New saddle time?

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Black Sheep

Black Sheep

Guru
Location
Rammy
I've not ridden regularly for a few years now, so some saddle soreness is to be expected (except for my road bike with it's B17) but my mountain bike feels like I'm sitting astride a fence after not too long, worked out that the saddle is the one that came with a Spec Hardrock in 2003! so it's done some miles over the years. This was brought home by hiring a bike for a few days on holiday, touch sore after the first 12 miles on day one, touch sore starting 19 miles on day two but got comfy and carried on - on my mtb I'm finishing a ride stood up as it's not comfortable sitting down.

new saddle?
what should I be looking for?

Any advice on adjusting angle etc also welcome.
 
Alan O

Alan O

Über Member
Location
Liverpool
Black Sheep said:
I've not ridden regularly for a few years now, so some saddle soreness is to be expected (except for my road bike with it's B17) but my mountain bike feels like I'm sitting astride a fence after not too long, worked out that the saddle is the one that came with a Spec Hardrock in 2003! so it's done some miles over the years. This was brought home by hiring a bike for a few days on holiday, touch sore after the first 12 miles on day one, touch sore starting 19 miles on day two but got comfy and carried on - on my mtb I'm finishing a ride stood up as it's not comfortable sitting down.

new saddle?
what should I be looking for?

Any advice on adjusting angle etc also welcome.
Click to expand...
As you're just back after a few years, I'd be tempted to suggest just carrying on for a bit to see if you can break back in to it. But as you have several saddles to compare (and you're happy on a B17), a new saddle for your MTB might well be needed.

But as for which one, that depends on your own posterior anatomy, and I'm pleased to say I've never been close enough to it to judge :tongue: What suits one bottom can be very uncomfortable for another one.

Having said that, if you're happy on a B17, which is a saddle I rode on happily for decades, you might have similar anatomy to me. So you might like a Cambium C17, which is what I have on my tourer now and which seems like a natural progression from my old B17. But they're not cheap.

On my MTB I have a Charge Spoon, and I find that fine for 40-50 miles maximum, after which I'm starting to feel uncomfortable - on the Cambium I can go 100+ with no discomfort. The beauty of a Charge Spoon is that it's inexpensive (around £20-ish) and it can be resold for only a small loss if you don't like it.
 
nickAKA

nickAKA

Über Member
Location
Manchester
Another 'up' for the charge spoon - fine on my specialized hybrid for 30+ miles (what I used for carrying, then towing, junior on with the co-pilot) and at £20 not too much to lose if you don't get on with it. I've got a fizik aliante on my road bike which I did my first 100+ on (with a pair of Rapha shorts tbf) but ~3 times the outlay, so it all depends on the depth of your pockets.
 
OP
OP
Black Sheep

Black Sheep

Guru
Location
Rammy
Thanks, charge spoon on order from wiggle, was reduced so paid extra for the postage to get it here in time for the weekend

I've not gone for another brookes as I think being on the mountain bike it'll get wrecked since I do come off it from time to time and it is used for playing in mud
 
nickAKA

nickAKA

Über Member
Location
Manchester
Black Sheep said:
Just done shy of 5 miles tonight mix of road and track with a fair bit of climbing on cobbles, new saddle is much much better, little sore, but that's just from being off the bike for so long, thanks for the advice
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This is going to end up costing you more than you ever anticipated (story of my cycling life) but may I recommend a pair of Lusso bib shorts to counteract the arse pain? Merlin have got a few different types from £40 up (all with a decent discount on them) and they're a good investment... sizing is right, I'm medium and find medium a good fit. Made locally too so even better. I wear a pair of shorts over them on the hybrid if you'll feel weird on a MTB wearling a bib!
 
Drago

Drago

Legendary Member
Location
Suburban Poshshire
You're going to have to try a few, and when you find one that suits go and buy a barrow load of them. The B17 seems to work well do or you, so there's an easy win right there. Not cheap, but it'll last the lifetime of your arriss, and can be swapped from bike to bike as you sell up and move on over the years.
 
OP
OP
Black Sheep

Black Sheep

Guru
Location
Rammy
Drago said:
You're going to have to try a few, and when you find one that suits go and buy a barrow load of them. The B17 seems to work well do or you, so there's an easy win right there. Not cheap, but it'll last the lifetime of your arriss, and can be swapped from bike to bike as you sell up and move on over the years.
Click to expand...

The B17 on the road bike has been on there 10 years and is still nice and comfy.

5 miles is kind of the maximum distance I can do with my daughter on the tagalong, can manage a bit further solo but that's about the limit of my fitness currently, going to see how I get on letting my backside get used to being in the saddle again before looking at spending extra money, I've never ridden wearing anything other than jeans!
 
Alan O

Alan O

Über Member
Location
Liverpool
Black Sheep said:
The B17 on the road bike has been on there 10 years and is still nice and comfy.

5 miles is kind of the maximum distance I can do with my daughter on the tagalong, can manage a bit further solo but that's about the limit of my fitness currently, going to see how I get on letting my backside get used to being in the saddle again before looking at spending extra money, I've never ridden wearing anything other than jeans!
Click to expand...
That's absolutely it, I think. Back in my day (to use a phrase from my dear old Granddad), you got on your bike and went for a ride. And if it hurt your bum, that's just what happened, and you kept on going and soon found it didn't hurt any more.

I've never worn padded pants of any kind, and today I wear £4 Primark shorts (they're a bit of a funny shape, but so am I so that's fine). Admittedly I spent a lot more on my Brooks Cambium saddle, but I can ride 100 miles on it in supreme posterior comfort - and I don't have to spend money every year on new fancy cycling nappies/diapers. And slathering my arse with lubricating cream? Yeuch, no.

My nephew (18) and brother in law (his dad, 52) have just got into bikes this year and have a couple of decent MTBs. They're doing great, but the palaver from them...! "Ooh, this hurts a bit, it's not like sitting in a comfy armchair in front of the telly, I need a big soft cushion on my bike..."

Now, I know padded bum things are very popular and I don't mean to disparage anyone who uses them (and there's a degree of tongue location within cheek in what I say). But for most of us, there's really no need to strap on a padded baboon's arse to go for a bike ride.
 
OP
OP
Black Sheep

Black Sheep

Guru
Location
Rammy
Alan O said:
My nephew (18) and brother in law (his dad, 52) have just got into bikes this year and have a couple of decent MTBs. They're doing great, but the palaver from them...! "Ooh, this hurts a bit, it's not like sitting in a comfy armchair in front of the telly, I need a big soft cushion on my bike..."

Now, I know padded bum things are very popular and I don't mean to disparage anyone who uses them (and there's a degree of tongue location within cheek in what I say). But for most of us, there's really no need to strap on a padded baboon's arse to go for a bike ride.
Click to expand...


I think Sheldon says it best: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

in my case, it's my backside needs to get used to it again, from my early teens it was rare to go two weeks without cycling somewhere, usually on the bikes for half a day having almost unlimited energy, in my early / mid 20's I'd do full day rides round the lake district on the mountain bike I have now with the saddle I just replaced or two laps of cannock's follow the dog with a 32/16 single speed set up.

Starting to enjoy being out on the bike again though so should start to make fewer rest stops as time goes by :smile:
 
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