Saddles (again)

sarajoy

I my kick stand! Buggroff.

attica

AT, It's attitudes like that that will result in people posting threads complaining about elitism...

Oh, hang on.

Nowt wrong with a kickstand.

always_tyred

Attica wrote:

AT, It's attitudes like that that will result in people posting threads complaining about elitism...

Oh, hang on.

Nowt wrong with a kickstand.

You have a kick stand don't you. You should be ashamed of yourself. Take it off at lunch time and carry it home in the wicker basket you have on your bars.



at least we are now off the subject of sore batty

lost_in_thought

Attica wrote:

AT, It's attitudes like that that will result in people posting threads complaining about elitism...

Oh, hang on.

Nowt wrong with a kickstand.

I bought one from Aldi.

Can't quite bring myself to put in on the bowery.

Or the Tifosi.

:oops:

sarajoy

I'm not shy about looking nerdy.

Oh, ans Tesco no longer had spokeydokeys. I was very disappointed

edhornby

I've had a charge spoon on recommendation from my brother (who probably has similar ar$e bones to me) and it suits me fine too, they are the right amount of padding and the right amount of curvature also - for £20 quid they'll be going on both my bkes

londonlivvy

Have you considered that your padded shorts might be worn out/nearing the end of their natural life?

I've found that some that were formerly very comfortable are, frankly, no longer and as my sitbone distance/saddles are exactly the same, I'm putting this down to less padding. I don't know what the mileage/replacement equation is, but I imagine the blokes on here could devise something suitable with pressure/movement/washing quotients...

sarajoy

Livvy - they're brand new, so no But conversely maybe they're just not broken in yet?!

I bought possibly a size lower than I should have, though I think the next size up may have been baggy... so I think my expanse of bum is pulling the padding backwards a little and putting the narrowest bit where I need more of a taper outward. Maybe next time I stick them on I can fiddle with the grip strips down on the thighs and see if I can't adjust where the pad sits.

lost_in_thought

sarajoy wrote:

Livvy - they're brand new, so no But conversely maybe they're just not broken in yet?!

I bought possibly a size lower than I should have, though I think the next size up may have been baggy... so I think my expanse of bum is pulling the padding backwards a little and putting the narrowest bit where I need more of a taper outward. Maybe next time I stick them on I can fiddle with the grip strips down on the thighs and see if I can't adjust where the pad sits.

Sara, at the risk of incurring your wrath, if you think there's any possiblity it may be the pad, you should give the pad a fair try and ditch the knickers.

I could go into detail with the reasons, but that's really pretty damn TMI for a public forum. Suffice to say that knickers can make the pad more inclined to slip.

Oh and you definitely don't want baggy cycling shorts/tights...

sarajoy

Seriously, I'm thinking about it - but I just don't want to. Not yet. Some time, if/when I've amassed more gear, /maybe/ I'll consider not bothering with pants.

But for now, they stay on. The fact that I'm very comfortable with one set of lycra but not the other does give some indication that it's possible. We'll see how it pans out the rest of this week.

I /absolutely/ understand the reasoning. There's no need to keep telling me - and yes I know I'm being stubborn. But they're my own nether regions and I'll come around to what's best for them in my own good time. OK?

lost_in_thought

Keep your hair on darlin'. We're only trying to help.

sarajoy

Yes I realise you are but it feels a little relentless, when I keep replying with "yes I'll think about it but I don't wish to right now" (or words to that effect) and it feels like I'm not allowed that choice?

sarajoy

lost_in_thought wrote:

Keep your knickers on darlin'. We're only trying to help.

Fixed

DonDaddyD

There are many things I don't know about the female body, you guys actually have a bone for sitting on (sit-bone!!??!! Who knew!? :shock: ), and there are many things I don't want to know, like padded shorts and how or why it rides up...

However, I think there is two things going on here:

(i) Sara wants a brown saddle for her bike. Whether her current saddle is uncomfortable or whether she wants to go commando, rationale aside I think its clear that she wants a new saddle.

The solution to this desire is to simply T.M.B (Try, Measure and Buy). But purchase knowing that, like most upgrades, said saddle is likely to increase your comfort levels but not solve the overarching problem.

(ii) The actual comfort problem would likely be solved by going commando and rocking the lycra knickerless. Riding commando is what nearly everyone here has advised and arguably does, like the vast majority of cyclists (from professional Tour riders to everyday commuters) do. I think Sara acknowledges this and accepts it. She just has her own personal reasons for not wanting to. "Fair enough".

My advice would be:
(i) Buy the saddle, because that's what you want. But be aware that it isn't necessarily the solution to the problem, it may be the rationale your using to justify the purchase.

(ii) MTFU and wear your cycle shorts more than once. Its a common fact that cyclists stink. A two or three day old pair of cycle shorts aint gonna make much difference and if you don't tell anyone, who is gonna know!? In fact most cyclist do wear their shorts more than once, they just don't tell anyone about it... (I have more than a weeks load of shorts I personally wouldn't do something so minging but I know that others do.... LiT, Greg's, Attica... ).

(iii) Buy more cycle shorts as and when you can afford them with the view of owning 5 (a working weeks worth as you will need them), buy some tights and 3/4lengths to wear under the shorts so you won't feel too exposed when riding knickerless - I do this.

sarajoy

Well summed-up DDD

I just wanted to check it wasn't an inherently crap saddle (opinion on it appears to be good, hurrah), though as an excuse to myself for buying it, I also wrapped it up in discomfort issues (which may well be more to do with pads and knickers, agreed).

