Submitted by
Gunnar-man
a Weekend Warrior
from Calgary, AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2011
Strengths: Inexpensive, great fit
Weaknesses: Developed squeaks after a year and a half, tears easily
Bottom Line:
THis saddle came stock on a commuter bike I bought and assumed it was going to be uncomfortable because it didnt' look like the $100 Spec BG seats I had been buying previously. What an awesome surprise. It was a great fit. I was tired of dropping $100+ a year to replace the Spec seats that seemed to come loose at the rails after 8 months of use. I assumed that was just what to expect from a seat.
This seat has been great. i have since bought two more for my mountain bike and one as a spare.
Submitted by
kchan021
a Cross Country Rider
from metro Atlanta
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2011
Strengths: comfy comfy comfy comfy
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
Once you have it moved to your sweet spot, your rear will love it.. Had it moved toward the back end of the bike, which is where the meat of the cushion is.. No more sore (_!_).. love it
My bike also fell and dragged about 25 feet going 70mph. The saddle didn't even break, except for a tear.
Similar Products Used: Replaced stock Bontrager on 2008 Trek 4300
Currently using Bontrager Evoke 1 on new bike (2011 Fisher/Trek Marlin 29er)
Bike Setup: Maxxis Crossmark 29er; Shimano ML520 clipless
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Submitted by
AK47
a Cross Country Rider
from Folsom, CA
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2010
Strengths: Comfort, construction, looks.
Weaknesses: Wish it was flatter on the top. It's a little too rounded, but I finally found what makes it work for me (see below).
Bottom Line:
Once you get the fore/aft adjustment dialed in, it's a very nice saddle. However, even after that, I kept getting rubbed on the outer edges of the chamios on my shorts. After a lot of trial and error, I finally traced it to the slightly rounded profile on this saddle. After applying a little chamois cream to the outer edges of my shorts,it cured the problem. The rounded profile of the saddle was causing my skin to rub on out edges of the chamois too much. The lube did the trick.
It's a very comfy saddle, and one (once you get it dialed in) I can now sit on all day.
Bike Setup: The saddle came stock on my 2009 Rocky Mountain Altitude 70
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Submitted by
meanbeaver
a Weekend Warrior
from B.C.
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2009
Strengths: fairly light, good materials, manganese rails, skid guard, wing flex, seat feels good in most fore/aft positions.
Weaknesses: a tiny bit of creaking now and then but no big deal.
Bottom Line:
Saddles are a personal choice, I am a light male rider with not much padding on the rear. I find that a flat saddle is much better for me then the ones with raised padding and/or ergonomic holes.
Although the Nisene is flat in profile it is surprisingly plush feeling and it's sleek design allows you to switch your weight forwards and backwards over the seat very easily. This is the best fitting seat to my needs I have ever used!
The Nisene can be found in two models. The 'HP' which is made for all mountain. And the 'Sport' which is the trail version. There is very little difference between the two. The Sport has 10g more padding while the Nisene has 8mm rails.
Similar Products Used: san marco, vette, selle, wtb
Bike Setup: Opus Maadh 2, sram x9 drivetrain, Easton cockpit.
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Submitted by
perttime
a Weekend Warrior
from Finland
Date Reviewed: February 18, 2009
Strengths: - it fits me, is the right shape for me, and the padding is nice and firm
- it has taken some bumps with no damage, even cosmetic
- it looks good: not unusual, not flashy, not hot, just plain good
Weaknesses: - none found so far, for me
- don't know if it fits you
Bottom Line:
The Bottom line with a seat is always the question: does it fit me?
I took a risk in ordering this seat online, but I did it after days of comparing dimensions and shapes of seats I had used or tried. So far, Nisene HP is the best seat I have used: flat top, firm padding, not too wide at the rear, not too skinny in front.
I have it on a tough singlespeed hardtail that obviously sees me out of the saddle a lot. When I am out of the saddle, the Nisene does not get in the way. When I am in the saddle, I am comfortable pedaling. I don't use padded shorts and suffered no discomfort during an 8 hour group ride on trails.
Another side to the bottom line: I don't know if it fits you. If you are looking for a new seat, go and sit on a few. If you don't find a good seat that way, figure out the shape and size you need, and find a seat that fits the description.
Similar Products Used: Fizik Dolomiti, Selle SMP TRK, a "Banshee" branded seat, Selle San Marco Corsaire (ooold)
Bike Setup: Tough hardtail for trails.
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Submitted by
BuddyLee
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2009
Strengths: This came stock on my '08 Cannondale Prophet 2. I have done a mix of nice city road/dirt trail riding to downhill riding at Northstar. It looks cool, is streamline and light weight.
Weaknesses: I was about to sell this and get something else as every prolonged ride makes me feel like I was ass-raped and I get numbness down there...not a happy feeling. The bike store guy assured me that there is a 'structural' channel for soft tissue, however, I have not felt it.
