MrAmazin17

Hey,

Does anyone out there have a Fizik Arione saddle or ridden one? I have been thinking about getting one, but am not sure if the "wing flex technology" is really worth it. I have a Selle San Marco Era Luxe that came stock on my Trek 2300, but I want to upgrade. Any help would be appreciated,thanks!

ajst2duk

I will be glad to chip in
YES I do have an Arione and it is the single best chunk of dough I have spent on bike stuff so far. I love it, amazing comfort on longer (60km+) rides, have done a few metrics & a century so far. No-one, I mean no-one is going to prize this thing off me. Wing flex as far as I can see, allows freedom of thigh movements, I have never had chafing with this saddle. The other benefit is length, plenty of rail room for adjustments, and plenty of room to move around on during the longer rides.

TCR

I heard tons of good things about them so I went ahead and bought one. I fell in love with it almost immediately and it turned out to be the softest 35 miles on my butt ever. Then after another ride, a 50+ miler with a fast group, I decided I didn't like it. It was just too soft and cushiony for me. I kept finding myself wanting to sit back in it and bending my lower back, which I try not to do because of a weak lower back. Long story short, I tweaked my knee, my back has been killing me for the past week, and I'm now back to my good 'ol trusty SLR.

skydive69

I have one on my TT bike. When I first got it, I found it a bit uncomfortable - I was used to a Specialized Alias on my road bike. By the time I had about 200 miles on it, I loved it. I raced it for the first time this weekend, and it was great! BTW, be advised that you can get them in other than black. I got one with a red stripe down the middle to match my bike - it is their limited edition, but sells for around the same price as the standard Arione. I highly recommend the saddle.

Serpico

I had a Selle Era that came stock on my bike, it is a notoriously bad saddle (mention it to any lbs next time you're there--they'll cringe).

I replaced it with the Arione and love it. Saddles are a very personal thing though, but many have found their saddle issues solved with the arione.

check out this link

BikeSport Michigan "Saddle Breakthrough: Fizik Arione"

good luck

jedi_rider

I got the saddle for because the longer rails gives me more fore and aft options. It's comfy on long rides.

gordo23

what type of a build are you? The Arione is best for slim riders. I have one and it is the best money i have ever spent on my bike. It offers a variety of positions and it really lets you get back in the saddle for big climbs. I think it is money well spent.

blandin

I have the Arione on 3 out my 4 road bikes. I absolutely love it, and I am not slim - 6'1" and 220 lbs., so I say it's for everyone.

1by1

I also have one and love it. I am fairly light and thus not supple in the back region... so, a comfortable seat is a must for me. Buy this seat...you will not be dissapointed.

OB1

mine is awesome.

ajst2duk

Good to see the fan club out in force.

mnutini

I'll second that, I'm 6'1" 238lbs. I love mine. I don't know about how the flex wings are working. The extra length and it being a firmer saddle helped the problems I was having.

jlin453

The Arione fan base is second only to the Brooks fans.

gpelpel

I used to have a Arione and liked it a lot because of its length allowing variable positions and its comfort. However I have wide seatbones and on long rides I felt too much pressure on the soft tissues between the seatbones. The Aliante was much worst though. I am now using a Specialized Alias 143 that support my seatbones perfectly without any pressure on the soft tissue even after a century. It is however quite hard. So I am waiting for a Selle Italia Gel Prolink to see if it's better than the Alias.
If you fit the Arione, by no mean go for it. I think it's the best saddle out there.

cryogenic

I tried riding mine without padded shorts... oh my GOD it hurt so bad. Got some padded shorts with a chamois and it's considerably better, though my butt still hasn't adjusted. It didn't hurt after my 22 mile ride yesterday, but I stood up every 5 minutes or so when it started to hurt.

SF Biker

I bought the Arione and just did a 105 mile ride on it (it was supposed to be a century but we got lost on one part). Anyway, it is the most comfortable saddle that I have ridden on.

It is super sensitive to slight angle adjustments so for those who didn't like it maybe it was an angle issue?

blandin

Maybe so, but the Arione Fan Club's secret handshake is really much cooler.

Peek the Geek

Bike shop guy was pushing the Arione on me when I ordered my new bike. I had heard good things, but he was charging $140 for the saddle, so I didn't buy. I ended up buying one, still in the package, from ebay for about $90. It's definitely comfortable for me. More so than my Selle Italia Flite, which I was fairly happy with.

Knowing what I know now about how it feels, would I pay $140 for the Arione? No. Would I pay $90 again? Yes.

forum*rider

I have Ariones on both of my road bikes. Excellent saddle.

ManBearPig

I just switched from the Aliante to the Arione. Best I can tell, the Arione is made from the same last as the Aliante, only it has the extra extension in back. They feel very similar to me, although the Aliante had slightly more give due to the hammocking, and might have been 5% more comfortable.

The Arionne looks much cooler. I also have the red-stripe one, which goes well with my red/white frame, red-striped Carbon tires, and red/black bar tape. The saddle really ties my bike together well.

I have a theory why more people on this forum seem to prefer Arione over the Aliante -- because the Arione is more affordable (more people will buy), and because the Arione is spec'd OEM on many bikes (more in circulation).

adamfresno

had one and hated it. my sit bone doesnt rest well on it and it wedges up my crack and puts a lot of presure on sensitive parts. I have a SLR now and love it, light and no numbness or pain. Its flatter, but has less surface i think. the arione is a good saddle, but it all comes down to your arse. Good luck, hope it works out.

climbo

rode SLR for 2 years, got an Arione for free, rode it for 3 weeks, got rid of it. The SLR is much better for me. The Arione is too long, I kept getting caught on the nose of it when moving in and out of the saddle. I also prefer a very flat saddle like adamfresno up there, so the SLR is great for me.

Bottom line is find a saddle that works for you and buy a few of them immediately.

gknep

Switched to an Arione about a month ago. Love it.

orthoclase

My Jamis Comet came with a Fizik Pave, which was a little too narrow for me. I tried a Terry Ti Race, a Ti Race Gel, and a Specialized Body Geometry, but they weren't very comfortable. I also considered the Specialized Alias, but I saw in several reviews that they were hard as rocks. I liked the styling of the Arione, so I tried it. Man, what a difference! Instead of continually "evaluating" the other saddles as I was riding (read, trying to get situated so either my sit bones were positioned properly or my crotch would continue to get a blood supply), I found that after about 5 minutes of the "new" Arione, I wasn't even thinking about it. Then before I knew it, I had ridden about 10 miles and I thought, "Hey, I forgot to think about how this saddle feels". It's that good.

One final self-effacing note: Imagine my wife's surprise when she came out into the garage late one night and I'm sitting on a low pine board with my shorts around my knees, vaseline smeared on my butt, trying to get a good measurement of my sit bone width. "Really, honey, I was just..."

Jaco

I highly recommend the Arione. I agree that saddles are a very personal thing, with no one saddle that is good for everyone, but I think the Arione tends to work for many people. I'm 5'10" and 140 lbs and the saddle is great for sitting back on for climbing or sitting on the very tip to power through the straights. The amount of seating positions available on the Arione is amazing and it is a very comfortable saddle to boot. The break in time is very short, at least for me.