Can anyone sort out the various Arione saddles?

[Climb01742]

Reading the descriptions of the different Arione saddles, it's hard to figure out what separates the various models. Yeah, some have carbon rails, but of the ones that aren't crazy spendy -- those with Kium rails -- how do the R3, R5 and the Classic differ? Any opinions or thoughts appreciated.:beer:

[sitzmark]

Cover material(s), more flexible thigh glides (R3), and lighter weight (shell design/material).

[cadence90]

I love the Ariones, but it is really frustrating trying to figure out all the various iterations over the last few years. Plus, their custom program used to be better.

[quauhnahuac]

are these comfortable? what's the equivalent of the selle slr? it's not quite doing it for me and I wouldn't mind trying an arione

[miguel]

I really like the arione
I have the vs and the vsx
I feel that the vs is easier to break in than the vsx

[chiasticon]

total mystery to me. they have really stupid branding, but make great saddles.

I'll say this tho: I *think* the R3 has carbon shell but the standard rails, whereas R5 has same rails and plastic shell. I only know this because I stupidly broke an R3 in a "superman" style cx remount (d'oh!) and I remember seeing the fractured carbon and wondering why I was using that saddle for cx. I have like five R5's now. price is right and they ride great.

had an arione cx as well. basically same as R5 I think, but the covering was slippery, which I disliked.

[cadence90]

Even looking at Fizik's site, I'm still a bit confused, because there is no mention of the manganese rails anywhere, and I am holding a manganese-railed R5 right now. There may be manganese R3s too, not sure, but there definitely used to be ti-railed models, along with the kium stuff.

And these are only for 2016! There were different variations in the past, before they got into the whole "R" thing, except only kinda/sorta because the top of the line isn't R0, but rather 00. :confused:

I think the older cover material (I guess it is the Alcantara on the "Classic"?) was better than the new stuff.

I just wish they would allow more custom options on the "Classic".
Some of the great older colors are nigh on impossible to find these days.

The various new shell material designations are a bit crazy.

ARIONE 00
Shell: Full Carbon double shell construction Wingflex
Rail: Mobius Carbon Braided 7x9 mm
Cover: Thermowelded Black Microtex 00 Design
Weight: 140 gr
Dimensions: 300x132 mm

ARIONE R1
Shell: Composite carbon co-injected Nylon WingFlex
Rail: Carbon Braided 7x9 mm
Cover: Thermowelded Black Microtex
Thigh Glides: Black Gummy Microtex
Weight: 145 gr
Dimensions: 300x132 mm

ARIONE R3 CARBON-BRAIDED
Shell: Composite glass co-injected Nylon WingFlex
Rail: Carbon Braided 7x9 mm
Cover: Thermowelded Anthracite Gummy Microtex
Thigh Glides: Thermowelded Black Microtex
Weight: 165 g
Dimesions: 300x132 mm

ARIONE R3 K:IUM
Shell: Composite glass co-injected Nylon WingFlex
Rail: K:ium
Cover: Thermowelded White Microtex
Thigh Glides: Black Microtex
Weight: 185 g
Dimesions: 300x132 mm

ARIONE R5
Shell: Carbon reinforced Nylon WingFlex
Rail: K:ium
Cover: Thermowelded Black Microtex
Thigh Glides: Black Microtex
Weight: 205 gr
Dimensions: 300x132 mm

ARIONE CLASSIC
Shell: Carbon reinforced Nylon WingFlex
Rail: K:ium
Cover: Alcantara Black Microtex
Thigh Glides: Black Microtex
Weight: 225 gr
Dimensions: 300x132 mm

[MaraudingWalrus]

I had an old Arione CX that was the best saddle I've ever ridden. On subsequent Ariones (and there have been many) none have quite recaptured the glory.


Oddly, a Selle Royale Seta S1 that came with my CAAD12 has been the closest things since - Selle Royale & Fizik seem to be the same company - and I've since hoarded about a dozen of them in black once they went on closeout.

[benb]

I'd love to know too.. heck I would love to walk into a dealer that had a display case that had all of them.

I bought 2 this year. One is clearly a classic, it has black covering with the suede stripe down the middle and Kium rails.

The other one I bought I think has the same shell, but it has Manganese rails and it has a red leather stripe instead of the suede. I picked this one up in a LBS so it could be old. I think this one is actually slightly comfortable and/or softer? Hard to tell which one is actually better but they feel different even though I have the 2 bikes set up almost exactly the same.

Not crazy about the suede.. it gets a smell.

Both of these are seemingly a little rough on the sit bones on really long rides.. I would love to try one that had a bit firmer padding under the sit bones I think and more flexible thigh glides.. I seem to be a bit sensitive to sitting too far back and I think more flexible thigh glides would help.

Both of the 2 I have on have had about 1000 miles of use.. I don't really see much signs of them breaking in at all. Maybe a teeny bit on one.

They are really good for me, I just have this vague feeling one of the 1000 variations might be "the one".

I guess the R3 is the one I should probably try as it still has the normal rails but has the different shell.. I don't think I want to deal with carbon rails.

