Fizik Aliante R3 Open R saddle

Designed for riders who have little flexibility, the Fizik Aliante R3 Open is a comfortable saddle whose shape offers a platform to push against to get the power down, helped by the firm and supportive padding. I did find the nose takes a bit of breaking in, though.

At 278mm long and 141mm wide (153mm for the large version), the Aliante is a typically sized road saddle and with a narrow nose gives plenty of clearance for your thighs as they pass through the pedalling circle.

As with any saddle review, when it comes to comfort it's entirely subjective – what I find comfortable might, to you, feel like sitting on a bed of nails, or what is uncomfortable for me might make you feel like you're floating on a cushion of air.

The swoopy shape works well, I found. The raised back gives you something to push against when you want to get the power out, and if like me you like to move back in the saddle when climbing, there is still plenty of padding there for it to be supportive and comfortable.

The nose is dropped, and while Fizik has designed this Aliante for riders with limited flexibility, should you want to go down into the drops this means you aren't being pressed into the front of the saddle.

The padding is firm throughout – the nose section especially so, I found, which caused some discomfort when riding to start with – but after about 300 miles it seemed to soften and mould to my shape.

From then on, I found the Fizik comfortable on shorter, high-intensity rides, and longer ones at slightly less effort.

> How to make your bike more comfortable – check out our 14 tips

This Open model comes with a central cutout which I can't directly say had any effect as numbness isn't something I normally suffer with. The firmness of the padding does at least stop it compressing into the cutout, which can happen on some softer saddles.

It's well made, comprising a Microtex cover wrapped over the Comfort Core foam, before being attached to the underside of the carbon-reinforced nylon base.

The underneath isn't as neatly finished as some saddles that hide the excess cover material between the base and another layer. Here you can see the edge of the Microtex fabric and the glue – in fact ours was a bit rough around the end where some of the fabric hadn't stuck down. It's only minor, but not what I'd expect on a £130 saddle.

The scuff guards are a nice touch, though, protecting the widest part of the saddle when resting your bike against a wall, or if it gets dropped.

The Kium rails are corrosion resistant, and their 7mm diameter will suit any twin-railed saddle on the market.

Value and conclusion

Priced at £129.99, the Aliante R3 is 40 quid more than the PRO Griffon Performance saddle that I tested last year. It's also been designed for the less flexible rider, and is a tiny bit lighter, 210g against 244g, and uses a similar construction method.

The Fabric Scoop Race Radius is designed for less flexible riders too, and comes with the same build but titanium rails, all for just £69.99.

> 10 of the best saddles – get more comfortable on your road bike

I'm not saying that the Fizik is massively overpriced, but although the comfort is great once the padding has settled in, and the shape works well on all sorts of terrain, there's some very good competition out there for less money.

Verdict

A great shape that gives a platform to get the power out while maintaining comfort