Fizik Antares Saddle

Fizik Antares Saddle

• Cost: $199 MSRP


• Comfortable yet very light weight


• Natural Leather Seat Cover


• Made in Italy


• ICS bag compatible


• Weight: Claimed 175 grams. Actual: 177.

This is a review of the Fizik's latest saddle, the Antares.
It's supposed to be the "third dimension" between Fizik's excellent Airone and Aliante. I'm not sure what the third dimension really means but what I discovered that it's really a comfortable alternative to minimalist saddles like the Selle Italia SLR.

I decided to compare the Antares not only to it's brethren but also to the
Selle Italia SLR. Here's how they measured up:

• Antares: Width: 140mm, Length: 275mm, 177 Grams


• Aliante: Width: 135mm, Length: 265mm, 215 Grams


• Airione: Width: 128mm, Length: 302mm, 241 Grams


• SLR: Width: 125mm, Length: 275mm, 135 Grams

Comparing the saddles


My first experience with Fizik saddles was the Airone. It's a great
looking saddle that is much longer (25mm more than the Antares and SLR) than
most saddles. I suppose this is to give you more freedom to move for/aft for
spinning or pushing big gear. But despite it being the narrowest of the four--and with it's built in "wing flex", I've found that this saddle hits in the wrong places and is actually a bit of a disappointment; I tend to "get numb" when riding this saddle, especially when on the trainer. Lastly, the Airone isn't ICS compatible. ICS is Fizik's built-in adapter that allows you to clip in Fizik brand accessories like saddle bags and lights. The other two models are
ICS compatible.

I purchased the Aliante about 9 months ago -- and found it to be the
absolutely most comfortable saddle I've ever tried. I believe the secret to the
Aliante's comfort is its suspension; the seat is suspended like a hammock.
Notice the gold mesh in the picture above; it's essentially a fabric weave that
allows floatation. The Airone and Antares have more traditional carbon shells
(as does the SLR). The Aliante is supremely comfortable whether pushed back
against the upraised back or pushed forward on the padded nose. With the Aliante, it feels like you sit "in" the saddle versus being perched "on" it. I can't say enough great things about the Aliante.

So how would the Antares fair? Oddly, the Antares is the widest of the
bunch and slightly longer than the Aliante. It has a much slimmer profile and
weighs a very respectable 177 grams (there is a carbon railed version with a
claimed weight of 145 grams that costs $30 more). At first look, I thought it
would mimic the feel of the Selle Italia SLR: ridable but not exactly
comfortable. Amazingly, the Antares was fantastic. Despite it's slim profile,
the padding is dense yet comfortable and it's width fully supports your sit
bones. As with the Aliante, it was comfortable sitting toward the rear yet still
offered enough padding in the nose for spinning up hills. The saddle was very
comfortable over a 40+ mile ride, something I could never say about the Selle
Italia SLR. I'm looking forward to trying this on my tri bike--as I the nose has
more extension than the Aliante while also offering enough cushion for forward
position aero-bar riding.

Overall, I still think the Aliante is the most comfortable road bike
saddle--ever. The Antares is my second favorite saddle -- a lightweight
alternative for the weight weenie crowd that might even prove to be a good
solution for triathlons and time trials. I'll update this review when I've spent
some time on the tri bike with it.

SRAM Red 5-piece component upgrade

Purchased 9/23/08
This is a review of the SRAM Red 5-piece upgrade. I've been sticking with Shimano 9-speed Dura Ace because I have 4 road bikes that I'm always switching components on. Plus, I haven't really seen a compelling reason to switch my Dura Ace Octalink BB (175 grams) and FSA Superlight Cranks (522 grams) for the new-tech outboard bearing cranks; they aren't significantly lighter and are a lot more expensive. However, I recently bought a new used Cervelo R3 and the weight-weenie bug struck hard. Plus, the 11-26 SRAM cogset seems like a great upgrade that lends a huge range of flexibility. Shimano offers only 11-23 or 12-25. And the Red component group is rumored to be much lighter. It was time to upgrade to 10 speed. Plus I pooled my 42nd birthday funds to afford the upgrade.

Cost/Benefit


Below is pricing and weights from the Excel Sports web site (as of 9/29/08).  Last year's Dura Ace and Campy Record 10-speed currently have steep discounts while the new Dura Ace and Campy 11-speed have big premiums as they are being introduced. SRAM Red is in between; more expensive than the 2008 models but less expensive than the 2009 models. But lighter than all. Kudos to SRAM for forcing the competition to go back to the drawing board. This being said, the original Dura Ace 9 Speed has certainly stood the test of time and is a remarkable value for price and weight.

