padded saddles v padded shorts,

brinorl

whats the difference between them? I prefer the saddle option for my type of riding, (leisure)

declan1

Soft saddles aren't the best option for comfort and efficiency. They look lovely and feel nice and soft, but after a few miles you get through all the padding and they are a really bulky shape. The most comfortable saddles hardly have any padding at all, but they are the right shape, and the padding in your shorts just helps even more

declan1

Damn double post...

giant_man

And thats to say nothing of the gel in saddles which hardens after a while ...

Chinley Churner

It's all about the shorts... wide padded saddles are horrendously uncomfortable. I test a lot of bikes and the most comfortable saddle I've recently ridden was just bare carbon.. no padding or covering but the shape was perfect.

diy

I think it entirely depends on the duration of the ride.
I have a saddle (spesh toupe) which is very comfortable for a 3 hour ride, but I have a different saddle for longer rides. For big enduro's I have found most success wearing 3 pairs (yes 3 pairs) of padded shorts. This was for a 12 hour+ ride.

I got a bit of chaffing on the legs from the silicon grip tape, but that was it. Absolutely no soreness the next day.

my Selle Italia Man would be described as a soft saddle, but I don't find any problems with efficiency using it.

For leasure riding you don't want the shag of extra padding in the shorts, so I'd go with a better fitting saddle with some padding, make sure it fits well and is adjust so that your sit bone sits on the part of the saddle designed to support the sit bone (i.e. the wide part). you can experiment with the tilt of the saddle to help your bum naturally line up.

Half the problem with uncomfy saddles is that you are not sitting on them correctly - that is all about adjustment.

passout

Padded shorts are a must, padded saddles aren't that great if going any distance.

meesterbond

diy wrote:

For big enduro's I have found most success wearing 3 pairs (yes 3 pairs) of padded shorts. This was for a 12 hour+ ride.

Really??? :shock:

Given that when you buy your first pair of padded shorts it's beaten into you that you must not wear undercrackers with them in case of chafing, it had honestly never occurred to me to wear more than one pair of shorts, although I suppose I wear non-padded tights over bibshorts so it's the same principle...

I've got some long rides coming up this summer, so this intrigues me. Do you wear the shorts with the best chamois closest to the crown jewels?

Oh, and padded saddles, just don't unless you only use your bike to pop to the shops.

GavH

I only know one person who swears by padded saddles over quality shorts. He also takes his bike to the LBS every time it needs new bar tape, new pedals and Crud MK2s fitting and even on one occasion, the front mech straightening. Make your own mind up.

stickman

I never needed either since my first traditional leather saddle, a Brooks B72, and i've had narrower ones like a Lycett Swallow and 2 Middlemore B89N saddles for road bikes.

diy

meesterbond wrote:

diy wrote:

For big enduro's I have found most success wearing 3 pairs (yes 3 pairs) of padded shorts. This was for a 12 hour+ ride.

Really??? :shock:

Given that when you buy your first pair of padded shorts it's beaten into you that you must not wear undercrackers with them in case of chafing, it had honestly never occurred to me to wear more than one pair of shorts, although I suppose I wear non-padded tights over bibshorts so it's the same principle...

I've got some long rides coming up this summer, so this intrigues me. Do you wear the shorts with the best chamois closest to the crown jewels?

Maybe its because I am an MTBer turned roadie.

I can see there is a good argument that you don't want anything restricting around the middle on a road bike (hence bibs) and there is also a good argument that you don't want the padding moving around. But in MTB world people do wear underpants under their liners and you can happily wear more than one liner. There is also a lot more vibration and bouncing to contend with, but on the plus you do get out of the seat for the down hill bits.

I have done some pretty big mtb enduros - 100-150 miles, 12-18,000 ft climb (15,16 hours at it) and you really do need to protect your bits with some padding. Plus when you are starting in the middle of the night in the cold, its a bit chilly to go comando.

I have never had a problem with comfort on my road bike, though I tend to prefer saddles with a bit of padding on the nose and a cut out. I haven't really noticed better padding with the Selle over the original, but its a better shape for me.

I must admit I never new about the road/camando thing until I had started road riding. Bloody glad I didn't buy any used bibs from the classifieds .

Monty Dog

Saddles for supportive shape, shorts for comfort. There was some studies done a few years ago that suggested that padded saddles were the worst for causing inflammation and blood-flow restrictions. Two pairs of shorts is a bad idea as the inside pad will simply ruck and crease causing abrasion. My experience is based on multiple rides of Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flanders and the Southdowns Way (on a CX bike) - typically riding a Fizik Arione. Castelli's Projetto X2 is the best seat pad IME as it is double layer, so the inner and outer slide over each other without rucking.

MattC59

A saddle that fits and is the correct shape for you is bette than a saddle with loads of padding. Pair that with a decent pad (well designed, not just thick) and you're sorted.

I've got a Sella San Marco Regal-e saddle and its really firm, but it supremely comfortable because the shape is so good.