Originally Posted by
Road Fan
I've used the various older Toupe and Alias up to about 7 years ago, and I want to consider them again. I would be interested in getting one with gel in teh sitbones area. I already know I should use a 143.
Which one actually rides the best? The price range is huge, from a little over $100 up to $300. Is there a sweet spot in the product line? The main differences seem to be rail material, i.e. weight. Is that it?
The sweet spot is going to differ based upon your willingness to spend. I think that the Ti rail version is probably the best value, but I do have a carbon rail version, too. Both of the current carbon and Ti models indicate Level 2 padding, so I would expect that they'd be the same (my Toupes are both from different generations - I find my Ti one to feel stiffer, which I actually prefer). Also keep in mind seatpost/clamp compatibility - the carbon rails are ovalized, so they don't work with all posts/clamps.