I am sure this subject has been beaten and asked a 1000 times. I used a Selle Anatomica X saddle on my Trek Domane for a year or so. I like the saddle but its not sleek or light. After a long cold winter (still winter out BTW), I started looking around for a sleeker but comfy saddle. I started with Fizix and found the Aliante R3 Bull. Looking at Fizik's website, i determined that Bull is the way to go because I am not flexible and I move around quite a bit while pedaling. Someone correct me if I am wrong but I assumed that Bull is for people like me.

The other option that I found is the Fizik Aliante Gamma saddle.

I realize that saddles are very personal and everyone is different. However, I would like to know if "sit bones" are a good way to select a saddle, Is there a saddle that has more cushion, yet remains light? is Fizik's spine concept somewhat accurate? Do saddles have a break in period?

Due to my age (60) and back problems (broken back and neck in car wreck several years ago) I assumed I'd need the "bull" type configuration Fizik illustrates. But I'm more comfortable on what Fizik calls a chameleon type saddle, the in-betweener.

I tried some friends' saddles with the more pronounced upsweep or up-flare in back but rather than tilting my pelvis appropriately, it just felt like the saddle was conspiring with gravity to shove me forward onto the nose. Same with the old school Selle Turbo shape saddles. Couldn't get along with 'em.

Anyway, since early February I've been riding a Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio, their entry level saddle in that configuration. It's pretty close to the Fizik Antares I've seen at the LBS. Minimal padding, no perineum relief cutout, 131mm wide. Suits me fine. I usually wear AeroTech Pro shorts with minimal padding (I weigh 158 lbs at the moment, trying to get down to 155).

Most folks I know locally who ride Fiziks love 'em. Different models and configurations, some with the perineum relief channel, some not, some appear to be a bit more padded. All but one person, who switched to ISM and similar saddles.

No idea about the Fiziks long term but I'd be surprised if any sort of break in applied to my Selle Italia. The construction and material appear to be designed to remain predictable, not conform. If it's not comfortable after fit adjustments and rider adaptation, it's probably not going to get any better. During the first couple of weeks I switched between my minimally padded AeroTech Pro shorts and more heavily padded Pearl Izumi with the sculpted 3D sorta padding, but soon adapted to the saddle and haven't needed much padding. But my rides are usually 20-40 miles. Longer rides might be different, we'll see.

If I make any change at all it'll be the same type of saddle with either a perineum relief cutout or channel. Other than that, I'm satisfied.

But for my hybrid I'd sure like to try a Selle Anatomica. Tried 'em on friends' hybrids. Very comfy.

<div style="text-align:left;">Saddle choice so personal. I used the factory seat on my Domane for about the first month, then couldn't sit it comfortably. I ended up with a Brooks B17 Imperial...not sleek or light, but who am I kidding when I plop my 61yo, ~200lb semi-athletic pear body on it anyway? LOL. Volumes written on that, so won't go there other than to uncheck break-in and proper angle to get you on the aft part of the saddle...challenges both. Rode it in a century at the end of season last year...all good. Tinkered with bike, lost my adjustment this spring...got it dialed in again, riding the Up the Creek at Rome, Ga (53mi) yesterday in comfort. That said, I have Koobi's on my hybrid frankenbike and my MTB (that one's over 20 yrs old)...if you call, they will work with you on saddle choice. I have Selle of some genre on my spin bike. The Fizik's look good---does your LBS have any loaners to try/test?</div>

I have a Selle Anatomica C-Series on my Cervelo, which is light, has no padding at all, and is within 90% of the comfort level of an SA leather saddle. As with things that go fast, saddles follow a similar three rule, something like "Cheap, light, comfortable... pick 2." That C-Series would never be accused of being cheap. But I have not for a single second regretted spending the money on it.

If you like a saddle, do not replace it just because you think it's too heavy. That weight is meaningless.

The Company says so, its their product.. I have discontinued Fizik Saddles* , not the one that you looked at,
online not in person, I assume.. I wont be eitting on your saddle , you will.
*Vitesse, their unisex saddle.. [ I got, old stock, of a batch they made for Brompton )

My Road Bike has a SM 'Rolls' when I dont put my Brooks Team Pro On, [ its a C&V RB-1 ]
Fizik is all manufactured materials, no break-in happens, the leather sling saddles you find too heavy are the ones that conform to tour backside better after a break in period..

I have 20 + years of riding my Brooks saddle .. on various bikes ..

Our local has saddles to try and sit on 1st 'hand',
IDK what brands are sold near you.. If they wanted to order Fizik Saddles our neighborhood shop has a dealer account with Highway 2.. distributing importer, selling to retail shops..




....

I have a Sella Anatomica and my arse and man parts couldnt be happier. I went from a 159g Toupe to the heavier SA and Im still just as slow

"If you like a saddle, do not replace it just because you think it's too heavy. That weight is meaningless."

Was not so much about weight but the Selle Anatomica saddle is longer. Being shorter, thinner (BONEY), the man parts lay on the saddle as well. The RIVET leather saddles look very interesting. If nothing pans out, I will stick with the Selle Anatomica.

