Road Testing
Full disclosure: The Fizik Arione Donna has been my go-to saddle for a little more than a year and a half. My Liv Envie came with it, and I've logged thousands of miles without much incident until some recent discomfort, which spurred the aforementioned conversation with my local bike shop mechanic.
Over two weeks, I logged about 220 miles on the Donna 00. Installation was relatively easy thanks to consistent dimensions across the two models, but take heed: Because carbon is more fragile than steel or titanium, caution should be used when tightening down the saddle. Too much torque on the bolts could spell disaster.
More: The Truth About Your Bike Saddle
Did the carbon construction improve my ride quality? In some ways, yes. I didn't have to change my riding position, and although I was initially concerned about the lack of a pressure relief channel, I found it not to be much of an issue. The additional shock absorption properties of the carbon fiber were noticeable on Texas roads splitting from summer heat, but the weight difference was undetectable in-ride. I did perceive some benefit from the subtle additional flex that carbon provides. It's hard to put into words, but the feel is just more forgiving, especially as the hours spent in the saddle begin to wear on.
The overall construction of the Donna 00 was top-notch, with no noticeable signs of wear and tear after several hours in the saddle. Important to note, however, is that while Fizik doesn't list a maximum rider weight for particular models, it does matter. I weigh 130 pounds and felt the saddle was plenty durable. But if you are more firmly in the Clydesdale/Athena camp, you may want to consider sticking with the steel alloy, which will hold up better over time.
Was the overall riding experience improved enough to warrant the additional $120? It depends. Generally, a carbon saddle is pretty unnecessary if you're not riding past the 90-minute threshold. It's even more unnecessary if you're not logging significant mileage in a week (200 miles or more) and/or if you're not obsessed with the overall weight of your bike (seriously, guys, more carbon will not turn you into Peter Sagan, I promise).
But, at the end of the day, there's nothing more personal than choosing a saddle. Once you find the right fit, you'll pay just about anything for the comfort and resulting happiness. Should you buy a carbon saddle just to shed 20 g of weight and gain a few blink-and-you'll-miss-them benefits? In my opinion, no. If you do decide to spend the extra cash, do it because a proper fitting has deemed a carbon saddle to be the perfect fit for you.
It's your butt on the line, after all.
More: 6 Upgrades Your Bicycle May Need
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