Comfy seat advice please

Quoted message said:

Anyone got any views etc on any saddles or the one in the pipeline that
I should take a look at prior to purchase etc? Any advice, comments etc
would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know if they will fit in style wise with what your after but
many seem to love the Brooks saddles for comfort. The look a bit oldy
worldy though.

"DSK" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Anyone got any views etc on any saddles or the one in the pipeline that
I should take a look at prior to purchase etc? Any advice, comments etc
would be greatly appreciated.

I use a Selle Italia Pro-link Gel. I think it looks cool and find it very
comfortable, YMMV ;-)

Pete

DSK said:

The saddle that I currently have in mind is the Selle Italia Turbomatic
4 Gel Flow as offered on wiggle
(http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5360010157).

Anyone got any views etc on any saddles or the one in the pipeline that
I should take a look at prior to purchase etc? Any advice, comments etc
would be greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately you have picked a topic that is difficult to answer
............. all to do with bum shapes really :-)

What is good for one is not for another ............... I have always
sworn by the Selle San Marco Concor range ( it comes in standard with
steel frame or light with titanium frame ) but I am sure others will
hollow out in disgust. I used to race/train around 450 -550 miles per
week on one.

The all leather Brooks range are also probably the best (Martin Wilson
post) as they (eventually) mold to your own bum shape, and if properly
maintained will outlast you !!

Time, correct adjustment of the saddle and EXTREME hygiene (wash - dry
- air - and baby nappy rash lotion yer bum) are good practice are also
very important!!

Good Luck :-)

DSK said:

Anyone got any views etc on any saddles or the one in the pipeline that
I should take a look at prior to purchase etc? Any advice, comments etc
would be greatly appreciated.

Everyone's backside is different. The only real way to find out what is
comfortable for you is either to try a few in a shop - you can get a
pretty good idea by holding the saddle in place and seeing how it fits
relative to your sit bones - or sit on a few friends bikes with
different saddles. Unless you know which one you want and how it fits I
would be wary of mail order from a picture.

Tony

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 08:56:55 +0100, Jack Ouzzi wrote
(in article <[email hidden]>😉:

Quoted message said:

The all leather Brooks range are also probably the best (Martin Wilson
post) as they (eventually) mold to your own bum shape,

I have two - one on a three-ton non-sus Giant that does the bumpy/muddy rides
and big shopping, and another on a Brompton. I think they're called ATB -
they have two springs on the back. They're comfortable on both bikes, and
soak up the bangs very well.

They each broke in over a few days; I melted warm Nikwax into the underneath,
and rubbed it in the top. The excess washed out of cotton shorts ok.

I had the unsprung ones when I was young, but wasn't so clued up on the
Nikwax then, so afair they took a bit longer to adapt to my rear end. I am
lead to understand that once they're waxed, long-term rotting is less of a
threat. I put poly bags on them when parked anyway - as much to keep eyes off
as rain.

Matthew

in message <[email hidden]>, DSK

(') said:

I am rather frustated at the irritating pain caused between the legs
after regular rides that don't even cover much distance due to my
saddle (Selle Excalibur) being harder than a concrete block on my road
bike. So I am looking to get a new saddle with the requirements as
follows;

- must retain skim, sleek shapes and curves and the good looks of the
current saddle
- must be mainly black in colour
- must be comfier than my current saddle listed above

The saddle that I currently have in mind is the Selle Italia
Turbomatic 4 Gel Flow as offered on wiggle
(http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5360010157).

Anyone got any views etc on any saddles or the one in the pipeline
that
I should take a look at prior to purchase etc? Any advice, comments
etc would be greatly appreciated.

First advice is don't get 'gel'. Softer saddles are never more
comfortable than harder ones except over very short distances. The
important thing with a saddle is that is should support you under your
'sitbones' (ischeal tuberosities). If it's soft your sitbones will sink
in and pressure will be put on softer parts of your anatomy, which will
hurt - and possibly get damaged.

If your present saddle doesn't suit you, then your sitbones are either
too narrow or more probably too wide for it, in which case replacing it
with another saddle of the same width will do you precisely no good at
all. Ideally, get someone to prod around in your buttocks to find your
sitbones and measure how far apart they are. If you can't do this, the
next best advice is to try as many different widths of saddle as you
can.

But getting a softer saddle exactly the same shape as your present one
is precisely the wrong thing to do, and will make things worse.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GP/CS s++: a+ C+++ ULBVCS*++++$ L+++ P--- E+>++ W+++ N++ K w--(---)
M- !d- PS++ PE-- Y+ PGP !t 5? X+ !R b++ !DI D G- e++ h*(-) r++ y+++
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

in message <[email hidden]>, Martin Wilson

(') said:

Quoted message said:

Anyone got any views etc on any saddles or the one in the pipeline
that
I should take a look at prior to purchase etc? Any advice, comments
etc would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know if they will fit in style wise with what your after but
many seem to love the Brooks saddles for comfort. The look a bit oldy
worldy though.

Another vote for Brooks - always comfortable for me. Get the model
that's the right width for you, though. Having said that they aren't
light and aren't stylish.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Diplomacy, American: see Intelligence, Military

Martin Wilson said:

Quoted message said:

Anyone got any views etc on any saddles or the one in the pipeline that
I should take a look at prior to purchase etc? Any advice, comments etc
would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know if they will fit in style wise with what your after but
many seem to love the Brooks saddles for comfort. The look a bit oldy
worldy though.

