S
Smokey
Guest
Frank Krygowski <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> eric gleason wrote:
> >
> > I've seen lots of talk poo-pooing padded seats, but nearly every semi-serious cyclist wears
> > padded shorts. What's the difference?
>
> As others have said, if the seat has _too much_ padding, you sink deeply into it, and it cuts off
> circulation to the tissues in contact. This leads to aching sensations (which you can also get
> sitting in a car seat for long trips). Also, the excessive seat-to-butt contact promotes sweating,
> chafing, etc. That said, if you're just riding around the block, it doesn't matter much. You'll
> probably do better with a softer saddle.
>
> Personally, I think the most important aspect of "padded" shorts is not to provide padding, but to
> prevent wrinkling. If you ride in, say, a pair of denim shorts, you'll be likely to have a fold or
> wrinkle in the denim right under your sit bones. This will concentrate pressure, and chafe your
> skin in short order.
>
> Lycra helps for much the same reason. It's tight and stretchy enough that its unlikely to have a
> wrinkle where you're sitting on it, and it helps to keep the padding stretched out in one layer,
> without wrinkles.
i agree, the most important thing is to not have wrinkles under you. they will quickly become
chafing points, especially as you move around. my favorite shorts are some nashbar bibs i have with
a plain chamois. the worst i had were a pair with one of those gel inserts (they were freebies when
i bought my lemond). it seems to work the same way with seats. i tried a selle italia with the gel
padding and didn't care for it, the standard flite worked a lot better for me. the same goes for
those seats with slots in them. all they seem to do is chafe me in the wrong places. sometimes it
seems simpler is better. smokey strodtman
> eric gleason wrote:
> >
> > I've seen lots of talk poo-pooing padded seats, but nearly every semi-serious cyclist wears
> > padded shorts. What's the difference?
>
> As others have said, if the seat has _too much_ padding, you sink deeply into it, and it cuts off
> circulation to the tissues in contact. This leads to aching sensations (which you can also get
> sitting in a car seat for long trips). Also, the excessive seat-to-butt contact promotes sweating,
> chafing, etc. That said, if you're just riding around the block, it doesn't matter much. You'll
> probably do better with a softer saddle.
>
> Personally, I think the most important aspect of "padded" shorts is not to provide padding, but to
> prevent wrinkling. If you ride in, say, a pair of denim shorts, you'll be likely to have a fold or
> wrinkle in the denim right under your sit bones. This will concentrate pressure, and chafe your
> skin in short order.
>
> Lycra helps for much the same reason. It's tight and stretchy enough that its unlikely to have a
> wrinkle where you're sitting on it, and it helps to keep the padding stretched out in one layer,
> without wrinkles.
i agree, the most important thing is to not have wrinkles under you. they will quickly become
chafing points, especially as you move around. my favorite shorts are some nashbar bibs i have with
a plain chamois. the worst i had were a pair with one of those gel inserts (they were freebies when
i bought my lemond). it seems to work the same way with seats. i tried a selle italia with the gel
padding and didn't care for it, the standard flite worked a lot better for me. the same goes for
those seats with slots in them. all they seem to do is chafe me in the wrong places. sometimes it
seems simpler is better. smokey strodtman
