How to choose the right saddle according to Fizik's Spine Concept
3 minute read
Bulls and Chameleons. Or How to Choose the Right Saddle.
You are either a bull, a snake, or a chameleon. Actually, this is not a question related to the Chinese zodiac, although that theme is also completely animalistic. The Italian manufacturer Fizik poses the question: “Which animal are you?” to cyclists, believing that each of the three possible answers carries extremely important information. Fizik generalizes the question into a serious and important topic they call the Spine Concept. The subject of this concept is the choice of saddle, which strongly depends on the flexibility of the cyclist’s spine. This flexibility corresponds to one of the three animals – bull, snake, or chameleon.
How does it work?
Fizik carefully studies the musculoskeletal systems of the bull, snake, and chameleon, particularly the flexibility of their spines. It is quite obvious that the degree of flexibility differs among these three animals. Thus, the Italian specialists apply the concept of spinal flexibility to human anatomy and derive the main idea – the choice of the right saddle should depend on how much the spine bends.
Are you a bull or a snake?
- Snake: the snake group includes riders who can easily touch their toes when bending forward. This is the most flexible spine. If you think you are a “snake,” there is no need to consider that you need a soft saddle because during cycling your body distributes weight evenly on the sit bones. According to Fizik’s Spine Concept, the suitable saddle for “snakes” is the Arione.
- Chameleon: this is a less flexible spine, so riders with this structure adapt more to the shape of the saddle. Therefore, Fizik recommends the Antares model for them.
- Bull: riders of this type are the least flexible, so in such cases a saddle with a softer and wider part is necessary. According to the Spine Concept, this saddle structure is suitable for the “bull” type to prevent sliding forward during cycling. The recommended model for “bulls” is the Aliante.
With the Spine Concept, Fizik gives cyclists the opportunity to see for themselves the relationship between spinal flexibility and saddle compatibility. The Spine Concept is a strong argument for the right choice. As the concept develops and research deepens in this area, the Fizik team found the formula not only for choosing a saddle but also for the right handlebar. Good execution leads to maximum comfort – this is the leading motive of the Italian manufacturer Fizik.
Fizik has developed a special series of saddles adapted to the Spine Concept. The Kurve line has models for bull, chameleon, and snake. What is interesting about the saddles in this line is that they offer the possibility of a firmer or softer flex.
The company also created a mobile app - Fi'zi:k spine concept evo, which allows you to test how you sit on the saddle and after the test suggests the saddle that suits you. The app tests your body weight and power and offers you the size and type of saddle. It is available for all types of operating systems.
After the great success of Spine Concept Evo, this year the company developed 6 types of limited edition saddles in collaboration with professional cycling teams. The new concept is dressed in the teams’ colors.
7 out of 18 professional teams will use fi'zi:k saddles for the 2017 season. As a special feature, available only with the limited 2017 edition, each saddle will come with a perfectly integrated mudguard as a gift.
