Fizik Arione cx Saddle Review - Red or Cyan?

Having just purchased a mountain bike, the only thing I felt an immediate need to change was the stock saddle. A bike saddle is a very personal thing and after many years of cycling (albeit a long time ago) I tried just about every mid to high-priced saddle on the market and the fizik Arione cx was one of the most comfortable - even on a mountain bike.

I don't care for their flashy advertising campaigns or their silly color schemes - although I did buy the most garish one I could find - the BarloWorld Team Replica colors - mainly because I have left my bike with a pile of other bikes in a muddy field before, and a saddle that stands out from the crowd allows you to find your bike much, much faster than leaving a standard black saddle on.

A bright red stripe down the center and cyan "wing flexes" make this a pretty stand out saddle. No one in their right mind, unless they are getting paid to ride it would pick a saddle this color - except me. I like to be different, and this is an extremely comfortable saddle. This is not the ultra-light weight carbon fiber or titanium version. I weigh 280 lbs at the moment and have no interest in snapping the rails thank you very much. If you happen to be of a lighter weight and do not run the risk of snapping the rails - by all means go ahead and buy the lighter version. I am sure they are just as comfortable.

And please do not tell me it is impossible to break these things. I have broken so many bike components, it is not even funny. My favorite - after the "indestructible," Kysrium wheels collapsed, was a carbon fibre Campagnolo Record Crank that snapped after a few thousand miles. That is the last time I bought a longer crankset I can tell you.

Back to the saddle. I can absolutely recommend this saddle as being one of, if not, the most comfortable and flexible saddles available. According to fi'zi:k, it uses something called "Spine concept," technology, which sounds like a load of bullshit marketing gobbledegook to me, because when I bought and used my first Arione CX, they were not selling them using this crap - and I can see no difference between the ones I was using years ago and this one.

Either way - I don't care - I use mine for mountain biking in France on my Merida mountain bike. Trust me - this saddle is worth every penny and will save you from any sort of numb-ness in the nether regions. Mine is already a little beat up, but I will be sticking with it for as long as it lasts. Love it. If you value your backside and genitals, buy one of these.