- Welcome to the super fi'zi:k GCN unboxing.
It's super because we are getting an
exclusive look at the 2018 fi'zi:k Range.
But then it's also super because of the
sheer magnitude of it.
We've actually had to split it and make two videos.
In one, we've been looking
at these.
The 2018 fi'zi:k Shoe Range.
But then in this one, we're looking at saddles.
And this being GCN unboxing,
we are still giving you the opportunity to win.
Even though some of this stuff isn't even in the shops yet.
Five of you, five, will be receiving
your choice of saddle and shoes.
Oh yeah.
Now, I will tell you how you can enter
towards the end of this video.
But, if you have just come from watching
a video about these shoes.
I hope you're not quite at a fever pitch yet
because we have got all of these rather inviting
looking boxes to check out.
There's a lot of saddles and lots of new stuff
in both the men's and the women's specific ranges.
Although they are loads of new products,
you will be pleased to hear, I'm sure,
that your old favourites are still here.
The Arione.
(dramatic whoosh)
The Antares.
(dramatic whoosh)
The Aliante.
(dramatic whoosh)
And also...
The women's specific.
The Luce.
(dramatic whoosh)
Whoa. Look at that.
They're all available in a regular or a wider size.
The choice would depend on the size of the rider
and also the power output of the rider.
And then most of them are also available in three levels.
So the R3.
The carbon railed R1.
And then the top of the range, 00.
How are you gonna know then which one
might be the best for you?
Well, fi'zi:k have famously devised a way
for you to, very quickly and very simply,
know which of these saddles
you might find the most comfortable.
It's called the Spine Concept System
and the idea is that the flexibility
in your hamstrings and also your lower back
determines the position of your pelvis
when you sit on the bike.
So, for the most flexible riders out there,
this, the Arione, is likely to be the most comfortable.
It's long and flat profile.
However, for the least flexible riders out there,
the Aliante is mostly like the most comfortable
because that curved profile is gonna allow that rider
to tip that pelvis forward very comfortably
and therefore, reach the handlebars more easily.
And then for those riders somewhere in the middle,
you have this, the Goldilocks saddle, the Antares,
which mixes a bit of Arione and a bit of Aliante.
And you can see there is just a slight dip
on that profile there.
For anyone who suffers any kind of pressure-related
perineal discomfort, there are additional options.
We've got the Versus Evo.
(dramatic whoosh)
And... (dramatic whoosh)
The Open Range.
Now both perform similar functions.
You can see that the centre line on the saddle
has been removed and replaced with this cutout.
Some riders find it more comfortable.
It's all down to personal preference.
This one is the Versus Evo
and you can see that there is quite a significant
gap between the two areas of padding there.
Despite the look though, the shell is one piece
of carbon reinforced nylon but the cover
has actually been changed slightly for this year.
So Fi'zi:k is calling their Comfort Core Technology
and the idea is that the padding
and the fabric cover are no longer glued together.
So they've changed the way it's constructed
and they say that increases the elasticity of the cover
and that further improves comfort.
Now you might not think by looking at it
that there's all that much in the way
of padding on this saddle but crucially,
if you give it a good squeeze...
There you go. You see that?
There is an awful lot of controlled flex from the shell
and that, in my mind anyway, is the really comfortable bit.
This one, the Open, obviously shares similar technology.
The channel is ever so slightly narrower
but then, there's a hole in it.
Yeah, that's right.
And you can see by the look of it that there is,
ever so slightly, more padding over the whole of the saddle.
Although actually where you sit, the difference,
I don't think is all that significant.
It's no more nor less comfortable than the other one.
It's just different.
However there is one, I think, slight difference as well.
And that is that the shell is ever so slightly more rigid.
The women specific road saddle is this one, the Luce.
Now, it's the same name as before
but with a new construction.
So it differs from the men's saddles because this is
actually made out of three pieces, the shell.
So the idea behind it, fi'zi:k say, is that
it allows at the same time
both stiffness and also flexibility.
So this central section here is made
from carbon reinforced nylon,
so that gives you that kind of lateral stiffness
and support, but then, the edges of the saddle
are actually made from a thermoplastic elastomer.
So they are much more flexible
and they allow the saddle to basically
conform to the rider's body shape whilst pedalling.
The choice that you have in terms of the level
of the saddle in the whole fi'zi:k range is,
as I mentioned earlier, the 00,
which is a super top-end saddle.
It's available on the Arione, the Antares, and the Aliante
and that's got carbon rails and a full carbon shell.
And the Arione and the Antares weigh just 140 grammes.
The Aliante, being slightly more padded,
is a little bit heavier at a 160 grammes.
Yeah. Not much in it there.
Then, if you go one down, you've got the R1.
So these are the ones which have got braided carbon rails.
And then those are then attached to this
which is a carbon reinforced nylon shell.
Little bit heavier but not much.
The Antares and the Aliante again about 170 grammes.
And then low down, you've got the R3 range.
So these don't have carbon rails.
These have got a k:ium alloy.
So those, you may find a little bit more flexible
which is definitely not necessarily a bad thing
and also a little bit more weight.
So about 40 grammes extra across the range.
Right, I think you probably have all the information
you need now in order to make an informed decision
which of these saddles and which of the shoes
would you most like to receive though the post?
Because if you enter the competition,
that is exactly what might happen.
To do so, there is as ever,
a link in the description beneath this video.
Once you enter, you can then choose which ones
you would like to win
and I probably don't need to say but I will anyway,
if you choose an Arione, a 00, and...
these ones, I've been keeping warm.
The Infinito Knit.
You have just as much chance of winning
as if you choose an R3 saddle and a R5B shoes.
So...
go nuts.
I definitely would.
Now, before leaving this video,
do make sure you subscribe to GCN.
We've got some great unboxings coming up.
So do make sure you're in the right place for that.
And then, more content.
We've actually got three videos
about fi'zi:k's 2018 Range in total.
Firstly, we've got the GMBN one.
So if you're a cyclocross rider, like me
or a cross-country rider, like me,
then definitely worth a look.
Particularly the shoes might I say.
And then of course you've got the Road Shoe video as well.
So do make sure you check that one out as well.