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Fi'zi:k Ares Saddle
The Ares saddle from Fizik uses the model name to represent what the saddle is about. It's very similar to Fizik's Antares, with the front end cut down to be shorter. Antares minus 34mm in length equals the Ares. Take off the Ant- and you've got the new seat. While it seems new, it's been around for some time. David Zabriskie rode an early prototype to victory at the 2008 US National Time Trial championships. Since then, it has a very good time trial pedigree, particularly under both Teams Columbia and Garmin-Slipstream.
Some might wonder the reason for the shortened nose. Two words and three letters: time trial UCI. If you want that forward position, and still want to get your butt close to the tail of the saddle, you sometimes have to chop off the nose. It's one thing if you're a pro rider and can get your saddle sponsor to send you nicely-covered chopped down version of your favorite ride. It's another if you go at it with a hacksaw in the garage. Even if you measure twice and cut once, the result might be a destroyed saddle, at best, you're employing duct tape.
The UCI dictates that the saddle's nose be no less than 5cm behind the bottom bracket. You can achieve this at home, or you can get a time trial-specific seat.
The advantage in getting one designed for time trialing is not only the aesthetic plus of not having duct tape on your saddle, but also in having the saddle dimensions tweaked ever-so-slightly for greater comfort on the aero bars. The nose of the Ares is 42mm wide, a bit wider than you'll find around. Fizik also added 3mm of padding all the way across the saddle, totaling 12mm at the nose. Even though 3mm doesn't seem like a much, it seems like barely anything, the extra padding will help you hold your position better and better disperse your body weight over a greater area. We measure the distance from the nose to where the saddle starts to widen in the rear at 89mm, so even if you feel like you're riding on the nose of the Ares, you'll still have some support behind. The back of the saddle flares out to 142mm, which is as wide at the back of the Antares.
The saddle's shell is a carbon-reinforced nylon shell. The carbon reinforcement reduces longitudinal deformation, so you won't notice any hammock effect when riding. The K:ium (pronounced "Koom," rhymes with zoom) rails are an evolutionary step forward from titanium rails. They're 8% lighter, have greater strength to weight ratio, and damp more vibration. The damping is thanks to the Silicium. The shiny look is thanks to the chrome content. The chrome increases corrosion resistance, which helps with overall durability.
The saddle comes in one color scheme: White/Black, or, if you prefer Black/White (White on left, Black on right in both cases). The cover is made from Microtex. Claimed weight of the Fizik Ares K:ium saddle is 165g.
Price: $99.99 (50% Off!)
Regularly: $200.00
Buy Now
The Ares saddle from Fizik uses the model name to represent what the saddle is about. It's very similar to Fizik's Antares, with the front end cut down to be shorter. Antares minus 34mm in length equals the Ares. Take off the Ant- and you've got the new seat. While it seems new, it's been around for some time. David Zabriskie rode an early prototype to victory at the 2008 US National Time Trial championships. Since then, it has a very good time trial pedigree, particularly under both Teams Columbia and Garmin-Slipstream.
Some might wonder the reason for the shortened nose. Two words and three letters: time trial UCI. If you want that forward position, and still want to get your butt close to the tail of the saddle, you sometimes have to chop off the nose. It's one thing if you're a pro rider and can get your saddle sponsor to send you nicely-covered chopped down version of your favorite ride. It's another if you go at it with a hacksaw in the garage. Even if you measure twice and cut once, the result might be a destroyed saddle, at best, you're employing duct tape.
The UCI dictates that the saddle's nose be no less than 5cm behind the bottom bracket. You can achieve this at home, or you can get a time trial-specific seat.
The advantage in getting one designed for time trialing is not only the aesthetic plus of not having duct tape on your saddle, but also in having the saddle dimensions tweaked ever-so-slightly for greater comfort on the aero bars. The nose of the Ares is 42mm wide, a bit wider than you'll find around. Fizik also added 3mm of padding all the way across the saddle, totaling 12mm at the nose. Even though 3mm doesn't seem like a much, it seems like barely anything, the extra padding will help you hold your position better and better disperse your body weight over a greater area. We measure the distance from the nose to where the saddle starts to widen in the rear at 89mm, so even if you feel like you're riding on the nose of the Ares, you'll still have some support behind. The back of the saddle flares out to 142mm, which is as wide at the back of the Antares.
The saddle's shell is a carbon-reinforced nylon shell. The carbon reinforcement reduces longitudinal deformation, so you won't notice any hammock effect when riding. The K:ium (pronounced "Koom," rhymes with zoom) rails are an evolutionary step forward from titanium rails. They're 8% lighter, have greater strength to weight ratio, and damp more vibration. The damping is thanks to the Silicium. The shiny look is thanks to the chrome content. The chrome increases corrosion resistance, which helps with overall durability.
The saddle comes in one color scheme: White/Black, or, if you prefer Black/White (White on left, Black on right in both cases). The cover is made from Microtex. Claimed weight of the Fizik Ares K:ium saddle is 165g.
Price: $99.99 (50% Off!)
Regularly: $200.00
Buy Now
