Never give up.

[RadarGB]

Hi to all.
Bought a pair of AVE MH7s for me and the wife. So far proved to be (mostly) a really good move. Still sorting a saddle that works for me! Looking at the Hobson Pro. (so many threads on this subject)
Bought these semi-folders and stuck them on cheapo Halfords cycle racks mounted Siamese style on a plywood sheet so they'd go in the back of a Land Rover to be out of sight . Works really well space-wise and security steel cable anchors them to cargo point so they wont come forward and kill us in a crash .
I am very impressed with the Bosch system and the crank motor/derailleur combination works well for hill climbing. I do wish however that they would assist up to 20mph as that would make for a more sensible cruising speed.
All the best. GB.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I've tried those wide soft saddles. They didn't work at all for me. I then tried every type. Somebody said Brooks were the answer, so I tried a B17, which was much too hard. I then tried a B67, which is wider and flatter at the back. I can now manage four hours non stop. If you can find a used one on Ebay, they're better than the new ones, though mine was new.

 

[RadarGB]

Thanks for the advice d8, totally agree with you about the soft wide ones. Saddles seem to be like the 3 bears porridge, you have to keep trying till you get the one that's just right. I'lI have a look at the Brooks one, I've even tried the spongy wonder, now that takes some getting used to. I see there is also one called spider flex which has recesses for the sit bones.
Generally we do about 10 miles max considering that if we haven't reached a pub by then the trip is a failure.
Cheers,
GO.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I tried every sort of gel saddle - wide and narrow. They're great when you first sit on them. They feel really comfy, but after half an hour, it's a different story. The Brooks one (B67) is quite hard, but it's flat, so it spreads the load much more than the others. It's ideal for commuting and touring. I paid about £60 odd pounds for mine, which is the best £60 I've spent on a bike. If you look on the Juicy Bike website, they sell a Brooks copy, which is much cheaper. It's the same shape, so should be just as good.

 

[flecc]

Saddle choice is very personal. I'm happiest with one particular type of gel saddle from Velo, on which I've done plenty of circa 50 to 60 miles non-stop rides over around four hours without discomfort.

A wider version of the same was torture though, showing just how finely tuned to the individual body they need to be.
.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You're a light-weight though, Flecc. It's a different matter when you have 100kg pressing down on it.

 

[selrahc1992]

Thanks for the advice d8, totally agree with you about the soft wide ones. Saddles seem to be like the 3 bears porridge, you have to keep trying till you get the one that's just right. I'lI have a look at the Brooks one, I've even tried the spongy wonder, now that takes some getting used to. I see there is also one called spider flex which has recesses for the sit bones.
Generally we do about 10 miles max considering that if we haven't reached a pub by then the trip is a failure.
Cheers,
GO.

another vote for a brooks - but one has to stick to it a few months and break it in. the thing about leather is that it remains a neutral temperature (unlike plastic which doesnt breath and gets hot), and leather is low friction (apparently its on reason bikers wear leather, for skidding) meaning it doesnt stick to one once it heats up (like plastic), then there is teh aesthetics of an old brooks as well (too bad thieves like that as well), i.d go for an ultra cheap used ebay one and put a lot of leather cream on (and rememeber NOT to tighten the front bolt)

 

[flecc]

You're a light-weight though, Flecc. It's a different matter when you have 100kg pressing down on it.

Very true, all part of the personal nature of saddles.

Affects sprung seatposts too, the pillar type never work for me unless I slam on the front brake and sit down hard at the same time!
.

 

[RadarGB]

Hmm, looked at the "Juicy Brooks" and at £24.99 it looks a snip. Thanks for the steer. No-one voting for the Hobson Pro then? I had been steered that way to minimise pressure up the centre, if you know what I mean. Don't want to sit on a fence post and horn less saddles give frightening lack of control when letting go for hand signals.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Let us know how you get on whatever you do. We haven't discussed saddles for a while, but they're very important for enjoyment of your bike, especially for those that have had one pie too many.

 

[RobF]

I have an MH7 - excellent bike.

The large diameter seat post is part of the design, but doesn't offer a lot in terms of comfort.

Worth tinkering with the tyre pressures, there's plenty of suspension to be had in those Big Apple balloons.

I always recommend pressure at the higher end for puncture prevention, but this could be an instance of going a few psi lower being the best overall.

You will know the bike could be dongled to remove the speed restriction.

I say 'could', there is very little clearance around the sensor on the chain stay due to the small wheel and the angle of the spokes.

A dongle would probably fit, although it might be perilously close to the spokes and rim.

Another thought is gearing - top is not that high.

Croxden of this parish tried my bike, and I believe got the best part of 30mph out of it, spinning at quite a high cadence.

Worth finding a long, gentle decline and riding down at 20mph to see if you find the gearing adequate.

 

[RadarGB]

Thanks d8, I hadn't intended the post to be so saddle-centric but the advice was very welcome thanks. I'll report back in due course. Hopefully I'll try a Brooks before I buy.
Rob, your generous assumption about my knowledge re the dangle was in fact too generous. I have not researched these matters beyond reading that the speed limiter can be overcome. I am an electronics engineer (retd) so I have reasonable competence in these areas. You are right about the gearing it is very low, legs fly round at 20mph.

 

[RadarGB]

Er.......dongle!

 

[RobF]

The simplest - and cheapest - dongle is the Badass cordless one.

You clip it over the the speed sensor and it works - great.

I have one.

The latest version has a bigger battery, which is why I reckon clearance might be tight on an MH7.

The other downside is it divides the speedo readout into three, which also means the distance recorder is no longer accurate.

If that's a concern then a cheap, wired, computer - about £5 from the likes of Halfords - will do the job.

What the dongle will not do is give any extra power, it just allows the motor to continue spinning above 15mph.

The motor is built for torque, not speed, so while the assistance above 15mph is very noticeable, the motor is already running out of steam.

Neither will the dongle alter the gearing - you will have to pedal the speed you want.

I use the dongle on my Rose 29" wheel bike which has the gearing to get into the mid-20s mph.

I reckon the 20mph you want from the MH7 is achievable without having to spin ridiculously fast.

https://www.badassebikes.com/en/a-106/