cheeseflavor

It's no secret. I've got this thing about saddles. The Alias is STILL the saddle of reference for me. After buying the Troupe, I sold my beloved Alias (almost a year on this saddle) on eBay, and promptly started wishing I hadn't. I've put about 1,500 miles, including a 75 miler on the Toupe, but yet...

Anyway, last Saturday, Linda and I go to Erik's Bikeshop in Maple Grove. Naturally, I'm checking out saddles, and what do I see but a Speclialized Alias that somehow doesn't look like the Alias I know and love (and keep going back to). So, I dutifully pick it up and carry it up to the counter to ask the manager, Dan, what is the story with this Alias. Turns out, it's a 2007 model.

So, naturally, I bought it

It feels just like well, an Alias. but the familiar round pads where the sitbones rest and the stitching are gone, making for a smoother, and less shorts-wearing experience. Also, as there's no stitching to wear out, the saddle should look new longer.

So, here's a pic of my new 2007 Alias:



Steve

jazzy_cyclist

Looks a lot like my Avatar...

BTW, I now have about 1K miles on the E3 on my Look; I have to say that I like it quite a bit. I didn't have very high expectations for it originally, but there are other body parts that I obsess more about now (a good sign, I think).

Mojo Slim

Does it come in yellow?

cheeseflavor

Tried both of them. The Avatar definately didn't work for me. The E3 is an interesting saddle, but I found it too restrictive (I like to move around alot on the saddle). Do you find you have that problem?

Steve

wagathon

I have a Fizik Arione that I used once before it went into the saddle pile . . .

The Alias looks a lot like a hard cover Surfas that works for me for a while. After a while, the hard edges on the part surrounding the cut-out bugs me.

cheeseflavor

Why, as a matter of fact it does



Steve

NOS88

I love my Alias with the round pads. Is it worth getting the one without? I mean I don't want to wear my shorts thin prematurely! BTW, I'm thinking of starting a 12 step program for seat-aholics.

cheeseflavor

To be honest, I really can't feel a difference. Also, I've never worn a pair of shorts out because of my Alias. I have worn out the stitching on the Alias though. Maybe the changes are more for Specialized's benefit (cheaper to manufacture, etc.)?

But, I have the first one on my block

Steve

cheeseflavor

Marone! The Arione!

The only saddle that actually caused me pain. The one time I used it, I had to stand for most of the ride. Big mistake. I see many of the riders in the pro peloton use it, but then, they get paid to suffer.

Not me!

Steve

NOS88

The stitching on mine is getting pretty thin, and I've wondered why they went that route with it during the manufacturing. I'd be curious to know how the new one holds up over the next few months. I'm actually looking at getting a second one to put on a bike that I'll keep in the trainer this winter. I hate swapping seats back and forth.

kakman

I've just ordered a Terry - I pretty much had it down to this, an Alias or a Brooks but decided to try the lighter Terry first.

Must say I'm disappointed with their service though. Ordered on Saturday and then on Thursday received an email which asked that I confirm the order; as an international buyer I have to agree to pay any inbound taxes etc. So I send a confirmation and offer some suggestions as to how they could modify their web site to accomodate this confirmation.

Anyway, it's now the following Friday and I get another email asking me to confirm again. They're very apologetic but I'm afraid I'm very p#ssed. I suggested they send it priority but it remains to be seen when it might arrive - maybe for Xmas...

//k

BluesDawg

Cheese, I know you have tried Brooks saddles and that they don't work for you, so this is in no way an attempt to convince you to try again. What I will say, though is that I sure am glad that I found that the B17 works so well for me - if for no other reason than that I don't have to go through all this agony in search of a saddle that works. And I must say this too...my, that is one UGLY saddle!

Grampy™

I've probably got about 20 extra saddles..... to be honest I'm afraid to count them. My favorite is my Alias 155. The new one looks sweet. My Specialized dealer is only 4 blocks away...... must resist.....

BikerJoeP

Hmmm.......I have the Fizik Arione on all (3) of my road bikes. I went through at least a dozen saddles before I settled on Fizik which gives me no pain at all. To each his own I suppose

cyclezen

looks intersting
never liked the trend to stitching on saddles, an idea that never needed fulfillment.
I'm always looking for a modern sub for some of the vintage stuff I hold near and dear.
My stock of old crap is getting thin, so I;m eventually gonna have to find something Mod.
This thing come in 'widths', if not what width is yours?

Also that seat pack you have strapped on looks interesting, what is it?. It seems narrower than most down at the seatpost end. Most of the seatpacks with any kind of carry capacity are also too wide at that seatpost end and rub my shorts as I'm riding, creating real 'wear' and 'fuzz' up the shorts fabric.
Looking for a couple new seatpacks that are nicely narrow at that end.

BTW, just noticed your sig line, bikenaked - funny
crazy thing is everyone that knows me knows I'm always comparing things to "a sharp poke in the eye"
ride naked, definitely beats a poke in the eye

stonecrd

I have a 2006 which looks the same as this one. I have not been able to ride on the thing for more than 30 miles without discomfort in the sit bones (I did get measured). I am waiting to see if loosing some more weight helps or not. I did find less issues with numbness which is why I tried it to begin with. I tried for about 200 miles to get use to this saddle but it just didn't work out. Now I am riding the stock Bontreger Race seat that came on my bike, it has more padding and my butt feels better but I do get some numbess on occasion.

cheeseflavor

True. Saddles are very personal. The Arione didn't hurt immediately, but after about 10 miles, I knew I was in trouble

Steve

cheeseflavor

They come in three widths - 130mm, 143mm and 155mm. Mine is the 143mm. You can get sized at any Specialized dealer with a gizmo affectionately called the "assometer" and is essentially a memory foam pad that, once sat upon for a minute or so, gives you your recommended size.

Had the same problem. This one is a Serfas RD-2 Saddle Wedge. Seems to work just fine. It'll hold a tube, a Park Tool multi-tool, a Co2 inflater with 2 cartridges and my keys. It's narrow and doesn't interfere with my legs when I'm cycling. Also, I don't hook my shorts on the velcro (very annoying).

It sure does. It's a website that I setup and maintain for Linda and I to post our blogs and some photos. There's also a few forums there, though I haven't promoted them at all to this point. If anyone is interested, please have a look around.

Later!

Steve

cheeseflavor

Don't fight it

Steve

Big Paulie

So what was your measurement? Mine was 145mm, but I haven't acted on buying a saddle, and am curious what would be the best width for 145 mm.

NOS88

I knew I was going to need the 155 before I ever saw the "assometer". During my first physical going out for cross country in 8th grade, the physican said, in front of 30 other kids my age, "You got the perfect wide hip structure for giving birth. It's a shame you weren't a girl." Irony is, my parents had nothing but girl's names picked out and took three days to find a name for me when I was born. Never did forgive that freaking doctor.

jazzy_cyclist

Yeah, there may be a bit of that -- I like to stand, but I don't move around a lot on the saddle (RoadBikeRider.com had the same criticism), but I've got to say that I have little or no numbness with it, even on centuries.

cyclezen

good, I'm good with a 143 also, but nothing much narrower. Width was the primary issue with the E3 ...
I'll see if my local dealer has a 143 I can use for a ride.

Thanks for the seatpack info, looks good. Yeah, with my seat setback my legs do come close to the post and anything hooked to it. That velcro snag is really annoying and tears up the shorts in no time.
It seems almost every shop in the area is a serfas dealer, so I shouldn;t have any problemos findin them.