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Fi'zi:k Aliante: The Mercedes S-Class of saddles
By Anthony Tan
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"It's so light-footed and graceful," says designer Dieter Futschik. Certainly, with its sporty yet elegant shape, coupled with its front-end design make it instantly recognisable as belonging to the new generation. It is therefore no wonder that it has won top marks internationally for its design. And at the annual design awards in 1999, it was voted "Most beautiful in the world."
Well Dieter Futschik designed the Mercedes S-Class automobile, and the statements above are from Mercedes-Benz; however the description could just as easily be in reference to the Fi'zi:k Aliante.
With their inception in 1996, Fi'zi:k are a relative newcomer to the market in comparison with its compatriots Selle San Marco and Selle Italia. What these companies do share however, is a real passion for their business, treating their employees as "family" rather than as workers.
This still doesn't explain the weirdo name: Fi'zi:k is actually the phonetic spelling for the word physique. OK, so where on earth do they come from? Fi'zi:k is an Italian brand, based in Vicenza, northern Italy, halfway between Verona and Venice (it must be a tough life for the Fi'zi:k family). Interestingly, for a country obsessed with superior looks and design, the design in fact comes from the good ol' USofA.
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As well as catering to people with different shaped bums, Fi'zi:k are one of the few companies to design saddles based on the average mileage cyclists accumulate over a calendar year. Just recently, Fi'zi:k have brought out a range of saddles catered to those of us who clock up less than 3,000km a year, which is where the majority of recreational cyclists fall into. Named Comfort Performance, these saddles have been designed specifically for people who don't have the muscle elasticity that one develops from serious training.
However there's still a helluva lot of us out there who don't mind racking up the miles and are serious racers - which brings me to the Fi'zi:k Aliante.
The Aliante is, by some margin, the best road saddle I have ridden on. And I've been through my fair share of saddles. Ever since my beloved Turbo keeled over in 1993 and was laid to rest, I have searched the world over for a worthy substitute. Wandering through bike shops from Chapel Hill, USA to Bassano, Italia - even as far as Dave Millar's old hang, the Flying Ball Bicycle Company in Hong Kong - going through the full range of Turbo Matics, Flites, Lites, Dues… yet I was left unsatisfied, and have wallowed in my own self-pity ever since.
It's OK now, Mummy's here, and she's brought just the right thing to cheer my tired butt muscles up: The Fi'zi:k Aliante.
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What makes the Aliante so good is they have not compromised comfort for a few extra grams of weight. 20 extra to be precise - which is how much extra the specially formulated gel padding developed by Bayer weighs in comparison to Fi'zi:k saddles sans gel (and yes, Bayer make more than just pesticides!).
Known as Twin Tech, it is a Y-shaped layer of gel padding comprised of a urethane gel matrix that is claimed not to break down, harden or separate. Additionally, Twin Tech does not allow your bum to feel the transition from the soft gel to the harder foam while riding, and uses different thickness gel inserts for even pressure distribution. Worried about these gel pads moving around? Don't. Every Fi'zi:k saddle is assembled, cleaned, and packaged by hand.
What about the shape? Comparisons are always difficult, but the shape of the Aliante is closest to the old-style Selle Italia Turbo or Super Turbo, where there is really only one spot on the saddle to park your bum on, unlike some more recent versions that use a "flat" design that allow the rider to adopt a number of riding positions. Tech editor John Stevenson noticed immediately that the shape was reminiscent of the of the Selle San Marco Concor, another golden oldie that has a high back, which happens to be Lance's favourite on both his road and TT machines.
Unique to the Aliante is the use of carbon fibre wherever possible. And I mean wherever - the outer shell (multi-directional CF for stiffness and strength), the inner shell (bi-directional CF for flexibility) - even the rails (uni-directional CF for stiffness, with an aluminium sleeve for grip and rail protection). The result: 160 grams of pure riding bliss.
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I've been riding this baby now for a little over a month now, a couple of times a week on two to three hour rides, and all's well down below. I know there's a group of masochists out there that spend hours on end, clocking up centuries every weekend or maybe a few times a week, so we welcome feedback from our ultra-fit readers.
Light, comfy bliss does come at a cost - a recommended retail of US$179.99 to be exact. I won't deny that the Aliante is outrageously expensive for two thin strips of metal pipe and a convex shell, but how can you put a price on zero numbness? That's what I thought too - it's priceless. And for that reason, I'm giving this baby full marks.
One word of caution: Riders over 180 pounds may want to think twice about investing in this piece of exotica - some of you have seen first-hand what happens when carbon-fibre breaks. Those of you who haven't don't want to see.
Weight: 160 grams with leather cover (about 10 g's less if you opt
for the Nytek synthetic cover)
Price guide: $170-180 (USA)
Pro: Comfort, style, class, design - everything you want, nothing you
don't
Con: Pricey little thing
More information: Fi'zi:k's website
Cyclingnews Rating: 
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