[jmoore]

Fizik is almost as bad as Prologo when it comes to having too many different saddle models, all with the same name. Trying to figure out the differences is a colossal PITA.

[cadence90]

I had an old Arione CX that was the best saddle I've ever ridden. On subsequent Ariones (and there have been many) none have quite recaptured the glory.

Oddly, a Selle Royale Seta S1 that came with my CAAD12 has been the closest things since - Selle Royale & Fizik seem to be the same company - and I've since hoarded about a dozen of them in black once they went on closeout.
This is always the problem. Same name, different year, different (slightly) saddle. :crap:

Selle Royal started the Fizik brand in the 90s, and then later bought Brooks, Crank Bros, and a couple of other brands. Interestingly, Selle Royal was founded in the 50s by Riccardo Bigolin, and then in the 70s his brother, Giuseppe Bigolin, acquired Selle Italia, who now also control Selle San Marco. It pays to know about leather in the Veneto....

[DFORD]

Reading the descriptions of the different Arione saddles, it's hard to figure out what separates the various models. Yeah, some have carbon rails, but of the ones that aren't crazy spendy -- those with Kium rails -- how do the R3, R5 and the Classic differ? Any opinions or thoughts appreciated.:beer:


the arione tri is a nice saddle too.

[pdmtong]

The person to ask is KRHEA, the owner of more ariones on this forum than most of us combined. That said, I will give it a pre-"R Series" shot.

Original Arione.
manganesse or titanium rails.
wide center stripe. sometimes leather sometimes suede. (avoid the suede, does not wear well)
plastic shell
early ones no ICS clip. Later ones ICS clip
225g. sold today as the classic

Arione CX
Despite what Fizik claims, firmer saddle.
titanium, carbon, kium rails
no center stripe or narrow center stripe
ICS clip
205g. I think 'replaced" by the R3

Later higher end Arione models had carbon or carbon/kevlar shells and no ICS clip

As I have said many times, Arione is extremely tilt sensitive. When installing a new one I put a piece of electrical tape on the rail so I can replicate my setback while I make multiple tilt adjustments in the field on a ride. when the tilt is right for me, the saddle disappears. no frontal upward pressure, no feeling like I am sliding forward down off the back

I used to like Arione, but love the firmer CX. I am both tempted and hesitant to try the R3. What if I like it more? argh, then now I have to churn my CX installed/hoarded batch. I hoarded a few harder to find white/white kium CX (moots post) and a few impossible to find white/gold stripe CX to match a frame with gold accents. yes, it is a sickness but we all know how hard it is to find a saddle that works.

[Climb01742]

The person to ask is KRHEA, the owner of more ariones on this forum than most of us combined. That said, I will give it a pre-"R Series" shot.

Original Arione.
manganesse or titanium rails.
wide center stripe. sometimes leather sometimes suede. (avoid the suede, does not wear well)
plastic shell
early ones no ICS clip. Later ones ICS clip
225g. sold today as the classic

Arione CX
Despite what Fizik claims, firmer saddle.
titanium, carbon, kium rails
no center stripe or narrow center stripe
ICS clip
205g. I think 'replaced" by the R3

Later higher end Arione models had carbon or carbon/kevlar shells and no ICS clip

As I have said many times, Arione is extremely tilt sensitive. When installing a new one I put a piece of electrical tape on the rail so I can replicate my setback while I make multiple tilt adjustments in the field on a ride. when the tilt is right for me, the saddle disappears. no frontal upward pressure, no feeling like I am sliding forward down off the back

I used to like Arione, but love the firmer CX. I am both tempted and hesitant to try the R3. What if I like it more? argh, then now I have to churn my CX installed/hoarded batch. I hoarded a few harder to find white/white kium CX (moots post) and a few impossible to find white/gold stripe CX to match a frame with gold accents. yes, it is a sickness but we all know how hard it is to find a saddle that works.

Lots of good info here. Thank you. Speaking of tilt: what sort of tilt have you found works best? Slightly up? Slightly down?

If I take the plunge, the R3 is most tempting.

[buckfifty]

I believe the mangenese rails are OEM spec only models. Think I read somewhere that it was referred to as an R7 model, just to add more to the confusion

[pdmtong]

Lots of good info here. Thank you. Speaking of tilt: what sort of tilt have you found works best? Slightly up? Slightly down?
If I take the plunge, the R3 is most tempting.

By eyeball mine are dead flat level by they are all field adjusted. I will start with eyeball level then I literally will ride and adjust ride and adjust. It's a pita like it sounds but I've found even if I think I have it I over tilt it to re confirm that is the spot. I've never gotten one right without field adjustment. I wish single bolt seat posts had better tilt indicators. I'm 5'10 170 but of course that has no bearing on sit bone physiology

[Heisenberg]

00
|
CarbonZootZoot (Mobius rail). Also, a firmer shell and seems to be flatter. I have it. It rocks.

R1
|
Carbon shell, carbon rails. Almost as light as 00.

R3
|
Polycarbonate shell, carbon rails.

R5
|
Polycarbonate shell, alloy rails.

R7
|
Awful garbage, dispose of immediately.