Before the era of short-fit saddles, the super long and flat Fizik Arione stood out in the pro peloton, offering racers the ability to move around a lot on the bike to optimize their position for either power output or aerodynamics. Now the Italian saddle maker has reimagined a new Arione that is more versatile than ever, and packed with the latest tech. From a basic 99€ version with steel rails, up to the 299€ with 3D-printed padding and full carbon construction, all feature a unique new rail design with massive fore-aft adjustment.
Fizik Arione reimagines the classic long, flat road saddle
First debuted in 2003, the Arione was 30cm long to max out what was allowed in the UCI’s measurement jig. With its extra-long & narrow flat top, racers loved being able to move around a lot on the saddle.
Now, reimagined for an era of modern road & gravel cycling, the new Fizik Arione saddle is not quite as long as the original – now a more reasonably long 284mm. Nor is it as narrow as my old 125mm Arion R1 was – now offered in 135mm & 145mm widths that are a more ergonomic sit bone fit for most riders.
What else is new?
But besides a revived shape with a centimeter shorter nose, the big design change is a unique new rail construction for improved fore-aft adjustment.
“Once again, Arione pushes the UCI rules to the limit. Arione is equipped with a new revolutionary rail insertion that unlocks a more aero/aggressive position than its competitors. Instead of the rails curving back to meet the shell, thus creating limits to the adjustment. The new Arione has a vertical join to the saddle, which allows the user to move it as far forward as possible, thus allowing the saddle to be set to the limit necessary to achieve the ideal forward position to beat the wind.“
Tech details & options
As always, the new Fizik Arione comes in a wide range of options to suit lot s of different riders, and varying budgets.
- long flat kite-shaped road bike saddle
- pressure-relief cutout in conventionally padded versions
- 3D-printed zonal padding support in Adaptive models, with low-density pressure-relief central zone
- 284mm long x 135mm or 145mm wide
- available with 3D-printed adaptive padding, lightweight EVA, or traditional polyurethane foam padding
- carbon reinforced nylon shell at all levels – R1, R3 & R5 (no full carbon R0, at least not yet)
- available with R1 7x9mm carbon rails, R3 K:ium hollow titanium & R5 S-alloy steel rails
- all include direct mounts for a triathlon-style 15€ Aeris Link water bottle cage, as well as other accessories in the future
Fizik Arione – Pricing, availability & options
The revamped Fizik Arione road saddle is available in five models, each in both 135mm & 145mm widths. The Fizik Vento Arione R5 is the most affordable at $120 / 99€ with steel rails and regular PU padding (229g & 237g claimed). Next up is the Arione R3 at $175 / 149€ upgraded to titanium alloy rails to save a tiny bit of weight (223g & 228g claimed).
Sharing the same ti rails, there’s also a$290 / 259€ Arione R3 Adaptive version that upgrades to variable-density 3D-printed TPU padding for extra comfort and even lighter weight (214g & 219g claimed).
Then, at the top tier, there are two R1 versions with lightweight 7x9mm oval carbon rails. First is the $230 / 199€ Fizik Vento Arione R1 Light with the ultralight injection-molded EVA foam padding that also forms the smooth top cover of the saddle, at a claimed 147g & 152g, making it the absolute lightest of the new Arione family.
Or there’s the even fancier Fizik Vento Arione R1Adaptive at $330 / 299€ that prioritizes comfort with its 3D-printed padding at claimed weights of just 184g & 190g for the two widths.
All 10 saddles are made in Italy and available now through regular Fizik dealers.
