Fizik Tempo Argo R3 saddle

The Fizik Tempo Argo R3 is part of Fizik's new short nosed saddle range and is not only well made but also, more importantly, very comfortable. Looking at the materials, though, it is at the upper end of the price bracket compared with many of the opposition.

• Pros: Comfortable shape; firm padding gives a supportive ride
• Cons: Quite pricey against the opposition

Fizik's Argo range contains two models, the Vento, which Mat has tested recently, and this Tempo that I've been putting through its paces.

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The main difference between the two is the amount of padding, with the Tempo being a little thicker, making it more suitable for endurance riding than the firmer Vento, which is the racier of the two according to Fizik.

That's not to say the Tempo is at all squishy as it still delivers a firm ride, but I like that. The density of the padding is very supportive, which means even when you are pedalling hard you aren't bouncing on the seat.

There is enough plushness to take out road buzz, and while I wouldn't say I bonded with the Tempo straight away, once I'd done a few miles and adapted to its shape and the padding had broken in a little bit, we started to get along.

Heading out for longer rides of three to four hours, I basically didn't notice the Tempo at all, which is a good thing. I certainly didn't suffer from any discomfort or numbness, which is impressive because with a short saddle like this you are kind of locked into a fixed seat position. At 260mm, the Tempo is longer than some saddles of this type, but basically it doesn't have a nose section compared to a traditional shaped saddle, so you can't move around to relieve pressure.

The width of the Tempo (a choice of 150mm or 160mm, ours is the 160mm) gives you a large surface area to push against to get the power out, and the large cutout in the middle of the saddle helps to reduce any pressure points.

The shape of the Tempo and Vento varies slightly, especially at the front where you can see that the latter has a much more pronounced curve to the nose as it drops away, to suit riders in a more aggressive position.

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The Tempo is flatter but I never found it to be restrictive when riding in the drops, thanks mostly to that lack of length at the front removing pressure from soft tissue areas.

There are two options of the Tempo: the R3 that we have here with a carbon fibre-reinforced nylon shell and Kium (Fizik's own alloy) rails, while the more expensive R1 version (£179.99) comes with carbon fibre rails instead and sheds a little weight.

Value-wise, an rrp of £129.99 for the R3 puts it up against some tough opposition. It is very well made and nicely finished, mind, especially underneath where you can't see any of the edges of the upper material, staples or glue residue as everything has been hidden away by a separate layer beneath the shell.

I rode a lot of miles on the Selle San Marco Shortfit Supercomfort Dynamic saddle which is a very similar design to the Fizik and I really liked it. It, too, has a carbon fibre-reinforced shell, and manganese rails, which equates to a 50g saving over the Fizik; it's 30 quid cheaper as well.

For the same money there's the Syncros Tofino 1.0 Cut Out saddle, which comes with full carbon fibre rails and weighs just 184g. The padding is quite firm, though; I'd say the Fizik has a better ride quality.

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Overall, the Tempo is a very nice place to be, especially on longer rides where the shape and padding worked perfectly. It is pricier than a few other options but sometimes it's worth the extra investment for a comfortable day on the bike.

Verdict

Great comfort and overall quality but it's at the pricier end of the market