The Fretboard Cycling Club

Mellish

@drofluf ; it's about *your* shape and the previous owner's. Similar and the saddle should adjust; very different and it still might but not quickly. I had a s/h one that never did adjust to me and gave me a world of jip  

LastMantra

goldtop said:

On one hand, I understand the R&D that goes into spendy saddles. On the other hand, I'm confuddled why the saddle on a generic lowest-possible-cost hotel bike would suit me so well! I must have a very odd arse!  

Is it not the fact that it looks much bigger and more padded? Or am I missing something? 

goldtop

LastMantra said:

goldtop said:

On one hand, I understand the R&D that goes into spendy saddles. On the other hand, I'm confuddled why the saddle on a generic lowest-possible-cost hotel bike would suit me so well! I must have a very odd arse!  

Is it not the fact that it looks much bigger and more padded? Or am I missing something? 

No, that's (what I hope) is exactly the point. 

Prior to this, I'd followed the mainstream cycling idea that those bigger and padded saddles are A Bad Idea. Which is why I tried the relatively skinny Spoon - a well-liked saddle for cycling enthusiasts. 

I suppose it's possible that my posture is wrong and/or that the folk who prefer the Spoon-type saddles have done a proper bike fit which makes that skinny type work better for more enthusiastic cycling.

I just want an easy life as I pootle around the flatlands of Cambridgeshire for long and slow hours.

Mellish

@goldtop ; how often do you get out on the bike? Would you say occasionally or often? Mileage - low, medium or high? What I'm trying to get at is, is your backside hardened through mileage? If yes, you shouldn't have saddle issues, or at least not noticeably so  


 

Brio

I love the Charge saddles, but obviously they fit me just right. Finding that right saddle is well worth it.

crunchman

I need a new saddle.  I've done close to 20k miles on my current one and it's in a right state.

I am wondering whether I'd be better off trying to wear out the current chain and cassette and then sinking the money into a new bike though.  I would like something with disk brakes.

Bowks

I clocked up 160km over the weekend, in preparation for London to Paris at the start of June. That's 550km in 4 days. Unfortunately, much as I'd like to do RideLondon as a training ride, I'm away for that weekend. 

goldtop

Mellish said:

@goldtop ; how often do you get out on the bike? Would you say occasionally or often? Mileage - low, medium or high? What I'm trying to get at is, is your backside hardened through mileage? If yes, you shouldn't have saddle issues, or at least not noticeably so  

Once a week we do a 20-30 mile ride, and occasional (short) rides during the week into town. And this Summer we'll probably do a round trip of Grafham and Rutland Water.

TTBZ

@goldtop it might just be because of the aforementioned sit bone thing - you probably have a wider spacing which suits the wider saddle of your hotel bike better. The Spoon is pretty narrow from memory!  The Brooks is probably a good call though if it's the right width, a mate of mine cycled across America on one and said he never had any issues.

Mellish

@goldtop ; bearing in mind the once each week (and short rides to the shops) I'd go for a well-padded saddle. Try a Madison, as someone suggested, and see how you get on  

LastMantra

What's the point of the wee skinny seats? Just weight? 

Obviously they look cooler 

TTBZ

LastMantra said:

What's the point of the wee skinny seats? Just weight? 

Obviously they look cooler 

They're comfier if you get the right one for you, and they don't chafe. You're meant to perch on your sit bones rather than lounge on it like a sofa!

Mellish

Important point there  by @TTBZ. If the thinner area towards the nose of the saddle is too wide, it will chafe your inner thighs. Basically, although uncomfortable at first, time on the bike  sorts out a tender backside  

Teetonetal

Does any one have recommendations for bike lights? A new law in Switzerland came into effect on April 01st that all E-Bikes must have lights on at all times when being ridden on public land. Even during the day.

Need to be visible at 100m and I guess rechargeable too...

Was looking at lenzyne femto usb lights, but other recommendations appreciated 

drofluf

I've got the front one of this set on my Brompton https://www.amazon.co.uk/CatEye-AMPP-200-Viz-Light/dp/B098DL35TL/

Cateye have always been reliable for me, but Benzene are well respected

crunchman

I've got a Lezyne front light.  The light is good, but the charging port is a pain to get at and get the cable into.  It uses an old style micro-USB.  I don't know if the newer ones are the same.

Glad I don't live in Switzerland if they have laws like that.

Edit:  Lezyne are made in Taiwan, so you aren't indirectly supporting Putin by buying Chinese.  They have that in their favour.

Jaycee

Teetonetal said:

Does any one have recommendations for bike lights? A new law in Switzerland came into effect on April 01st that all E-Bikes must have lights on at all times when being ridden on public land. Even during the day.

Need to be visible at 100m and I guess rechargeable too...

Was looking at lenzyne femto usb lights, but other recommendations appreciated 

I have a Moon meteor on mine and my wife's bike, and a Moon meteor vortex on my road bike. No problems with them good battery life.

I find having a mount rather than using  the bands is more stavble

LastMantra

TTBZ said

LastMantra said:

What's the point of the wee skinny seats? Just weight? 

Obviously they look cooler 

They're comfier if you get the right one for you, and they don't chafe. You're meant to perch on your sit bones rather than lounge on it like a sofa!

The allowing more movement/less chafing makes sense. Although if they had better padding you wouldn't need padded shorts.

dchwhite

Teetonetal said:

Does any one have recommendations for bike lights? A new law in Switzerland came into effect on April 01st that all E-Bikes must have lights on at all times when being ridden on public land. Even during the day.

Need to be visible at 100m and I guess rechargeable too...

Was looking at lenzyne femto usb lights, but other recommendations appreciated 

In Germany, I believe they require road bike lights to meet a particular standard - I think it's called stvzo. Might be worth making sure there's nothing similar in Switzerland.

I have 1100 and 1200 Lezyne front lights - not stvzo! - and prefer the 3 led over the 2 led ones. I also have a moon storm pro which is likewise decent, although my bike computer stops working when it's on (not that you need to be looking at it in the dark, of course...).

euan

LastMantra said:

TTBZ said

LastMantra said:

What's the point of the wee skinny seats? Just weight? 

Obviously they look cooler 

They're comfier if you get the right one for you, and they don't chafe. You're meant to perch on your sit bones rather than lounge on it like a sofa!

The allowing more movement/less chafing makes sense. Although if they had better padding you wouldn't need padded shorts.

Padding in shorts is providing a completely different function to padding on a saddle. 

You definitely don’t want you saddle acting like a chamois