Fizik Gobi XM Kium Rail Saddle Black: Fizik Gobi saddles with wing-flex shell and ICS (Integrated Clip System) allows for use of integrated bag or light add-on. The Fizik Gobi XM saddle is 290mm long. It is 130mm wide at its widest.
Submitted by
limbo696
a Weekend Warrior
from Orem, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2011
Strengths: Comfortable saddles with firm support.
Weaknesses: Support rail snapped on me after just over 1 season of use. Saddle only had one year warranty on it so I could not get a replacement.
Bottom Line:
I am a larger rider (6"2, 220lbs) and this is not the first seat I have busted. However, I think a premium seat like this should come with a longer warranty. Probably a decent a seat if you are a light rider.
Submitted by
yetibetty
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2010
Strengths: Looks nice, long rails
Weaknesses: This seat has long rails for a reason, it's because you'll be forever moving it beck and forth to try and make it feel comfortable before you give up and sell it.
Bottom Line:
This seat/saddle is designed around looks and weight and not around the human body(maybe the Italian body).
There is no groove in the center for the dangly bits but a sort of bump at the front of the saddle that ends up right in front of your dangly bits just to add to the pain.
The rear is very narrow and curved so unless you have a butt the size of a three year old your sit bones will not get any support and all of you body weight will be on your dangly bits and that is bad for you and can do permanent harm.
Similar Products Used: A few different Specialized BG's
Bike Setup: 07 Stumpjumper FSR
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
erwi0295
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: September 29, 2010
Strengths: Looks, weight, stiffness
Weaknesses: causes pain in the family jewelry
Bottom Line:
I ride every day; whether commuting, mountain biking or cross on 4 different bikes w/ different seats. They all suffice, but this one. If you like your junk, don't injure your manhood on this battle ax. This thing will slice you in two after a short period of riding. Throbbing pain will follow. I know, it hurts. Sent me to the doctor. It came on my giant. Its not a good seat, But I've got one for sale if you want it!
Similar Products Used: selle SMP Hybrid, Terry Fly, Selle Italia Flite Gel, San Marco Ponza
Bike Setup: 2010 Giant Trance X1
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
mike johnson
a Cross Country Rider
from christchurch new zealand
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2010
Strengths: weight looks
Weaknesses: plastic body underneath snapped
Bottom Line:
loved the seat,then it snapped, the plastic body underneath snapped when riding on a grade 1 trail , thinking of just getting a wtb rocket pro , if it did not snap, it would be 4 + chili, ps the gt carbon pro gets , 5 out of 5 ,had the 2001 gt idrive now the 2008 love both ,but now have had 4 gt,s, back to the fizik ,i will get another 1 for the right price one day
Submitted by
sebaho
a Cross Country Rider
from France
Date Reviewed: August 27, 2010
Strengths: Comfortable at first sight.
Quality of construction.
Weaknesses: Too flexible (too comfortable !) : not good for my perineum
Bottom Line:
Very pleased with the Gobi at the beginning, when used 6 hours per week. But during my holidays, after 25 hours of use in 2 weeks, my perineum shouted for help. The reason is that this saddle is so flexible that my perineum had abnormals contacts with it. After hours of this contacts, several cysts appeared.
The setup of this saddle is also very difficult because the rear is turned-up (spirit level problem) and the length is important (nose distance problem).
Similar Products Used: Fizik Nisene II (excellent but heavy)
WTB Rocket V team
Bike Setup: Cannondale Rush
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
SGexpat
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2010
Strengths: Well made, feels durable and easy to clean
Weaknesses: Expensive, on the narrow side, painful and numbing for those with wider sit-bones
Bottom Line:
Had the saddle a week on demo. Nice and well-made saddle but wrong for me. I'm 5'10 and 76 kilos so not exactly big or heavy. It does have a sweet-spot but puts pressure between my sit-bones and right on my soft tissue causing pain and numbness. Will try the Aliante which should be better width for me. Would think this is fine for those with narrower sit bones and for race/shorter rides.
Submitted by
bowser5x5
a Cross Country Rider
from nbay
Date Reviewed: June 28, 2010
Strengths: well built, nice style, rear & side flex add a lot of variation
Weaknesses: can be painful, depending on ride style, butt size
Bottom Line:
this is more of a race saddle that all-day xc saddle. can be painful if your butt is big or strangely built. race saddle = shorter time on the bike. overall this is a nice saddle, meant for shorter rides.
Submitted by
33MTB
a Cross Country Rider
from East Coast
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2010
Strengths: Lightweight
Weaknesses: Very painful
Bottom Line:
I ride mostly aggressive cross country. I'm 6'0", 200lbs. I really tried to like this saddle, especially after many of the positive reviews, but it is flat out painful. There is little padding as compared to other saddles (which is why it weighs less), which may account for the lack of comfort. This might be great for someone who races < 1hr., but if you ride any more than that, pain will follow. Maybe it's the way I'm built, but it's just not a good fit for me.
Similar Products Used: wtb ~60euro model was good ,
fizik tundra - was stiff for me
selle italia slr gel flow, not for me, it hurts
specialized phenom the medium size believe~145mm, very good felt like tundra.
For me gobi xm is better from all the above
Bike Setup: yeti asr slc
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
DEK2688
a Cross Country Rider
from PoCo, British Columbia, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2010
Strengths: Comfort, durability, quality construction, handmade in Italy.
