Fizik Arione R1 Versus Evo saddle

The new Fizik Arione R1 Versus Evo is a lightweight saddle that provides comfort and a pressure relief channel down the centre while still feeling stable enough to allow you to transfer power efficiently to the pedals.

• Pros: Comfortable, supportive, lightweight
• Cons: It costs £210

I reviewed the Fizik Arione R1 saddle earlier in the year, and a lot of what I said there holds true here too.

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First of all, you need to decide which of Fizik's three road saddle shapes is right for you – Arione, Aliante or Antares – based on your spine flexibility. The simplest way to do this is by using Fizik's app.

Then you input your bodyweight and your average speed on a flat road (it doesn't say over what distance) and the app gives you a suggested saddle size (regular or large). I'll assume you've done all that and that the app has told you that you need an Arione.

What's new here is the Versus Evo pressure relief channel down the centre. Previously, Fizik offered Versus (VS for short) saddles with what you might call a valley – a depression in the padding – running from the nose to the tail.

With the Versus Evo, the padding and the cover on one side of the saddle are entirely separate from the padding and cover on the other side with just the carbon composite-reinforced nylon shell providing the continuity down the middle. It's a completely new design that requires a new manufacturing process. The padding and the shell aren't bonded together here, it's just the Microtex cover and the shell that are attached to one another. Plus, while I'm going on about such things, the cover doesn't extend over the edges of the shell, it's simply fixed to the top.

In use, you certainly notice that channel because there's no pressure at all down the middle. Personally, I like the Versus Evo but the smooth-topped Arione R1, with a more even distribution of pressure, works better for me. We're all different, though, and I can certainly imagine that the Versus Evo will suit many people who struggle with a more traditional saddle shape.

Fizik's Comfort Core foam provides progressive cushioning. It manages to feel reasonably soft but supportive at the same time, if that's not too much of a contradiction in terms.

Two ribs run front to rear over the entire length of the shell, providing some structure in that direction to stop the saddle sagging like a hammock, while the wings – the sections between the nose and the widest part of the saddle – are specifically designed to flex as you pedal, and they definitely do that. I find the amount of flex and cushioning provided by the Arione R1 Versus Evo to be pretty much ideal – comfortable with enough give to soften any hard hits that might come your way, but solid enough that there's no bouncing around when you increase the power.

The rails are carbon braided, measuring 7 x 9mm in profile, so just check that your seatpost will take them. If not, or if you want to save some money, the Arione R3 Versus Evo (£139.99) comes with 7mm round kium (Fizik's tubular steel) rails.

The Fizik Arione R1 Versus Evo saddle is £31 more expensive than either the Arione R1 or the Arione R1 Open, which has a hole (rather than just a channel) in the centre designed to relieve pressure, so you're paying quite a lot extra for this particular design.

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There are, of course, far cheaper options if the main feature you're after is a pressure relief channel. Fabric's Line Elite Shallow, which we reviewed a couple of years ago, for instance, is priced at just £54.99. The Arione R1 Versus Evo is made from different materials, though, and it's a lot lighter, ours hitting the scales at just 170g, quite a bit below Fizik's published weight of 185g (doesn't Fizik know that the bike industry's official practice when coming up with a published weight is to put stuff on the scales and then deduct 10%?).

Overall, the Fizik Arione R1 Versus Evo is a high-end option for riders with plenty of flexibility who like a flat saddle. If normal saddles leave you feeling uncomfortable and numb, the valley down the middle might provide the pressure relief you need.

Verdict

A well-cushioned saddle with an effective pressure relief channel and plenty of stability