Saddle Question - long term comfort

Paul Hobson said:

I friend and I rode for about 5 hours in plain clothes. Eventually, my
rump was pretty sore. I will say that is was certainly my sit-bones
that were sore, not so-called "soft tissue." Normally, I could how this
would definitely cause worry, but I'm uncomfortably underweight and thus
very bony. As such, I feel that being able to last 5 hours in street
clothes given my lack of natural padding means that this saddle is
probably a pretty good choice for me.

Well you are a tougher man than I. I have tried too many different
saddles and I have yet to find one that will let me ride that long in
street / casual clothing. Mostly the longest I attempt to ride in casual
is about 10 to 12 miles.

Ken
--
Messengers and mountain bikers share a common chromosome. ~James Bethea

Paul Hobson said:

Or does a saddle that is right for someone let them go
indefinitely (or at least longer than 5 hrs)?

Of course. You need a bike like this:
http://www.mikecauser.com/images/ross.jpg

Mike

"Paul Hobson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hey everyone,

I recently purchased a Specialized Alias saddle and it was a VAST
improvement over my other, cheaper saddles. After about 8 miles I was
used to it and it's perfectly comfortable short commutes in town (<10
miles). But that's really all the use that it had seen until yesterday...

I friend and I rode for about 5 hours in plain clothes. Eventually, my
rump was pretty sore. I will say that is was certainly my sit-bones
that were sore, not so-called "soft tissue." Normally, I could how this
would definitely cause worry, but I'm uncomfortably underweight and thus
very bony. As such, I feel that being able to last 5 hours in street
clothes given my lack of natural padding means that this saddle is
probably a pretty good choice for me.

Is it? Or does a saddle that is right for someone let them go
indefinitely (or at least longer than 5 hrs)? Thanks!
\\paul

Have you considered something from Brooks? They put Brooks Flyers(spring
suspended) on everything in Britain long ago, and those guys and ladies
didn't wear bike shorts.

Quoted message said:

Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
.:change the f to ph to reply:.

Paul Hobson said:

Hey everyone,

I recently purchased a Specialized Alias saddle and it was a VAST
improvement over my other, cheaper saddles. After about 8 miles I was
used to it and it's perfectly comfortable short commutes in town (<10
miles). But that's really all the use that it had seen until yesterday...

I friend and I rode for about 5 hours in plain clothes. Eventually, my
rump was pretty sore. I will say that is was certainly my sit-bones
that were sore, not so-called "soft tissue." Normally, I could how this
would definitely cause worry, but I'm uncomfortably underweight and thus
very bony. As such, I feel that being able to last 5 hours in street
clothes given my lack of natural padding means that this saddle is
probably a pretty good choice for me.

Is it? Or does a saddle that is right for someone let them go
indefinitely (or at least longer than 5 hrs)? Thanks!
\\paul
--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
.:change the f to ph to reply:.

I can do several hours of tootlin' on a squishy Speed-V in regular
pants--I just don't like how it makes you feel like you poo'ed
yourself. :-P

BTW, 5 hours this time of year in 'lanta would kill me. It's already
oveny up here in central Butcher Holler.

Ken C. M. said:

Paul Hobson said:

I friend and I rode for about 5 hours in plain clothes. Eventually, my
rump was pretty sore. I will say that is was certainly my sit-bones
that were sore, not so-called "soft tissue." Normally, I could how this
would definitely cause worry, but I'm uncomfortably underweight and thus
very bony. As such, I feel that being able to last 5 hours in street
clothes given my lack of natural padding means that this saddle is
probably a pretty good choice for me.

Well you are a tougher man than I. I have tried too many different
saddles and I have yet to find one that will let me ride that long in
street / casual clothing. Mostly the longest I attempt to ride in casual
is about 10 to 12 miles.

Ken

Yeah,
I found out that about 2 hours worth of riding is about it wearing Levi
type jeans. Sit bones were fine but everything else was chafed from the
waist down, even my knees. The saddle was NOT the problem.
Now that summer is here and demands shorts I am wearing not Lycra but
just tooling around in soft sweat shorts and comfortable in the saddle.
Hot, but comfortable.
Bill Baka

"Gooserider" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Paul Hobson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hey everyone,

I recently purchased a Specialized Alias saddle and it was a VAST
improvement over my other, cheaper saddles. After about 8 miles I was
used to it and it's perfectly comfortable short commutes in town (<10
miles). But that's really all the use that it had seen until
yesterday...

I friend and I rode for about 5 hours in plain clothes. Eventually, my
rump was pretty sore. I will say that is was certainly my sit-bones
that were sore, not so-called "soft tissue." Normally, I could how this
would definitely cause worry, but I'm uncomfortably underweight and thus
very bony. As such, I feel that being able to last 5 hours in street
clothes given my lack of natural padding means that this saddle is
probably a pretty good choice for me.

