Wish rode on sexier bike saddles

[shootingstar]

Since I've never had/rode bikes with dropdown handlebars, I've never had an aggressive, thinner-padded saddle. For reasons, I can't explain I like looking at all sorts of bike stuff at store/manfacturer sites. And saddles. I just fantasize about certain saddle shapes/lines which I will never be able to survive beyond 30 kms.

[Mr. Beanz]

I think too many people think they can't when in fact,  a thin narrow sexy saddle is very comfortable on long rides. 

But I'd suggest some good bike shorts as well. You'll be doing 200 mile rides in no time. 😄

[shootingstar]

23 minutes ago, Mr. Beanz said:

I think too many people think they can't when in fact,  a thin narrow sexy saddle is very comfortable on long rides. 

But I'd suggest some good bike shorts as well. You'll be doing 200 mile rides in no time. 😄

I don't mean to shock people but I've never rode with padded shorts.  And I've gone on 2-4 wk. long touring rides ..several hundred kms in total with my clothing in panniers. Some years I did pack in 5,000 - 7,000 km. annually. I've been riding for last 29 yrs. 

Anyhooooooooo....my current saddle took me over 3 wks. to get "hardened" to it.  Now, I love it.   I got a gift certificate from a national chain sporting good store that sold some bike gear, because I made some suggestions on better colours for women's sports jackets and tops:  I wrote to them  to think of more flattering colours close to face (not necessarily pink which I told them). Not mud, horrible dun colours...looks awful on some women's skin tones.  I told them flat out that those with black hair, can wear brighter /lighter colours close to their face. (And yes, next season they did offer more colour choices.)

So got a Terry bike saddle. 

[ChrisL]

1 hour ago, shootingstar said:

I don't mean to shock people but I've never rode with padded shorts.  And I've gone on 2-4 wk. long touring rides ..several hundred kms in total with my clothing in panniers. Some years I did pack in 5,000 - 7,000 km. annually. I've been riding for last 29 yrs. 

Anyhooooooooo....my current saddle took me over 3 wks. to get "hardened" to it.  Now, I love it.   I got a gift certificate from a national chain sporting good store that sold some bike gear, because I made some suggestions on better colours for women's sports jackets and tops:  I wrote to them  to think of more flattering colours close to face (not necessarily pink which I told them). Not mud, horrible dun colours...looks awful on some women's skin tones.  I told them flat out that those with black hair, can wear brighter /lighter colours close to their face. (And yes, next season they did offer more colour choices.)

So got a Terry bike saddle. 

During the bike boom of the 70’s many people rode in cut off jeans and other non cycling specific gear.  In the early 80’s when I started riding, the bike boom was still going and only racers wore cycling gear.  Most casual riders rode like you do.

If it’s working for you, no need to change anything.  I still list after cool long travel mountain bikes but I know I’ll never have a need for one.

 

[shootingstar]

14 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

During the bike boom of the 70’s many people rode in cut off jeans and other non cycling specific gear.  In the early 80’s when I started riding, the bike boom was still going and only racers wore cycling gear.  Most casual riders rode like you do.

If it’s working for you, no need to change anything.  I still list after cool long travel mountain bikes but I know I’ll never have a need for one.

 

 So yes, I will never race nor want to draft. Nor am I into amping into up the speed each ride.  I'm not sure some folks would see me as a "casual" rider. People at work think I'm crazy to go for a 45 km round trip ride with a stop for grocery shopping load...which can be 8-15 lbs.  I'm not even the type that enjoys talking much on a ride. 

But that's ok, I just like cycling as part of my being. 

[groupw]

When I talk saddles with most people, they want a big padded saddle. I suggest they might want to go the other direction and just get the “callouses”.  I find too soft saddles tend to “grip” in uncomfortable ways a firmer saddle does not. I ride my Varsity with gym shorts 90% of the time. It’s totally fine. 

[Mr. Beanz]

1 hour ago, shootingstar said:

I don't mean to shock people but I've never rode with padded shorts.  And I've gone on 2-4 wk. long touring rides ..several hundred kms in total with my clothing in panniers. Some years I did pack in 5,000 - 7,000 km. annually. I've been riding for last 29 yrs. 

Anyhooooooooo....my current saddle took me over 3 wks. to get "hardened" to it.  Now, I love it.   I got a gift certificate from a national chain sporting good store that sold some bike gear, because I made some suggestions on better colours for women's sports jackets and tops:  I wrote to them  to think of more flattering colours close to face (not necessarily pink which I told them). Not mud, horrible dun colours...looks awful on some women's skin tones.  I told them flat out that those with black hair, can wear brighter /lighter colours close to their face. (And yes, next season they did offer more colour choices.)

So got a Terry bike saddle. 

I actually rode a men's Terry saddle for years,  buzz off model.

First one in 2005 60 bucks. Couple years later 70 bucks. Couple later, 80 bucks. 

Then next time, $175.😲

Loved the saddle but not the price. 

Found something similar in fit, Spoon Charge saddle for $28.

