The Aliante is Fizik’s classic road saddle, its deep, curved shape distinctive among modern road saddles (most of which are influenced by Fizik’s revolutionary Arione model, which has a much flatter profile).
The Aliante’s shape makes for a saddle that’s supremely comfortable; it’s more a saddle that you sit ‘in’ rather than perch upon. The kicked up rear gives you something to push against when pedalling uphill, and makes descending feel more stable for the same reason.
We tested the flagship carbon railed model, which has a protective wrap around the clamp area to keep things safe. The carbon base is a ‘Twinflex’ design but unlike the Arione’s ‘Wingflex’, where the sides offer the flexibility, the Aliante’s Twinflex shell moves at the centre. In practice it feels much the same.
The cover is leather-look Microtex, while the sides are super-soft suede, which is superb on long rides as the lack of friction and heat build-up here is very welcome. The rear of the saddle has Fizik’s ICS fitting so a range of bags and lights are available to clip straight in.
At 200g (claimed 199g) it’s very light for something as comfortable as this – most lightweight perches tend to compromise on comfort. The only downside is the price; at £185 (£180 without carbon inserts) it’s very costly, considering the Gamma version is only £69.99 and just 60g heavier.
But it is one of the best saddles we’ve found for long rides, at a weight that doesn’t penalise comfort. It measures 265x138mm and is available in black, black/red, white/grey (shown) and black/blue.
