Author Topic: Bike saddle issues  (Read 12623 times)

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Offline johnsondasw

Bike saddle issues
« on: December 23, 2011, 12:38:23 am »
Has anyone tried the Specialized Romin Evo Pro bike saddle?  I'm dealing with serious issues sitting on the seat--and this after 50 years+ of riding.  Discomfort is almost constant.  There is also a lot of conflicting evidence of traditional saddles causing male "performance" issues, if you get my drift.  I am considering a recumbent but at present have 2 diamond frame bikes and insufficient funds to switch over to a bent. I will be trying one out at a bike shop this spring.  I would like find a solution to this issue with one of the bikes I already own.

The aforementioned saddle has received some good reviews.     
May the wind be at your back!

Offline BigPapaK

Re: Bike saddle issues
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2011, 01:33:10 am »
I've never ridden the Specialized saddle; but I have the SMP Evolution, which looks to be very similar in design. My experience on this design has been very positive and I have found other seat designs to be troublesome. With your years of experience with riding, I suspect you have tried all this. However, my suggestion would be to ensure the height and fore/aft position of the seat is best for you. Sometimes we forget to look at the tilt of the seat. For me, I found that the front being slightly up, slightly being key, the seat is more comfortable than straight or tilted down. (Seems down = more pressure on the nerve). Another consideration which I became aware of not so long ago is the left/right orientation. I found a slight shift to the right makes a difference. Check out this blog: http://www.fezzari.com/blog/2010/09/03/saddleposition/ You know, maybe it's all in my head, but a tweak to the right seems to help. 
« Last Edit: December 23, 2011, 01:35:45 am by BigPapaK »

Offline bogiesan

Re: Bike saddle issues
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2011, 08:53:44 am »
Honestly not trying to be flippant here as I understand you may have an emotional attachment to your  bike. I don't ride my recumbent for any other reason than it is comfortable (well, it gets a lot of attention) but I have chums who ride 'bents to help with various physical or medical issues. If you linve in a market where you bike shop has a few recumbents, give one a test ride. Coudl change your touring life.
I play go. I use Macintosh. Of course I ride a recumbent

Offline johnsondasw

Re: Bike saddle issues
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2011, 03:15:10 pm »
Honestly not trying to be flippant here as I understand you may have an emotional attachment to your  bike. I don't ride my recumbent for any other reason than it is comfortable (well, it gets a lot of attention) but I have chums who ride 'bents to help with various physical or medical issues. If you linve in a market where you bike shop has a few recumbents, give one a test ride. Coudl change your touring life.

I intend to try a bent.  I'm interested in yours.  Do you ride a trike or a bike?  What kind?  do you have issues about being lower than a standard bike? How much lower than a standard bike is your head when riding?  Lots of my riding is in urban Seattle--on streets as well as trails and bike lanes.  What's your experience with urban safety--I mean rush hour traffic in a major city, gridlock, etc?  Are you as maneuverable as a regular bike?  As quick to react, swerve if necessary, etc?  Or do you think bents are more for the open road touring?  I see a plenty of them on the bike trails around town but not generally in the streets. 

Also, in your experience, how much do you think I should expect to pay for a decent durable bent?  How much does yours weigh?

I know from the forum you're the bent guy and I appreciate any info you can provide.
May the wind be at your back!

Offline Ed_in_Maine

Re: Bike saddle issues
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2011, 08:17:53 am »
I ride a recumbent trike ;D, and that's the recumbent grin! I absolutely love it and wish I had ponied up the money earlier to get the trike. When thinking of a trike vs a two wheeler, I compare it to driving a Miata sports car vs an MC.

No real issues being lower, head is about at table height, 32-36 inches. But that can vary greatly dependent on trike design. Lower is generally faster and corners better, i.e. less wind resistance and lower CG. I do always us a bike flag.

Maneuverability, depends. I can corner at speed leaning into the turn, lifting the inside tire MUCH harder than a two wheeler. At very slow speed the two wheeler can turn tighter.  I think emergency swerve is MUCH easier on the trike.
When riding on tight streets my effective width is about the same or less than a two wheeler because I can position my right tire right at what ever nasty edge there happens to be. And on steep climbs the same thing, due to that power wobble most two wheelers seem to get into.
Cars seem to give me more clearance, but that is may be due to the "what the heck is that" reaction.
The biggest limitation are two track trails for obvious reasons! Just don't do it, unless you have suspension,maybe.

I ride a Trident Stowaway 2, paid about $1300. My wife rides a Catrike Trail, paid about $1900. They ride very different, wife hates mine, I love mine and tolerate hers :).

Don't get me wrong, I think two wheelers have their place but I've never ride one across country, but I am taking the Trident on the NTR next spring ;D.

Offline litespeed

Re: Bike saddle issues
« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2011, 12:09:53 pm »
I wouldn't consider anything but the Terry Liberator Y Gel Saddle. I have used it as long as I've been touring plus a few years. I only get a little brief discomfort after remounting after a stop and only then if I have put on at least 80 miles in the day. I have never heard of anyone using the Liberator that didn't swear by it.

As for male "performance problems" Georgina Terry advertises this saddle as being a great preventative for this. Give that woman a hand. 

http://www.terrybicycles.com/Saddles/Mens-Endurance/Liberator-Y-Gel-Saddle_2
« Last Edit: January 12, 2012, 01:44:01 pm by litespeed »

Offline rjones35

Re: Bike saddle issues
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2012, 01:26:51 am »
I've tried quite a few saddles and any of them will work for me on a 30-40 mile ride and some of them will work on a long ride, 80-100 miles. By far the most comfortable one is the SMP.  I've tried others that are supposed to offer less pressure "down there" but they all, after a certain number of miles created numbness and discomfort, except the SMP!! It really is amazingly comfortable, kinda goofy looking, but comfy.  I did have to fiddle with positioning a little, and ended up doing just what they said to do, it didn't adjust like other saddles when it came to fore and aft and level.  Try one, if you haven't already.  I demo'd one from Pro's Stuff.com before I bought it.

Offline Old Guy New Hobby

Re: Bike saddle issues
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2012, 09:51:22 am »
Saddles can be so tricky. For the last two years, I've been using a Brooks. No problems, until a couple of months ago. After weeks of one ride -- discomfort -- off the bike for several days, I checked the saddle's level. It was the smallest bit nose down. I  am normally picky about this. I guess it happened slowly over time and I just didn't notice it. I put it slightly nose up -- end of problem. The amount of difference for a very small adjustment is astounding.

Offline waynemyer

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Re: Bike saddle issues
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2012, 10:27:16 am »
I've tried quite a few saddles and any of them will work for me on a 30-40 mile ride and some of them will work on a long ride, 80-100 miles. By far the most comfortable one is the SMP.  I've tried others that are supposed to offer less pressure "down there" but they all, after a certain number of miles created numbness and discomfort, except the SMP!! It really is amazingly comfortable, kinda goofy looking, but comfy.  I did have to fiddle with positioning a little, and ended up doing just what they said to do, it didn't adjust like other saddles when it came to fore and aft and level.  Try one, if you haven't already.  I demo'd one from Pro's Stuff.com before I bought it.
+1

I ride Selle SMP Forma (no padding) on all of my bikes now. It is amazing just how comfortable these saddles are. Everywhere on the saddle is a comfortable place to sit. Twenty miles or 280 (most I've done in 24 hours), I don't get any issues with the SMP Forma.

The cost of entry, though, is enough to cause nosebleeds.
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