Best Seat Foam?

[bkaapcke]

Once again, the seat foam on my EZ Sport is getting tired and I can feel the plywood base when I'm riding. It needs to be replaced every year even though I only ride about 2,000 miles. I weigh 230, so a fairly firm foam is needed. What have you folks used that does the trick? bk

 

[blazingpedals]

Once again, the seat foam on my EZ Sport is getting tired and I can feel the plywood base when I'm riding. It needs to be replaced every year even though I only ride about 2,000 miles. I weigh 230, so a fairly firm foam is needed. What have you folks used that does the trick? bk

Try an upholstery shop. You may want to get a couple pieces of foam in different densities, and layer them.

 

[MoeJoe]

If you can't find anything you like there, this is what I have on my bike. Works for me:
http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=1082759829

There are a few other options over at Hostel Shoppe on this page:
http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/search.pl

 

[alfeng]

Once again, the seat foam on my EZ Sport is getting tired and I can feel the plywood base when I'm riding. It needs to be replaced every year even though I only ride about 2,000 miles. I weigh 230, so a fairly firm foam is needed. What have you folks used that does the trick? bk

Consider getting a BROOKS B17 "standard" saddle ...

If you do, mount the saddle (initially) with the rails PARALLEL to the ground ...

You'll love-or-hate it. I think that people who find them to be uncomfortable are not sitting on them properly -- you want to sit on the BACK of the saddle (the widest part) & NOT the middle or nose.

Weight is about 550+ grams ... more than twice what a lot of weight weenies will put up with. Cost for a NEW Brooks B17 saddle on eBay is about $65US ... it will last a lifetime if properly maintained (i.e., don't leave the bike in the rain) -- I use SnoSeal (vs. Proofide) for maintenance [DON'T use neatsfoot/mink/etc. oil on the saddle].

 

[MoeJoe]

Alfeng; The bike he's replacing seat foam on is a recumbent. Regulation bike seats like the Brooks won't work, but they are sweet on a road bike!

 

[alfeng]

Alfeng; The bike he's replacing seat foam on is a recumbent. Regulation bike seats like the Brooks won't work, but they are sweet on a road bike!

Oops! Sorry for straying ...

I was originally going to suggest (which I will, now) that bkaapcke could try the BLUE FOAM that was once (and, may still be) used for some backpacking sleeping pads (NOT Ensolite) ... but, then my mind must have wandered. I don't know if the BLUE FOAM pads are still available since I haven't looked for a long, long time ... without measuring it, I would say that the one I have must be a ~1/4" thick & "smooth" on both sides (I think I remember seeing one that I presume was made of the-same-or-similar material which was twice as thick & "waffled" on one side).

BTW. I only ended up with the [dense, "closed" (?) cell] BLUE FOAM pad (I don't know what the are called, specifically -- it's not as dense/heavy as Neoprene) because it was cheaper (at the time ... many decades ago) than an Ensolite pad (what a piece of **** -- I never knew why people who backpacked with Ensolite pads carried TWO until I finally decided to pony up for one since I figured it MUST be better than what I was using since it cost more). The BLUE FOAM pad yields (and, more importantly for backpacking, insulates), but will always return to its original thickness whereas (now, I'm definitely rambling) the Ensolite will compress & stay compressed.

If you can find one of those BLUE FOAM sleeping pads, it might be worth trying.

Also, I think UPHOLSTERY LEATHER might ensure greater longevity, too, regardless of the foam that is used.

 

[blazingpedals]

I think it's safe to conclude that alfeng doesn't know what an EZ seat looks like.

At 230 I see no reason why the foam should be breaking down so quickly. I am slightly over 200, and still have the original RANS 2" foam pad that came with my V-Rex. That would make the pad ten years and probably 15,000 miles old. In that time, I've gone through 3 lycra covers, though.

 

[alfeng]

I think it's safe to conclude that alfeng doesn't know what an EZ seat looks like.

Absolutely RIGHT! I do NOT know how an EZ seat looks ... but, I do know how some OTHER bent seats look ... or, I thought I did.

Am I to believe that the EZ seat can't be upholstered OR a cushion/"pillow" strapped to the platform? The blue foam sleeping pad I was referring to would need to be trimmed to fit, glued down (3M spray adhesive would work well), and then the cover fabric of the user's choice applied over the foam ...

Hey, less than $10 for a blue foam sleeping pad from which at least two seats cushions can be made or which will provide the underlying foam that can be covered/"upholstered" OR $60 for a VOLAE cushion, or equivalent?!? You decide ... it must be nice to have that much money to toss around (unnecessarily, IMO, simply because you [generic] don't have a pair of scissors!).

BTW. Most leather will outlast almost any fabric (e.g., lycra) ...

For the record, I do NOT ride a bent ... I've looked at them off and on ... and, stopped considering them seriously over two dozen years ago since they don't suit the type of roadway (i.e., mountain roads) I ride on ...

 

[blazingpedals]

A
Am I to believe that the EZ seat can't be upholstered OR a cushion/"pillow" strapped to the platform?

Oh, it can. But two layers of 1/4" closed cell foam on top of plywood would not be very comfortable. I've used the stuff to line my carbon fiber shell, and it's barely enough to prevent bruising. EIGHT or more layers might be marginally OK as a seat pad, but who wants to bond that many layers together in the hopes they'll work?

BTW. Most leather will outlast almost any fabric (e.g., lycra) ...