EDIT: I've also tried one out at GTV's place and liked it well enough, so have progressed onto 'buy' and am now awaiting delivery - job done!

Wearing one pair of shorts repeatedly without pants doesn't bother me stink-wise, it's more worrisome in terms of thrush and urinary tract infections (of which I have now had 2 in my life and they are /distinctly/ uncomfortable). So, rocking the one pair several days in a row makes me feel all 'nnngghhh'. It won't happen for a while.

I very nearly bought the £8 cycling shorts in Tesco the other day. But the pad in the ladies' shorts was TINY! Didn't see the point. But see, I'm thinking about it.

DonDaddyD

sarajoy wrote:

Well summed-up DDD

I just wanted to check it wasn't an inherently crap saddle (opinion on it appears to be good, hurrah), though as an excuse to myself for buying it, I also wrapped it up in discomfort issues (which may well be more to do with pads and knickers, agreed).

EDIT: I've also tried one out at GTV's place and liked it well enough, so have progressed onto 'buy' and am now awaiting delivery - job done!

Chapeau, you've only had your new bike for 2 - 3 months at best and you're already upgrading/modifying! :P :P :P

Wearing one pair of shorts repeatedly without pants doesn't bother me stink-wise, it's more worrisome in terms of thrush and urinary tract infections (of which I have now had 2 in my life and they are /distinctly/ uncomfortable). So, rocking the one pair several days in a row makes me feel all 'nnngghhh'. It won't happen for a while.

Oh my stars and garters....

I very nearly bought the £8 cycling shorts in Tesco the other day. But the pad in the ladies' shorts was TINY! Didn't see the point. But see, I'm thinking about it.

Just buy them, you can't survive on one pair of shorts. Always good to have back ups along with your bests.

attica

DDD

Speak for yourself dude, I wear my shorts once and then have them hermetically sealed and dumped at the bottom of the North Sea*. I never wear them more than once**

Then again I'm so rich that if the Bentley is pointing in the wrong direction I simply buy a new one.***

* Well OK, sealed inside a washing machine that is subsequently switched on.
** Before I wash them (NB, a days commute counts as one wear)
*** May not strictly speaking be true either

sarajoy

I have two pairs of shorts - well, one pair of shorts, one pair of 3/4 leggings (more comfy), both padded.

The Tesco ones looked grim. Will keep my eyes open.

Well, people have been fairly happy to tell me to lose the pants, I may as well feel free to elaborate as to why not. Stars and Garters or none

Since I got it this bike, it now has bar-ends, SPD pedals, and a new saddle on the way. I've pilfered a few things from my old bike to stick on it (swapped out seat post and rear rack - the old shopper has now been given away on long-term-loan upon the understanding that I don't mind if it falls apart). I'm eyeing up spoke-beads (hee!) and wacky coloured tyres.

It's just in my nature to tinker with things

lost_in_thought

Hmmm yeah, I have 3 pairs of bib tights (one on, one in the draw, one in the wash; rotate) and 3 pairs of bib shorts as well as about 6 pairs of non-bib shorts. I don't wear more than once unless it's a laundry emergency, so I am right there with you on the ewwwww.

I do a lot of laundry. :oops:

sarajoy

So finally, am I allowed to choose to remain non-commando, at least for the time being until I amass enough shorts?

A lot of the 'eww' factor is female-specific. Men have a nice long movable tube between the outside world and their internal organs, so wearing undergarments several days in a row is much less hazardous.

I think so far, in 2 months of regular riding, I've done pretty well to further myself! So ner

(and I'm too lazy/penny-pinching to run my washing machine daily with such a tiny load)

biondino

sarajoy wrote:

So finally, am I allowed to choose to remain non-commando, at least for the time being until I amass enough shorts?

As long as, when the new saddle arrives, you don't come back to this thread saying "oh no, this saddle is also uncomfortable, I need to get another one"

sarajoy

I think I'd get lynched if I tried that

Promise.

sarajoy

Well it arrived yesterday, I had a very nice ride on it down to the pub, and very nice it is too

It's less squidgy than my BG Ladies Sonoma W155, so a slightly harder ride (as expected) but doesn't feel as 'knobbly' as the Sonoma did. Like, with the squidge, when you put all your weight down, it's pretty nice - but when actually cycling along and spreading myself over pedals and bars and seat, I didn't put enough weight on to depress all the squidge, so it ended up feeling lumpy instead.

I think, anyway.

Very pleased with my new purchase

Finally - I /can/ feel my underwear, it's a very slight friction thing, depending on which pants I'm rocking that day - but it definitely wasn't the same discomfort I was trying to get rid of with a new (and verrry pretty!) saddle.

Cheers for all the advice, though

jonginge

Huzzah. Finding the right saddle can be a bit of lottery. Counter intuitively, extra padding (on the saddle or in shorts) generally doesn't work. Glad you got a comfort improvement.

itboffin

I normal run the same make and model, diff colours naturally but yesterday I used the saddle that came with my Mercian - ouch! today I'm walking like a cowboy

Very sore undercarriage :roll:

Anyone want a super soft narrow old & used saddle with a central cut out that pinches in all the wrong places?

discurio

lost_in_thought wrote:

Get thee to a bike shop that has one of those sit bone width measurement thingies and get your sit bone width measured. Because (as wiggle says) ladies have varying sit bone widths, if it ain't right it won't be comfortable.

Never used the Charge ones, I have tried a few of the specialised ones, and have just purchased 2 more of the Jett so all my bikes have the same. The sonoma is also good if you want something a bit softer, but TBH it's the shape and size that provides the comfort, not squidgy stuff.

ive always been told that size dont matter