Originally Posted by
downtube42
Closing out the Specialized Power at 168mm, I never got out for a hilly ride, but got three rides in for about 50 miles total. I definitely liked it better than the 155mm Romin, and I could see giving this saddle a long test. But it's due back before the weekend, so if I want a longer ride it will have to be another time.
3rd: Fizik Tempo Argo at 160mm. I wanted to try the 168 Romin but it's still not available. I'm going to stay with the short/wide style for a while, thus the Fizik. It's slightly longer nose than the Power, but still a short saddle. The first impression was it's more different from the Specialized than I anticipated. Full disclosure: the 10 mile trip into Portland had a glorious massive tailwind, and for the 10 mile trip home I made it about 2 miles before jumping on the Max (light rail) to beat the wind. So saddle time was limited; this weekend should be my November 200k, so it's going to get a real test. Reviews on this saddle suggest it's on the comfort end of the spectrum for Fizik. I'll try to get out on a shorter ride before jumping straight to 145 miles, but the weather looks pretty uninviting the next couple days.
Verdicts:
Specialized Romin 150mm: No, too narrow. Consider the 158mm version.
Specialized Power 168mm: Maybe. Consider for a longer test.
Fizik Tempo Argo 160mm: TBD
Saturday I rode a 200k on the Fizik Temp Argo; 148 miles total with the ride to/from the start/finish. Three miles in I stopped and pointed the nose down a bit, as the back of my thighs were already getting sore from hitting the saddle edge. That's a good place for me to pause and say, it's a terrible idea to try out new gear on a long ride; I know that, and I did it anyway prepared to deal with the consequences. The route is an out-and back, and halfway out I was already standing up on occasion to relieve soreness. We're talking 30-40 miles into the ride and already the soft tissue at the sit bones was barking. My baseline saddle - Selle Anatomica - is glorious for the first 100 miles or so; this guy never achieved the
saddle disappears feeling. So the Fizik goes on the no list. I still want to try the Specialized Romin and Power at the widest width before moving past the wide/short genre.
Specialized Romin 150mm: No, too narrow. Consider the 158mm version.
Specialized Power 168mm: Maybe. Consider for a longer test.
Fizik Tempo Argo 160mm: No. Sit bone area pain 35 miles into 200k.