Fizik Luce S-Alloy Womens Saddle

The Fizik Luce S-Alloy Women's Saddle is a light and firm performance saddle with some extensive research behind it. I found it very rideable and definitely worth a try for a regular rider if you want something not too squashy. It's available in two widths, Regular (144mm), and Large (155mm).

• Pros: Narrow nose, not too squashy, comfortable for long distances
• Cons: Could be too firm for some

Getting my hands on the saddle for the first time, I gave it the squash test and my first thought was that it was going to be a firm ride. My usual saddle is a Selle Italia Diva Lady (you can read Lara's test of one from 2015), which has a similar profile and cutout but plusher padding. The Fizik Luce has a little give but is pretty firm, which could be a turn-off, but don't be too hasty: Fizik looks to have put a lot of work into this saddle for women.

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The Regular Luce S-Alloy saddle on test has a sitting area shape measuring 144mm wide from wing to wing, and narrowing down to the nose. The nose is a little narrower than the Selle Italia Diva – 5mm in fact – meaning less friction on the thighs. This narrower nose will definitely appeal to some, me certainly, as I have rubbed my Diva saddle's lining away.

Fizik says that to make it a truly comfortable ride, the saddle is made from a strong light shell formed of three separate sections: a carbon reinforced nylon spine with two very flexible wing panels. These wings are made from bendy thermoplastic and, according to Fizik, "deform as the rider pedals, to create a feeling of comfort without being squashy". So basically, there is a strong central spine with the cutout, and then these flexible wings connected to that strong spine. If you grab the wings with both hands you can flex them slightly; whether my butt can do that I am not sure.

The Luce S-Alloy is built with a 'specially designed elongated pressure relief cut out', to offer some comfortable freedom for your soft tissue. It's 1cm wide, narrower than that of the Diva which is 3cm at its widest and 1cm at its narrowest. I always use a saddle with a cutout, finding that they offer the comfort and relief I need. The Luce S-Alloy's seems to do the job well, despite being narrower than the Diva's. Long rides were not a problem; I had no unwanted pressure points. Down in the drops the feeling was the same: no unwanted pressure, and a definite feeling of being able to go fast and get some power on.

I took it out for various different length rides, starting with just an hour to check I had the right position. I was surprised by how quickly it felt comfortable and not too firm. I didn't have to shuffle around to find a good position, so the profile of the saddle worked well for me, giving me the impression that my sit bones were comfortably supported. Yes, it's a firm ride, but the cushioning is where you need it.

> Buyer's Guide: 8 of the best women's saddles

On longer 100km rides, I was as comfortable as I normally am. I wore different padded shorts and tights to test out the saddle, and found my most comfortable combination was with some Rivelo shorts with a high-density chamois, but I was happy riding in some dhb Aeron Roubaix Tights as well, which have a Cytech pad.

Although the look is of a performance saddle, the Luce can definitely be ridden for long miles and provides all-day comfort. It isn't your armchair saddle, that's for sure, but if what you currently use is a little squishy and you're thinking of trying something firmer, this could be worth a go. The more I used it, the more I liked it.

It's not bad value either, comparing well with both the Selle Italia Diva Lady at £99.99, and the Specialized Ruby Expert at £100. Both are great too, but saddle choice is very individual, so try a few and find something that's comfortable for you.

Verdict

Firm but comfortable and definitely worth a try for women who are getting a few long rides in each week