Is it? Or does a saddle that is right for someone let them go
indefinitely (or at least longer than 5 hrs)? Thanks!
\\paul

Have you considered something from Brooks? They put Brooks Flyers(spring
suspended) on everything in Britain long ago, and those guys and ladies
didn't wear bike shorts.

But Brooks just aint for everyone! I have the model with springs - fine on
the rump but makes me feel like I've broken my back after about half an
hour, or almost instantly on uphill ride. (I always use bike shorts)

Quoted message said:

Mike Causer said:

... You need a bike like this:
http://www.mikecauser.com/images/ross.jpg

Looks like you could fall asleep on that baby on a long gentle
downhill...

"Paul Hobson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hey everyone,

I recently purchased a Specialized Alias saddle and it was a VAST
improvement over my other, cheaper saddles. After about 8 miles I was
used to it and it's perfectly comfortable short commutes in town (<10
miles). But that's really all the use that it had seen until yesterday...

I friend and I rode for about 5 hours in plain clothes. Eventually, my
rump was pretty sore. I will say that is was certainly my sit-bones
that were sore, not so-called "soft tissue." Normally, I could how this
would definitely cause worry, but I'm uncomfortably underweight and thus
very bony. As such, I feel that being able to last 5 hours in street
clothes given my lack of natural padding means that this saddle is
probably a pretty good choice for me.

Is it? Or does a saddle that is right for someone let them go
indefinitely (or at least longer than 5 hrs)? Thanks!
\\paul

I have had great luck with a Terry Men's Fly. I am a big sumbitch and no
problems even after 5 or 6 hours.

Ken C. M. said:

Paul Hobson said:

I friend and I rode for about 5 hours in plain clothes. Eventually, my
rump was pretty sore. I will say that is was certainly my sit-bones
that were sore, not so-called "soft tissue." Normally, I could how this
would definitely cause worry, but I'm uncomfortably underweight and thus
very bony. As such, I feel that being able to last 5 hours in street
clothes given my lack of natural padding means that this saddle is
probably a pretty good choice for me.

Well you are a tougher man than I. I have tried too many different
saddles and I have yet to find one that will let me ride that long in
street / casual clothing. Mostly the longest I attempt to ride in casual
is about 10 to 12 miles.

Well I do not ride in "bicycling clothes". Just normal clothing for
the day's purpose: usually a commute to work with anywhere from cutoffs
and T-shirt to "business casual"; and touring regalia, which is just
about always cutoff jeans and a t-shirt along with Teva's on the feet.

My touring rides have run as long as 8-9 hours for the day, although
obviously not continuously. Usually 2 hours at the start of the day's
ride, then a break every hour through the day.

I've done 80 mile rides per day for up to 6 1/2 weeks at a stretch (no
days off), and have not had any saddle problems with the leather Brooks.

I think probably most people consider the Brooks the ultimate long
distance saddle, but there are some in this group that just haven't
taken to them.

I believe people do best for long continuous riding with saddles that
are rather hard. This is contrary to what a lot of people think is
required for that type of riding, but this has certainly been the case
for me.

SMH

Stephen Harding said:

Ken C. M. said:

Paul Hobson said:

I friend and I rode for about 5 hours in plain clothes. Eventually, my
rump was pretty sore. I will say that is was certainly my sit-bones
that were sore, not so-called "soft tissue." Normally, I could how this
would definitely cause worry, but I'm uncomfortably underweight and thus
very bony. As such, I feel that being able to last 5 hours in street
clothes given my lack of natural padding means that this saddle is
probably a pretty good choice for me.

Well you are a tougher man than I. I have tried too many different
saddles and I have yet to find one that will let me ride that long in
street / casual clothing. Mostly the longest I attempt to ride in
casual is about 10 to 12 miles.

Well I do not ride in "bicycling clothes". Just normal clothing for
the day's purpose: usually a commute to work with anywhere from cutoffs
and T-shirt to "business casual"; and touring regalia, which is just
about always cutoff jeans and a t-shirt along with Teva's on the feet.

My touring rides have run as long as 8-9 hours for the day, although
obviously not continuously. Usually 2 hours at the start of the day's
ride, then a break every hour through the day.

I've done 80 mile rides per day for up to 6 1/2 weeks at a stretch (no
days off), and have not had any saddle problems with the leather Brooks.

I think probably most people consider the Brooks the ultimate long
distance saddle, but there are some in this group that just haven't
taken to them.

I believe people do best for long continuous riding with saddles that
are rather hard. This is contrary to what a lot of people think is
required for that type of riding, but this has certainly been the case
for me.

SMH

I haven't tried a Brooks yet. But may at some point in the future, when
I find the time and opportunity to do another long tour. I did 1200
miles in cycling shorts without too much problem, as far as saddle
comfort goes.

Ken
--
Messengers and mountain bikers share a common chromosome. ~James Bethea