RFI Bicycle Seats

[Grey]

You are wearing good bike shorts, right?

100% need to do this.

[revchuck38]

@Xrslug - his bike is a mountain-style bike. Also, the higher and farther back your bars are, the more weight is concentrated on your butt. It’s a balancing act.

Your saddle needs to be level. If you feel the need to tilt it forward or back, it’s evidence that your bike fit sucks. If you look at the bikes of professional cyclists regardless of discipline, you’ll see the saddles are level.

The worst thing you can do is get a soft, cushy saddle. It’ll squoosh down and put more pressure on the parts that don’t need pressure, and that applies to both sexes.

[LittleLebowski]

The worst thing you can do is get a soft, cushy saddle. It’ll squoosh down and put more pressure on the parts that don’t need pressure, and that applies to both sexes.

Yup, get some good shorts, reposition your saddle, ride, and suck it up until you get accustomed to it is my humble advice. Get some good padded shorts.

[0ddl0t]

Air Assault Bike:

[Sanch]

Thanks for the replies so far guys. In case I didn’t mention it with the right terminology earlier, it’s a stationary air assault exercise bike, the kind with two reciprocating arms that move forward and back along with the pedaling action to spin the front wheel that has a fan on it for resistance.

So my first problem here is regarding fitting. I assume people who get fitted for a bike seat will take their bicycle to the bike shop. But since this thing weighs over 150 pounds and I lack a truck, my ability to do that is nil.

Unless it’s possible to be fitted without the bike there in person? Like maybe I sit on a bike they have in the store?

Also, I realize I hadn’t researched this properly but I watched a few YouTube videos on how to adjust the seat height and forward/backward on an air assault bike. I previously did it based on what I thought was correct but realize I had the forward/backward position too far forward and realize I had the seat height a little too low.

Regarding bike shorts, I’m open to wearing them but it adds resistance to working out so I would prefer to avoid them if possible. By resistance I mean that mental obstacle you put up to doing something like, aww man I’m pretty tired this morning, I don’t really want to do cardio, and you think about having to go get socks, put on bike shoes, fill up water bottle, and now squeeze into tight bike shorts as an extra step and you lose the will to do the thing. Maybe that’s a giant cop out, but in general I’ve had greater compliance with doing hard things when I remove resistance. Like getting floss sticks instead of using rolls of floss, like pre-packing my range bag so when I have time, etc.

I am open to bike shorts if a different seat won’t help, but I’m trying to avoid it.

As far as sucking it up and getting used to it, I would if it was skeletal or muscle pain. And I do believe there is a certain amount of conditioning associated with bike riding that comes with time. But this is a nerve blocking symptom and I read online it can cause permanent erectile dysfunction if you continue to ride after your penis goes numb because you’re putting 200+ pounds of body pressure on the nerve, the numbness is telling you it’s under pressure and eventually permanent nerve damage can occur. I’m no doctor and maybe it takes months or years but I don’t want to take the risk.

So now that I adjusted the seat height and front/back, let me give this another whirl. And I can try out the one seat recommended that REI sells since they have a good return policy.

And I’m open to getting fitted at a local shop if they can do it without the bike there.

[orionz06]

You won't be able to get fitted on that, really, but you can certainly improve your position on it, as well as the seat.

I don't know how bike shorts would add resistance, if they did, you'd not see them on every cyclist making money doing this.


A proper seat in the right position will resolve nearly all of your issues, with the shorts likely covering the rest.

[revchuck38]

@Sanch- Shoot, I was thinking about a mountain bike with a name really close to yours. For saddle height, you want your knee just short of straight when your leg is at its most extended point- note that this isn’t when the pedal is at the bottom, it’ll be somewhat forward of that. As for the forward/back positioning, you’ll have to change it based on experience. The saddle still needs to be level.

You need to get a REAL bike, it’s way more fun!

[olstyn]

https://www.amazon.com/Terry-Liberat...dp/B0188C1TYC/

I've had two of the regular liberator y for men, and I'm upgrading to liberator y gel next season. I already have that replacement saddle as well. I highly recommend it I've ridden on mine for about 5,000 mi. That's across two different saddles of the same type. Also, make sure you're sitting on the saddle correctly. You need to be as far back as you can sitting on your sit Bones on the thickest part of the saddle. I've seen a lot of people, including my son who I'm working on his position, sit too far forward which results in putting pressure on the perineum and creates the issues you're describing.

Thanks for this. I've been leaning toward getting a new saddle for my road bike simply based on the fact that the leather on mine is starting to crack (it's 15 years old!), and having a recommendation of a company that makes good/nice ones is helpful. I'm looking pretty hard at the Fly Cromoly and the Falcon Y based on the "recommend a saddle" tool on their website.

[olstyn]

You are wearing good bike shorts, right?

This makes a VERY noticeable difference, especially on real bikes where you get road bumps, etc. YMMV, of course, but Pearl Izumi has become my favorite brand - I've never been more comfortable on my bike than when wearing their shorts. Expensive, but worth every penny, and even more so when you can find them on sale or clearance.

[Lex Luthier]

Thanks for this. I've been leaning toward getting a new saddle for my road bike simply based on the fact that the leather on mine is starting to crack (it's 15 years old!), and having a recommendation of a company that makes good/nice ones is helpful. I'm looking pretty hard at the Fly Cromoly and the Falcon Y based on the "recommend a saddle" tool on their website.

The Terry saddles are well designed and made, though not the lightest options.

I have had extraordinary good luck with Brooks saddles, though they take some getting used to for most people. I wouldn't recommend them for Sanch's purpose. He will be better served by adjusting his positioning, and getting fitted for proper sit bone width.

My vintage road bike has a Brooks Pro made in 1966- it's 54 years old and still rockin'. The modern road bike also has a Brooks Pro given to me by a late friend- he bought it in 1976, and it has probably 150k on it spread over 6 bikes now. The roadster has a B-72 sprung saddle made in 1979, and the mountain bike has a newish Cambium C13 S hybrid rubber/fabric saddle. The leather ones all require treatment several times a year to remain supple and moisture resistant.

Olstyn, is your saddle a Brooks type without padding, or something padded with a leather cover?