Fizik Gobi M5 MG Saddle
Featuring the same comfortable platform as all other Fizik Gobis, the Gobi M5 Saddle with Manganese Rails keeps support high while keeping price low, thanks to strong but inexpensive rails that weigh a touch more than Fizik's Kium alloy but save a bit of cash, too.
We've always considered the Gobi to be a mountain-bike-friendly cross between Fizik's Arione and Aliante saddles. It features a somewhat flat profile with WingFlex technology like the Arione. The shell has tines, like a comb, which are suspended in place by an injected elastomer, creating controlled flex. Likewise, the TailFlex works the same way. These flex zones are designed to give more than solid plastic, and as a pattern of use emerges, the sections soften to yield to your body. The rest of the nylon shell is reinforced with fiberglass to save a bit of weight and offer engineers greater control over the shell's flex.
Manganese is a metal derived from iron and often incorporated into stainless steel alloys. The rails of the manganese-railed M5 are a bit heavier than the company's proprietary Kium alloy rails, but you save a bit of money, and you don't lose any strength whatsoever. Up top, the Microtex covering provides just enough traction for your rear to be able to stay planted when you're digging hard on the pedals up rough climbs, but the slick finish on the thigh glides won't keep you from being able to shift yourself fore and aft on the saddle when you need to find the right weight balance.