Comfortable saddle for long distance?

I have a 2019 Carrera Cross fuse and find it a brilliant bike for my purpose of attempting to keep myself relatively fit.

I say relatively, because I turned 70 in June and I think that my regular bike rides are a huge part in that goal.

However, I live 600 feet up a Welsh hillside in the South Wales Valleys, so every trip I take ends with that climb from the valley floor and I climb around 5000 feet on an average trip due to the hilly geography, so a heavy Pedelec is an essential.

 

In that time all has gone well but something is spoiling those efforts recently and that is saddle weariness. I have tried various different saddles over that time and wear padded shorts, but lately, the "weariness" has become more acute with me having to stand on the pedals at much more regular intervals and it is spoiling the experience.

 

Is there anyone on here who has suffered the same "niggle" and has overcome this issue and is there an alternative to "uncomfortable" saddles out there.

 

I have been looking at the "Moon" saddle, but unfortunately, that appears to be only available in the USA, being made in California.

 

Anyone with any suggestions please?

I fully sympathise with you, I have similar problems.

One thing which helped me is installing a suntour spring loaded seat post not a total solution by itself but helps.

I added a memory foam saddle and the situation is better, but not completely eliminated.

I have a 2019 Carrera Cross fuse and find it a brilliant bike for my purpose of attempting to keep myself relatively fit.

I say relatively, because I turned 70 in June and I think that my regular bike rides are a huge part in that goal.

However, I live 600 feet up a Welsh hillside in the South Wales Valleys, so every trip I take ends with that climb from the valley floor and I climb around 5000 feet on an average trip due to the hilly geography, so a heavy Pedelec is an essential.

 

In that time all has gone well but something is spoiling those efforts recently and that is saddle weariness. I have tried various different saddles over that time and wear padded shorts, but lately, the "weariness" has become more acute with me having to stand on the pedals at much more regular intervals and it is spoiling the experience.

 

Is there anyone on here who has suffered the same "niggle" and has overcome this issue and is there an alternative to "uncomfortable" saddles out there.

 

I have been looking at the "Moon" saddle, but unfortunately, that appears to be only available in the USA, being made in California.

 

Anyone with any suggestions please?

I have changed my gin e bike saddle for a ' crivit' padded saddle from lidl, and added a 'crivit' padded cover to it. A great comfortable big bum saddle combo for around £15

 

https://www.selleroyal.com/en_eu/

I have changed my gin e bike saddle for a ' crivit' padded saddle from lidl

 

Horrible.

Comfortable saddle for long distance?

 

What's "long distance?"

 

About 20 miles in one sitting, is more than a bit much for me on my cheap Amazon "comfort" wide saddle. Unorthodox, but what helps is this extreme angle, which allows me to sit higher up on my sitting bones, and when that becomes painful, I can sit further down, alternating as needed. No tear two tier.

 

The higher position allows full leg extension, it helps that I my BBS01B setup requires very little expended effort.

 

Works for me, I don't know if it'll work for anyone else. Much more comfy than the original Dahon SDG I-Beam rock saddle - I had to change the seat tube to get rid of that, well worth it.

 

 

(old pic)

 

 

Three and a half years later, the saddle I bought isn't available but this looks very similar aside from logos:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AYNEFY-Bike-Seat-Bicycle-Saddle/dp/B09MNFR2N3/

I fully sympathise with you, I have similar problems.

One thing which helped me is installing a suntour spring loaded seat post not a total solution by itself but helps.

I added a memory foam saddle and the situation is better, but not completely eliminated.

Yes, I have one of those and they do help. I recently got an old, but well maintained full suspension bike and moved the conversion kit to that (from an old Carrera Vulcan) and on longer road trips it is very comfortable and a plush ride and I come back from long rides without any aches and pains

Edited August 19, 20241 yr by Peter.Bridge

Yes, I have one of those and they do help. I recently got a old, but well maintained full suspension bike and moved the conversion kit to that (from an old Carrera Vulcan) and on longer road trips it is very comfortable and a plush ride and I come back from long rides without any aches and pains

 

I tried a gel cover on my original Dahon I-Beam rock saddle, and it helped but I think the undlerlying saddle plastic has lost it's rigidity over the years, leaving the i-watering beam to sit on. Or maybe they're all uncomfortable? I was able to undo the bolts and permanently fix the gel cover on through the bracket underneath, otherwise it'd slip out of position.

