5 STARS!!!!
I started using this saddle on one of my bikes to try a saddle that has even contact. Since I started riding a few years back, I always had a saddle with a slot in it but still always had discomfort. I heard people talk about even contact being more efficient. So this was my first saddle trying that out. Since swapping to this I had to get another one for my criterium bike also. It just feels like the pressure is even...in other words, less pressure points. I would definitely give this a try if you've been using saddles with openings in them. You'll be surprised.
I rode with thin Italian saddles for many years and for the last 5 or 6 on an Arione VS which I think has been discontinued. In my quest for replacement I have suffered painfully as I got caught up in the cut-out and width rabbit holes. Coming full circle I decided to try the Arione R3 because it comes in a wider version. Well the padding is much too hard so I am considering the purchase of the original Arione Classic which hopefully has padding equal to the VS. I have come to the conclusion that sit bone width is overrated because with the forward lean on a road bike I don't actually sit solely on my sit bones. The quest continues. I rode approximately 4,500 miles in 2021, am 60 years old and average around 17 mph in a mountainish area.
The Arione allows me to move around in different positions more easily than other saddles I've used. The shape felt a little awkward at first, but I grew accustomed to it after a couple weeks and don't notice the difference anymore. I've done many rides in the 50-100 mile range on this saddle and have no complaints. I was also pleasantly surprised that the Arione's actual weight on my scale-200g-was exactly as advertised.
I like this wider version of the Arione R3 (Large - 142mm width). I'd buy several more except for the dealbreaker, which is the saddle covering. Look at the saddle and you'll see a broad strip going down the middle from the nose. The problem is that it has a raised edge on the lower outside edges, and it appears to eat bike shorts prematurely. Why Fizik did this I don't know. A simple single smooth covering would've been fine. I'm actually going to try having my R3 recovered to get rid of that issue. Which I guess is an underhanded compliment to how much I like the fit of this saddle.
