Antares Versus Evo R3 Adaptive

A 3D-printed bike saddle with a carbon-reinforced nylon shell and Kium hollow rails with a high strength-to-weight ratio.

The evolution of digital 3D printing allowed us to develop a new saddle without the constraints or limitations imposed by traditional production methods and materials. The Adaptive saddle padding is crafted by Carbon using its revolutionary Digital Light Synthesis technology. DLS is an additive manufacturing process which uses digital ultraviolet light projection, oxygen permeable optics, and programmable liquid resins to produce parts with excellent mechanical properties, resolution and surface finish.

Using Carbon technology, biomechanists and engineers have an unprecedented possibility: to design and manufacture multiple functional zones within the saddle, tuning each of them separately for specific mechanical properties.Each of these key functional zones is engineered with a distinctive cushioning and mechanical response, joined together progressively and seamlessly in the same padding.

Professional cyclists and amateur riders were tested in both the fizik labs and on the road. During each development phase, every iteration was carefully tested. A great focus has been put on understanding how the pressure patterns change according to different bike geometries, riding positions, and riding styles.

Thanks to this one-of-its-kind combination of process and material, we’ve been given the chance to develop a product five times faster, creating and field-testing hundreds of iterations. Being applicable to mass production, this technology completely remaps the traditional manufacturing process, accelerating and leaping over all intermediate phases.

The saddle is very easy to clean. Even with the filthiest road muck, all you need to do is simply hose it over with water. Whatever gets in, gets out. We’ve put it through the most severe tests, simulating accelerated weathering, UV aging and wear resistance by following strict protocols.