Finding a comfortable saddle is a very individual thing and one person's feather bed is another's razor blade! You first need to determine the width of your "sit bones" - plenty of info on the web about how to do this. That will give you a start point for the correct width of saddle, but........

It also depends upon how upright you are on the bike - the more upright, the wider the saddle needs to be. I must warn you that selecting a saddle is very hit and miss, as the collection of at least 10 new or nearly new saddles in my shed testify to before I found one that is remotely comfortable for me. I've now bought three of the most comfortable as manufacturers have a habit of changing their ranges.

There is something else to consider besides a different saddle and a suspension seat post. Many people run their tyre pressure much too high, and was I guilty of this until reading online about it. It depends on your's and the bike's weight:-

https://www.bretonbikes.com/homepage/cycling-article-blog/67-cycling-under-pressure-how-hard-should-my-tyres-be

I was running my non-descript 26" X 2.00 tyres at 50psi front and 60 at the rear. I've since fitted Schwalbe Big Apple tyres and run them at 30psi front/35 rear. I would have assumed that those pressures were way too low - but they actually allow the tyres do what they are supposed to do - provide air suspension!

The current version of your bike has 700c x 40 Schwalbe Tyrago tyres, which the manufacturer recommends the lowest pressure should be 35psi. Their pressure recommendations tend to be on the high side (a bit like German car tyres - they like 'em hard missus! ). If you have these tyres I would suggest gradually dropping the pressures and see if it makes a difference. The Big Apples have a very shallow "road" type tread and thus low rolling resistance even at 30psi, but not so suitable for off-road. They are available as 700c x 50 and should fit your bike. Of all the things I've tried, these tyres at the right pressures have transformed the pleasure I get out of cycling. No more dodging potholes or dreading speed bumps and after a 35 mile ride I have no pain or soreness at all.

Edited August 19, 20241 yr by Cadence

+1 for the lidls crivit. There are 3 widths, i have the middle one.

However probably the most comfortable saddle is the one you haven't got.

The lidl one's are quite good , 100 mile rides and have no real issue with the comfort. I have though thrown a couple away over the years simply because of wear amd tear.

Just come home a week ago from a 6 day Cotswolds tour, averaging about 70 miles per day.

It took me over a decade and about 7 or 8 different saddles to find my holy grail of comfort long distance touring saddles last year, the selle royal respiro ( moderate shape ) . Not cheap, but worth every penny. Just wish I'd discovered it years ago

 

They do a no quibble 30 day comfort guarantee so you can return it for a full refund if after trying it it's not for you

 

 

https://www.selleroyal.com/en_uk/respiro-moderate.html

The Lidl Crivit Air Cushioned Saddle beats them all . It has an inflation button , soft 3 pumps , medium 8 pumps and hard 15 pumps . An air valve deflates it . Used in conjunction with an inexpensive Promax sprung suspension seatpost it gives a nice ride . They rarely come up with the regular Lidl saddle offerings . Only this week I have purchased a second unused one on Ebay . Last weekend I swapped my seatpost/ cushioned saddle combination from my Fat Tyre to my NCM Paris Folder to do a 43 Mile ride to check it`s range . Some saddles after this distance around main and smaller Vale of Glamorgan roads would have you walking like John Wayne after getting off his horse , not this saddle though ! . The Reference of this Saddle is IAN 298895 .

Exactly a year ago I purchased this NCM Paris Folder at half price from LEON Cycle UK and did a similar ride of 42 miles . After about 4 months this machine was plagued with intermittent power delivery , making it a bit dangerous to ride . Despite Emails and leaving calls on their Answer Machine I never did manage to have any contact . After doing all the simple checks I concluded that the fault lay with the Controller .

I ordered a replacement from a bikeshop in Germany , fitted it and now it`s running perfectly again , no thanks to LEON UK . On looking at feedback it seems I am not alone . An excellent little Folder spoilt by poor service .

Finding a comfortable saddle is a very individual thing and one person's feather bed is another's razor blade!

Never a truer word uttered on this subject. Some folks spend £100's on saddles over the years and still never find the comfort they are looking for.

 

Many people hate them or go pale at the thought but the Brooks B17 work for me as they mould to the sit bones nicely after a while (in defining 'a while' that means anything from a hundred miles or so, to never!) - on my fave one I've done a number of thousand mile tours (but with padded shorts) without any issues and on my current B17, I often do day rides of 40 miles in ordinary clothing (but padded shorts for longer rides).

