Fizik Rondine Vitesse on Pave

Hi ladies,

Does anyone have experience with Fizik's Rondine, Vitesse, or Pave saddles? I bought a new Seven which I love, but I'm really struggling to find a seat. I had a Fizik Alliante Gamma on my last bike, but it hurts the soft tissue when I use it on my new one. I bought a Selle Anatomica, and have had lots of sit bone issues with it. I'm looking for something tolerable for centuries and longer rides period. Has anyone used the Women's specific Vitesse? I have a Rondine in my posession right now, but it's a bit hard to tell since I'm real sore from a century I did yesterday. It feels like the sit bones are OK, but I have a little pressure up front, not as bad as my Aliante, but it's there.

Thanks,
Marcia

I have a Pave and have ridden about 7500 km on it so far. I had serious pain once after a 150 km ride where I spent a long time in the drops, but that's due to positionning issues, not to the saddle. (Actually I think saddle issues are often fit issues...)

I have never had any other saddle on my road bike so I don't know if I'd rather have something else. At the beginning of this year I was thinking about changing but I have grown used to my saddle again so I don't really want to bother the adaptation period...

That's not even worth 0.02$. Good luck!

I have the Vitesse and LOVE it. I've had it on three different bikes. The nose is very narrow, so your thighs don't rub on it. It's got dense foam, so you don't sink in. I can sit in several different places on the seat to change my position slightly, which I like being able to do.

I have the Vitesse and it's just great for me. Thighs don't rub because of the narrow nose, there's a soft gel insert beneath the soft bits (narrow but useful) and I didn't have sit bone issues with it from day one, which surprised me somewhat. Could just be my shape, but I recommend it without hesitation. Have done about half a dozen 100k+ rides on it, and ride about 150k a week without issue. The rest of me is a mess, but my sitbones and girly bits are just fine!:)
A

The Vitesse is the women's version of the men's Aliante. The Aliante is narrower overall than the Vitesse, but the designs are similar. If you had trouble in the soft tissue area with the Aliante, the Vitesse might get you in the same place.

I tried both, & had soft-tissue issues with both. They are slightly curved & the nose kicks up a little in front. The Vitesse was too wide for me in the back & rubbed the backs of my inner thighs. The Aliante was narrower, but I couldn't find a place to sit on it. It is rounded in the back so I kept rolling off it from one side to the other.

I ended up needing something flat & narrow, so I ride the Arione. The nose does not come up, and the back is truly flat.

oh ! I just discovered that one of my pair of shorts has a hole at the junction of the seams on the inner-thigh, left side, probably from rubbing on the saddle (Fisk Pave). :(

But that's probably not really the saddle's fault, although I will make sure to inspect it when I go out for my ride...

Thank you so much!!!
I'm going to try both the Arione and the Vitesse. My sit bones are 125-130 mm, so I'm worried the Arione is slightly too narrow. I'm also considering trying the new Terry Zero, or possibly the Falcon. I've never had good luck w/Terry's, although many people have great success. The zero looks like a completely new design. It's like a seat frenzy at my house!!! Also, I feel so whiney........anything works up to 40mi, but after that????? Arione and Vitesse up next!
Thanks again,
Marcia
Greenville, WI

I also ride the Vitesse and it works great for me.

I like the Vitesse so much I just ordered a new one with the gel insert, which I don't know if I believe will actually do anything for me or not, but at least I'll have a saddle I love on two out of three bikes. (My old one is just plain.)

Nanci

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nanci

I like the Vitesse so much I just ordered a new one with the gel insert...

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Nanci, did you order it from Sierra Trading Post? Right now I have a Vitesse that I bought used on eBay but I was thinking of maybe getting one of the ones with the gel thingie in the middle. That's basically the one spot where mine gets uncomfortable on long rides -- towards the front and right in the middle!

I'm looking for information on the Fizik Vitesse HP saddle. Searching the Internet, I see that there are different versions and I'm confused.

Is this a lady's saddle? Is there a lady's version and a male version? I see the following advertised on the Internet:

Vitesse HP FEMME (Lady)- Does this have a Ti or Mg rail. What is the weight in gms?

