushions road vibration and shock well. It seems to have just the right amount of flex built in. I noticed a little tendency to bounce at high cadence with it, but can stay smooth if I concentrate a bit. I rarely spin more than 100-110 rpm.
The regular SSM Aspide has a good overall shape....I had no numbness from it at all. But, it seems designed for a racer who will be low with pelvis tilted forward all the time....as a 160 gm saddle should be. The hard outside edges on Aspide gave me two nice red stripes on my first Century ride of the season last month. At 6', 168 lbs, it feels like I'm too big for the Aspide.
My older bike has the SSM Era, which has more rolloff, more cushion, plus a soft insert in the shell to reduce crotch pressure. The Era seems more a long distance road saddle than the Aspide...and pretty close to the Arione in comfort for me. I like the shape and look of the Era a lot also.
Lot's of trade-offs in saddle designs...weight, width, shape, padding, flex. Believe it comes down to how we ride, anatomy, and personal preferences. For crit racing, I'd keep the Aspide; for long-distance comfort, it's the Arione.
I bought an arione a couple of weeks ago. I tried an aliante and it was just too curved of a saddle for me. There was either too much pressure up front or I was sliding off the nose.
The arione is nearly perfect, though I think I'd like an even flatter saddle. I also think they should've gone with a carbon fiber shell for a little less flex or maybe a little less padding. I haven't put on any long rides so maybe the extra padding will be nice for those.
I used to ride an slr gel flow that had a good shape, but was hard as a rock so maybe my butt just isn't used to as much padding.
The arione is nearly perfect, though I think I'd like an even flatter saddle. I also think they should've gone with a carbon fiber shell for a little less flex or maybe a little less padding. I haven't put on any long rides so maybe the extra padding will be nice for those.
I used to ride an slr gel flow that had a good shape, but was hard as a rock so maybe my butt just isn't used to as much padding.
I was thinking the exact same thing about the Crit racing. After the MS 150 I'm going to use the Galileo as a short range and crit bike, and the Prince as my long range baby, so I'll be putting the stiffest and most durable (crash wise) components on the Gali, and the comfortable stuff on the Prince.
Being another convert to the Arione a shorter-nosed model would make it perfect for me. I only perch on the front when I'm making big efforts to attack or chase during a race. Comfort is the last thing on my mind at these times. I find I tend to skag the back of my shorts on the nose when returning to the saddle after standing up.
I just bought a Gobi two days ago to replace a Flite titanium.
Nothing I have riden comes close to this saddle.
I had thought about the Arione but was concerned about the awkward length, the bike shop decided it for me by not having any more Ariones in stock. I tried all the Fiziks and then a chunkier Trimatic. Every one of the Fizik saddles was better, but the best was the Gobi. Sure I was told it's supposed to be for MTB but how can you design a saddle purely for that?
I can confirm that the best way to buy a saddle is to go to a bike shop with a large range, with your bike and spend a morning or afternoon there doing blockies with every saddle in the range until you've got the most comfortable by that method.
Check with the bike shop that you can bring the saddle back a week later if its not up to scratch on longer rides.
If the shop won't let you at least ride around the block on some of their saddles then you're at the wrong shop!
Nothing I have riden comes close to this saddle.
I had thought about the Arione but was concerned about the awkward length, the bike shop decided it for me by not having any more Ariones in stock. I tried all the Fiziks and then a chunkier Trimatic. Every one of the Fizik saddles was better, but the best was the Gobi. Sure I was told it's supposed to be for MTB but how can you design a saddle purely for that?
I can confirm that the best way to buy a saddle is to go to a bike shop with a large range, with your bike and spend a morning or afternoon there doing blockies with every saddle in the range until you've got the most comfortable by that method.
Check with the bike shop that you can bring the saddle back a week later if its not up to scratch on longer rides.
If the shop won't let you at least ride around the block on some of their saddles then you're at the wrong shop!
I've never heard of the Gobi. Does it have the same profile as the Arione but a shorter length? Sounds like I need to check it out. Cheers!
I think there is some history to it being called the 150, but its definitely more than that. We ride from a different start point, so we do 100 the first day, then 90 the second. Its a good deal, but there are a lot of barneys.
Like a crazy start in a race, I tell the newbs to watch the brake levers.
Mmm....the tail section of the Arione isn't a concern, it's the nose. Anybody know the length of the Gobi - the Fizik site doesn't mention this.
Well, I'm converted - bought an Arione a couple of days ago to replace the insanely uncomfortable saddle that came with my road bike, and it's gorgeous. Excellent support, great thigh clearance, and no central hump to crush whatever it is down there that's easily crushed. Plus, the lack of a cutout means shorts don't bunch up and hairs don't get ripped out. For the first time ever, I've spent an hour in the saddle and felt pain only in my legs.
The only difficulty is that the suede strip goes bald really quickly, and this is a perfect excuse for the shop not to allow test-rides. I managed to strike a deal with my LBS - if I didn't get on with the saddle after a week or so, they'd buy it back off me at a slight discount. Good enough.
The only difficulty is that the suede strip goes bald really quickly, and this is a perfect excuse for the shop not to allow test-rides. I managed to strike a deal with my LBS - if I didn't get on with the saddle after a week or so, they'd buy it back off me at a slight discount. Good enough.
Totally agree, Byrne. I feel silly gushing about this thing, but it's not me, it's my crotch talking.
The retro-nasty WC edition, which I've got on my Klein, doesn't have the suede strip, by the way; if you don't mind a rainbow under your bum, you can avoid the deteriorating fuzz.
That's good to know, I thought they all had the suede on them. The shop also had a silver version with a red stripe down the middle - is this the one you're talking about?
Does anyone here buy the "wing flex" thing? In other words, has anyone here noticed the saddle actually breaking in to a shape that suits them after a couple of hundred miles or so? I haven't put enough distance on mine to tell yet.
Does anyone here buy the "wing flex" thing? In other words, has anyone here noticed the saddle actually breaking in to a shape that suits them after a couple of hundred miles or so? I haven't put enough distance on mine to tell yet.
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