Hot answers tagged saddle
19
Padded seats tend to have more padding than used at any given time. This pushes the other 'extra' padding into the soft tissues. This causes numbness and discomfort over time.
So slim hard seats are actually more comfortable over time, if they are the right size. You need to make sure your sit bones (ischial tuberosity) are well situated. The sit bones of ...
12
The purpose of the channel in a bike saddle is to reduce pressure to the perineum, which can cause numbness and other long-term problems. This is a matter of both comfort and health, although not everyone is affected. Individual body type, saddle design, bike fit, and riding style work together to make saddle fit a very personal issue.
On a related note, ...
10
As a leather saddle wears out, it tends to sink and become softer in the middle while splaying out around the edges. This, naturally, makes the saddle uncomfortable and uneven. Lacing a saddle is a way to revive it and return it to its natural shape, or at least something close. You should lace your saddle if you find that it has become too soft.
And ...
10
Saddles can be very specific to the individual...but some general advice:
Try to find a local bike shop that will let you test ride different
saddles. Five minutes on a trainer is not enough, a good bike shop
will let you take a saddle on a real ride.
Talk with others that have similar biking style. A great mountain
bike saddle does not always make a great ...
10
The rule of thumb of "the highest possible without wobbling the hips down to reach for pedals" seems like a better rule than "having the barefoot heel just touch the pedal with the leg completely straight when the pedal is completely down".
If your saddle is at the right height, it should be difficult to place a foot on the ground while seated. Now that ...
6
Copied this from a saddle mfg website: How to measure your own sit bones
Of course the measure you really want is between the centres of your ischial tuberosities – the pointy lower parts of your pelvic bone on either side. Many bike dealers have a pad that you can sit on to measure this distance, but you can do it at home too.
Take a piece of aluminium ...
6
Since that particular Brooks saddle has a cut out in the middle of the saddle seat surface, there is a loss of support across the top side surface. Eventually the sides would begin to curl and sag and that opening on the surface may widen as the leather became more supple. The lacing will ad some rigidty to the saddle to somewhat control the movement of the ...
6
There is a lot of variation across models of saddles even if you stay within one genre (eg only consider road or only consider MTB).
However, you'll find if you look at popular racing saddles that MTB saddles tend to be shorter. This is because in singletrack you're very frequently moving onto and off-of the saddle. A longer saddle might interfere with the ...
6
The "rule of thumb" (which as you stated is slightly different from the one I know) is only that. The geometry of the shoe and pedal can easily make a half inch to an inch of difference from one pedal/shoe combo to the next.
(I learned you place the heels of your SHOES on the pedal and pedal backwards to check seat height -- the legs should go fully ...
6
You may also want to look into getting some thicker padded cycling pants. Amazon has some decent padded pants that may give you a bit more protection when riding.
This may also sound stupid, but have you fit yourself on your bike? Even slight adjustments up/down and forward/back on your seat of handlebars can totally change the way yours arms and butt feel ...
6
Yes, there is hope for skinny people like us.
Please keep in mind that sitting on a saddle for miles/hours on end is never going to be totally comfortable. I'm sure I will get flamed for this but I'll go ahead and state it- there is no such thing as a comfortable saddle. Saddle choice is a matter of mitigating discomfort, not enhancing comfort.
The two most ...
5
Putting the padding in the shorts means that the padding will always be exactly where you need it. Most people tend to change their position on the bike a bit, specially when riding longer tours. With the padded saddles, the padding won't change when you alter your position, which can result in blisters or sores.
5
Saddle comfort can be tough to get just right and is very individual. You might just have to try a few saddles out...
Sheldon Brown has a lot of great information about saddle comfort here: http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html
Are you just getting back on a bike after not having ridden for a while? Your backside has to get used to a saddle. If you haven't ...
5
Unless you really care how the bike looks and about extra 50 grams on the bike... Find a piece of old chain. Wash and clean it. Find a piece of old tube, best would be road bike tube. Measure the distance between saddle rails and top chains - double it and you'll need that much of tube and chain.
Cut the tube and chain to the measures. Pull the chain ...
5
Here's my theory based on things that do happen in other areas of physical existence that I think are similar. That soreness is actually just discomfort from interrupted flows of vascular systems. You can see similar effects from sitting Japanese style on the floor on your knees. If you keep doing it, eventually your body gets used to the new position, ...
