How long do you keep a saddle?

[johnnyb47]

After around 6 thousand miles my Specialized Riva saddle is showing signs of wear. The stitching in the edges is starting to fray, but overall it feels more comfortable than ever. As bike seats can be very personal to finding the right one for comfort levels, i wont be changing mine any time soon.

 

[derrick]

Today I did 49 miles on the Selle Italia Novus Boost Superflow Saddle. Just lovely if I get 20000 miles from this I will be happy.

 

[Mrs M]

Keep as long as it’s comfy
Still got a Specialised BG Ariel saddle on my road bike, 8 years on.
The stock Brooks on my Pashley and stock saddle on my Trek MTB are both very comfy so won’t be changing any time soon.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Why would you change a saddle? Synthetic saddles don't stretch.

I had to replace my last saddle after about 50,000km because several years of riding in all conditions, including very hot summer days, had caused the synthetic outer shell to crack. Once they get to that point, you can't use them much longer. Even covering the cracks with something is only deferring the inevitable.

 

[Globalti]

I could see that prolonged exposure to UV might cause the vinyl to harden and crack but luckily saddles are usually well protected from sunlight!

 

[Tenkaykev]

I've mentioned in previous posts that I'm new to cycling ( September of last year)
I tried several saddles before settling on a Charge Pan.
In hindsight I realise it was probably my arse that needed wearing in and not the saddles.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I could see that prolonged exposure to UV might cause the vinyl to harden and crack but luckily saddles are usually well protected from sunlight!

Not so much in Australia: the summers are pretty fierce here.

 

[Globalti]

Yebbut how many cyclists leave their precious bikes out in the sun for longer than half an hour while they're in the café? The rest of a bike's life is either under the rider's bottom or safely stored indoors. Compare that with a car dashboard, which gets heated up, blasted with UV and leaches its plasticiser, which forms that grey film inside the glass.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Yebbut how many cyclists leave their precious bikes out in the sun for longer than half an hour while they're in the café? The rest of a bike's life is either under the rider's bottom or safely stored indoors. Compare that with a car dashboard, which gets heated up, blasted with UV and leaches its plasticiser, which forms that grey film inside the glass.

So what exactly are you trying to tell me? That my bike saddle became cracked because of something I did?

 

[vickster]

Yebbut how many cyclists leave their precious bikes out in the sun for longer than half an hour while they're in the café? The rest of a bike's life is either under the rider's bottom or safely stored indoors.

Plenty of commuters and utility cyclists leave bikes outside locked up

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I have a Selle-Italia 'Flite' dating back to 1994, that's been on several bikes
Still a great ride

Conversely, I bought a re-manufactured/re-introduced(?) 'Flite, back in 2013, for my 'blue Ribble', that was transferred to my CGR, when I bought that in March 2017
That broke a rail early last month
So, with the Gran Fondo (that has the 1994 Flite) being mothballed for the autumn/winter, it gave up its saddle for the CGR




It had felt slight different to ride for a couple of weeks, but I just put that now to new bib-longs, & the stiffer pad not conforming to me, or the saddle
I only noticed, because for some reason I picked it up, to go down the garden steps by the saddle, & not the top-tube

 

[Blue Hills]

Until a rail busts or something equally catastrophic. I rode a selle royal for a couple of years where the padded bit had detached from the base. I used to just plonk it on top and sit on it. Once on a ride someone had to shout after me that the top had dropped off. Damn comfortable saddle which was why I was loathe to give up on it.

 

[overmind]

I just bought a 2nd hand charge spoon on eBay today. I am looking forward to trying it out.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Until a rail busts or something equally catastrophic. I rode a selle royal for a couple of years where the padded bit had detached from the base. I used to just plonk it on top and sit on it. Once on a ride someone had to shout after me that the top had dropped off. Damn comfortable saddle which was why I was loathe to give up on it.

My tricycle at work, the padding went bad, as it sat out doors all winter. So I ride it without padding.

 

[MichaelW2]

Can you refurbish plastic saddles? What kind of high density padding and waterproof leather could you use? Does anyone offer this service? I have a beaten up old Specialized saddle that fits me just right.