Right, let’s get one question out of the way first. Can any saddle be worth this much money? Without wanting to fence-sit too badly, the answer is: it depends.
The 00 features the same lightweight carbon hull as the Aliante R1, which was the first major overhaul of the Fizik range since its debut in 1999. This has been stiffened where it needs to be while being flexible enough to offer ample comfort. The 00, however, also gets a new variation of the single-piece Mobius rail found on Fizik’s Kurve models. Fizik has lightened the rail for the 00 and, as you’d expect for the price, it’s made from carbon – in one continuous piece.
Related: Fizik Aliante R1 review
The Mobius design anchors at the nose, and here it’s bonded rather than bolted. The flattened plate under the nose seamlessly blends into the squared-off oversized 7x9mm rail – which means you’ll need to make sure it’s compatible with your seatpost clamp. While the Kurve’s Mobius rail features a bridge across the rails, Fizik has refined the design for the 00, losing the bridge to save a few grams.
This transition isn’t just a styling feature. The new one-piece rail also makes the most of carbon’s natural spring, resulting in one of the most comfortable lightweight saddles we’ve ever tested. The 00’s microtex upper weighs very little and attaches to a double-shelled top. Two layers of stiff, lightweight carbon sandwich a layer of high-density padding, a neat manufacturing technique that results in smooth, clean lines on the saddle’s underside as well as on top.
Familiar form
The shape at first appears as familiar as any of the many Aliantes we’ve used over the years. The distinctive swoopy profile holds you in place perfectly, with the combination of flex in the hull’s wings and the high-quality padding making it a supremely comfortable saddle.
But the shape has in fact changed – and for the better. The nose is slimmer and it stays slimmer further down its flanks, providing plenty of friction-free clearance for those with sprinter-sized thighs without ever feeling overly narrow.
At the rear there’s a sharper kick in the tail, which is now topped with a suede-like material. It means you can really push back into it on steep in-the-saddle climbs, where the textured surface prevents you slipping.
The 00 test saddle we have weighs 176g (against a claimed 165g) which is 9g lighter than the R1 we tested. This is heavier than range-toppers like Fabric’s ALM Ultimate (120g) and San Marco’s Aspide Super Leggera (105g) but lighter than Prologo’s Nago Evo Nack CPC (214g).
Its quality and comfort do go a long way towards justifying the price, but it’s still hard to justify the cost over Fizik’s R1 or Kurve Bull when their performances are so very similar. Should you simply have to have the best though, the Aliante 00 might well be it – if your pockets are deep enough…