4
As I've remarked several times, part of the "break in" involves pulling the hairs from your butt. It's the hairs, all tangled together, that create most of the "butt burn" that you tend to experience on longer rides.
Shaving your butt short-circuits this step and lets you tolerate long rides much better, with less "break in".
Of course, there are other ...
4
You can do it on any surface which will conform to the shape of your butt, like a piece of memory foam.
Sit on it, with your knees higher than your seat by 4-6 inches, then measure the center of the depressions left.
There are different types of memory foam, and some will have a more durable impression than others.
4
Low seats provide clearance for more acrobatic body movements. This is essential for bunny hops and nearly every other trick which builds off of this skill. If you look at trials bikes they similarly have lots of clearance for the rider over the frame and the saddle. Since speeds are relatively low, and long distance riding is not the goal, pedaling ...
4
The first issue with carbon rail seat posts is the lack of a standard for rail diameters. This often leads to the seat post clamp being improperly sized when compared to the saddle rail.
Due to the stress riser of a seat post clamp on carbon, an ill fitting seat post clamp can contribute un-necessary stress to the carbon rails.
Carbon is much more ...
3
As @Kibbee stated give a little time. Don't expect to be able to do a one hour ride and be painfree the next day. Try to increase your saddle time gradually over a couple weeks. You can do several short rides a day to toughen-up the sore spots. The saddle may not be the only issue. Did you consult with anyone about bikefit? The bike may need some adjustments ...
3
To answer your question, no. The leather/lorica/covering has no bearing on the shape of the saddle. They make a lot of versions of each design specifically for bike manufacturers with custom designed coverings in addition to their standard covering design.
They make quite a few saddles with grooves, without grooves, with and without cutouts. It's not ...
3
Just from looking at the Selle Italia SLR Product Page it seems that there is little difference between "road" and "offroad" saddles, as all the saddles listed seem to be recommended for both "road" and "offroad". The same goes for Brooks who group road and MTB in one category. There are various models and I can't see any labelled simple SLR. But if we ...
3
There's no right/wrong answer. Just make sure you have some sort of towel available so you can wipe your hands before riding.
What I generally do is place dabs on the chamois and rub the sides together to spread it around -- keeps the hands relatively clean and doesn't require a separate applicator. Some people prefer to rub it on their butt.
I don't use ...
3
I have had success with this method and no problems with cracking or saddle damage. I soak a new Brooks saddle in neatsfoot oil for a day and in a bucket of water for a day then ride it wet. After a 20 mile or so ride you will be amazed how comfortable the saddle will feel. I then use Proofide and tension the saddle as Brooks recommends. I have two B-17 ...
3
DMR make hinged clamps for mounting chain devices and bottle cages. 3 different sizes and there is a 31.8mm which should be perfect. Easy job to retro-fit an existing QR lever and bolt I reckon?
Part Number: DMR-CLP-286
Alternatively here is something from a different application that would probably work. You might be able to contact the company for a ...
3
The pros you see on the videos set their saddle depending on the DH course. If the course has a lot of possibilities for pedalling and not many drops - set it high, so on flat sections they can rest their bum on the seat and give it a full pedalling power.
If the course is rough and steep - no racer will have the seat high. So you should do. You know what ...
2
I purchased a Brooks B-17 this year. I used their Proofide on the saddle as suggested. A light coating on the top, work it in, and buff it into the leather, and a coating on the under side of the saddle to protect from possible water flying up underneath from water off of the rear tire. This "under-coating" is only applied one time, and has little to do with ...
2
For the bottom and shaved edges I use beeswax. Beeswax prevents absorption of moisture, air and dirt but sits on the surface of the leather.
Proofhide, while providing some waterproofing, penetrates the leather causing it to expand and stretch. Brooks recommends it only be used on the finished side.
I live in Hilo, HI, the rainiest city in the US. This, ...
2
I've used this method which worked well:
Fill a large size ziploc bag with icing sugar. Icing sugar's fine texture means that it binds together when compressed. This is what we want - it will hold the shape of your buttprint after you get up.
Close the bag making sure to squeeze out the air.
Place on hard chair.
Sit while assuming the degree of forward ...
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