Fizik makes fully custom 3D printed saddles a new reality

“A truly custom saddle” – that’s what Fizik is introducing with the launch of One-to-One, making 3D-printed saddles unique to the needs of each rider.

The revolutionary One-to-One 3D-printed saddle programme aims to provide the ultimate fit, using saddle pressure mapping technology as the foundation of the process.

The service – three years in the making – is part of Fizik’s Concepts research program which brings together industry-leading experts and academics to push the boundaries of saddle technology, design and fit.

Giovanni Fogal, fizik brand manager: “It’s clear that a traditional one-to-many saddle design can only provide an approximate solution to very specific problems. With One-to-One today we achieve what every saddle manufacturer has always dreamed of – bringing to life customized support, available to every cyclist.”

A truly custom saddle

Fogal continues: “We know that a good, accurate fit depends on many factors: bike geometry, intended use, saddle shape, and position. But most importantly every cyclist is unique: experience, sensitivity, history of injuries, body shape, riding goals. All of this can affect the way we sit on the saddle.”

It is with this in mind that the One-to-One service sees riders undergo a personalized measurement session – at a select Fizik dealership – which allows them to be paired with the most suitable saddle in Fizik’s Adaptive range.

They then conduct a pressure mapping session where their biometric data is captured to assess how forces are distributed across 64 touchpoints on that saddle in a range of different riding positions and motions. Key areas of focus include peak pressure hotspots, instabilities and asymmetries.

Once that data has been captured and analysed, a bespoke 3D padding structure is designed which matches the cyclist’s needs and they can then choose between carbon and Kium rails before completing their order.

As soon as that order has been processed, the saddle is produced at Fizik’s HQ in northern Italy and shipped to the chosen address.

After the saddle has arrived and been mounted, cyclists can return to the dealership for a final consultation session where their new pressure data is compared to their former saddle setup, highlighting the areas of improvement.

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