I'd second that - a little bit more maintenance than a regular saddle, 500
miles/1 month of pain as it moulds to you and remembering to cover it up
(otherwise you get a brown bum if you wear light trousers/shorts, although
this doesn't seem to happen so much after a while). I have a B17 narrow,
which weighs *lots*, but that isn't a big deal 'cause it's on a Dawes
Galaxy.(-:
--
|C|H|R|I|S|@|T|R|I|N|I|T|Y|W|I|L|L|S|.|C|O|M|
Remove the bars to contact me

Chris Davies said:

500 miles/1 month of pain as it moulds to you

ITYM as you mould to it ;-)

Tony

DSK said:

due to my
saddle (Selle Excalibur) being harder than a concrete block on my road
bike.

Only harder than a concrete block? Sounds like it's not nearly hard
enough. Get a Brooks - they're harder than diamond and extremely
comfortable.

Well... extremely comfortable if your [censored] is the right shape. Some
people apparently have wrong-shaped arses.

Try a Brooks Swift -

Quoted message said:

- must retain skim, sleek shapes and curves and the good looks of the
current saddle

check.

Quoted message said:

- must be mainly black in colour

check (also available in honey and antique brown).

Quoted message said:

- must be comfier than my current saddle listed above

see above.

Of course, if that's still not hard enough, you could always get one of
these:
<URL:http://www.sheldonbrown.com/real-man.html>

d.

Simon Brooke said:

Having said that they aren't
light and aren't stylish.

On the second point, I beg to differ.

d.

Martin Wilson said:

many seem to love the Brooks saddles for comfort.

Here here... I've got one on my hardtail - that's moulding nicely
now...

S.

in message <[email hidden]>, davek ([email hidden]'😉

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke wrote:

[apropos Brooks saddles]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Having said that they aren't
light and aren't stylish.

On the second point, I beg to differ.

I refer m'learned friend to the following illustration:
<URL:http://www.jasmine.org.uk/album/index.cgi/feihpf/40>

The saddle represents 7.3% of the total weight of the bike, and looks,
in my opinion, decidedly clumsy. However, it _is_ extremely
comfortable.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Wise man with foot in mouth use opportunity to clean toes.
;; the Worlock

DSK said:

- must retain skim, sleek shapes and curves and the good
looks of thecurrent saddle
- must be mainly black in colour
- must be comfier than my current saddle listed above

If that's your order of priorities, then no wonder you've got problems!

--
Guy

Thanks for the replies with advice and some brands to look into everyone. I'll spend more time before buying to go and look and hopefully try out some saddles as suggested as there is no way that can be done on the www. That m'larky about the 'sit bones' is something that I always feel isn't right but never knew that anything could be done about it. Just sat on the bike again, and my sit bones are a tad wider than the saddle appears to be designed for (yikes, I haven't even got a big bum!)

JustzisGuy, that wasn't my order of priorities, just a list in no particular order ;-)

Quoted message said:

The saddle that I currently have in mind is the Selle Italia Turbomatic
4 Gel Flow as offered on wiggle

Recently I bought a max flite trans am gelflow saddle which looks
axactly the same as this.First time out I did 100miles, which is not
to be recommended with a new saddle, but it was nice and comfortable.
I always maintain a policy of lifting myself off any saddle as much as
possible.Failure to do this can end in tears.

TerryJ

I was in a shop yesterday and the chap suggested looking into Specialised Body Geometry products (which they didn't stock) as they didn't have anything which suited my bum. I know a bit about them being designed with input from doctors etc, but just wandered if anyone here has one or had any experience with them, if so what did you think?

On 3/9/04 9:07 am, in article [email hidden],

DSK said:

I was in a shop yesterday and the chap suggested looking into
Specialised Body Geometry products (which they didn't stock) as they
didn't have anything which suited my bum. I know a bit about them
being designed with input from doctors etc, but just wandered if anyone
here has one or had any experience with them, if so what did you think?

Too soft and despite the infamous cut out, still not very comfortable [1]
after an hour or so in the saddle. I wouldn't buy another one but have one
you can obtain from me for a fiver plus postage.

I bought a Brooks B17 with which I have been very happy as it is far more
comfortable [2].

Then again, it is a problem finding a shop that stocks non-squishy saddles.
Squishy is bad. Fitting to your bum is good. Support on the sit bones is
good. Spreading the weight over fleshy bits is bad.

The best thing to do is to try loads of different saddles till you find one
that fits. Pete was kind enough to lend me a Brooks for a week and I found
it was just right for me, so I got one. I'll get another for the MTB soon
(or get a swift for the road bike and move the B17 to the MTB).

...d

[1] Not too bad for the first wee while and then it gets really
uncomfortable.

[2] You know its there at the start but it gets better as the ride goes on.
I did a 90 mile ride on it within a week of purchase and felt better
bum-wise after that than a 20 mile ride on the BG2.

DSK said:

I was in a shop yesterday and the chap suggested looking into
Specialised Body Geometry products (which they didn't stock) as they
didn't have anything which suited my bum. I know a bit about them
being designed with input from doctors etc, but just wandered if anyone
here has one or had any experience with them, if so what did you think?

I was crippled by one in the space of about 5 miles: whoever's body the
geometry is from isn't much like mine! But OTOH everyone's different,
and some people really like them.

There's simply no substitute for trying things. Sit on everything you
can, including BGs.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/