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review

Fizik Antares R3 Open

7
£129.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Supportive and comfortable saddle for fast rides or slow, but expensive given its build
Firm padding supports while soaking up the bumps
Slender nose gives good thigh clearance
More expensive that obvious rivals
Weight: 
227g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Fizik Antares R3 Open is a well designed saddle for a whole range of riding styles, thanks to good shaping, supportive padding and a cutaway that can help if you suffer from numbness. It's a bit expensive for metal-railed saddle, though, and not the lightest for the money.

As I find with the majority of Fizik saddles, straight out of the box the padding is pretty firm, and it takes a good few rides to bed in. While never enough to create discomfort exactly, at first I was a touch sore when getting back onto the saddle the next day.

> Find your nearest dealer here

After 150-200 miles, though, the Antares softens and moulds a little, and from then on I found it remains comfortable. One upside of the supportive padding is that it stays in place around the central opening, instead of squidging down into it like some padding can.

2020 Fizik Antares R3 Open - front.jpg

With many new saddles seemingly getting shorter and shorter, the Antares is pretty old school with its long nose and wide rear section. The nose is narrow for plenty of clearance if you have large thighs, and the whole seat allows you to move around a fair bit to boost comfort and bike response.

You can easily slide back when climbing, and use the wide rear section as a platform to push against.

2020 Fizik Antares R3 Open - top.jpg

At 141mm the Antares is reasonably wide (a lot of saddles are around 135mm), so there's plenty of space for support, though if you want more there's a large version which increases that width to 153mm.

2020 Fizik Antares R3 Open - underside.jpg

The Antares R3 uses a carbon-reinforced nylon shell and K:ium aluminium rails. K:ium is an alloy specific to Fizik and is drawn into 7mm diameter tubes, and allows a bit of extra flex on top of that afforded by the shell/padding. It all goes towards taming road vibrations and works well.

2020 Fizik Antares R3 Open - underside back.jpg

The Microtex cover sheds water well and is hardwearing too – I leant the test bike against various walls during rides, and it's left no sign of scuffs or marks. The cover is firmly glued to the underside of the shell (the Antares is handmade in Italy, and the quality is good throughout), but it doesn't look quite as neat as comparable saddles from the likes of Prologo, which sandwich the cover between the shell and an additional layer.

2020 Fizik Antares R3 Open - rail.jpg

One neat addition is Fizik's integrated clip system, filled as stock by a branded nameplate, which allows easy attachment of compatible saddle bags and the like.

2020 Fizik Antares R3 Open.jpg

At £129.99 Antares R3 Open is fairly expensive for its build, if not excessive given its quality, and there are some cheaper competitors out there. The Prologo Scratch 2 Tirox saddle is very comfortable indeed straight out of the box, well finished, pretty much the same weight as the Fizik at 226g but a fair bit cheaper at £104.99.

The Fabric Line Race Shallow comes with titanium rails and is a touch heavier at 243g, but reviewer Hollis was very impressed with the comfort and it costs just £74.99.

> How to fit and set up your saddle - get your position right

The Antares R3 Open is a well made, well-shaped saddle that's comfortable for all tempos of riding, especially once the padding has settled in a bit. However there are some very good, very comfortable and similarly-specced saddles out there for less money.

Verdict

Supportive and comfortable saddle for fast rides or slow, but expensive given its build

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Fizik Antares R3 Open

Size tested: Regular 142 mm

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Fizik says, "With an anatomic cut-out shape and advanced technology, materials and craft, Antares R3 Open is a performance road saddle for riders who want a medium saddle profile and a cut-out to avoid pressure and numbness. Made for riders with medium body flexibility and low pelvic rotation while pedaling, the Antares is a neutral profile saddle with support and flexibility so you can move to find your power spot and maintain comfort."

The Antares R3 Open offers plenty of positions and a good level of comfort.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Open central cutaway

Shell: Carbon-reinforced nylon

Rails: 7mm K:ium

Cover: Microtex

Integrated Clip System compatible

Regular size:

- Dimensions: 276x141 mm

Large size:

- Dimensions: 276x153 mm

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The Antares is quite firm initially, but soon becomes much more comfortable and allows plenty of positions.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Supportive padding.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Not as cheap or light as some.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's expensive. As a composite shell/metal rail build, it's up against cheaper alternatives like the Fabric Line Race Shallow and the Prologo Scratch 2 Tirox, for instance, while you can even get full-carbon saddles such as the Merano Corsa for less.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Antares R3 is comfortable once bedded in and offers plenty of potential positions to suit many riding styles. There are cheaper and lighter alternatives for the money, though, so overall it's good but nothing more, and a seven.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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