 

So as said by [mention=38589]Cadence[/mention], finding a comfortable saddle is a very individual thing and one person's feather bed is another's razor blade!

 

Goog luck in your search [mention=29131]123Taff[/mention]

Is cycling bad for your sexual health? Erectile dysfunction, genital numbness and more explained

 

How to identify, avoid and treat common issues associated with sexual health and cycling

 

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/health/cycling-and-sexual-health

 

Never a truer word uttered on this subject. Some folks spend £100's on saddles over the years and still never find the comfort they are looking for.

 

Many people hate them or go pale at the thought but the Brooks B17 work for me as they mould to the sit bones nicely after a while (in defining 'a while' that means anything from a hundred miles or so, to never!) - on my fave one I've done a number of thousand mile tours (but with padded shorts) without any issues and on my current B17, I often do day rides of 40 miles in ordinary clothing (but padded shorts for longer rides).

 

So as said by [mention=38589]Cadence[/mention], finding a comfortable saddle is a very individual thing and one person's feather bed is another's razor blade!

 

Goog luck in your search [mention=29131]123Taff[/mention]

Indeed, a very personal thing...after reading all the rave reviews I bought a brand new Brooks B17 years ago. I tried so much to get use to it, rode it on and off for a few hundred miles. Every couple of years, I'd get the tin of proofhide out and I would have another go and breaking it in with another 50.miles or so. It broke me in the end, I gave up on it, shame, I really wanted it to work for me. Must dig it out of the garage stick it on ebay.

I found that the type of saddle doen't really matter, within reason. Your bumb adjusts to whatever one you have. The skin goes thick in the right places, then it's OK, and if you try a different one, the skin is not thick in the right places, so it hurts. Some of the comfort saddles are comfy for 5 miles, then they're hurt more than the ones that hurt as soon as you sit on them. I think it's best just to choose one and stick with it.

Yes, I have one of those and they do help. I recently got an old, but well maintained full suspension bike and moved the conversion kit to that (from an old Carrera Vulcan) and on longer road trips it is very comfortable and a plush ride and I come back from long rides without any aches and pains

 

Hey peter, I never did see any pictures of this completed conversion!

 

Please oblige.

 

(unless i missed it).

The Crivit Comfort saddle I purchased on Ebay arrived , had never been taken out of the sealed box and even had the Lidl receipt with it from 2018 . I fitted it to my NCM Paris Folder with a non suspension Promax seatpost and took it for a 6 mile test ride . It is very comfortable and I can`t believe my luck with the purchase , so now I have two , one on the Lanarkshire Bikes Fat Tyre and the this latest on the Paris Folder .

The Lidl Crivit Air Cushioned Saddle beats them all . It has an inflation button , soft 3 pumps , medium 8 pumps and hard 15 pumps . An air valve deflates it . Used in conjunction with an inexpensive Promax sprung suspension seatpost it gives a nice ride . They rarely come up with the regular Lidl saddle offerings . Only this week I have purchased a second unused one on Ebay . Last weekend I swapped my seatpost/ cushioned saddle combination from my Fat Tyre to my NCM Paris Folder to do a 43 Mile ride to check it`s range . Some saddles after this distance around main and smaller Vale of Glamorgan roads would have you walking like John Wayne after getting off his horse , not this saddle though ! . The Reference of this Saddle is IAN 298895 .

Exactly a year ago I purchased this NCM Paris Folder at half price from LEON Cycle UK and did a similar ride of 42 miles . After about 4 months this machine was plagued with intermittent power delivery , making it a bit dangerous to ride . Despite Emails and leaving calls on their Answer Machine I never did manage to have any contact . After doing all the simple checks I concluded that the fault lay with the Controller .

I ordered a replacement from a bikeshop in Germany , fitted it and now it`s running perfectly again , no thanks to LEON UK . On looking at feedback it seems I am not alone . An excellent little Folder spoilt by poor service .

 

You have pneumatic saddles?!?!? I'll look out for that.

 

Here's another air saddle version on Amazon:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Velo-Tour-Airlastomer-Saddle-Black/dp/B005OPO76Y

 

The one pictured from Amazon looks very similar and would be equally comfortable . Thanks for the heads up guerney .

My gravel bike I fitted a Selle SMP Extra in BLUE , similar to SW's saddle it has an even longer cut out along its length. To look at one would straight away say 'noooo', it is a very narrow fit, nicely padded where it needs to be and has a nice drop nose but boy it is super comfy.

Edited August 20, 20241 yr by Nealh