Saddle Similar to 2014 Defy 1 - Fizik Arione?

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bpsmith

Veteran
The saddle on my Defy1 is minimal compared to my Bianchi, but find it more comfy. The Bianchi saddle must be too wide as hurts my hips when riding.

Planning to get measured at LBS soon, but looking at online pictures suggests that the closest thing to the Defy 1 saddle is the Fizik Arione.

Has anyone used both of these saddles and able to advise if similar in their shape and size?

Any feedback on the comfort of the Arione gratefully received, irrespective of whether you can compare to the Defy Sade.

Also think that the Fabric equivalent of the Charge Spoon could be suitable maybe?
 

Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
The Arione is longer and thinner than the Spoon. I find the Arione more comfortable on long rides than the Spoon. You can move around more on it. It is down to personal preference and ass size though. Planet X do a arione clone at a fraction of the price of a genuine one. Have one on the winter bike and seems pretty good.
 

Jerry Atrik

Veteran
Location
South Devon
As a matter of elimination I could not get on with the Defy 1 saddle . Tried a custom charge spoon and a syntec saddle of a scott foil , same result . Put a Brooks b17 on my Defy 1 and never looked back . My Spez Tricross came with the standard saddle and never had a problem , maybe I should have took the hint . Some one told me when you find a good saddle put the same one on all your bikes .
 
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bpsmith

Veteran
Cheers all. I need to get measured first to make sure, but the Defy saddle feels far more comfy than the Bianchi.

The Bianchi saddle is a Selle Era Dynamic and looks better made and smarter than the Giant, but just the wrong shape for me I believe.

@mattobrien What's the difference between the models in the Arione range? Is it the material that the rails are made of?
 

Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
I didn't get on with my defy saddle so swapped it for an arione and didn't get on with that either . Still got both of them if you want second hand .
I seem to prefer selle saddles . Also got one of those hanging around :laugh: . Now have an smp chrono on my carbon bike and a smp lite 209 on my alu defy .
 
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bpsmith

Veteran
I didn't get on with my defy saddle so swapped it for an arione and didn't get on with that either . Still got both of them if you want second hand .
I seem to prefer selle saddles . Also got one of those hanging around :laugh: . Now have an smp chrono on my carbon bike and a smp lite 209 on my alu defy .

If the Giant saddle is similar to the Arione, then I am not surprised. Am going to swap them over to test tomorrow and get measures during the week.

Will get back to you once I know what's ideal. What models and colours are they? What sort of usage/condition?

Saw the Celeste version online, but way too expensive!
 

Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
No the arione is a lot nicer than the giant stock saddle but I think both seem to have a bit of a back bone that seems to hurt my errrrrr tail bone ish area ( my sack :laugh: ) the selle saddles seem flatter or have a cut out .
Both of mine have a black and white theme . Good nick .
 

mattobrien

Guru
Location
Sunny Suffolk
Cheers all. I need to get measured first to make sure, but the Defy saddle feels far more comfy than the Bianchi.

The Bianchi saddle is a Selle Era Dynamic and looks better made and smarter than the Giant, but just the wrong shape for me I believe.

@mattobrien What's the difference between the models in the Arione range? Is it the material that the rails are made of?
Sorry for the delay in replying. The R1 is the lightweight carbon version, with a carbon shell and carbon rails. The R3 is a cheaper version with metal rails and probably a plastic shell. I believe there are other less expensive versions too.

I wanted the same shaped saddle across both bikes so I was used to a single shape. Better saddle on better bike.

They were available in different colours too, the R1 is all black, whereas my R3 is black and white. Despite being lighter the R1 always seems more comfy, a,though it may be down the the frame and wheels as much as the saddle.

There is an 00 variant too, but it had a yellow line down the middle so wouldn't fit the colour scheme and to spend around £80 to save an extra 10grams didn't add up.
 
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bpsmith

Veteran
No the arione is a lot nicer than the giant stock saddle but I think both seem to have a bit of a back bone that seems to hurt my errrrrr tail bone ish area ( my sack :laugh: ) the selle saddles seem flatter or have a cut out .
Both of mine have a black and white theme . Good nick .

Just been tinkering and swapped the Giant saddle over, along with the stem. Been toying with dropping from 110mm to 100mm for a bit, and just realised that the Defy was 100mm.

Going to get a spin out in the morning and see what happens. Hopefully I have the fore/aft about right...
 

Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
I prefer a shorter stem ( 90mm ) and the seat forward . I seem to get more power that way and it really helps when climbing , its weird to me as I don't understand the tech part of it but it just works for me .
 
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bpsmith

Veteran
Sorry for the delay in replying. The R1 is the lightweight carbon version, with a carbon shell and carbon rails. The R3 is a cheaper version with metal rails and probably a plastic shell. I believe there are other less expensive versions too.

I wanted the same shaped saddle across both bikes so I was used to a single shape. Better saddle on better bike.

They were available in different colours too, the R1 is all black, whereas my R3 is black and white. Despite being lighter the R1 always seems more comfy, a,though it may be down the the frame and wheels as much as the saddle.

There is an 00 variant too, but it had a yellow line down the middle so wouldn't fit the colour scheme and to spend around £80 to save an extra 10grams didn't add up.

Sounds good. Just need to see how my trial goes tomorrow and then decide.
 
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bpsmith

Veteran
I prefer a shorter stem ( 90mm ) and the seat forward . I seem to get more power that way and it really helps when climbing , its weird to me as I don't understand the tech part of it but it just works for me .

Doesn't it make it twitchier though?

Both of my saddles were as far back as they should go, based on the markers. Could physically have gone further though, so couldn't have slipped back I don't think. This is how they were done by my bike fit guy.

I have fitted the Giant about 55mm further forward, but now I am toying with moving it further forward again based on your performance comment. Marginal gains and all! :smile:
 

Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
Doesn't it make it twitchier though?

Both of my saddles were as far back as they should go, based on the markers. Could physically have gone further though, so couldn't have slipped back I don't think. This is how they were done by my bike fit guy.

I have fitted the Giant about 55mm further forward, but now I am toying with moving it further forward again based on your performance comment. Marginal gains and all! :smile:
Its a road bike . Its twitchy anyway :thumbsup: I push my saddles as far forward as can be and then some . I tried a longer stem (100mm ) and my arms hurt . I'm a carpenter and nothing makes my arms hurt :angry:
I just play around with things until I find what I like . Then I go back to my LBS and tell them to put it back to what it was again :laugh:
 
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bpsmith

Veteran
Its a road bike . Its twitchy anyway :thumbsup: I push my saddles as far forward as can be and then some . I tried a longer stem (100mm ) and my arms hurt . I'm a carpenter and nothing makes my arms hurt :angry:
I just play around with things until I find what I like . Then I go back to my LBS and tell them to put it back to what it was again :laugh:

True enough. Just read that anything under 100mm made it feel twitchy.

Perhaps the carpentry takes its toll and the longer stem just finishes you off. :smile:

Definitely going to slide the saddle forward another 10mm before leaving in the morning then. ;)
 
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