Not quite as sweet but very very close for a fraction of the price 😀 

[ChrisL]

5 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

 So yes, I will never race nor want to draft. Nor am I into amping into up the speed each ride.  I'm not sure some folks would see me as a "casual" rider. People at work think I'm crazy to go for a 45 km round trip ride with a stop for grocery shopping load...which can be 8-15 lbs.  I'm not even the type that enjoys talking much on a ride. 

But that's ok, I just like cycling as part of my being. 

Casual was a poor choice of words on my part.  My former racer boy snobbery coming out! What I meant is non racing cyclists were riding their bikes hundreds of miles and going on epic cross country rides in cut off jeans or non cycling specific gear.  

The guy I ride with now never raced but rode his fully loaded bikes up & down the CA coast numerous times in non padded shorts. 

[shootingstar]

10 hours ago, ChrisL said:

Casual was a poor choice of words on my part.  My former racer boy snobbery coming out! What I meant is non racing cyclists were riding their bikes hundreds of miles and going on epic cross country rides in cut off jeans or non cycling specific gear.  

The guy I ride with now never raced but rode his fully loaded bikes up & down the CA coast numerous times in non padded shorts. 

It was only 11 years ago, that I hardly saw any women nor children cycling in our area. It surprised me....coming from Vancouver.

Our city built its lst separated bike lane in 2013 that led into the downtown area, from a major dedicated lengthy river park path and our red cyclindrical famous bridge by Santiago.  It's only 8 blocks long but raised such a huge public outcry. Now, people are used to it. Bike racks installed along. Some years the city has installed large flower box planters as barriers.

Because of installation work for underground utilities, it seems there is always digging up part of it almost every summer. But it gets repaved beautifully ....     It is a priority bike lane that also gets snow cleared within 1 day after snowfall.

It took some bike shop owners and local cycling advocacy group who themselves rode in casual wear at times, on hybrid or mountain bikes, in  group bike rides that involved children and adults, to change the cycling culture locally. Also offer alot more bikes for utilitarian purposes and riding longer without discomfort.  The culture change (to me), took about 5 yrs...in my area/downtown.  Granted some people drive from the suburbs and park close to the pathway system, to go for a long extended ride.  

Having separated bike lanes and expansion of park bike paths throughout our 700 km. bike path system, helps increase use of bikes by others who normally just wouldn't.

However our city is still way too sprawly amd expanding like thoughtless amoeba.  Many neighbourhoods still very car dependent.   Just this year, city council adopted a strategy to slow down car speed limit in some residential neighbourhoods...not just the speed itself, but our Roads and Transportation Planning dept. install  certain road /pavement/curb  features.  There have been some deaths in such neighbourhoods where locals were concerned/furious.  

[shootingstar]

10 hours ago, groupw said:

When I talk saddles with most people, they want a big padded saddle. I suggest they might want to go the other direction and just get the “callouses”.  I find too soft saddles tend to “grip” in uncomfortable ways a firmer saddle does not. I ride my Varsity with gym shorts 90% of the time. It’s totally fine. 

We've rented bikes sometimes during some vacation trips.  I was forced to ride a rental where of course, there was always something not quite right because the bike never fitted me well since I'm short and often very little choice in rentals for small adults. Absolutely a plushy or fat bike saddle actually chafes my thighs.

[shootingstar]

I love the design of this one which I  know darn well its profile is still not slim  enough and sexy. But the stars make it ...sexy.

   

[Longjohn ★]

 

 

[Longjohn ★]

 

 

[MickinMD ★]

Ever since I rode my first bike in decades, a mountain bike in 2011, and dropped 9" off a curb and felt like my butt was being spanked, I've just wanted a saddle that's not too wide toward the front, that's well padded, and that has those 2 shock absorbing springs in the bottom. I had this one in my possession before I finally got my new bike last year. If I lose the weight I hope to lose, I still think this is the way to go for me.

[Airehead]

I ride Terry saddles on all bikes including g my casual knock around town bike. 

[Airehead]

These three styles.   The white one is hard to keep clean. 

[Rattlecan ★]

[Razors Edge ★]

I think we have a Terry on my wife's bike.  I think saddles are pretty specific to ones ass and sit bones, and what works for a wile may eventually be too much or too little depending on how much you are riding and how long those rides are.  I use the same saddle model on three bikes - 143 Avatar - and it works very well. But, minor for/aft or nose up/down can have a dramatic impact on its long distance comfort.  Get it set-up right and leave it alone.  

[Dottleshead ★]

I wish you rode on a sexier bike saddle too. So there’s that. 

[LoneWolf]

They don't sell my saddle any more, so I'm glad I was able to get one new-in-box from Craigslist as a spare. I think it's sexy.

 

[Longjohn ★]

8 hours ago, Rattlecan said:

That’s like the one that came on my Lynskey. It had a black cover on it though.

[Mr. Beanz]

Gina has ridden Terry saddles, couple different models. Butterfly 🦋 and Liberator. She sys they're good. 

But she also has a couple of Specialized Lasy Dolce saddles that she prefers.