{"id":435207,"date":"2026-02-20T01:12:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T01:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/435207\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T01:12:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T01:12:14","slug":"fizik-brings-back-the-arione-but-did-it-ever-go-away-cycling-news-bike-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/435207\/","title":{"rendered":"Fizik brings back the Arione… but did it ever go away? – Cycling News | Bike Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fizik has brought back its Arione saddle, including models with 3D-printed uppers \u2013 although you could be forgiven for never realising that it had gone away because it has remained in stock with many retailers.<\/p>\n

First things first: is the 2026 Arione still a foot long? Near enough. It\u2019s actually 284mm, if you\u2019re interested (and you\u2019re happy to mix up imperial and metric measurements).<\/p>\n

While that length has always confused us a little \u2013 what exactly are you supposed to do with that extended tail section? \u2013 there\u2019s no doubting it helped make the Fizik Arione one of the most distinctive saddles out there when it was introduced back in 2003.<\/p>\n

> Best road bike saddles<\/a><\/p>\n

\"20262026 Fizik Arione Adaptive studio detail (Image Credit: Fizik)<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get us wrong, various members of the road.cc<\/a> team have got on well with different versions of the Arione over many years, but that whole rear section\u2026 no one ever actually sits back there, do they? Maybe you do \u2013 let us know \u2013\u00a0but it always looks as fresh as the day it was made back there.<\/p>\n

Anyway, on to the new versions. Fizik says that the Arione has been \u201creimagined with contemporary materials and advanced construction methods\u201d. There\u2019s a lot of reimagining going on these days, isn\u2019t there?<\/p>\n

\"20262026 Fizik Arione Adaptive detail (Image Credit: Fizik)<\/p>\n

According to Fizik, \u201cArione is equipped with a new revolutionary rail insertion that unlocks a more aero\/aggressive position than its competitors. Instead of the rails curving back to meet the shell, thus creating limits to the adjustment, the new Arione has a vertical join to the saddle, which allows the user to move it as far forward as possible, thus allowing the saddle to be set to the limit necessary to achieve the ideal forward position to beat the wind.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Arione borrows the \u2018Link\u2019 platform from Fizik\u2019s Aeris saddle design<\/a>, which allows you to mount a triathlon-style rear bottle cage to the saddle.\u00a0The Fizik Aeris link is \u00a314.99.<\/p>\n

There are five new Arione models, each based around the same core shape and with a carbon-reinforced nylon shell.<\/p>\n

\"20262026 Fizik Arione R1 Adaptive (Image Credit: Fizik)<\/p>\n

The Arione R1 Adaptive is one of the models with 3D-printed Adaptive padding from nose to tail.<\/p>\n

There are five different zones of padding, and rather than having a central cut-out, Fizik has gone for what it calls \u201ca softer central functional zone\u2026to distribute a rider\u2019s weight more evenly for better pressure relief and improved comfort on longer rides\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Adaptive padding is made by Carbon using its Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology.<\/p>\n

Fizik says, \u201cDLS is an additive manufacturing process that uses digital ultraviolet light projection, oxygen-permeable optics, and programmable liquid resins to produce parts with excellent mechanical properties, resolution, and surface finish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carbon partners with other saddle brands like Specialized and Selle Italia.<\/p>\n

\"20262026 Fizik Arione R1 Adaptive underside (Image Credit: Fizik)<\/p>\n

The Arione R1 Adaptive\u2019s rails are carbon and you\u2019re looking at a price of \u00a3299.99. That\u2019s hardly cheap for a bike saddle, but chucking 3D-printing into the equation always jacks the price up.<\/p>\n

\"20262026 Fizik Arione R3 Adaptive (Image Credit: Fizik)<\/p>\n

The other Fizik Arione with 3D-printed padding is the R3 Adaptive. This one also comes with a carbon-reinforced nylon shell, but this time with hollow Kium (lightweight titanium alloy) rails. It\u2019s a little cheaper at \u00a3259.99.<\/p>\n

\"20262026 Fizik Arione R1 Light (Image Credit: Fizik)<\/p>\n

There are three new Fizik Arione models without 3D-printing. Like the Arione R1 Adaptive (above), the Arione R1 Light features carbon rails, but with a bare EVA foam layer. This time, you do get a central cut-out and the price is \u00a3199.99.<\/p>\n

\"20262026 Fizik Arione R3 (Image Credit: Fizik)<\/p>\n

The Fizik Arione R3 comes with hollow Kium rails, PU (polyurethane) foam padding, and it\u2019s priced at \u00a3149.99.<\/p>\n

\"20262026 Fizik Arione R5 (Image Credit: Fizik)<\/p>\n

The least expensive model in the range is the Arione R5 at \u00a399.99. The difference here is the use of Fizik\u2019s S-Alloy rails.<\/p>\n

All models are available in 135mm and 145 widths.<\/p>\n

Fizik claims a weight of 184g for the Arione R1 Adaptive in a 135mm width. As the name suggests, the Arione R1 Light is a little lighter \u2013\u00a0a claimed 147g in the same size. Weights go up to a claimed 237g for the Arione R5 in a 145mm width.<\/p>\n

www.fizik.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fizik has brought back its Arione saddle, including models with 3D-printed uppers \u2013 although you could be forgiven…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":435208,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-435207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-cycling","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=435207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/435208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=435207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=435207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=435207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}