So, you're recommending 1/4" closed cell foam instead of upholstery foam to save money, then you're recommending leather instead of lycra? Wow! Leather is great for an easy chair, but not for a recumbent seat. The early Cobra seats on TourEasys were covered with leather. The lycra covers were not only cheaper but also more comfortable. With a yard of lycra and a few feet of elastic from JoAnn's, anybody who has access to a sewing machine can make several lycra covers. If you don't like lycra, you can always make them out of weatherproof upholstery fabric, or buy one here.

The OP didn't ask, but I'll add here that when your mesh back wears out, you can replace it using Pet-Pruf screening material, which is available at big-box hardware stores. Again, all you need is access to a sewing machine. It is not particularly hard to make these things yourself if price is a concern.

 

[alfeng]

Oh, it can. But two layers of 1/4" closed cell foam on top of plywood would not be very comfortable. I've used the stuff to line my carbon fiber shell, and it's barely enough to prevent bruising. EIGHT or more layers might be marginally OK as a seat pad, but who wants to bond that many layers together in the hopes they'll work?


So, you're recommending 1/4" closed cell foam instead of upholstery foam to save money, then you're recommending leather instead of lycra? Wow! Leather is great for an easy chair, but not for a recumbent seat. The early Cobra seats on TourEasys were covered with leather. The lycra covers were not only cheaper but also more comfortable. With a yard of lycra and a few feet of elastic from JoAnn's, anybody who has access to a sewing machine can make several lycra covers. If you don't like lycra, you can always make them out of weatherproof upholstery fabric, or buy one here.

The OP didn't ask, but I'll add here that when your mesh back wears out, you can replace it using Pet-Pruf screening material, which is available at big-box hardware stores. Again, all you need is access to a sewing machine. It is not particularly hard to make these things yourself if price is a concern.

This is an EXCELLENT reply ... really ... I've learned something about the current state of recumbent bikes (other than the Cat Trikes) that are apparently, generally being sold in the States/Worldwide ...

... Because NOW I know ONE of the reasons that the average Flatlander doesn't opt for a recumbent over a traditional two wheeled bike to the puzzlement of those who wax eloquently about how great it is to ride a bent!

Just how stupid does the consumer have to be to pay MORE THAN a few hundred dollars for any kind of bike with a uncomfortable plywood seat? Most bents cost over a thousand Dollars, don't they? Sometimes, several thousands of Dollars, eh? Talk about very poor "component" specification & marketing!

And, really, if you are comparing the ENSOLITE pads (what most people think of when they think of a closed cell, backpacking, sleeping pad, so that is what I presume you are thinking of & referring to) with the BLUE FOAM that I am referring to (no, I don't have a more specific name), then you failed in Literacy 101, since I stated that Ensolite is "a piece of ****" in my earlier posting. Go track down the BLUE FOAM at a camping/whatever store and compare it with upholstery foam, and then make your assessment of it.

Upholstery foam will degrade over time, won't it, even if you weren't using it? Okay, maybe 30 years is a long time, but ...

Heck, when new, you can rip a chunk of upholstery foam from itself ... you'd be hard pressed to do so with the BLUE FOAM.

FWIW. Upholstery leather will probably outlast lycra at least 20:1 ... just because you and/or I can sew does not mean that others can.

 

[blazingpedals]

After that boorish rant, I'll leave you with a link to the my junk-bike, equipped with the BLUE FOAM (notice the caps?) you described.

Then I'll add you to my sparsely-populated Ignore List.

 

[blazingpedals]

Ahhh, much better.

bkaapcke, you might look for upholstery foam with a higher rubber content. It'll be heavier but should last longer.

 

[alfeng]

After that boorish rant, I'll leave you with a link to the my junk-bike, equipped with the BLUE FOAM (notice the caps?) you described.

Then I'll add you to my sparsely-populated Ignore List.

Whatever!

Too bad you (blazingpedals) are not reading this because I would like to know how remarking on realizing WHY there is a general lack of acceptance of recumbent bikes by the general population is boorish.

If it is a matter of my commenting on your literacy ... well, sorry. You sounded a bit rude, to me -- and, you are clearly not familiar with the type of BLUE FOAM sleeping pad to which I am referring any more than I am familiar with many aspects (or models) of recumbent bikes AND your tone (perhaps, unbeknownst to you) is abrupt to the point of being rude.

FWIW. Your BLUE FOAM pad is probably an Ensolite-type pad (I know they used to come in more than one density & were subsequently colored differently). Ensolite, IMO, isn't much better than a piece of corrugated cardboard as far as comfort & only has value as an insulating layer (probably, part of the foundation for the name); so, I can understand your disdain for the BLUE FOAM pad I suggested if your point of reference is a blue (presumably) Ensolite pad.

Regardless, the BLUE FOAM pad I am referring to has zero memory (again, I'm sorry I don't know what it is called -- it was rather generic at the time) and the blue pad you are using is clearly NOT the same ... the BLUE FOAM sleeping pads to which I am referring would NOT be capable of shaping itself to the underlying platform unless it were glued/strapped down. Maybe, they don't sell them any longer.

BTW. Are you sure the early Cobra seats were covered with leather? Possibly, Naugahyde OR Vinyl?

BTW2. Interesting DIY recumbent -- very nice.

 

[bkaapcke]

WTF, you guys are having an online fistfight over a simple question? Get a grip. bk

 

[la2sei]

Once again, the seat foam on my EZ Sport is getting tired and I can feel the plywood base when I'm riding. It needs to be replaced every year even though I only ride about 2,000 miles. I weigh 230, so a fairly firm foam is needed. What have you folks used that does the trick? bk

Aircraft spruce and specialty has a couple of types of foam. scroll down the page, the backsaver, which is expensive, and the confor, not as expensive.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/cm/foam.html