Bottom Line:
After reading some of the reviews of 'perfectly adjusting...ass nirvana' I'll give it one more shot, but otherwise, its out...anyone want to buy one cheap?
Similar Products Used: Fizik Arione, Gobi, Rondine.
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Submitted by
Kevin Rants
a Cross Country Rider
from Montgomery, AL
Date Reviewed: December 14, 2007
Strengths: well constructed, great materials, durable, thick scuff guards, wing flex design, CP layer is nice (mine has the the CP gel layer)
Weaknesses: scuff guards add some weight, sensitive to 'exact' position
Bottom Line:
This is a nice saddle. So far, comfortable for up to 3+ hour journeys. As mentioned earlier, it takes some adjustment to find the 'sweet spot' with regard to angle, etc, however, it's definitely a great epic ride saddle.
I have the CP model with an additional layer of gel padding in key areas - a nice addition for endurance rides.
5 chilis for value, easy to source these in new condition on ebay. 4 chilis for overall rating b/c it can be a bit finicky with positioning.
Weaknesses: MUST be mounted precisely, for overall comfort.
Bottom Line:
I got this seat cheap- but I almost tossed it out, after three uses. If this seat is not mounted EXACTLY to your buns' specs(height, pitch, tilt, etc.).....you will have an extreme case of RAW CROTCH SYNDROME. In other words- the seat will be totally unbearable to sit on, for any length of time.
Once you get it PRECISELY DIALED IN(alot of trial/error!) the seat suddenly becomes worth every penny you spent. Fizik's ergonomics is VERY exacting- so experiment with various configurations, before finally deciding to auction it off on eBay.
Once you experience the "ass nirvana" this seat provides- long, epic rides are gladly anticipated.
Submitted by
Super Man
a Racer
from The World, Milky Way
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2007
Strengths: Very comfortable, good guards on the sides protect from scuffing in the even of a crash.
Weaknesses: Not super light, but not heavy either.
Bottom Line:
Great saddle, especially for long rides. But of course saddles are very personal, so try before you buy if you can. Not the lightest or the strongest, but a good mix of the two. I highly recommend it.
Similar Products Used: Lots of Fizik and selle italia. Currently on a SLR.
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Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2007
Strengths: Light, comfortable
Weaknesses: weak rails
Bottom Line:
Great saddle, comfortable for 4hrs+ at a time, however I terminally bent the Left rail getting off the back for a drop off. Front wheel got hung up and stopped me, I whacked into the back of the saddle, narrowly missing the crown jewels and once I recovered there was a very bent LH rail. . .and the saddle is only 6 months old. . .maybe I had it too far back on the post?
Bike Setup: sunn frame,rock shox judy j2 front fork,shimano LX shifters,shimano LX front derailleur,shimano XT rear derailleur,carbon handlebar and bar ends,avid brake levers,sram 7.0 cassette,mavic wheels
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Submitted by
Ryan McNeel
a Weekend Warrior
from Anchorage,Alaska
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2006
Strengths: Light and looks great with the carbon trim. I enjoyed my time with this saddle (while it lasted)
Weaknesses: The bar (rail) popped out after a minor slide in wet mud. The Ti thing would not go back in. My lbs tried with 3 guys and could not get it back in. So the bike shop guy said call Fizik. I called them in Italy and they said (tough crap) buy another one in so many words or go back to you lbs. My lbs did not have another in stock and I replaced it with a WTB laser stealth. I still miss Fizik. it looked cool with all the carbon on my bike. But this new one is cool too!
Bottom Line:
Cool seat... until mine broke and they would not fix it. Maybe it won't happen to you.
Oh btw Fizik is the same company as Selle Royal. A little bit of info for you I learned when I called Italy. Same customer service.
Similar Products Used: WTB various that came stock on my REI bikes.
Bike Setup: Novara Team 2006 with carbon everywhere! Carbon avid juicy brake levers,carbon handlebar,seatpost,carbon S-RAM X-O. Fox F-100x shock and fox float rear shock.
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Submitted by
niwla
a Cross Country Rider
from malaysia
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2006
Strengths: Plush & Comfortable.
Weaknesses: None yet so far.
Bottom Line:
A saddle is a personall thing. Some like it flat, some like it bucket seat style. As mentioned by a rider before, to me the Fizik Nisene is 'ass nirvana'. It really shines on epic rides, compared to my Gobi. Dont get me wrong, the Gobi is an excellent tool, but beyond 2 hours, it starts to kick me in the butt. Ive found my epic saddle. For those out there still looking, give this a try.
Submitted by
Djaka Dwiputra
a Weekend Warrior
from Indonesia
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2006
Strengths: Light weight, very confortable,
Weaknesses: non so far
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is this saddle is the best for long xc ride out there. I've tried a bunch of selle but I am happy with this saddle it has nice looks, nice design particularly with the Wing Flex it realy feels cozy, firm and light weghtpreformance.