The Fizik Terra Argo X3 150mm wide gravel adventure saddle is the most comfortable saddle I have ridden over the past year or two. The relatively wide short-nose construction allows you to sit in position for longer and that well-protected cut-out provides much welcome relief whether you are riding 10- or 100km. The rails might not be carbon for this price and it's no flyweight, but all that goes by the wayside when you can pedal mile after mile in comfort. It's a great saddle and one of the best saddles you can buy for your gravel bike.
- WTB Gravelier Titanium Saddle review
- Best gravel bike saddles 2024 - the best off-road options for going long or short
- Is there a difference between road and mountain bike saddles?
Fizik Terra Argo X3 saddle - Technical details
The Terra Argo X3 is available in two different width options 150 or 160mm, we have the former on test here. The Terra name denotes that this version of the Argo saddle is for Gravel use. There is also Vento version for racing and a Tempo version for endurance. Construction uses a flexible carbon-reinforced nylon shell and Fizik’s proprietary Kium (chromoly) hollow rails which are claimed to be lighter than titanium and are formed into a continuous loop for increased structural stability and responsiveness.
The carbon-reinforced shell measures a full 150mm at its max width and those ‘wings’ are designed to flex easily with the pedaling movement of your legs. The shell is also designed to absorb surface imperfections and vibrations from broken road surfaces and gravel trails.
Pictured side-on, the Argo X3 has a slight wave-style profile with a higher back and lower nose. The higher back is designed to offer lower back support when climbing and the low nose allows for greater pelvis rotation when sitting forward, which helps with increased power transfer. That short nose also means that the rider can sit for longer in that position, moving around less on the saddle and offering the rider more grip when climbing.
The large ergonomic relief cutout was developed with analysis of medical data from relief pressure studies and is designed to offer the most comfort for the soft tissues on long rides offroad. Neatly incorporated into its design is a soft flexible vented rubber mudguard to protect the rider from water and filth spray from the rear wheel while allowing any collected water to drain. Smart.
Padding around the sit bones is softer than Fizik’s racing saddles and the ‘Type 2 Foam’, which is a thicker softer foam material that is flexible, able to deform easily, and offers progressive cushioning allowing for long-distance comfort for the rider off-road.
Fizik Argo X3 is 270 mm long, 150mm wide, and the nose length to the 75mm point is 113mm. Rails are round and 7mm. The 160mm version is just that, a 160mm wide version with everything else except for the weight staying the same. The Argo X3 150mm saddle weighs 260g very close to the 258g claim from Fizik.
It costs £150 in either size and is available in Black
Fizik Terra Argo X3 saddle - Performance
Okay, so I’ve given the game away in the summary above but this is one extremely comfortable saddle for me and I suspect I’m not alone with my findings as short wide saddles continue to arrive on the market.
First, let's talk about that 150mm width, which is wider than I would normally ride. Over the years, multiple saddle companies have offered me sit-on templates or special saddle width gauges to find the perfectly matched saddle to my narrow sit bones. I think I measured 10 or 11 on SQlab's saddle gauge and have normally opted for the narrowest saddles I can find.
And to be honest, I’ve been pretty happy on those saddles until I had the chance to try something different in May last year when my hire bike broke and I had to borrow a bike with a short nose and wider body. It was quite the baptism of fire, I used it from day two on a five-day Tour across Italy and was surprised by how comfortable it was after about 30 minutes. That was a different saddle, but it did get me thinking about trying one for a longer period. So, since Autumn ‘23, I’ve been riding this Fizik Terra Argo X3 on several different bikes and gravel rides between 20-100km off-road and on the terrible crumbling roads around Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and worst of all North Essex coastline.
The initial set-up is fairly straightforward depending on how often you change saddles, if, like me, you may have all your measurements down on a note on your phone or a piece of paper. If not, it’s worth doing to make it easier to try demo saddles from shops or friends. Allowing for the shorter nose equaling longer ‘tip of saddle to cockpit’ measurements and in my case dropping of the seat height due to the increased 8mm stack height of the saddle from the rail to the centre of the saddle from my previous saddle, I was all set in about 10 minutes.
Conveniently the Terra Argo X3 uses 7mm Kium round rails which happily matched with all the seat posts on the bikes I have ridden over the past six months. I used a nose-down position (almost flat I’d say) but 1- or 2-degrees down at the nose is my preference.
Straight from the house, I could immediately feel the slight bump between the dropped nose and the middle of the saddle. The body can be sensitive to changes in this area and this immediately felt odd – not uncomfortable but different from the flattish saddle I have been previously using. After about 10km I cannot remember thinking about it and I don't think I have ever thought about it again. Well only when I ride something without it.
Those ‘wide’ wings that give it its 150mm name, are super flexible and the shell is very compliant to your pedalling action with each rotation of your legs I haven’t thought about them or that width since first trying the saddle.
The large pressure relief centre section appears to have been made especially for me, I’ve said it before but somebody has my measurements in a computer somewhere. All I can say is, thank you, even after 100km I wasn’t tender in this area at all which is a pretty good test for any saddle.
The short wide nose is extremely helpful when sitting forward for steep climbing allowing you to sit still without sliding around and spin smoothly up the incline. It also means you shuffle forward and back less on long straight sections. I distinctly felt myself sitting still for longer than I would normally manage on these sections allowing for improved performance over long rides.
The extra-long relief channel still offers some comfort even in that forward position keeping you less beaten up after repeated steep climbs in the saddle. The wide nose also proves to be extremely useful for control and grip between your thighs when pushing the bike and your skills hard off-road with or without a dropper post.
As for comfort the Terra Argo X3 absorbs trail vibrations and creates quite the magic carpet ride over surface imperfections. It doesn't remove everything, you can still feel the trail surface, it just removes the sharp edges to the stones and grit, which was especially noticeable on rough sections of the outer perimeter route around Salisbury Plain. It was more comfortable than the Ergon SR Allroad it replaced on one of my bikes.
As for the little rubber mudguard in the pressure relief channel? it works perfectly preventing you from getting covered in filth and stopping you from sitting in a puddle in a downpour. An effective solution that has eluded many other brands on the market.
As for the weight – who cares when It’s this comfortable? It’s not heavy but 260g is more than many saddles I have used except the Ergon Allroad. If you want a lighter version, Fizik offers the Carbon Railed X1 version for £189 or for those with deep pockets the R1 Adaptive version for an eye-watering £400 that features Carbon Digital Light Synthesis 3D-printing technology. Yeah, I’m not sure either.
Fizik Terra Argo X3 saddle - Verdict
The Terra Argo X3 is one very comfortable saddle but we are all built a little differently so what other options are out there if you still fancy a narrower option? Well, you could do worse than give the £150 Vento Argo X3 a go, Suvi liked it at the beginning of the year.
Or what about a slightly more solid affair but one with shock absorption claims from its BASF trainer technology? I liked the £125 Ergon SR Allroad and you might prefer it. It’s narrower and feels more solid in the side-to-side compliance area.
Blowing the budget a bit Matt rated the £165 Repente Artax GLM saddle his with a huge 100g weight-saving over the Fizik Terra Argo X3 and in a much more traditional shape and narrow 132 (and 142 width options) but with a large pressure relief chanel and compliant shell.
The Fizik Terra Argo X3 has been fabulous on every bike I have fitted it to. I have never come back wishing for better shorts or a different saddle, it’s looked after me regardless of distance and kept me feeling fresh and ready to go out again. It may not be super-light but that doesn’t matter considering the comfort it delivers. A superbly comfortable saddle for gravel adventures and well everywhere where the surface is poor. Get yourself a demo ASAP.
Add comment