The big soft cleverly sprung Agattu saddle isn't going to suit me. I've ridden enough to know that now. Severe willy pins and needles today (NO - Not that sort!) make it clear that I will need another one. But which one?? Any ideas folks?

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Soft or hard Tony?

 

The saddle!

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I tend to find the smaller lightly padded (more like racer) seats, contrary to possible logic, more comfortable than riding on wide padded cushion comfort seats.

 

Although, if you do a lot of miles the first time you use one, you may be sore for days. So, it's better to get use to them gradually.

Simple answer: Brooks.

 

I like the leather Brooks saddles. I find them to be more comfortable than the saddles made out of plastic and foam. The one I have on the mtn bike that I'm using for my work commute is a saddle that I had to order through a bike shop some years ago.

 

I would imagine that the Brooks products are more widely available in the UK than here in the States.

 

John

Am breaking in a Brooks B68 which I reckon fits nicely between the narrower B17 and those huge chunks of ironmongery that Brooks still make - and bless them for it. Have done about eighty miles on it so far and it's beginning to feel perfect. Well worth the initial discomfort. Which links nicely to the literary thread and the potholes/poor roads thread and Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman in which he postulate: "The gross and net result of it is that people who spend most of their natural lives riding iron bicycles over the rocky roadsteads of this parish get their personalities mixed up with the personalities of their bicycle as a result of the interchanging of the atoms of each of them and you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycles".And to wonder if any forum members have noticed such a phenomenon in themselves and what the symptoms are?

the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycles

 

 

I really like it! Bicycle Centaurs. Much better than damn great cantakerous horses. And yes - as a boy and youth I virtually lived on my bike and life without it would have been unthinkable. A wheeled man. Can't think of a suitable name just now. . . but there must be one. Anybody?

My apologies for having diverted the thread - I got carried away (or should have been). I'd also like to know forum members preference on saddles. Gel must have something going for it, but I do like to think that my saddle will outlast me, even if it's not kind of thing one puts in a will!

My own preference is for something fairly narrow, as long as it has a small firm area on either side to support the pelvic "sit bones" the rest is largely irrelevant and excess width just gets in the way. Such saddles do require getting used to and lead to soreness of the "sit bone" area in the early days but once mastered can be really comfortable for long periods.

 

Many bikes come with sprung seat posts, these are not to my liking as they usually have some play which can be irritating, the springing wastes energy when pedalling, they are heavy and being short I welcome the 50mm or so reduction in minimum seat height that can be achieved by fitting a rigid post.

Edited February 6, 200818 yr by Ian

Are you sure its the saddle thats problematic Tony, or could the suspension seatpost be causing discomfort?

 

Like Ian, I've also changed my seatpost for an unsprung one which feels much better - no more 'bouncing' up & down - & though the velo saddle which came with the Torq is quite wide & well padded & not what I'm used to, I've found no reason as yet to change it as it seems quite comfortable .

 

Stuart.