4ZA Stratos saddle 145mm

[bfergie]

For years a Selle Italia SLR saddle has been my perch of choice but over the winter I've been getting my head down and getting myself back to what I should be on a bike which has meant lots of miles, very little food and lots of weight loss...all good but all of a sudden the dream saddle was no longer so dreamy, in fact on the turbo trainer where I stay seated for a greater percentage of the time things were getting very ehh..nippy! It had to be the weight/butt padding loss and maybe a bit of age too!!

So a quest for a new saddle was on, I dug out a RSP team saddle, Outland El Rey, Fizik copy off a mtb and a Selle Italia C2 Flow...no luck! Then a moment of genius...the saddle on my Forme Calver X Race is perfect, 150 miles at a time.. no issues, fast/slow/bumpy/shorts on / tights on...always the same so just get one of those! Being branded as a Forme saddle it meant getting one off the shelf(as in not attached to a bike already) wasn't as simple as you'd think so time to start thinking logically....For 2013 Forme are using 4za finishing kits AND 4za kit is now available in the UK as an aftermarket accessory range so out came the books, tape measure and thinking cap....turns out the saddle I have been using for 7 months on the Forme Calver is a rebranded 4ZA Stratos saddle with a length of 280mm and width of 145mm.

To be honest I wasn't worried at the claimed weight of 300g for the saddle, not when the arse on it has dropped 20,000g in 3 months...AND it only costs £29.99!!! Best thing was the saddle is available in 4 different colour combinations so getting one to suit the bike was easy, this saddle is for my old Principia so it had to be simple, plain and understated as is the bike...black with a bit of white..Perfect! A little bonus was, it's actually 280g on my scales so lighter than claimed.

4ZA also have a carbon railed version at 160g(Cirrus Pro), titanium railed version at 240g(Cirrus) and if you spend £100 or £60 you can have that weight saving but to me £1 more for each gram saved isn't worth it! Anyway...fitted up, looks great, feels good, did 60 miles x 4000ft of climbing yesterday...perfect just the same as the one on the cross bike. If you don't get on with Selle Italia saddles or the flat shape of Fizik saddles give these a go, they are VERY like Prologo saddles in shape and design...a little bird told me they are made by the same company but are half the price!! I know for a fact they wear well so if you can afford the 300g weight and are not 100% happy with your saddle...try one!! At £30 it wont break the bank!!! I chose the 145mm saddle but they also make a 130mm version.

PICTURES BELOW

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8357494509/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8357494509/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/30426954@N06/, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8357497397/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8357497397/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/30426954@N06/, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8358561504/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8358561504/

And the website page showing the range...
http://www.4za.com/saddles/stratos/i...os-saddles-men

[Mostyn]

For years a Selle Italia SLR saddle has been my perch of choice but over the winter I've been getting my head down and getting myself back to what I should be on a bike which has meant lots of miles, very little food and lots of weight loss...all good but all of a sudden the dream saddle was no longer so dreamy, in fact on the turbo trainer where I stay seated for a greater percentage of the time things were getting very ehh..nippy! It had to be the weight/butt padding loss and maybe a bit of age too!!

So a quest for a new saddle was on, I dug out a RSP team saddle, Outland El Rey, Fizik copy off a mtb and a Selle Italia C2 Flow...no luck! Then a moment of genius...the saddle on my Forme Calver X Race is perfect, 150 miles at a time.. no issues, fast/slow/bumpy/shorts on / tights on...always the same so just get one of those! Being branded as a Forme saddle it meant getting one off the shelf(as in not attached to a bike already) wasn't as simple as you'd think so time to start thinking logically....For 2013 Forme are using 4za finishing kits AND 4za kit is now available in the UK as an aftermarket accessory range so out came the books, tape measure and thinking cap....turns out the saddle I have been using for 7 months on the Forme Calver is a rebranded 4ZA Stratos saddle with a length of 280mm and width of 145mm.

To be honest I wasn't worried at the claimed weight of 300g for the saddle, not when the arse on it has dropped 20,000g in 3 months...AND it only costs £29.99!!! Best thing was the saddle is available in 4 different colour combinations so getting one to suit the bike was easy, this saddle is for my old Principia so it had to be simple, plain and understated as is the bike...black with a bit of white..Perfect! A little bonus was, it's actually 280g on my scales so lighter than claimed.

4ZA also have a carbon railed version at 160g(Cirrus Pro), titanium railed version at 240g(Cirrus) and if you spend £100 or £60 you can have that weight saving but to me £1 more for each gram saved isn't worth it! Anyway...fitted up, looks great, feels good, did 60 miles x 4000ft of climbing yesterday...perfect just the same as the one on the cross bike. If you don't get on with Selle Italia saddles or the flat shape of Fizik saddles give these a go, they are VERY like Prologo saddles in shape and design...a little bird told me they are made by the same company but are half the price!! I know for a fact they wear well so if you can afford the 300g weight and are not 100% happy with your saddle...try one!! At £30 it wont break the bank!!! I chose the 145mm saddle but they also make a 130mm version.

PICTURES BELOW

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8357494509/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8357494509/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/30426954@N06/, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8357497397/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8357497397/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/30426954@N06/, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8358561504/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30426954@N06/8358561504/

And the website page showing the range...
http://www.4za.com/saddles/stratos/i...os-saddles-men

Had the Stratos Saddle on My Ridley X-Ride, just changed it for a Fizik Anteres with Kium Rails.