Did saddle fit instructions work for you?

[Veloo]

In the market for a new saddle.
The Aliante and Aliante VS have been OK for a number of years but I'm curious if something else will work better.

Wondering if the recommendations like the ones Fizik and Fabric have for their flat and curved saddles for the type of riding/ position you take on have worked for you.

I'm pretty flexible and at times do ride low on the drops. I tried the Arione but didn't like it at all.

What's your experience?

[weiwentg]

The Aliante is for the most upright riding positions. The Arione is for the lowest riding position. Logically, it seems like you might want to try the Antares if you wanted something to support a lower position than you have, but you don't like the Arione.

A lot of shops have Fizik test saddles you can borrow for a day or two. I have the Arione, but my position has become more upright over the years. I tried out an Antares, and chances are that I'll switch to that when my Arione wears out. I'd say their recommendations seem to work for me in general. But that doesn't mean they must work for you.

[Malinois]

Seconding the Antares. It also has the same standard width as the Aliante at 142mm. One of the reasons for your discomfort on the Arione could be that it’s somewhat narrow at 130mm and could be forcing your sit bones into a less optimal seating position.

[macaroon]

The Aliante is for the most upright riding positions. The Arione is for the lowest riding position. Logically, it seems like you might want to try the Antares if you wanted something to support a lower position than you have, but you don't like the Arione.
.

The Arione is for people with a flexible spine (see Fizik spine concept), not necessarily the lowest riding position.

Curved saddles like the Aliante are great for a lower riding position as they allow more rotation in the pelvis.

If you like the Aliante, I'd try a Giant Contact Forward, the SL model has Ti rails and is usually available for little money on ebay as people take them off new Giant bikes.

Fabric curved saddle, Bontrager Serano, Specialized Romin are also worth a look.

[Peter P.]

No; fit recommendations from manufacturers, whether using flexibility or sit bone width, did not match my experiences with saddles.

[Dave]

The SMP guidelines worked for me. You choose saddle width by waist size. Someone like me who weighs 140 or less with a 30 inch waist should try a narrow model like the stratos.

Anyone carrying extra pounds might have to think back to their youth for that waist size.

If you want comfort choose standard or thicker padding. I tried the narrow width with minimal padding and couldn't handle it.