Fi’zi:k Antares Saddle & Fi’zi:k Saddle Pa:k

With the stock saddle on my 2010 Cube Agree GTC Pro replicating my hairline, wearing a little thin and offering next to no protection, it was time to invest in a new one. The easy part was realising I needed a new saddle, the hard part was actually deciding on which one to go for!

For a decent saddle you can easily creep into the £100 mark and if you want to go down the carbon route start thinking around the £200 mark! So how do you choose a saddle when very few places actually allow you to try them? Most places will let you sit on one of their showroom bikes, but we all know you really need to get 100+ miles in the butt before ensuring it’s the right saddle for you. When buying a new saddle with such a hefty price tag, I certainly want to make sure it’s the right one for me and not end up with a very expensive door stop, or being forced to sell it on ebay for a fraction of the price.

With so many brands out there like, Fi’zi:k, Prologo, SDG and Charge to name just a few, I was wondering where to begin my quest. For those of you who’ve never bought a saddle before, it’s important to remember that not only does the saddle have to be comfy, it also NEEDS to match your bike! It’s been scientifically proven that a saddle that matches your bike makes you go faster!

I had narrowed my search down to Fi’zi:k, why I hear you ask, well it’s simple really, for those who know me will know that my Pro Team is Team Sky, and they use Fi’zi:k saddles. If Fi’zi:k saddles are good enough for Team Sky then they’re good enough for me! So with the brand selection out the way it was time to pick a model within the Fi’zi:k saddle range, which was no easy task either I may add.

twisterIt was during a visit from two of our sponsored riders Gaz and Emma Neale that I was introduced to the Fi’zi:k Spine Concept. Gaz and Emma had recommended the Fi’zi:k saddles to me as they both use them, albiet for a completely different discipline, enduro riding. Gaz talked me through the Fi’zi:k Spine Concept which resulted in me looking like I was taking part in a game of invisible twister!

Check out the Fi’zi:k Spine Concept guide to find the model of saddle most suited to you. Not wanting to give too much away about my flexibility or lack of it, I was paired for my blind date with the gorgeous Antares model. Now the hunt was on in earnest to find this little beauty at a price that suited my budget and more importantly a price that keeps the nagging from the wife to a minimum! At £139.99 retail I certainly had a challenge on my hands!

Having been unsuccessful in my quest to track down the Fi’zi:k Antares Saddle within my rather limited budget I resigned myself to sticking with my worn saddle until I could research a cheaper make and model. Then one day out the blue I was looking through the classifieds on BikeRadar and came across a guy who’d bought a new bike and was selling the Fi’zi:k Antraes saddle that came with it. After a bit of bargaining I managed to secure the brand new unmarked saddle for less than half price!

First impressions of the saddle when it arrived weren’t that great, the saddle looked the part and crucially the black and red went with the colour scheme of my bike so that was a guaranteed couple of MPH increase in my average speed, but it felt rock solid! Having lost 2½ stone I don’t have as much padding on my butt as I used to. Nevertheless I fitted the saddle to my bike along with a new carbon seatpost and took it out for a spin which totally changed my opinion of it. The once rock solid saddle was now a comfy racing saddle! How could that be? I don’t know and don’t care, I’m loving this saddle!

As for colour coordinating saddles increasing your average speed, I’ve been smashing PB’s left right and centre since fitting it, NO joke!

My 2010 Cube Agree GTC Pro and New Fi'zi:k Antares Saddle

My 2010 Cube Agree GTC Pro and New Fi’zi:k Antares Saddle

Fi'zi:k Antares Saddle

Fi’zi:k Antares Saddle

Fi'zi:k Antares Saddle

Fi’zi:k Antares Saddle

My 2010 Cube Agree GTC Pro and New Fi'zi:k Antares Saddle

My 2010 Cube Agree GTC Pro and New Fi’zi:k Antares Saddle

With the Fi’zi:k Anares saddle utilising the ICS system it would be rude not to purchase one of the compatible Saddle bags. I opted for the Fi’zi:k Saddle Pa:k with ICS clip.

I found that the saddle Pa:k stuck out a fair bit from the back of the saddle so I removed the clip and refitted it the other way round, resulting in the saddle Pa:k sitting a lot closer to the seatpost without making contact with it. I didn’t want to use a saddle bag with a strap that attaches around the seatpost as the one one I used to use rubbed away the paint on my old alloy post and didn’t want to damage my new carbon one.

These saddle Pa:k’s come in either small or medium sizes, I went for the medium and have managed to squeeze in a spare inner tube, tyre levers, 2x CO2 cannisters, multi tool and puncture repair kit. A big selling point apart from the ICS system was the fact that the saddle Pa:k is water resistant, ideal for the Scottish weather. I’ve yet to test it out in the rain for long periods of time but for the little rain it has seen everything has been dry inside.

Fi'zi:k ICS Saddle Pa:k

Fi’zi:k ICS Saddle Pa:k

Stuart
IT Manager