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Adding padding?


Pbassred
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Its possible that I am an odd shape but I don't think so. When I first sat on a sports bike the guy in the store was surprised that a guy in his 50s (late starter) would think that the body position was OK. Since I had been riding road bikes it seemed the same to me. Now, it has been puzzling me for some time that whenever motorcycle riders talk about sore backsides the solution is always more padding, gel padding and wider seats. In cycling its recognized that this is absolutely the wrong way to go. They have to sit for hours at a time and peddle. You see, humans plant themselves on areas know as "sit bones" ( co-incidence?). That's where all of the weight is supported. Not the thighs or the fleshy bits and definitely not the sensitive bits. When I rode the VFR for the first time (3 hour delivery ride home), what struck me was the way the wide saddle dug into my thighs compared to the CBR. Now that I'm looking at ways to lower it, some people are suggesting shaving the saddle - downwards. They might be right, but I'll start with the padding on the thighs and possibly scoop out the middle. Maybe saddles should be more human shaped. Taking away instead of adding is something to consider If you're looking for comfort.

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there is a major difference between riding a motorbike and a bicycle that means there is very little if any direct correlation between the two and I'm rather surprised this even needs pointing out. There is also a good reason why motorcycle seats stopped looking like bicycle seats 60 years ago.


The primary reason the average motorcycle seat is uncomfortable is that there was very little thought that went into them.. they are made on the cheap to look the part in the showroom and be comfortable enough for the average time a test ride takes. you might be lucky.. some bikes have better seats than others.. or you might not be, the most comfortable OE seat might be agony for you.. but it takes 3hrs to reach that point.

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I suppose it is mostly a case of 1 size does not fit all and of course just budget conscious seating ergonomics. I have to have my insoles custom made as I have a very high arch. I know that unless I am very lucky with whatever bike I buy post-test I will probably have to have something either aftermarket or custom if I am going to go on adventures and not get sore knees.


Pletny of options out there a saddler can make you whatever you want within reason.

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I have never known padding to be added for comfort as such!


More like remade.


When you hear people talk about having seats done they use terms like extra padding and gel inserts knowing very little in to what goes in to remaking a seat!


They may add padding and gel inserts but first they remove padding resulting in the seat looking the same size.


Its not all about padding though its about shaping the seat so you don't have pressure points which is what causes the issues.


I have known some very thick seats to be the most uncomfortable out there and also some of the thinnest to be really comfy.

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Don’t Airhawk seat pads add padding? They seem quite popular with high mileage riders & those with sensitive botty’s ( why their botty’s are sensitive? Draw your own conclusions.

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Its possible that I am an odd shape but I don't think so. When I first sat on a sports bike the guy in the store was surprised that a guy in his 50s (late starter) would think that the body position was OK. Since I had been riding road bikes it seemed the same to me. Now, it has been puzzling me for some time that whenever motorcycle riders talk about sore backsides the solution is always more padding, gel padding and wider seats. In cycling its recognized that this is absolutely the wrong way to go. They have to sit for hours at a time and peddle. You see, humans plant themselves on areas know as "sit bones" ( co-incidence?). That's where all of the weight is supported. Not the thighs or the fleshy bits and definitely not the sensitive bits. When I rode the VFR for the first time (3 hour delivery ride home), what struck me was the way the wide saddle dug into my thighs compared to the CBR. Now that I'm looking at ways to lower it, some people are suggesting shaving the saddle - downwards. They might be right, but I'll start with the padding on the thighs and possibly scoop out the middle. Maybe saddles should be more human shaped. Taking away instead of adding is something to consider If you're looking for comfort.

 

100% agree , I've been saying this for years . Very well put .

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Don’t Airhawk seat pads add padding? They seem quite popular with high mileage riders & those with sensitive botty’s ( why their botty’s are sensitive? Draw your own conclusions.

 

Thought we was talking about remaking seats and not adding an accessory!

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Don’t Airhawk seat pads add padding? They seem quite popular with high mileage riders & those with sensitive botty’s ( why their botty’s are sensitive? Draw your own conclusions.

 

Thought we was talking about remaking seats and not adding an accessory!

 

It is accessory but really good one, I got my and pillion 15 years ago, does help a lot. Talking about 8,9,10 and more hrs in the saddle. It work as shock absorber as well and add some height so knees are bit less stressed. Any custom seat would be harder and less comfortable. Good aftermarket seats made for long rides are extremely expensive and still not so soft.

