New Saddle for my wife's tricycle

[dim]

thanks .... I will have a very close look at this

 

[furball]

she says that the saddle hurts her ... I have tilted the saddle by 1 degree upwards, moved it back by an inch and she still has problems

today, I cycled with her to the local shops, and rode behind her. She sits right on the back edge of he saddle which could be causing the discomfort. I might try moving the saddle a bit further back and see what happens

perhaps it's just that she needs to ride more and get used to the saddle? .... I have had a lot of cheap used bikes with cheap saddles.... after a while, your arse gets used to the saddle and it's not so bad

my own favourite saddle is the Brooks C17 Cambium Carved which I have on my Giant TCR.... you can ride on this all day without padding/a bib ....

my 2nd best is a Gilles Berthoud Aravis .... not waterproof as it's leather, but comfy straight out of the box ....

if she still struggles with her saddle, I may look at a womans version of the Brooks Cambium Carved (C17-S):

not cheap, but it's waterproof and if I register it on the Brooks website, it has a 10 year guarantee. My LBS in Cambridge (Bicycle Ambulance) allow people to test the new Brooks saddles before buying. Not sure if they have the woman's version, but they are brilliant and I'm sure that they will arrange a demo saddle from Brooks

If you want to find the right saddle you need to know exactly where it hurts and what is causing the pain. Is it pressure on the seat bones (saddle width or just lack of time in the saddle), the soft tissues at the front (female anatomy, possible drop nose/ noseless saddle or cut out), the insides of the upper leg (saddle length and width of the saddle nose), the fleshy bits of the derriere that are in contact with the back edge of the saddle or something else?
Have you had assistance setting up the trike?
I take it that thing sticking up at the back is a backrest. Does that need adjusting to reduce the gap between it and the back of the saddle?
I assume you are male. Just because you find certain saddles comfortable on a drop handlebar bike is no guarantee that a female riding a trike in an upright position will find the same with those particular saddles.
This company appears to deal with trike specific saddles http://www.tricyclesales.co.uk/Items/Accessories/Seats_and_Supports/Seats_and_Supports_List.aspx

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Furball's right. Something isn't good in the current set up and you need to find out what that is before you throw 100 quid at a Brooks thinking that this'll somehow solve the problem. I suspect this is down to your Mrs's geometry versus the saddle geometry, I.e. shape versus shape.

On Brooks, I've had a B17 for about 6 years, it still isn't "broken in" despite constant attention and waxing, and I wonder if it'll ever become anything less than stiff as a board. I hate it if I'm honest, although it looks fabulous.

 

[jay clock]

@CanucksTraveller I won't clog this thread up but will send you a pm showing how I softened my B17 a few years back.

 

[Smokin Joe]

@CanucksTraveller I won't clog this thread up but will send you a pm showing how I softened my B17 a few years back.

You set fire to it?

 

[dim]

@CanucksTraveller I won't clog this thread up but will send you a pm showing how I softened my B17 a few years back.

is it not best to let the saddle soften by itself? .... perhaps adjust the front tensioning screw to give it more sag when it's new, then tighten it up when it starts breaking in and softening

I have a Gilles Bertoud Aravis, and instructions state not to use anything else except the Gilles Berthoud Proof hide and to only use it once or twice a year. (It';s used more as a leather conditioner to feed the leather)

I know some guys use mink oils etc on Brooks saddles, but even Brooks say it's a no-no

 

[jay clock]

is it not best to let the saddle soften by itself? .... perhaps adjust the front tensioning screw to give it more sag when it's new, then tighten it up when it starts breaking in and softening

I have a Gilles Bertoud Aravis, and instructions state not to use anything else except the Gilles Berthoud Proof hide and to only use it once or twice a year. (It';s used more as a leather conditioner to feed the leather)

I know some guys use mink oils etc on Brooks saddles, but even Brooks say it's a no-no

this is all going off topic, but see attached - worst come to worse you have damaged a £50 saddle but this method worked for me using Flexalan

 

[dim]

Take your wife to Rutland Cycles and get her sitbones measure done properly.

thanks ... will do so ... there are a few Rutland sites close to my home, closest being at Cambridge station