Fizik introduces 3D-printed saddle service, with prices starting at £459

3D-printed bike saddles are becoming increasingly popular, with custom-made options like Czech tech company Posedla's Joyseat entering the market. Now, Fizik has launched a personalised 3D-printing saddle service called One-to-One, aiming to offer the "ultimate fit". This service comes at a cost though, with prices starting at £459 per seat. 

Fizik's Adaptive line of saddles, including models like the Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive, feature 3D-printed padding, but were not previously custom-made to individual backsides. Now, the brand's One-to-One service sees the Adaptive line of 3D-printed saddles completely custom-made, allowing "cyclists to have their own, truly unique 3D-printed saddle". 

The service provides the ultimate fit, according to the brand, and has been designed with Fizik's Concept research program which brings together industry experts "to create superior products". 

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First, riders undergo a personalised measurement session at select Fizik dealerships to be paired with the most suitable saddle in the Adaptive range. Next, a pressure mapping session focuses on pressure hotspots, instabilities and asymmetries, says the brand. 

This data is then analysed to design a custom 3D-printed padding structure, with the rider choosing between carbon and Kium rails. Once the saddle is complete, there is a final session at the dealership after the rider receives the saddle.

Fizik brand manager Giovanni Fogal says: “We know that a good, accurate fit depends on many factors: bike geometry, intended use, saddle shape, and position. But most importantly every cyclist is unique: experience, sensitivity, history of injuries, body shape, riding goals. All of this can affect the way we sit on the saddle. 

"It’s clear that a traditional one-to-many saddle design can only provide an approximate solution to very specific problems. With One-to-One today we achieve what every saddle manufacturer has always dreamed of: bringing to life customised support available to every cyclist." 

As with many high-tech products in the bike industry that are yet to become commonplace, all that innovation doesn't come cheap, and prices of One-to-One Adaptive saddles start at £459. Hopefully prices will come down in the future so more cyclists can benefit, but if you've got the cash to splash or are just intrigued, you can head over to Fizik's website for more info.