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the original seat on the Africa Twin was very comfortable to start.. I thought: this is great as I rode out of the dealership and when you watch reviews they almost never mention the seat beyond a comment about its slightly different shape compared to the 16-17 bikes. But this great feeling goes away rapidly when I get near 200 miles and getting off the bike only provides temporary relief as the pain comes back with a vengeance very quickly. Not good. I tried an air-seat and it worked up to a point, but I didn't like the semi-detached feeling the cushion of air gives. I still have the sheepskin I used on the GS and thought to used that for longer trips. However an American made Sargent appeared for sale on the AT forum. Second hand but perfect. And despite coming from Finland was £150+ cheaper all-in than ordering one from the UK agent. It's only when you try a seat that's been designed from scratch that you realise just how bad a lot of OE seats are. Not all of them but that's perhaps because the bad design isn't noticed due to other ergonomic reasons. I see all the time people saying there bikes are only comfy for 100 miles or so which might not be due to the seat but being folded in three to actually ride the thing. They might have other pain to deal with that masks the pain from the seat. The things we put ourselves through.


It's wrong thinking to directly compare a bicycle saddle with a motorbike seat, it's a false equivalence. With a bicycle seat you are pedalling most of the time which means the blood is flowing through your lower body at a fair old rate and you are constantly moving position with your weight being shifted from one side to the other, pressure points are being relieved all the time, the blood gets to these points and they are not oxygen starved - which is the source of the pain. Cyclists who take their sport seriously will buy a saddle that's off the shelf, but might as well have been made to measure. The variety and choice is absolutely massive. Motorcycle riders have nothing like this level of choice because their needs are completely different.


We have 3 ways to fix the problem. Either have the seat rebuilt and trust that the person doing this knows what he is doing... And most of the specialists do. They will use a higher grade of foam that spreads the load more evenly, adjust the shape so there is a reduced chance of pressure points developing. Some will even ask to see you on the bike so they can fine tune the rebuild especially to your needs.


The second was is to add a layer that has a similar effect of spreading the load. An air seat. Gel pad. Sheepskin. Even wearing cycling shorts... They all do the same sort of thing.


The third is to swap the seat completely.. Though this is often the most expensive route. I don't think there are any seat makers in the UK. You're mainly looking at American brands. Corbin, Sargent. Or the German brand Kahedo, who make seats for high end BMWs and Touratech etc. Or smaller, less obvious brands like Bagster. And a few Italian makers. But with all of these, some proper design has gone into them... So a "one size fits all" seat... Actually might.

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A mate swears by smearing his delicate parts in vaseline and going commando.

 

Moisturising is a good thing - even for your backside. I would suffer from dry, flaky skin otherwise.


I won't "go commando". I find a base layer ("long johns") more hygienic, since they are easy to wash out and dry overnight while travelling. They are also more comfortable than briefs or boxers.

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Don’t Airhawk seat pads add padding? They seem quite popular with high mileage riders & those with sensitive botty’s ( why their botty’s are sensitive? Draw your own conclusions.

 

they've been round your house ?

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Having been biking since the 70's I've had lots of aches and pains associated with lots of different bikes. I could have aching lower back with one bike, aching upper back with another. One bike feels like an armchair the next a deckchair! With every bike there is a certain amount of give and take and adaption needed. I guess I'm saying a bike has to be adapted to you and you have to adapt to the bike over time. A bike could be made for the Japanese market with Japanese bikers in mind. Or the European American market. I've used an airhawk to good effect on one bike and found it useless on others. My current bike/seat is pushing on my arse bones on the inside top of my legs. I tried some padded bicycling shorts I've used in the past and they make a heck of a difference.

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There is a major difference between riding a motorbike and a bicycle that means there is very little if any direct correlation between the two and I'm rather surprised this even needs pointing out.
Please explain how sitting on a motor cycle is different. Last time I looked I had the same a$$, my feet were at the same position and so were my hands.

 

With a bicycle seat you are pedaling most of the time which means the blood is flowing through your lower body at a fair old rate and you are constantly moving position with your weight being shifted from one side to the other, pressure points are being relieved all the time, the blood gets to these points and they are not oxygen starved - which is the source of the pain.
Just.... wrong in every respect. Blood does not flow through you sit bones. One of the things cyclists work on is to NOT waste energy by moving around on the saddle. Insufficient blood flow is THE major issue hence cutouts and short saddles. Cyclists DO shop for different saddles but the starting points are body angle and sit bone width.
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