Bike Perfect Verdict
Fizik’s Terra Aidon X3 is designed for power-assisted pedaling and adds well-damped comfort to any bike with an upright riding position. The X5 is better value though
Pros
- +
Extra comfy for upright pedaling
- +
Reduces bounce and bruising off-road
- +
Centre cut out without a trail douching
- +
Creak free rails
- +
Waterproof top
Cons
- -
X5 is better value
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Fizik’s Terra Aidon X3 is made softer, broader and more hammock-like for the typically more upright, spin not stomp positions. We’ve found it really comfy and think it could be one of the best mountain bike saddles for any bike where you’re not shifting around a lot or just want a bit more isolation from the trail.
Design and aesthetics
The Fizik Terra Argo X3 gravel saddle has already taken the standard saddle wider and softer than normal for gravel use but the Aidon X3 goes even further. That’s wasn’t immediately obvious from the dimensions of our sample at 145mm it’s actually narrower across its ‘hips’ than the 150mm Argo X3 we have tried, but both saddles are also available in 160mm width. The center is properly broad at 75mm though and that centered position is only 125mm back from the nose, putting it into the currently popular stubby category. The proprietary Fizik ‘Type-2’ padding is deeper under the sit bones and also round the sides, overlaying a deliberately compliant (but not springy) shell. The ‘Mobius’ single-piece rail loops right round under the back of the saddle rather than being glued into two fixed terminals.
Performance
Fizik says this allows more movement and gives more of a damped feel and testing the saddle on surprisingly firm and dry autumn trails the combination of padding, rails and shell definitely seem to work. While we always raise our eyebrows slightly about any ‘E-bike specific’ product, when we stuck it on our Cairn Adventure 1.0 E-gravel test rig it definitely helped stop bounce from high cadence pedaling and soothed our butts if we ran out of forgiveness in the frame when things got rough and rocky. While we didn’t get much spray during testing we know from other Fizik saddles with the same design that the little vented mudguard section in the large center cut out means you get all the reduced plumbing pressure gains without involuntary colonic irrigation from every puddle. The synthetic upper is totally weatherproof and washes easily and there’s no creak from the rails either.
A quick swap onto an e-MTB showed it worked really well there as well and having a dropper post removed any issues with pushing weight back over the fatter stern. The soft synthetic upper overhangs the hard shell bumpers slightly though so it will be vulnerable to damage if crashed or sliding down a wall because you didn’t lean it up properly. The center width also became an issue when we rolled forward for a more aggressive pedaling on an acoustic gravel bike, but then Fizik does a whole world of saddle shapes for conventional bikes so that’s just a proof of concept, not a criticism. It’s worth noting that the Kium rails of the X3 only save 13g compared to the otherwise identical but $30 / £29 cheaper steel rail X5 so that’s definitely the more cost-effective choice.
Verdict
The padding, shell and rail combo stop you from feeling like an unsuspended bike is playing ‘keepy-ups’ with your rump on rougher ground or when you’re spinning the pedals. Not for rolled forward pedaling positions though and if you are looking for a better value proposition, the X5 is the one to go for.
Tech Specs: Fizik Terra Aidon X3 saddle
- Price: $139.99 / £129.99
- Weight: 259g
- Colors: Black
- Sizes: 145mm (tested) and 160mm
