How to replace saddle for a more comfortable one?

Heracles Pollux said:

I try to do 14 miles cross country a day on my Raleigh Incognito, and I love
it.

One does get a "sore bum" though, like you do, from the standard saddle.

How practical is it to upgrade to something a little less pain inducing?

Saddles are personal things. It may surprise you to learn that the most
comfortable saddle is one that is firm, but that fits your bum. In
particular, if you feel your bum, you will notice that your hip bones
have two solid lumps, one either side, where you sit. These are known
as teh Iscehal Tuberosities, or 'sit bones'. Having a saddle that fits
measn that you are sitting on your sit bones. It may take a short while
to get used to it, but then it should be pain free all the way.

A soft saddle like that you show below looks great. It feels great for
a short while. But then, because you are compressing all the soft
squidgy bits, rather than taking the weight on your sit bones, it
becomes quite painful after an hour or so.

Do you ahve any friends with bikes? The best recommendation is to try
as many saddles as possible, for at least an hour or two each, to find
one that is the right size for you.
The second best recommendation is to visit a bike shop that sell
Specialized (a brand) saddles and they will have an 'ass-o-meter' that
will give an indication of the right sized saddle for you.

Avoid the really soft squidgy ones. They are fine for the occasional
ride round the park but not for longer rides.

...d

Quoted message said:

Would something like this help at £10.42?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Viscount-Comfort-Saddle-Model-2505-NEW_W0QQitemZ7235092603QQcategoryZ22693QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

But how would one attach it to a standard quick release pole or do you also
have to buy a new quick release and new pole to mount it on?

Anyone got any recommendations for every day MTB nothing too fancy use,
please?

Thank you!

I won't repeat what David M said, but I heartily concur with him. This
is a frequently asked question, and it is frequently answered with the
advice to get a Brooks leather saddle. Not everyone gets on well with
them, but I love mine - feels rock hard to the touch but is about as
comfortable as a saddle can be. I have a B17 but you may find that a
different model fits you better.

Also, I'm very dubious about that saddle your link shows. It claims to
be "unisex" but there is a good reason why men's and women's saddles
are different shapes - men and women are a different shape, especially
down there. If you're a bloke, get a bloke's saddle. If you're a lady,
get a lady's saddle.

d.

in message <[email hidden]>, Heracles Pollux

(') said:

I try to do 14 miles cross country a day on my Raleigh Incognito, and I
love it.

One does get a "sore bum" though, like you do, from the standard
saddle.

How practical is it to upgrade to something a little less pain
inducing?

Probably the most Frequently Asked Question of all.

http://www.jasmine.org.uk/urcautofaq/jsp/Wiki?SaddleChoice

Quoted message said:

Would something like this help at £10.42?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Viscount-Comfort-Saddle-Model-2505-NEW_W0QQitemZ7235092603QQcategoryZ22693QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Definitely NOT - no matter what shape you are, that will definitely make
things worse. Soft saddles are really bad news.

Quoted message said:

But how would one attach it to a standard quick release pole or do you
also have to buy a new quick release and new pole to mount it on?

There's a clamp at the top of the seatpost (the exact design varies).
Unclamp the old saddle, clamp on the new one.

Quoted message said:

Anyone got any recommendations for every day MTB nothing too fancy use,
please?

Do you actually want a mountain bike? Do you plan to ride on severe
technical mountain tracks? If so, something like the Giant Trance 3 at
£1,350 is good value for money, although if you plan to use it every day
it would be wise to spend more on something lighter. If what you want is
a bike for short journeys on roads and tracks around town, consider
something like a Claud Butler Classic at about £180.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Age equals angst multiplied by the speed of fright squared.
;; the Worlock

Oops, forgot to answer this bit...

Heracles Pollux said:

But how would one attach it to a standard quick release pole or do you also
have to buy a new quick release and new pole to mount it on?

Look under the current saddle, you will probably see a single bolt
(probably with 6mm allen key head) in the clamp that holds the saddle
to the seatpost. If you undo this bolt, the clamp will come apart and
you can remove the old saddle and fit the new one. This clamp allows
you to adjust the angle and fore/aft position of the saddle - to refit,
ensure all the bits of the clamp are in place and hold the saddle in
the desired position to stop it moving while tightening the nut. You
shouldn't need a new seatpost.

But this is assuming you have the standard clamp arrangement, and a
saddle with rails. I have seen bikes (from the bottom end of the
market) with other systems that may not be so easy to replace. If you
did need to replace the seatpost, either for this job or in future,
note that they are not a "standard" size - in fact, they come in a huge
range of sizes (the size of your seatpost should be marked on it,
probably somewhere near the bottom) and it is essential to get the
right one.

d.