saddle fatigue

[Geraint Jones]

This one's starting to show the same signs of falling apart as the previous one did. Perhaps this is
because saddles aren't made for what I use them for.

Well, they're made for most of what I use them for, but they're apparently not really up to being
used to lift the back of the bike. I think it's probably the strain on the saddle when lifting the
back wheel up or down the one-foot kerb (I kid you not) outside work, when there are loaded panniers
on the bike.

Since I usually wheel the bike to the kerb, and usually when I wheel the bike I do so with only the
one hand on the saddle, it seems natural to lift from the back of the saddle.

Is it just me, or do other people find that the back of their saddle comes apart because it has not
been designed for negative loads at the trailing edge?

 

[Pete Biggs]

Geraint Jones wrote:
> Is it just me, or do other people find that the back of their saddle comes apart because it has
> not been designed for negative loads at the trailing edge?

I've had that happen a couple of times, and like you, I've always had the (bad) habit of lifting
bikes by the saddle. Most saddles survive it though. ...Perhaps your bike weighs several tons?!

~PB

 

[GearóId Ó Laoi]

I haven't that habit but I lift the back by the carrier (rack to any reading American
philistines! ;-))

 

[Richard Goodman]

"Geraint Jones" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Is it just me, or do other people find that the back of their saddle comes apart because it has
> not been designed for negative loads at the trailing edge?

Oh yes, see my thread on 'What glue?' !

Rich

 

[Geraint Jones]

"Gearóid Ó Laoi, Garry Lee" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I haven't that habit but I lift the back by the carrier ...

I've been wondering about that: do you have no light or reflector at the back of the carrier? When
there are heavy panniers on both sides of the carrier, and a reflector at the back, there isn't
anywhere to lift by. And anyway, if I lift with a straight back, my carrier is about at
just-getting-fingertips-under-the-edge-of height, which doesn't really give me the purchase
necessary to lift the weight of the panniers.

 

[Steve Palincsar]

On Sat, 17 May 2003 19:25:02 -0400, Geraint Jones wrote:

> Since I usually wheel the bike to the kerb, and usually when I wheel the bike I do so with only
> the one hand on the saddle, it seems natural to lift from the back of the saddle.
>
> Is it just me, or do other people find that the back of their saddle comes apart because it has
> not been designed for negative loads at the trailing edge?

You're probably correct. Time to develop a new reflex: I suggest grasping the seatpost rather than
the back of the saddle to lift the back of the bike.

 

[Pete Biggs]

Steve Palincsar wrote:

>> Is it just me, or do other people find that the back of their saddle comes apart because it has
>> not been designed for negative loads at the trailing edge?
>
> You're probably correct. Time to develop a new reflex: I suggest grasping the seatpost rather than
> the back of the saddle to lift the back of the bike.

a) It's very difficult to change a habit of a life time :-(
b) No can do when seatpost is short or has accessories attached.

~PB

 

[Geraint Jones]

"Pete Biggs" <[email protected]> wrote: ( Steve Palincsar wrote: ) > You're
probably correct. Time to develop a new reflex: I suggest ( > grasping the seatpost rather than
the back of the saddle to lift the ) > back of the bike. ( ) a) It's very difficult to change a
habit of a life time :-(
( b) No can do when seatpost is short or has accessories attached.

Indeed, that's where my light goes; the end of the carrier has a reflector on it and there's nowhere
else to put a light that will shine in a predictable direction past the fully loaded panniers.

I've come to the conclusion that what I need is a sprung saddle with a decent handle fitted to the
bar between the bottoms of the springs. Either that, or (since sprung saddles are an abomination) a
bar sticking out backwards from under the saddle and that is firmly fixed to the seat post.
Presumably that bizarre thing for hanging luggage of the right side of the suspension on a bike with
(ack, pfft) rear suspension would do.

 

[Andrew Sweetman]

Pete Biggs <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Steve Palincsar wrote:
>
> >> Is it just me, or do other people find that the back of their saddle comes apart because it has
> >> not been designed for negative loads at the trailing edge?
> >
> > You're probably correct. Time to develop a new reflex: I suggest grasping the seatpost rather
> > than the back of the saddle to lift the back of the bike.
>
> a) It's very difficult to change a habit of a life time :-(
> b) No can do when seatpost is short or has accessories attached.
>

or get a saddle that can take the lifting, like a nice comfy Brooks