Saddle considerations for rough off-road use

[Rick Onanian]

What things should I consider when choosing a saddle for
rough/technical off-road use, compared to what I find comfortable
on-road?

Background:
I'm very happy with the saddle on my road bike, and have tolerated
the one on my mountain bike combined with a suspension seatpost. It
seems that I'm too heavy for suspension seatposts to last long with
rough use, so I think I'll go back to standard seatposts.

In an emergency, wanting to preserve daylight riding time after
breaking the seatpost, I grabbed a solid seatpost with a saddle I
haven't ridden in a long time. The saddle is very wide and has thick
gel padding. Surprisingly, I liked the gel, but the width was
terrible.

I was barely happy with the other saddle on the suspension post, and
I know I won't like it sans suspension.
--
Rick Onanian

 

[Paul Southworth]

In article <[email protected]>,
Rick Onanian <[email protected]> wrote:
>What things should I consider when choosing a saddle for
>rough/technical off-road use, compared to what I find comfortable
>on-road?
>
>Background:
>I'm very happy with the saddle on my road bike, and have tolerated
>the one on my mountain bike combined with a suspension seatpost. It
>seems that I'm too heavy for suspension seatposts to last long with
>rough use, so I think I'll go back to standard seatposts.
>
>In an emergency, wanting to preserve daylight riding time after
>breaking the seatpost, I grabbed a solid seatpost with a saddle I
>haven't ridden in a long time. The saddle is very wide and has thick
>gel padding. Surprisingly, I liked the gel, but the width was
>terrible.

This is so personal - you like what you like because you like it.
I use an Avocet O2 on the road and a Selle Italia Turbo on the
MTB. So I like a little more padding off road but still firm.
The only gel saddle I've ridden was a Flite. My first ride
on it was 100 miles so we didn't really get properly introduced;
it was a brief and painful relationship.

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
Rick Onanian <[email protected]> writes:
> What things should I consider when choosing a saddle for
> rough/technical off-road use, compared to what I find comfortable
> on-road?

If you like a short MTB frame w/ lots of stand-over,
you might get some benefit from a longer nosed saddle --
good for steering no-hands on the street. For off-road,
I find a longer saddle is good for scootching forward while
grunting up steepnesses. More cantle at the rear of the
saddle might provide something to push back against when you
want to give the cranks a good, hard mash. Although for the
rest of the time, it might feel like the saddle is constantly
trying to push you off. For that reason, I really don't like
saddles which have too much cantle.

Personally, I think a MTB should fit well enough so one
almost hovers lightly over the saddle rather than sitting
heavily on it, and can easily lift one's butt off the
saddle by standing on the pedals, with the cranks horizontal.
Suspension seatposts be damned ;-)

So, long nose, not too narrow or too wide in the middle, and
the right taste of cantle. IOW, a MTB saddle.


good ride,
Tom

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