bicycle seat question...

Dottore · 09-19-2011, 01:12 AM

I started seriously cycling again three months ago after an absence of 20 or so years.

I've been doing longer and longer tours most days, but am finding that the limiting factor for me in pushing harder is not strength or stamina, but the friggin seat!

I started on a leather Brooks because the guy in the shop told me it would "ride in" and be the most comfortable eventually. After a month of black and blue arse I gave up and have been experimenting with a series of gel filled seats—none of which have made me very happy.

I welcome any and all suggestions.

sc_rufctr · 09-19-2011, 01:26 AM

Go to a BIG bike shop and try various seats until you find one that fits. The usually have them on a carousel so you can try them one by one.

The Brooks will be very comfortable once broken in but until then...

I have heard of people soaking their Brooks in water or oil to get them soft.
Also... I think they have a saddle dressing that helps with the break in period.

(loosing weight helps)

sc_rufctr · 09-19-2011, 01:30 AM

BROOKS ENGLAND LTD. | MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS | PROOFIDE 40G TIN

MFAFF · 09-19-2011, 02:22 AM

+1 on 'breaking' the Brooks saddle in over a period of time.

The other thing is that the bike is possibly not set up correctly for you at the moment, a good bike shop should be able to advise you on the positioning of the saddle with respect to the saddle and angle etc as well as the height/ reach of the handle bars... a few quick adjustments can make a great deal of different to the comfort.

Gel saddles are great but they always 'feel' the same, no 'breaking-in'. Working the saddle with the dressing does help break it in..

genrex · 09-19-2011, 04:15 AM

Throw out your Brooks saddle.

But don't take my word for it. Do a google search using the terms: "pudendal nerve damage bicycling" and read all the info, and decide for yourself whether riding a Brooks-type saddle is worth the long-term consequences of even a few short weeks on such a saddle.

You -- and your girlfriends -- will be very grateful.

billybek · billybek's Garage

Most bigger shops will have a setup that will determine how far apart your sit bones are.
It will at least point you in the right direction for saddle sizing.

Laneco · 09-19-2011, 04:36 AM

I ride 24 hour bike races. If Brooks saddles were everything people say they are, well then the 24 hour racers would ALL use them. But none of them do. Why? Because there are much better alternatives out there that also weigh less (and cost less)...

Big bike shop, try several different models. Most shops have take-offs where the original seat wasn't good for the rider and they bought a different one. Specialized makes very good "factory" seats. Their Body Geometry line is very good. I've got two of those on different bikes. I also like Terry seats.

Bike seat comfort is important. Not only will you ride further in much greater comfort, you will also avoid certain health issues. Another big plus - there is no "break-in" on a good seat. With a good seat, you don't use your nether regions to beat the seat into compliance - it fits right to begin with.

angela

MFAFF · 09-19-2011, 05:11 AM

Brooks saddles are not used because of their relative cost, weight (even the titanium ones), the time needed to break them in....plus the fact they hate getting wet...

Same applies to them not being used in the TdF amongst others.
Setting that aside, for the use Dottore mentions over time they are amongst the better solutions.

look 171 · 09-19-2011, 05:40 AM

Yeah, right about the Brooks saddle. It is an old design from the 50s, maybe older. You would think they come up with a better design by now, and they have. I throw it out the window or throw it throw the window of the guy who sold it to you. If they are so good, why aren't people who make a living spending days on their saddles riding them.

Look into Fizik saddles. They have a few comfy saddles for your application. Do not get the tiny skinny butt floss saddles. They wouldn't be too nice to your behind. They are great if you are racing or riding hard, as that takes some weight off your ass from pedaling hard. Try them. Around here, shops have these saddle programs so you can rent and try saddles for an x amount of time before you buy. Bike saddle is a very personal thing.

Adjustment is another thing that can cause pain. Black and blue ass, that shouldn't be. YOur saddle sound like its too high. Lower it by about 1/4" increment and give it a try to see if it gets better. How long have you been on the bike so far? The first 4-5 ride is a pain the ass. Then you get use to the pain.

CurtEgerer · CurtEgerer's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottore

I started seriously cycling again three months ago after an absence of 20 or so years.

I'm pretty much in the same situation. The main thing I dreaded was the saddle pain I knew would be coming the first few weeks/months. The bike I'm riding has one of the newer-type gel racing saddles with the slot down the center (it's a Velo OCR if that means anything. I never heard of it before). I didn't do any comparison shopping, it is what was on the bike so I gave it a shot. I have had no pain, even after the 1st day. I attribute most of this to the time spent adjusting the fit of the bike, something I never spent more than a few minutes on even when I was riding 100s of miles per week years ago. I'm convinced I could put a number of different similar-type saddles on this bike and they would all be fairly comfortable.

So ditch the hipster saddle and embrace modern technology

jyl · jyl's Garage

Brooks has the "Imperial" saddles with the center slot, or you could maybe cut your existing Brooks or cut up a cheap eBay Brooks. They were making cut-out saddles in the 1890s. There are a bunch of reviews online (BikeForums etc), though most are from people already riding and happy with Brooks saddles.

