TESTED: Fizik Terra Alpac X5 and Tool Carrier

Words and photos: Mike Blewitt

If you don’t carry spares with you when you ride, it’s only a matter of time until you’re left having to do a long walk, make the call of shame, or beg, borrow or steal from your mates. There are lots of options from saddle bags, to frame and bar bags, straps, cargo bib shorts, svelte backpacks, internal frame storage, storage bottle cages, inbuilt tools and now – a saddle with built in tools and spares from Fizik.

Having spares attached to your bike via incorporated parts or bike design is popular as with the right setup, you can grab a water bottle and your phone and hit the trail. Sometimes the biggest hurdle to a mid-week ride is getting out the door easily, so anything to make it simpler is a big help.

A closer look

The Terra range is Fizik’s all-mountain and eMTB line up. As such, the Terra Alpaca X5 saddle is designed for all-mountain and eMTB use, with a shape optimised for climbing seated, and descending with a dropper post down. There are a few design details here, including a single loop saddle rail for strength, plus an upper that has a wide and flat nose with a relief channel in the middle of the seat. The base has a little more give around the wider section at the back, so it can move a little more under loaded pedalling. This seat is 145mm wide, so it does fit the shorter and wider saddle preferences.

Overall, the shape has rounded edges, making it easy to use the saddle as a guide when it’s dropped and things get rowdy. What’s nifty on this model is the included spares. Fizik have a mount that sits completely out of the way for two 16g CO2 canisters, and their own 12-tool multitool, which includes a CO2 head. The saddle alone weighed 261g, but 490g with all the extras attached.

On the trail 

Bearing in mind saddle comfort is personal, I found the Fizik Terra Alpaca X5 comfortable, for a short and wide trail saddle. I actually used it on a bikepacking trip first up, which involves a whole lot of sitting down and pedalling, interspersed with dropping the saddle to navigate a loaded bike down barely there trails that probably shouldn’t have been set as part of a route. And in this regard, the Alpaca gave me no worries. It suits single position seated riding more than aggressive XC use, but that’s exactly what the design intent is. For other trail riding it’s been super comfortable as well.

As for the spares, I think it’s great storage. The 16g CO2 canisters aren’t my go to, I opt for 25g for 29er tyres. But as there are two that’s ok. I was concerned the tool might get rusty, but it hasn’t over a few months. With 2-8mm hex keys, flat and Phillips screwdrivers and T10 and T25 plus the CO2 head. Overall the length of the tool is ok – the 8mm is optimistic for where you’d need it, but it’s better than not having it.

The CO2 is inline, so in use it’s a bit harder to use as it’s inline with your spokes. But you can twist the cartridge in to pierce it, it stays closed, then you push it onto the valve and turn the cartridge back to release. So it’s not too tricky.

Our take

This is a good saddle design for trail and eMTB use, or for any riding where you need comfort for sitting and pedalling, with a shape that suits getting pressure from your legs when dropped for descents. I like the stronger rail design and it suits the purpose. The spares may or may not suit you. You can get the saddle with or without them, so that’s up to you. I think it really helps to have additional storage on a bike to free up pocket space. Even if you’re using a backpack for more water or a jacket, it still takes weight out of a bag and off your legs. It’s great to see more options for MTB specific saddles, and for spares storage as well.

TESTED: Fizik Aidon X3 eMTB Saddle

RRP: $149.95 saddle only, $169.95 with spares mount and tool
From: Advance Traders

Hits:

• Smart spares storage
• Trail and all-mountain specific design
• Strong rail system 

Misses:

• Tool may be too short for some jobs