Fizik Test

[Virgil Gardiner]

TheRipstop fabric seemed to hold up well against water. There were plenty of small streams that had formed on the trails of the Lakes and before the shoes were fully submerged and water infiltrated over the top of the shoe, my foot remained dry. Once they were fully submerged, the fabric does allow them to drain and dry relatively quickly which is always welcome on any multi-day trips. Whilst they were not tested in any extreme heat conditions, they certainly felt breathable and lightweight enough to handle higher temperatures.

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With gravel-focused saddles becoming the norm, the new Fizik Terra Argo X5 is a great early player in that space. Without question, I would hop on this saddle and pedal away for 100 miles or more. It has proven comfortable and easy to live with for a reasonable price.

If your iPhone is big enough, it should span from the tail to the nose of the saddle. If not, simply get a clipboard or book that can span the entire saddle and set your level or phone on top to measure the angle.

The PRO Stealth Offroad is a great saddle too. This Fizik has been pretty good, but I most often have luck with Ergon and Bontrager saddles. The Ergon SR Comp and the Bontrager Verse Elite have both been great for me. I am just starting to test the new Ergon SR Allroad saddle and will let you know.

That, however, is something of a shame as a beautiful bike needs a beautiful saddle. However, the curse of saddles is that they have to suit you, or at least be a little comfortable so you can, metaphorically speaking, wear yourself and the saddle into each other. Fortunately, in this case I found the Arione 00 rather comfy; indeed it has been out on pretty much every long winter ride I have completed since the start of December.

The twin-finish microtex material seems resistant to abrasion and is the right side of grippy; you can sit comfortably without sliding around, but can also move forward or back easily without rising from the saddle.

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If what the best racers in the world use has any impact on what you desire in life, then a Fizik saddle should be on your wish list given that they are the saddles used by both the Sky and Movistar teams.

Fizik was born 22 years ago under the Selle Royale roof when the more mainstream saddle maker decided to give it a go at building a performance-driven, handmade saddle. A visit to the massive parent factory in Veneto, Italy, will find one small section of the warehouse-sized space dedicated to the workforce who assemble the saddles one at a time.

In addition to the shape, the latest development is their take on the growing trend of saddles focused on perineal pressure relief. Fizik has two of these Versus models available: the Open and the Evo. The Open features a rigid nylon shell with a cutout hole in the center of the saddle, while the Evo is built around a compliant nylon shell with a channel that runs through the length of the saddle.

The Aliante adds a deep foam for the padding and a hand-wrapped microfiber cover. The 139mm-wide saddle hit the RBA scales at 187 grams, Fizik offers a slightly wider 148mm version that offers even greater compliance.

The Evo design proved ideal for test riders with a penchant for long days in the saddle. Its flexible shell and deep foam noticeably reduced the bumpy ride of imperfect roads. About the time sensitive parts typically go numb during a ride, our test riders were still pedaling comfortably.

In addition to a regular version that has no relief system, there are actually eight versions of the Aliante, with the most price-conscious starting at $149 and going up to the $400 Aliante 00 Versus, which, at a claimed weight of only 20 grams lighter, seems a tad rich.

Over the last six years snub-nosed, short saddle designs have exploded in popularity, and saddle makers acted quickly to adapt to the demand for the practical benefits the limited surface area has. As riders found the increased comfort in more aggressive positions that the short saddle provided, more favorable old-world saddle makers did their best to respond with their own take on the shortened design.

We paired the Selle San Marco Aspide Short Open-Fit Carbon FX against the Aidon to compare the differences in ride quality between a performance-oriented design and the more comfort-oriented Fizik Aidon, as well as highlight the benefits on the road of each.

The shell also uses a wave-tail design where the rear of the shell is raised similar to the iconic wavy designs of Selle SMP saddles. The most striking design feature is the mud flap that covers the center 7cm-long cutout.

Fizik used their Type 2 foam padding, which is 1.5cm thick and soft compared to the Selle San Marco and other traditional road saddles. The soft padding is progressive with more foam in the rear. This complements the waved tail design to help promote an upright riding position rather than an aggressive aerodynamic posture. The compliance engineered in the construction is in line with many stock e-bike saddles, and so is the 260-gram weight, but the benefits of the cush design were evident when we began pushing the pedals.

A highlight of the Aspide line is the focus on a lightweight design. Our scales tipped at 156 grams for the Aspide Short. While this is heavier than the 104-gram Aspide Superleggera we tested five years ago, the Aspide Short is half the price of the $500 Superleggera. Anatomically concerned weight weenies may want to consider the 139mm-wide, narrower version of the Aspide short, which Selle claims weighs 5 grams less than our tester.

Selle uses their Biofoam padding which is thick at the tip and progressively denser further back on the saddle. The padding is about 1cm thinner than the Fizik throughout, which is where some of the 105 grams in weight difference comes from.

Due to the thick padding setting, the saddle height took some more time than usual. It took a couple of tries to properly set saddle height, as the angular design of the padding was hard to measure. And once the saddle appeared to be right, the thick padding would compress, necessitating a readjustment.

Our test riders logged multiple four-plus-hour rides all with positive notes on how comfortable the Aidon was late in the day. The padding helps riders float over bumps and cracks in the road just as well as roots and ruts in the dirt. Our heavier test riders preferred the extra padding for the bigger bumps.

Thanks to the more traditional road-style padding, seat positioning was straightforward, just be mindful that the over-sized 7x9mm carbon rails are compatible with your seat clamp. Extra padding on the negative-angled nose of the saddle promotes an aggressive, forward aerodynamic position, like a Specialized Power saddle.

The 18cm-long central cutout relieved pressure from the perineal in nearly every position, especially the most aerodynamic. However, the stiff rails paired with the mid-flex mold provided little relief on the road, which adds up on long rides.

We break it down like this: aggressive riders would likely prefer the Selle, while cyclists who prefer a more relaxed, upright position may prefer the Fizik. On long rides, the Selle lagged behind the Fizik for comfort, but the 100 grams in weight savings does add up in terms of effort exerted.

The real question posed by both saddles is whether shorter is better. Just as disc brakes have kicked rim brakes to the history books, short saddles are pushing their long-nosed brethren to the margins of popularity. Other than a few stalwart old-timers, RBA test riders opt for the weight savings, stiffness, style and centralized seating position found with short saddles.

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At the beginning of November 2023, Fizik presented new Nanuq GTX winter cycling shoes. This model is designed for riding bike in low temperatures, rain and even deep snow. We received 2 pairs of them for winter testing. One version for SPD pedals and the other prepared for use platform pedals. Since winter came early to Poland this year, we already have some first impressions of using both versions of Fizik Nanuq GTX shoes.

After the first snow test, I found that the comfort of riding in Fizik Nanuq winter shoes was so good that as long as it was frosty and there was melted mud, I decided to commute to work by bike. When I used them on a daily basis I felt that they are not light sports footwear. The additional insulated layer and the higher structure weigh a bit and the riding feeling is slightly different than in the light and low Ergolace GTX model. However, in this case, comfort was the most important thing. During everyday use, I appreciated the BOA system, which allowed me to easily and quickly adjust the shoe to my foot. The raised sock-shaped cuff is also designed in such a way that it does not interfere with the process of putting on shoes and does not prolonged it. The zipper on the inside is protected with a layer of material so that we do not cut our skin. You just need to push it well to the top and I have never had it slide apart while riding. When taking off your shoes, the loop at the back is very useful. It is so well made that we can pull it without any worries. Overall, Fizik Nanuq shoes seem very solid and well-made. The thick outer material is additionally rubberized and well protected against obstacles under the snow.

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