Vitesse CP3

Vitesse TI

Vitesse Twin Tech

I think the Twin Tech is the one with the gel but I don't want the added weight.

Does anyone know about the different versions?

Vitesse is women specific, but some men ride it.

The one I just ordered is the CP3 Ti, which is discontinued. It has some sort of gel insert in the nose. (The newest model has scuff guards, now.) (My current Vitesse is maybe five or six years old, and has almost no visible wear. It is plain with no gel and I _think_ chromo rails. I love it. I hope the new one is even better. If so, the old one will go back to my MTB, and the new one will go on the road bike.)

Comfort and performance collide in the Fizik CP3 Ti Vitesse bicycle saddle. Titanium rails lighten the load as ergonomic Royalgel saddle absorbs road bumps for long, comfortable rides. Great saddle for training and early season rides or any time of the year
# Length: 10-5/8”
# Width: 6-1/8”
# Weight: 11 oz. (305g)
# Material:
# Synthetic cover
# Titanium rails
# Closeouts. Italy.

Update!
The Rondine is feeling pretty good. I've only been able to ride up to 30 miles a couple of times, but there's hope! I have a Vitesse on order to try, as well as, a Terry Zero and Falcon X. I'm going to get this figured out soon. I'm doing a process of elimination. I have another 100mi ride on Mon., so which will it be, hmmmmmmmm. The Vitesse twintech is the one with the gel, and I was told too it was discontinued. On Fizik's website it indicates the CP3's are for riders who ride less then 2000 mi/yr. Definitely not a # to get hung up on, but they are probably softer, with a little shorter lifespan. Time to go to work to pay for all this stuff!!!
Marcia

CP3's pretty expensive, then, if you're only riding 2000 miles a year...Isn't the MSRO about $120?? Hardly what I'd call "recreational." Well, we'll see how it holds up!!

Nanci

Nanci
Regarding the vitesse, you don't feel it has problems with the frontal pressure issue?

I tried a regular vitesse, the rear was fabulous but the front was like crushing the soft tissue. Maybe the gel is better?

I'm all for the narrower nose, I had problems with the wide saddles. :confused:

No, it doesn't bother me. I get sore, on really long rides, in the crease where my underwear would go. I ride with the nose slightly up, too.

I don't think the gel does anything.

http://tinyurl.com/oy87m

I rode around the parking lot on this saddle for about five minutes and it was interesting. The front parts were all out in mid-air- not touching anything. I felt like it was wide, but couldn't say if that meant uncomfortable- it was just different. It felt like my ishial bones were taking all my weight- but more to the front of the bones, not the tuberosity-sit bones part. Again, not in an uncomfortable way, but really different.

The saddle itself is very well made- quality leather, ti rails. $149. Not a cheap experiment.

Blackwell also makes another saddle called the Flow, which is more traditional, which gets excellent reviews. $99.

I sent the Vitesse CP3 back to Sierra Trading Post (sorry Carrie, I didn't see your question about where it was from, earlier) because it felt softer and was thicker than the one I have. I also noticed mine is finally starting to come apart at the back seam...

Also, I didn't like that it was synthetic, not leather. The gel looked cool, and felt soft.

I'm noticing that most saddles are not leather. Rather, they are synthetic and water-proof. What is the advantage of leather? You can get a Vitesse in leather if you customize it from Fizik.

It seemed fragile. Like, too stretchy/vinyly. Leather is strong. (Kangaroo leather is supposed to be one of the strongest, BTW! Used for some high-wear parts of expensive horse saddles.)

Nanci, if you sent your new Vitesse back, and seeing as your old Vitesse which you've always liked is failing, what are you going to do now? Do you know of or have you tried any other saddle you'd like? I was just starting to get keen on this one for myself, but now I think I'm not so sure.

Well, I'll probably have to order the expensive Vitesse, (which now has cordura side protection!!!) or find an older one on eBay. I'm looking at that Blackwell Adamo ISM, but it seems a little extreme, and I wonder how it is if you're not riding in aero position. I got to ride one for a few minutes in a parking lot- it was very weird but cool. Blackwell also makes a saddle called the Flow which looks interesting- but I am suspicious of the "only" $90 price...

Nanci

Just looked around- there are still plenty of the one I like out there.

Nanci