Longest ride yet and don't I know about it !

[Goobs]

Having done only a maximum of 10 miles evening rides all year me and the missus decided to go for a proper ride out at the weekend and clocked up 92 miles.

Up until this ride I found my Giant Defy 1 stock saddle and Tenn padded bib shorts pretty comfortable but that all changed past 40 miles ! I was introduced to a whole new world of pain and discomfort. No matter how I slid around nothing worked and had to just MTFU for the next 50+ miles - as my wife kindly informed me

I appreciate everyone is different etc. but what saddles do other road bike users use for silly mileage rides ?
Or is another make of bib shorts the answer ?
I know the B17 brigade will be along shortly and the weight of that saddle doesn't bother me for long rides when you factor in carrying 2 drinks bottles and the route is generally flat anyway but I am concerned about riding on the drops with such a saddle.

If anyone could offer their experience with these and any other saddles on their road bikes it would be appreciated.

 

[Danny B]

I found my Defy 1Stock saddle exactly the same Great for rides up to an hour but after that the pain started and the enjoyment went. In the end I went for a saddle fitting in a shop. Found the stock seat was 134mm wide and I needed 154 "wide sit bones". The shop was fantastic and let me try a number of seats in the shop on a turbo until I found the one that fitted best. I soon realised which seat was the best, as soon as I sat on it I relaxed into a comfortable position. Mind you I was some 50 mins in the shop on a turbo for all to see but it was all worth it. The seat I got was a Specialized Toupe and I have done 100 mile rides with no discomfort.

 

[GravityFighter]

Firstly, well done on the distance! I found the following important when starting to up my mileage over the last year.

Bike fit. Make sure you're in the best possible position for the type of riding you do. It's not always obvious, but there are lots of good tips on here / the rest of the web about saddle and bar height etc. I had a pro bike fit that raised my saddle and dropped my bars; made a world of difference to control and comfort.

As you alluded to, saddle & shorts combo. Unfortunately these are entirely personal and need a fair bit of trial and error. A good bike shop will measure your sit bones, advise on saddles and offer a return period of 1 - 3 months if you need to swap. I've found with bib shorts that it's all about the pad. Generally, the higher up the price range you go (without being silly), the better the pad. I started off with Wiggle / DHB, then Altura and I currently use Lusso which seem to be ideal for me. Don't forget a good thick layer of chamois cream between you and the pad too!

 

[Milkfloat]

To be honest the leap from 10 to 92 miles would destroy most people. Before you change the saddle, maybe try a couple more rides at 30-40 miles to see how you get on and then build up 10 miles at a time from there.

 

[Globalti]

Before splashing out on a new saddle be sure you've got this one set up right. That means correct angle, height and distance from the bars. There are plenty of guides online but my recommendation is that the saddle should be "cupping" your sit bones in such a way that your weight isn't thrown forward onto the bars.

If you want to try a new saddle I recommend you look at a Charge Spoon. Extremely comfortable for a great price:

http://www.chargebikes.com/parts-collection/spoon

 

[Thomk]

The Defy saddle used to be a Charge Spoon and as good as anything. But it's a personal preference thing. As said above I wouldn't change anything yet, just get your bum etc used to longer rides by doing more of them.

 

[mjr]

There are plenty of guides online but my recommendation is that the saddle should be "cupping" your sit bones in such a way that your weight isn't thrown forward onto the bars.

Just to contradict that, my recommendation is that the saddle should have slight raises to meet your sit bones if you have a bony arse like mine The Charge Spoon looks like a nice saddle if it fits you. I think there's a Madison almost-clone which may be the Flux.

My road bike currently has a rather cheap "Sport Direct" (note: no second S) saddle which came from a motor parts chain - locally many motor parts chains stock cycle parts too and I'm more comfortable waving tape measures around in such shops to check for myself that stuff will fit, whereas specialist bike shop staff have looked strange at me doing that. I've used this saddle comfortably on a bike before but it's got a tear in the cover so may not last much longer

 

[Globalti]

Just buy some vinyl, strip it and re-cover it.

 

[50cal]

A good pair of bib shorts might be the answer. For shorter commutes (up to about 30 miles#) then most shorts are good. Longer club rides I have a couple of pairs of Sportful bodyfit pro shorts. Anything over 100 and it's Castelli Aero free bibs or Rapha. A lot of money for these but they truly are comfortable.
Try looking at the mid-upper range DHB shorts at Wiggle, they are very comfy without leaving a massive dent in the finances

 

[jefmcg]

You upped your maximum distance by 9 times, and your only problem was saddle soreness? Kudos.

Maybe your saddle is wrong, or maybe it's just you are quite toughened for that distance. When I did my first 120km ride on my Giant stock saddle, I had to take a day off commuting, and swapped it with the Brooks on my other bike - so you may have reached your limit on that saddle.

The Brooks (B17s) is great on the giant, and I can ride any distance on it without a problem (well, abandoning a ride after 1200km wasn't due to saddle soreness), so it may work for you. It doesn't match the bike, but it's a thing of beauty to look at, and to sit on. Actually, it feels like a block of wood when I sit on it, but it still feels the same 300km later.

If you have any open sores from your ride, I'd suggest you stay of the bike until they heal. Gently wash, keep dry, apply antiseptic ointment and let it heal.

 

[Goobs]

The Defy saddle used to be a Charge Spoon and as good as anything. But it's a personal preference thing. As said above I wouldn't change anything yet, just get your bum etc used to longer rides by doing more of them.

I used to ride with a Spoon on my old Raleigh 400 and it was a little more forgiving but still ended up having to move around a lot if sat in one position too long. I've still got it somewhere so it won't cost anything to try it again I suppose.

You upped your maximum distance by 9 times, and your only problem was saddle soreness? Kudos.

Maybe your saddle is wrong, or maybe it's just you are quite toughened for that distance. When I did my first 120km ride on my Giant stock saddle, I had to take a day off commuting, and swapped it with the Brooks on my other bike - so you may have reached your limit on that saddle.

The Brooks (B17s) is great on the giant, and I can ride any distance on it without a problem (well, abandoning a ride after 1200km wasn't due to saddle soreness), so it may work for you. It doesn't match the bike, but it's a thing of beauty to look at, and to sit on. Actually, it feels like a block of wood when I sit on it, but it still feels the same 300km later.

If you have any open sores from your ride, I'd suggest you stay of the bike until they heal. Gently wash, keep dry, apply antiseptic ointment and let it heal.

Thankfully no open sores just pain roughly where I think my sit bones are.
I am going to have a go at measuring them with cardboard,a bench and chalk tonight. The fabric.cc site reckons a 142mm would suit me. No idea what the spoon or Giant stock saddle are.

 

[jefmcg]

Thankfully no open sores just pain roughly where I think my sit bones are.

If you are just sore on you sit bones, then it's time to HTFU. The sit bones are where your weight should be resting, so they just have to get used to longer in the saddle.

 

[mjr]

The fabric.cc site reckons a 142mm would suit me. No idea what the spoon or Giant stock saddle are.

I'm giggling at fabric.cc's "air-sprung technology" which sounds a lot like the forbidden G-word to me, but that site looks good to me. Good luck!

 

[mjr]

Just buy some vinyl, strip it and re-cover it.

You underestimate my incompetence at anything to do with fabrics!

 

[xxDarkRiderxx]

To be honest the leap from 10 to 92 miles would destroy most people. Before you change the saddle, maybe try a couple more rides at 30-40 miles to see how you get on and then build up 10 miles at a time from there.

I would agree with @Milkfloat. Your bum needs to get used to being sat on for that length of time. Longer rides then decide if a new saddle is required.