Fizik Tempo Aliante R5

The Fizik Tempo Aliante R5 saddle is the latest model in a range that's been around since just after the millennium, and at £109.99 it sits around halfway up Fizik's catalogue in terms of price. It's designed for long-distance riding and performed admirably during testing, keeping my backside comfortable during long spells of seated riding on the indoor trainer as well as four-hour outdoor rides in challenging winter conditions. It's not a spectacular saddle in any particular area but is a consistently strong performer, with a good design that offers comfort and promises durability.

Our best road bike saddles buyer's guide rounds up our favourite road saddles, while our sister site off.road.cc has a mountain and gravel bike saddles buyer's guide. 

It lacks the snub-nose design preferred by many endurance riders and modern saddle designers, but that never became an issue during my test rides. The saddle has varying levels of padding in different areas, Fizik using what it calls a 'double-density foam, firmer on the ischial bones and softer on the nose'. This works well in conjunction with the extra width at the rear and Fizik's Wing Flex feature, which allows for some flex in the saddle's sides when you're pedalling. The resulting saddle looks pretty inoffensive and isn't overly heavy, which makes it a good endurance option at a reasonable, if not exactly cheap price.

With the Christmas ghosts meting out some spectacularly bad weather a while back, the Fizik Tempo Aliante R5 got put through its paces both indoors and out. I spent a lot of time literally planted in the saddle, tapping out low-intensity efforts, trying to burn through some of that excess Stilton.

I'm not the most precious person when it comes to saddles, but I have to give the R5 its due in the comfort stakes. I experienced no numbness or discomfort, even on the indoor trainer, where I spend the vast majority of my rides seated. My normal setup requires me to get out of the saddle just to vary my position a little and get some blood flowing but there were no problems of that kind with the R5. So a lack of pain, even on softer tissues, with the longer nose of the Aliante was a great start.

The saddle feels pretty firm to the touch – especially in the midsection that extends beyond the cutout – but it does get softer and more malleable towards the nose. Fizik says this mixed firmness is for the comfort of your ischial bones – more commonly known as your sit bones.

As you'd expect, the carbon-reinforced nylon undercarriage is almost totally rigid, but Fizik has included some flex on each wing, so that when you're pedalling your legs don't brush against an immovable object. This helps to minimise any chafing. Since the saddle is pretty wide at 145mm, and it's also available in a wider-still 155mm width, this was a welcome addition.

You can see how far these wings extend if you flip the seat over and view the cutouts.

The saddle has been moulded into a subtle wave shape, which gave me something to push off and hold me up a little bit on steep climbs. Measurement lines are printed on one of the seat rails to help you position the saddle correctly. This printing does look a little insubstantial and it's only on one of the rails, so I could imagine it wearing off over time. That said, it's not as if most of us swap saddles over very often once they're correctly positioned.

There is a central cutout to aid with blood flow, but it's short compared with those on some other saddles and it doesn't extend to the rear end of the seat – and that lack of a cutout contributes to the Aliante's reasonably substantial weight.

This is not a snub-nosed saddle, so if you're looking for a short-nosed saddle to aid with comfort when you're riding in the drops, then you'd be better off looking elsewhere. I wasn't exactly putting pedal to the metal on my winter rides so it was comfortable for me – but if you are going to be shifting your weight forward for long periods then you will really need to check how your nether regions respond to a saddle with a longer nose. This was never an issue for me, but saddle choice is of course highly subjective.

During the test period, I took care to put some extra pressure in my tyres to see how much the Aliante would take care of road buzz – and I was very pleasantly surprised. Even a saddle like this, which doesn't have a huge amount of give when you press it, feels really shock-absorbent when you're riding. It wasn't enough to make me feel like the road was being muted, but when – at other times – I paired it with softer tyres, it did make for a cushioned ride.

Value

Fizik is a well-respected brand, and the Aliante R5 sits pretty much slap-bang in the middle of its range. The saddle gave me no issues at, and I found I didn't really notice it – which is exactly what you want from a saddle. And I think it represents decent value at £109.99, though there are cheaper options out there, some of which feature snub noses.

Stu liked the Prologo Dimension AGX 143 T4.0, though at 248g it's 19g heavier than the Fizik, but he does reckon it's a great choice if you like a saddle with a bit more padding.

Stu also rated the £119.99 Prime Primavera Shorty Carbon Saddle very highly. At 175g it's significantly lighter than the Aliante, and Stu thought Prime had perfectly gauged the softness of the padding.

The Prime Doyenne Shorty Saddle with Ti Rails costs just £59.99 and Tom thought it was an excellent option with materials usually found in more expensive saddles. It's available in narrow and wide widths and one of the few downsides is that he found it a bit squeaky when wet.

Conclusion

What it lacks in bells and whistles, the Fizik Aliante R5 makes up for with a simple, functional design that kept me and my behind happy during both bleak midwinter rides and indoor turbo training sessions. Even though Fizik likens the saddle to a sofa, the padding isn't over the top and I felt nicely in tune with the road surface when I was riding.

Verdict

Functional and comfortable endurance saddle with extra width to accommodate all behinds