"I have a Sella Anatomica and my arse and man parts couldnt be happier. I went from a 159g Toupe to the heavier SA and Im still just as slow"

I am just as slow also!

I have a Specialized Power with a short nose and a cut out on my back-up bike. Wasn't too bad

The nice thing about Fizik is that you can find a dealer who will let you test ride them... I think I gave them a week at a time until I discovered that I hate Fizik saddles. I ended up with a Specilaized Romin Evo... got sick of that after a year or two and did the selle italia spine curve thing and got a SLR Max Flo. Now that saddle is on my backup bike and the Romin Evo is back on my main ride and I love it again. Actually my new bike came with a Fizik antares and THAT was so bad I had them put the Romin on so I could test ride the bike.

Go figure. There's no way anybody else can pick a saddle for you though, your butt is the only one who gets to vote.

I think I've test ridden every Fizik saddle there is, and found them all to be varying degrees of terrible. Ergonomics of a 2x4. But they work for a lot of other people.

Fabric makes their saddles in 3 profiles, Flat, Shallow, and Radius. Flat is the flattest (you don't say?), while Radius is very curved. Each offers different amount of support and comfort, depending on how you sit on them. What I like about this is the 3 profiles will be the same on each saddle shape, so you can try one until you find the shape AND profile that works best for you. I was having the hardest time trying to find a saddle that worked for me the last time I needed to replace it, and I was buying different saddles from many different companies. Well obviously each of these companies' saddles were not all comparable, from the padding to the shape to almost everything, and nothing was working for me. When I tried Fabric, I first tried the Flat profile, and I hated it. So then I tried Shallow, and it turned out to be perfect for me. So, give Fabric a try, read the info on their site on what profile is suited for your riding style, and start there. If you don't like it, try going with a different profile, and hopefully you find one that works for you.

I'm intrigued by the kontact saddle. Any first hand (ass) experience? Isn't there someone here by that name?

I recently got a Fabric Scoop Flat, it was only $55 from biketiresdirect.com so I thought wth I'll try it out, it's been great, I found the totally flat profile works for me. I have the nose tilted slightly down(I'm still adjusting this btw). This saddle does not have a cutout, I wasn't so sure about this in the beginning but I think with the tilt I'm slowly adjusting to it now. Looks wise I think it's pretty slick, very minimalist.

My previous saddle was a Specialized Power.

I'm also eyeing the Selle Italia SLR Superflow.

All I know about saddles is when I got my rear end measured it was a game changer.
I ended up with an appropriately sized Specialized Phenom.

OP: "I used a Selle Anatomica X saddle on my Trek Domane for a year or so. I like the saddle but its not sleek or light. After a long cold winter (still winter out BTW), I started looking around for a sleeker but comfy saddle."



SA C-SERIES SADDLE ~$399.00 on amazon

www.berk-composites.com Berk-Lupina-Padded/custom-carbon-saddle

Fabric is the new Fizik.

Take the saddle fitting tools with a grain of salt. Everyone I used recommended a semi-round shape and every one of those was not comfortable. I then tried a flat shape and have been much happier. Do not just look at the fore-aft shape but also the side to side curve. There is a good article by Cervelo addressing saddle selection, should be easy to find via Google.

Since no one has, I'll jump in with the obligatory SMP recommendation. Just go try one out if there's a dealer within a reasonable distance. (They have a trial saddle program.) I mean, as long as you're saddle shopping, why not?

After a couple of years and a couple dozen saddles, I tried out an SMP Drakon, and it was the perfect saddle for me. It's not particularly light, but it sure is sleek! Lol. Some people are put-off by their odd shape, but for me it works perfectly. I can get on it after having been off the saddle all winter, put in 40 miles, and have no discomfort of any sort. Might work for you, too, as long as you're on a quest!

I got along really well with my Fabric saddle on my old bike. For some reason I was confused and thought it was flat, so, when I saw another one on sale, I bought it, in flat. I injured my lower back in the weight room recently, and the flat saddle did not work for me! To the point that I took a month off from the bike after that ride. Shallow is actually what I liked last time around, and will be here tomorrow.

By the way, backcountry.com has the Fabric Scoop Ultimate on clearance right now.

Brooks have a break-in period. Most others (except the imitations in some cases) have little to none.

Like you, I got the Aliante R3 Bull because I fit the description (I can't touch my toes; I can barely reach my knees, in the words of Phil Ochs). The degree to which that saddle hurt defies description (at least with the word censor in place here). I put electrical tape on the rails, and was very careful not to mark it up in any way, so I was able to return it.

Maybe all that spurious punctuation hurt my arse.

Start with an accurate measure of your ischial protuberances (sitz bones). If the saddle is too wide or narrow, you are doomed. If it is sized correctly, at least you have some chance of coming out with a winner.

What's weird is I came from exclusively flat saddles with a cutout. The Scoop Shallow has neither, but works best for me...go figure. And I even have a more aggressive position now too, for which the Flat is supposed to be the best. So, who knows, but it works, so I'm now in the process of changing out all my saddles with the same one. Hard to go back and forth now...it's just setting them up just right takes more time than I like.