Fizik Antares
July 2nd, 2009 by Steve M
For as many years as I can remember, I had been a fan of the Selle San Marco Strada Titanio saddle. Yeah, back in the 80’s, I can recall putting in what I thought were comfortable miles on the then ubiquitous Turbo, before discovering the more distinctive Rolls saddle. But then I discovered the Strada and it was love from the first time it supported my backside. I am not sure exactly how many of those Strada saddles I used over the years, but I really liked ‘em. One might think that with something so comfortable, Selle San Marco would have just kept on making them… Nothing good ever really lasts. Discontinued years ago, the supplies of those Strada finally have been fully depleted. As of a few years ago, only used ones could be found, even on that venerable auction site, where once could be found the occasional “new old stock”.
Time to get over it and move on! Over the last several years, I have tried NUMEROUS top end saddles in what was beginning to feel like a futile search for that old faithful friend. While I haven’t tried everything out there, I certainly tried a LOT of them. Selle San Marco, Selle Italia, Specialized, Fizik… I tried all of their selections. Flite, Flite Gel, Body Geometry, Alliante, Arione, Arione Tri, and more such that right now I can’t even remember.
Most recently, for riding comfort, I really thought that the Fizik Alliante was a winner. With a tail section slightly wider than the Fizik Arione, it offered a very comfortable perch. The somewhat narrow nose allowed plenty of clearance for pedaling. It was a reasonable saddle did offer a comfortable riding position. What I did not like about it was this. Viewed from the side, the Alliante does not have a very flat profile. This produces a definite hammock effect in the rear part of the seat. Yes, the single position that it offers is pretty comfy. But in situations such as climbing, sprinting or abrubt changes in speed when one might want to move forward on the saddle, suddenly one finds oneself removed from the sweet spot. Outside of that spot, there is certainly less to love. Just to be clear, if I were riding all day at tempo, it would be a pretty sweet seat and a nice perch from where to power the pedals.
If it weren’t for another Fizik offering, I’d likely still be using that Alliante. But thankfully, Fizik listened to feedback from the masses who wanted more for their… The Arione was already very popular amongst the pro riders. Viewed from the side, the Arione has a very flat profile allowing the rider to slide back and forth depending on the situation. The only drawback to the Arione is that it is a somewhat narrow seat. Many riders, especially the more mature rider (into the 30’s and beyond), find that it just does not adequately support their iscial tuberosities, aka the sit bones. So here is where Fizik has put it all together. The Antares is their latest offering. Viewed for the side, it is a much flatter saddle than the Alliante and thus offers the rider the ability to slide to different positions on the saddle for different riding conditions. Slightly wider than the Arione, it offers great support. The nose is still narrow enough to allow easy and free pedaling. In short, for me, the Fizik Antares is a great saddle that works. Comfortable enough to conquer the rough roads, light enough for any ascent… on the rivet or off, this is just a great seat.
The really good news is that we offer a Fizik demo program to let you try before you buy. Which Fizik is right for you? Come on down and let’s get a new comfy seat on your bike.
We have Fizik Antares, Arione, and Alliante available for a free test ride.
