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You'll notice that I do call them "saddles," not "seats." There is a reason for this. A seat is something you sit on, and is designed to bear essentially your entire weight. Recumbent bicycles have seats, but conventional upright bicycles have saddles. A saddle is intended to carry some, but not all of your weight. The rest of your weight is mainly carried by your legs, and some by your hands and arms.
Go to a bike shop that has a device or some way of measuring your sit bones (ie. the distance between them.) They're the two hard bits that should be contacting your saddle when you ride. The shop I went to had this bench with a gel layer so you could see where your sit bones were pressing down.
I used to think all saddles were uncomfortable until I realized I have a relatively wide distance between my sit bones. I bought a proper saddle for my ass and now I'm comfy all the time.
Recumbent bikes solve this issue, and they're also way more aerodynamic. Downside is that they aren't as good from a safety perspective (on an empty road they'd probably be more safe, but alas).
And they're not as good at climbing hills, or so I've heard.
They have electric recumbants. I want one so badly.
Same, but they're super expensive.
Expensive for a toy, but dirt cheap for a car, as I always say.
(Assuming, of course, that you live in an area where you can replace car trips with bike trips)
I did some test riding, and from what I saw they were double the price of a lower-end electric bicycle, and not much more than a higher-end bicycle. But, yeah, the nicer ones - usually 2-front/1-rear configuration - can get pricey. The ones I've been looking at are around $4k. Which is why I don't have one yet.
They're heavier, which makes climbing harder, but with the right gearing, it shouldn't be too bad (just slower).
They also preclude standing up in the saddle, for obvious reasons, which could've otherwise been helpful sometimes, on the really steep hills.
If your bike saddle hurts, you probably have a bad fit and possibly a shitty saddle. Brooks is a good brand, B17 is a popular and comfortable choice. You can also get padded shorts and whatnot, but I never bothered using them.
You'll also want to keep in mind that it'll take some time to condition yourself to bike riding, it gets easier and more comfortable the more you ride. Eventually you can end up covering way more distance thank you thought you could and it will seem like nothing compared to what you were previously capable of.
Shameless plug: [email protected]
You can also get padded shorts and whatnot, but I never bothered using them.
And now we know why you fart with an accent.
I can assure you that is entirely diet based.
But what if I don't want a plug? I want a seat.
Subbed right away. Thanks.
Eh, could be worse.
I like the hard but flexible ones. Bicycle shorts help, but it'll look like you have camel toe.
What would one's crotch resemble?
Sometimes, I'd wear them under my regular clothes and then swap them in the bathroom when I commuted to work. Always felt like walking in with a sweaty diaper.
It does look like you shit yourself with blue foam
You wear them under your shorts
The padding goes on the inside and they should be worn commando, too. Couple common mistakes with padded bike wear.
I only bike commando.
I'm wanted in two states for public indecency.
Depends on your sex.
ba-dum tsssss
A comfortable (well padded) bicycle seat becomes a lot less comfortable after you’ve been sitting on it for several hours. Like, painful, and possibly dangerous.
An uncomfortable (only contacts your sit bones) saddle stays pretty much the same if it fits you right.
They make comfortable seats, but you’re not supposed to sit on them for very long.
That being said, no bike seat is comfortable after 11 hours on it…
Neither are proper chairs. I think you just shouldn't stay on something for too long.
Sometimes, you have to get off your bike and let it frolic around for a bit while you walk around for a while.
I mean that’s all well and good, but when you have to bike 140 miles in one day, you’ll be on your bike for a while, whether you like it or not.
On the positive side, the blood flow to your legs is not restricted (unless it's not one of those sofa-like seats, they just suck).
Mah those dudes should have the seat fitted
This is why I’m a fan of bikes that seat you on your chest with your head turned upward to see ahead. Bonus, any head-on collision will instantly kill you.
You might also like reverse trike recumbents where you sit in a reclined position.
I feel like a proper Omafiets has a perfectly fine saddle. It's the bikes made for sports, rather than transportation, that have the painful saddles, because supposedly you can't perform if you're not suffering.
Sport saddles shouldn't hurt either, but they're designed to be used with cycling shorts which provide padding without the friction.
There's still a period where you're breaking in your sit bones.
When I got my omafiets a couple years ago my ass was pretty sore for at least a month with daily riding. You aren't really putting any weight on your arms or legs so your saddle is doing the heavy lifting.
Fair enough, I've never bought a new omafiets, I imagine they're still too stiff at the start.
True.
I am satisfied with mine using it for 6 years now.
Need to get a seat with a flap gap. Guys, you too.