Saddle advice needed.

[shinomaster]

Yes I'm back from Turkey alive and well and 2 kg more fat...(full report later)..
I'm going to replace my old flight saddle with either a Fizik Aliante or an Arione..
any thoughs on this? which is more comfy? More hard?

xxoo shino :banana:

[dirtdigger88]

shino- welcome back-

I recently replace my Flite Gel with an Arione- my only question is why did I wait- I had no intention of changing saddles- I had been using Flites for 10 plus years now- A while back I test rode a Cannondale Six13- I had been on my Legend for an hours or so when I took the Cannondale out for about 45 minutes- I did not really notice the saddle at the time (an Arione) on the Cannondale but when I got back on my Legend I right away noticed the difference between the Flite and the Arione- I realize saddle are very personal- but I like the Arione a lot- it is very flat- it gives you a lot of room to move around on- I like that- I have not ridden an Alinte- but I suspect you cant move around as much as the Arione since it is a cupped saddle- but I guess that makes it more like a Flite in the first place- did that help?

Jason

[Climb01742]

for me, the issue was shape. the arione is flatter across the top, while the aliante has more of a hammock shape. the extra length of the arione is nice, but doesn't impact comfort. they seem to have equal softness...the flex grooves on the arione didn't seem to add or subtract anything for me. i find the aliante to be the most comfy saddle i've ever parked my glutes on...but that's totally personal...and its hammock shape seems to be a big part of that. whichever you choose, go to fizik's website and get a cool color...they have lots of great shades.

welcome back!!

[Rich_W]

shino...

Aliente... Most folks agree its the most comfy saddle on the market... It has a very nice cradle shape... similar to the Flite. If you go with the carbon rail version... its light... about 190g.

Arionne... while not as comfy (or as light: 230 g) as the Aliente... its long... like a bananna seat for your road bike. Allows you to shift way back on the climbs for extra power. Its also a very flat saddle...

I used to swear by the Aliente... but then I modified a couple of Arionne saddles and made them into a more of a cradle shape. For lack of a better description... like a bananna... :banana:

What I do is heat the underside up with a heat gun, and bend it over a bench a few times... takes some trial and error... but it works... The heat stretches the plastic a little, giving the saddle more flex. Now, I get the comfort of the soft Aliente, with the length of the Arionne.

Yes, I'm wacked... I've also tried the same modifications on a Concours... my preference of year's past... works like a charm

[vaxn8r]

I'm going to replace my old flight saddle with either a Fizik Aliante or an Arione..

I tried a Arione saddle last week and I don't get the fuss. It wasn't a bad saddle but I didn't like it better than my Flite. Plus all my bikes have Flites. If it ain't broke, I don't want to make all those changes. It's so easy to make fit adjustments on bikes when they all have the same saddle. Finally I can get two Flites for the price of one Arione. Now if it was truly a better a saddle for me I might think about it.

[Ken Robb]

I like my Brooks saddles but I was amazed that the Arione is just as good and lighter by far.

[pale scotsman]

So Ken, would you say the Arione compares comfort wise to a B17? I'm not trying to be facetious as I am genuinely curious as I'm trying to shed some weight on one of my steeds.

Oh and shino did you bring back and or eat any pistachios in Turkey? My dad did a remote when he was in the service and brought back 5kg sacks of 'em when he came home. Mannnnn they were good.

Thanks!

[bcm119]

I've been on a max-flite-with-the cutout for years, and just tried the Aliante. I didn't like it. Mainly because there was alot of pressure on my taint, but if you're using an old skool flite then that probably won't be an issue for you. The other reason was that you can't scoot back on the Aliante, and I like saddles that you can slide around on. Try it, just make sure you can return it.

[Ken Robb]

well the relative comfort depends on whether I'm in my kilt or my shorts but the saddles are both very comfy for me. I do like the ability to slide back and forth on the Arione compared to other "modern" saddles.

[zap]

I went from original Flite to Aliante and comfort level went up. Great saddle.

Tested the Arione on one ride and it too was comfy but I could not get used to the additional length. For me it was a waste as I don't scoot much when transitioning between cruising and seated climbing.

[Jeff N.]

Neither. There is only one saddle for me: The Selle Italia Turbomatic 4...simply the best my 55 year old fanny has ever been on. And I've tried 'em all. I always come back to the Turbomatic. Jeff N.

[dirtdigger88]

Zap- very true statement- I do move back and forth quite a bit- the Arione was just what I was looking for- again- saddle are like yer- lady- you should pick one and stick with it- what's my wife gonna say about that? I have been using Flites for 10 years and I have been with her for 7- I guess she better enjoy the next 3 years while she can :D

jason

[pale scotsman]

Neither. There is only one saddle for me: The Selle Italia Turbomatic 4...simply the best my 55 year old fanny has ever been on. And I've tried 'em all. I always come back to the Turbomatic. Jeff N.

Which goes to show you everyone's butt is different. The turbo 4, while more comfortable than a flite for me, still felt like sitting on a 2x4 (sans kilt) after 2 hours for me. Yeeeouch!

[Kevan]

with the Arione saddle. EEEEOOOOUUUUCCCHHHHHHH!!!!

I'm thinking our supposed friend Jeff Weir lent me this saddle just to torture me. :D

[Ray]

I've tried both the Aliante and the Arione. The Arione was OK, but no better for me than a lot of saddles I've tried. Flat and firm with a lot of room to roam, but I don't roam all that much. The Aliante, otoh, is heaven on earth for me. It's not soft in the sense of being overpadded, but it flexes really well, a lot like a good leather saddle that's broken in. I also like the shape, with the dip in the middle and raised back. Allows me to really roll my hips without putting much pressure on the taint. It's all about personal preference, but I've never had any discomfort with the Aliante after several centuries and 70-80 mile rides. The only downside is the cost. I see that they have a new one out with a nylon shell instead of layered carbon. I wonder how that one would compare - it's still too expensive but not near as high as the original.

-Ray

[RichMc]

I found the Aliante to be very plush and comfortable but had a problem sliding forward on it. That is I was sliding forward all the time and had to keep pushing back. If I tilted the nose up enough to stop the slide then there was too much pain in the sacrum on a long ride. Went with the slightly more firm Arione and have been happy ever since.

[Jeff N.]

Which goes to show you everyone's butt is different. The turbo 4, while more comfortable than a flite for me, still felt like sitting on a 2x4 (sans kilt) after 2 hours for me. Yeeeouch!I find the GEL model helps for the long rides. And yes, everybutties different (nyuk...) Jeff N.