Chafing chamois seam

[thejen12]

On Jun 20, 8:41 am, "OughtFour" <[email protected]> wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
> >Again, since you didn't have a problem until the old saddle died,
>
> let's get back to that old saddle...
>
> It was a Serfas Cosmos, something like thishttp://tinyurl.com/4pvuzx.
> That's a conventional-looking saddle with (or so I thought at the time) just
> a tad more padding than I actually needed. But no chafing issues, despite
> being wider than any of the replacements.
>
Go back to a wider saddle.

Jenn

 

[OughtFour]

"thejen12" <[email protected]> wrote

>Go back to a wider saddle.

(as did dusty ofsky--thanks for your thoughts all)

That would be the logical conclusion, eh? Though none less than Sheldon
Brown writes that wide saddles and too much padding each can _cause_
chaffing. (So who to believe: the late Captain Brown, or my own lying butt?)

I think I will try fiddling with the position of the second saddle (which I
still have) but if that doesn't do the trick, scare up a Serfas or
reasonable facsimile thereof.

Thanks again.

 

[[email protected]]

On Jun 20, 7:35 pm, "OughtFour" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "thejen12" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> >Go back to a wider saddle.
>
> (as did dusty ofsky--thanks for your thoughts all)
>
> That would be the logical conclusion, eh? Though none less than Sheldon
> Brown writes that wide saddles and too much padding each can _cause_
> chaffing. (So who to believe: the late Captain Brown, or my own lying butt?)
>
> I think I will try fiddling with the position of the second saddle (whichI
> still have) but if that doesn't do the trick, scare up a Serfas or
> reasonable facsimile thereof.

I knew a couple, back in the day, man and wife. Normal looking people,
etc. etc. She rode the man's Turbo saddle of the day, he rode the
ladies', which was considerably wider.

If you know (or found out, in your case) that something was working
for you and that lovin' feeling went away with a change of equipment,
why would you not (budgetary considerations, for one) go back to what
worked? Especially with the penalty you're paying?

Oooh, if I could just put a Serfas saddle on and cure... wait a
minute, wait just a second here.... --D-y

 

[OughtFour]

Paul M. Hobson wrote:
> OughtFour wrote:
>> Since the leather on my old saddle failed, I have tried three
>> different replacements and experienced the same problem, painful
>> irritation where the seam of my shorts rubs and chafes my tender flesh.
>
> Dumb question: why can't you get a new version of your old saddle?
>
>
Not dumb at all. As I said upthread, there were (other) things I didn't
like about by old saddle, and I thought I could do better.

In retrospect, maybe not.

 

[[email protected]]

On Jun 20, 10:41 am, "OughtFour" <[email protected]> wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
> >Again, since you didn't have a problem until the old saddle died,
>
> let's get back to that old saddle...
>
> It was aSerfasCosmos, something like thishttp://tinyurl.com/4pvuzx.
> That's a conventional-looking saddle with (or so I thought at the time) just
> a tad more padding than I actually needed. But no chafing issues, despite
> being wider than any of the replacements.

There's a Serfas Cosmos saddle on ebay right now:
http://cgi.ebay.com/bike-seat_W0QQitemZ120274708846QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item120274708846

 

[thejen12]

On Jun 20, 5:35 pm, "OughtFour" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "thejen12" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> >Go back to a wider saddle.
>
> (as did dusty ofsky--thanks for your thoughts all)
>
> That would be the logical conclusion, eh? Though none less than Sheldon
> Brown writes that wide saddles and too much padding each can _cause_
> chaffing. (So who to believe: the late Captain Brown, or my own lying butt?)
>
> I think I will try fiddling with the position of the second saddle (whichI
> still have) but if that doesn't do the trick, scare up a Serfas or
> reasonable facsimile thereof.
>
> Thanks again.

I think Sheldon meant "too wide" a saddle, but in your case the wider
saddle
sounds like it's just right! Have you ever tried the Specialized Ass-
o-meter to
see how wide a saddle you really need? Get measured at your local
Specialized dealer.

Jenn

 

[OughtFour]

"thejen12" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:d4d3f4cc-d250-492e-b626-3e79994bcfdc@z24g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
On Jun 20, 5:35 pm, "OughtFour" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I think Sheldon meant "too wide" a saddle, but in your case the wider
> saddle
> sounds like it's just right!

Evidently!

I think that Sheldon was writing about a different kind of chafing--one that
I haven't experienced--when the inner thighs rub the sides of the saddle.
See http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html where he writes,

"Saddles with excessive padding are also a common cause of painful chafing
of the inner thigh, as rides become longer."

and

"If the saddle is too wide, it is likely to cause chafing of the inner
thigh, especially in hot weather."

My problem involves the stitching around the edge of the chamois, and not
the "inner thigh" either. So I guess that on wider saddles, I'm sitting
directly ON those stiched seams, more or less imobilizing them, but on
narrower saddles, they are free to move...and rub.

This is counterintutive especially since my sit bones are fine on the
narrower saddles. So, I'm not sure that Specialized's improbable measurement
device would catch that. Still I appreciate the suggestion.

Yesterday I got out my old damaged saddle, the Serfas, and coverd the rips
and cracks with electrical tape. (Funny how much it had deteriorated in the
last 9 months). Put it on my bike just to test and got the most comfortable
ride I've had all year. So I think that is the solution I'll try next. Hard
to remember now just what I didn't like about that saddle.

I'll hold the Specialized strategy as plan B, maybe. They look like nice
saddles.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts.

>Have you ever tried the Specialized Ass-
o-meter to
see how wide a saddle you really need? Get measured at your local
Specialized dealer.

Jenn