I used Brooks on my old road bikes back in the day, and liked them. Currently I find the Brooks on my wife's bike extremely comfortable, and would put a Brooks on my road bike if I could get over the weight weenie issue.

I have no idea what current saddle technology is like, I'm currently using a Selle Italia Flite from the early 1990s and something else (logo all worn off) from the same era.

Dottore, try tinkering with the angle of the saddle (I think more nose down if your handlebar is low relative to the saddle), and make sure it is not too high (I think that if your pelvis has to rock for you to reach the pedal on the downstroke, the saddle is too high). Also, bike shorts are padded for a reason . . .

HardDrive · 09-19-2011, 07:33 AM

I've been riding a Specialized Avatar gel seat for a couple years. Nice and comfortable. Only downside? Its heavy.

Specialized Avatar Gel Saddle - Wheel World Bike Shops - Road Bikes, Mountain Bikes, Bicycle Parts and Accessories. Parts & Bike Closeouts!

Jim Bremner · 09-19-2011, 08:01 AM

The saddle that I rode in the 80's would kill me today. Our body changes with time. I used to keep a saddle library so that I could have my spring time saddle so that I could build up to my summer saddle.

Once you find one that works, BUY A SECOND of the same if you can. My two favorite saddles both once they got discontinued got destroyed. First one by a crash. Second one by my Husky!

sammyg2 · 09-19-2011, 08:34 AM

I had a brooks seat on my paramount road bike back in the day, it was the best seat in the world but it also had a gazillion miles on it.

They gotta be softened up and broke in or they will kill you.
Pack the underside of the saddle with mink oil or saddle soap or something like that every day and you have to really work the leather to get it to soften up.
I've heard you can also get lether conditioner from an automotive shop and put that on the top and then work it in with a roller or dowel or something.

You could even take a soft rubber mallet, anything to soften the leather and work the oil into it.

vash · vash's Garage

i bought a Selle Italia SLK seat and it changed my cycling life. i dont get any numbness, and i can go for miles and miles.

i may switch bikes, but that seat is coming with me everywhere. that slot running down the center looks insignificant, but it really does something.

T77911S · 09-19-2011, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laneco

I ride 24 hour bike races. If Brooks saddles were everything people say they are, well then the 24 hour racers would ALL use them. But none of them do. Why? Because there are much better alternatives out there that also weigh less (and cost less)...

Big bike shop, try several different models. Most shops have take-offs where the original seat wasn't good for the rider and they bought a different one. Specialized makes very good "factory" seats. Their Body Geometry line is very good. I've got two of those on different bikes. I also like Terry seats.

Bike seat comfort is important. Not only will you ride further in much greater comfort, you will also avoid certain health issues. Another big plus - there is no "break-in" on a good seat. With a good seat, you don't use your nether regions to beat the seat into compliance - it fits right to begin with.

angela

i too just got back on my bike. my specailized from the 90's was a great saddle in that i never had much problems, but now, man things are going numb and after about an hour i just want to get off the bike.

i am also lookin gat the new spacialized along with the Terry. i think it is just a mental thing that makes me lean towards the specialized though. all the reviews i have read about the specialized have said that up to abou t 3hrs they are great.

i have always heard the brooks is a good saddle, but you have to remember, the pros may be getting paid to ride a saddle, plus, people are so caught up in the weight thing they dont want to spend the money on something that may be comfortable for them. i would like to try one, but will never spend the money just because i think the design of the new ones has come so far.

fit is a big part of it. i made the mistake and took my seat off a while back and that could have something to do with it. i have tilted it up and it seems a bit better but i think it needs to go up a little more.

one thing i learned a long time ago, there are certain things you dont want to put weight over comfort or reliabilty, saddles being the main one.

cantdrv55 · 09-19-2011, 09:44 AM

I have the Terry men's fly Ti below. I have close to 2500 miles on mine. Pretty comfortable for my flat, wide behind.

Terry Fly Saddles Reviews

jhynesrockmtn · 09-19-2011, 11:04 AM

+1 for Terry Fly saddles. I have a couple of them on different bikes.

I haven't ridden as much lately but in 2007 did some serious training, several centuries and an a ride around mount rainier in one day (RAMROD) 150+ miles and over 10k of climbing.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

I've been eyeying a Selle Italia Flight XC that keeps showing up on chainlove.. I may have to pounce on one. I love my new trek, but the Bontrager saddle it came with is trash.....

sammyg2 · 02:27 PM

There's a well known axiom in the bicycle crowd that probably applies to this thread, whatever is the most crazy expensive must be the best

over 30 years ago I was working at a pro bike shop while going to college and we had a cobbled up bike hanging on the wall.
It had a medici frame, a hodgepodge of campy parts, and it was priced fairly low but no one would take a second look. It had been hanging there for over a year.

One weekend when the boss was away I changed the tag and jacked up up from around $1600 to
$2600 as kind of a joke.

It sold in two days.