Fi'zi:k Arione Tri
Thursday, 16th September 2004
It is not often that you can lay claim to having something that everybody wants. Sure you have a nice bike and people may want one but usually there are hundreds about. But to have a product that is pre-production, sought after and very limited is very special.
The FI'ZI:K ARIONE TRI was becoming the most sought after piece of equipment in tri-land and became the hottest topic of discussion on several egroups. So it was something of a pleasant surprise when the first one in the UK, found its way to the top of my seat post.
LOOKS AND FEEL
When I originally unpacked the saddle from its somewhat understated white envelope, my first impressions were not favourable. The saddle looked like a reject from Saturday Night Fever with its flared silver sides and reminded me more of a mirror ball than a saddle.
Combined with this very individual appearance, the saddle was also slippery and gave the rider a feeling that the only place the saddle could be ridden was on the nose. This was mainly because wherever you sat on the saddle, thats where you ended up.
WEIGHT
The Arione Tri weighs a reasonable amount for a Tri saddle 280g, whilst on the heavy side compared to other saddles the specific nose comfort and aero position of the saddle balance the increased weight. Being able to stay in the aero positron, especially over the course of an IRONMAN race will save massive amounts of time, and is well worth the cost of a few grams.
RIDE IMPRESSIONS
First ride on the Arione was an odd experience. In tri shorts (minimal padding) the saddle was comfortable enough but sliding around on the saddle made it impossible to find a comfortable position.
For the second ride the saddle was adjusted more like a tri specific saddle (nose flat) than a traditional Arione. Some riders may prefer the slippery cover but for myself, I like to be stuck to a saddle. If I want to move I will move. I don't want the saddle to move me. But used, nose flat the saddle was much more comfortable.
It is always worth remembering that the Arione TRI saddle is best ridden in the aero position. When I tried to ride this saddle as a normal saddle it was never comfortable but fully aero the saddle was comfortable and stable.
Overall a very smooth ride, however one of the major selling points is the increased length. This begs the question, does a tri specific saddle designed to be ridden in one position need the increased length?
Where this saddle came into its own was hilly triathlons. I ride a steep 78 degree tri bike, which isn't a good a bike when it climbs. With the saddle on a centre mount post, it was possible to maintain a steep aero position but have a useable climbing position.
Long term
As mentioned earlier, I have been fortunate to be riding this saddle for several months now, and things have improved over time. Admittedly is has taken some time to find the perfect position for this saddle but once dialed in, every ride has been comfortable.
One of the main reasons for the change was setting the saddle on a turbo trainer rather than on the road, where I ride slightly more aggressively. This meant that I was still moving forward on to the saddle and leaving more and more of the nose behind me.
I also gave up on the idea of climbing on this saddle, instead I got a 12-27 cassette and taught myself to begin spinning up all but the major hills in the aero position (think Ulrich up Alpe D'Huez only a lot, lot slower).
Conclusion
It may sound like I did not like the saddle, I did, and it still remains on my tri bike. However having switched to the Arione tri from a traditional Arione I wanted something more. Switching from a regular road saddle to the Arione was like night and day, switching to the Arione tri was not. It was good but did not make the impact that the original Arione made.
It is worth noting however that any contact points between you and your bike are very personal ones and should be carfully considered and tested if possible. We are looking to get the saddle on test with another tester and also test the competion, namely the Sella Italia SLP T1 and the Selle San Marco Aspide Triathgel that started the revolution in Tri Specific saddles.
EQUIPMENT USED
Litespeed Saber
Thomson seat post
USE Alien TI seat post
Mavic Kyrisums SSL
Planet X Tubeless Clinchers 700 * 23 (120psi)