Weights


The SRAM shifters came with the shift cables installed. I didn't want to remove them so weighed them together, they came in at 323 grams, 53 more than the
claimed naked weight. But still far less than the 485 for D/A 9 Speed. Campy and SRAM shifters are a lot lighter than D/A, regardless of the model. Also, the cassette, chain, and rear derailleur were largely on track though the Front Derailleur was way off. I chose to compare "claimed" weight according to Excel Sports to provide the most consistent baseline.

Regarding costs, it is ABSURD to think that shifters are now over $500. And the new Dura Ace at SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS should be considered criminal. $300+ for a rear derailleur is also getting out of hand. As 2008 draws to a close, deals can be found on last year's models so keep an eye out.

Component Highlights - Shifters


In a few years, I think the cycling community will look at Shimano shifters
that have the derailleur cables coming out at 90 angles as totally primitive. SRAM and Campy offer cable routing that follows the taper of the bar. SRAM even offers the ability to route the derailleur cables either inboard or outboard. How smart is this? Having both cables route on the inside provides a seamless transition along the handlebar-awesome. Ironically, I did initially miss the "safety blanket" feel of the cable jutting out as a hand hold. But I'll get over this. As a side note, I believe Campy has offered multiple cable positions for some time.

Another cool feature is the SRAM Red shifters/brake levers also offer adjustable reach. But I chose to leave the reach in the default position.

How do they work? The shifters are very fast and have a nice, positive and substantial feel. The front derailleur has a bit of a long throw to get into the big ring, but it is not objectionable. Shifting the rear down from the 26 to the 23 was a bit tricky; it will take some time to master the small step down versus clanking all the way to the 21. But overall, not a traumatic change from Shimano. And as I get used to it, I am sure it will become second nature. 

Component Highlights - Derailleurs


The derailleur set up was just plain finicky. SRAM provides terrible documentation, and the group I got from Colorado Cyclist had almost no packaging. I resorted to the web site's downloadable PDF for "dealers" . This proved to be helpful but not perfect.

Rear derailleur: What's cool-the angle between the cable exit and shifter comes out at a sharp angle which locks the cable; it's easier to adjust cable tension than with Shimano. But it was very difficult to set the b-tension screw
correctly. Unfortunately, perhaps because of the wide gear range provided by the 11-26, it wasn't possible to dial out chain rub in the 11 and 12 tooth cog while riding in the front small ring. There is significant chain rub in either gear. Additionally, the manual calls for maintenance/relube of the ceramic bearings every 100 miles. I have to say that that is a bit of a pain in the butt.

Front derailleur. The front derailleur provides trimming in the big ring; if you are mid-ring in back, you can semi-shift the FD to drop down a bit. This gives more flexibility in the middle gears and even allows cross-chaining without rub. This being said, in the 53x11, the chain would rub and slip. Adding more travel
to the big ring simply meant over-shifts with the chain dropping off. I think I have to visit my LBS for fine tuning of the front and rear.

Component Highlights - Cogset and Chain
The cogset really steals the show. It is machined from one piece of steel and is hollowed out inside! This is pretty ingenious. More amazing, I love the 11-26 combo and wonder why no one else thought of this. The cogset has a third piece-a sleeve that goes over the cassette body. This proved to be problematic as the sleeve wouldn't fit over the cassette body. I exercised restraint (ie, didn't hammer it in to place) and had my LBS, Calmar Cycles, do the final install. This involved using a Dremel tool to file down the detents in the freewheel. Please note, if you are an SRAM Red owner and don't have the sleeve--get one! The customer care rep at Easton (I have Easton Ascent II's) strongly suggested using it and warned of death/serious injury. SRAM also says it keeps water out. The cogs also feature flat spots that are supposed to make the chain pickup faster. Not sure if this works, but it seemed very quick to me. The finish is also a nice and bright. The chain, 1090-r, features hollowed side plates and weighs in at very light 260 grams. Not bad. The chain/cogset combo is a bit noisier than Shimano with a louder, more mechanical "whirring" sound.

The finished product!


All in all, the SRAM upgrade yielded wider gearing (11-26), 10-speed Shimano capability (you can use a Shimano cogset), as well as 8 ounces of weight savings. I also put on lighter cranks (-53 grams) and skewers (-23 grams) netting a loss of 270 grams/ 9.6 ounces.

Here's the finished product at 14pounds, 7 oz or 6560 grams.

Triathlon gear: Vision Base Bars

These Vision Base Bars from Full Speed Ahead are amazing. They are fairly light (around 230 grams), extremely stiff, and offer an excellent "in the drops" hand position. I am a fairly cautious descender, but these bars allow a very secure hand grip that inspires confidence. The flats of the bars allow a comfortable upright position. And while in the aero bars, the flat profile of the base bar allows easy transition from the aero extensions to the bar ends. I'm pairing these with Hed aerobars and it's a great combination.

The vision base bars are relatively cheap; around $100 for the alloy version. The carbon version is more expensive and only marginally lighter. In the San Francisco Bay Area you can get these from Front of the Pack which is where I got them.