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
I own two of these saddles. I had my first Gobi XM on my Dekerf and the fit was so good that I bought a second for my commuter steed, and have commuted on it for well over a year - probably around 5-6K km. Both of my Gobi XM's are the Kium railed versions with Microtex covers; one in Black, one in Anthracite.
The Microtex covers have held up extremely well to general use & abuse and through our wet & nasty weather - much better than any synthetic or leather covered saddle I've ridden/commuted on previously. Same for the padding - it hasn't shown any signs of degradation and has never caused hot spots or pressure sores even on the longest days.
Finally, the Cordura rear and sides afford great scuff protection and enhance the overall durability of an already great product. Worth every penny.
Similar Products Used: WTB Rocket V, various Specialized/WTB/Selle Italia saddles, etc.
Bike Setup: Dekerf Team SST with expensive shiny bits on it.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
SaniJunkie
a Cross Country Rider
from South Africa
Date Reviewed: January 23, 2010
Strengths: Weight ,Looks, Comfort, Quality
Weaknesses: None...
Bottom Line:
Brilliant saddle recommended by a Racing snake. (place in top 20 Sani2c Non stop)
Sorry for you Bill Stacker --- You had Gold in your hands and didnt appreciate it. Myself and +- 40 other reviewers cant be wrong. "Maybe your Bum is too large??
Bike Setup: Merida 3000 Beautiful Bike in every sense
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Zachariah
a Cross Country Rider
from Palm Desert, California USA
Date Reviewed: December 15, 2009
Strengths: -Thick, 5mm EVA foam padding
-Long, curving nose ideal for sustained climbs
-Tailflex feature makes getting behind saddle easy
-Strong, K:ium(KOOM) rails are stiff
-Tough, Cordura-type fabric impervious to scuffing
-ICS clip system for rear light and saddle bag is ingenious
Weaknesses: Couldn't find a SINGLE ONE!
Bottom Line:
After two years' of saddle evaluations(see above)...I have finally found what I call "ass nirvana." Fizik has developed a fine, 245g marathon racing saddle and endowed it with the finest materials money can buy. Combined with the distinctive, "Alligator jaw" nose...the climbing comfort of this saddle is deceivingly plush and cozy. The Gobi XM(exime') not only flexes at all the right places, but the firm padding creates a seated environment that makes 5+ hour epic rides a complete reality.
The flexy tail will never catch your shorts and allows for instantaneous on/off reliability. At first, it may appear you are sitting on a padded balance beam...but after a few rides the patented Wingflex tines will conform to your sit bones' anatomical profile splendidly.
Its quite obvious Fizik put much thought and consideration when making this saddle...and it clearly shows. This Italian-made masterpiece is tough, light and comfortable enough to last several seasons of uninterrupted comfort and style. Its so forgiving you can ditch the seatpost shock for good! On my hardtail- it offers the perfect balance of weight, function and looks. Just one of those "keeper" saddles...like the Brooks B17. Once it shapes to your buns...it becomes ALL YOURS!!!
Weaknesses: Idiots like Shotgun doing a review of the saddle
Bottom Line:
Would recommend this Quality saddle - finally retired one of my all time favorite Specialized seats and started performing reviews - purchased multiple saddles and as everyone indicated the saddle that will make you happy depends on the individuals build, riding style and terrain you ride. The northeast region of our country offers rolling hills and heavy woods to mild trails so you are on and off the saddle frequently. I have been doing more long distance trail rides recently and find this saddle to be a great selection for diverse riding conditions. The flex in the tail of the saddle makes a unique feel and give when utilizing the saddle. I use the Gore pants and notice no uncomfortable conditions even after a full day of riding. The Italian hand made craftsmanship of this saddle is "superior" compared to the Taiwan and Chinese garbage which are comparatively priced. Make sure to look for the MTB label when looking to purchase for off road - these saddles offer a denser padding. Want to continue to ride this new girl for a longer time and rate the durability and finish before rating it as an overall 5... so far it will achieve this rating.
Similar Products Used: Specialized,Trek - Bontrager, MTB
Bike Setup: Trek Carbon bikes - newest Fuel EX 9.8 full suspension
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
BubColorado
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: October 7, 2009
Strengths: For me, this is the holy grail of saddles. I've been mountain biking for 20 years and have gone through a dozen saddles. Over that time, this is the only one that I don't even think about after riding all day.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
The top of this saddle is far more flat than most, which in my opinion makes all the difference. Most saddles have a bit of a crown, which would make sense if ones taint were concave. Getting rid of the crown puts less stress on the soft tissues and balances the weight on your sit bones. Most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden.
Submitted by
djbooboo
a Weekend Warrior
from Malaysia
Date Reviewed: September 29, 2009
Strengths: Good build quality, comfortable, absorbs shocks, slim design
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
Very good saddle. I was surprised at how comfortable it is given its very thin line design. Excellent value for money. It's even more comfortable than the Selle Royal saddle that I have been using.
I need to purchase a new saddle for my Trance X build. I have been riding WTB Rocket V saddles for 8 years. I want to try a little longer saddle because I do a lot of long climbs t Read More »
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I've been thinking about trying a Speedball/Joplin for sometime now and found one on eBay. I read this forum regularly and am aware of the issues surrounding the Speedball, but si Read More »
I've been demo'ing this saddle and I really like how it feels. I've been a WTB Rocket V fan for the last several years. Anyway, I weighed one at work and it read 255g, not the 229g Read More »
The seat I was using on my Joplin is too soft and the rails are too low so it triggers the post every time I go over a bump. I through on an old flight saddle to get me by, but it Read More »
