"The Seat" Ergo no nose seat

Barkme Wolf

Active Member
I have had a Radwagon for 8 days and rode 170 miles. The Velo Plush saddle it came with was good enough but I wasn't comfortable with the nose, no fault of the item. I got a seat without a nose (not sure the technical term) and like it very much. I noticed some saddle sore today, not sure if it is cumulative or from having the new seat. When I switched them out I set it up a little low, that might have had something to do with it. I have not ridden a bike in 20 years, I assume I will have to condition my butt a little before it gets comfortable. I am not interested in those padded pants so I need a good saddle.
 

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I have had a Radwagon for 8 days and rode 170 miles. The Velo Plush saddle it came with was good enough but I wasn't comfortable with the nose, no fault of the item. I got a seat without a nose (not sure the technical term) and like it very much. I noticed some saddle sore today, not sure if it is cumulative or from having the new seat. When I switched them out I set it up a little low, that might have had something to do with it. I have not ridden a bike in 20 years, I assume I will have to condition my butt a little before it gets comfortable. I am not interested in those padded pants so I need a good saddle.
@Barkme Wolf lol I totally understand your current position. I started riding last year and tried no less than 7 different saddles ( I am a horse guy so calling a bicycle seat a saddle is still weird for me). After trying big wide spongy ones short ones long ones...I now ride a brooks leather girls saddle. I can't explain why it works...it just does. On another note. I resisted the padded shorts for over a year. My butt and groin stayed sore. I bought one pair (padded bibs) and told my wife not to tell anyone. I wore shorts and a shirt over them so no one would see. I now have another pair and wear them just about every time I ride. I still feel a little feminine when I put them on but no more sore butt! It's a journey to get to this level of acceptance...good luck!
 
@grench that is the thing about saddles! A lot of people think oh, my but hurts I need something more plush. The opposite trends to be true. Less contact, less friction and support on the suit bones seems to be key.

I've always been a big guy and my bike in high school had a small saddle, so I knew getting back into bikes over the last 2 years that large does not necessarily mean comfortable.

Of all the seats I've used (mostly different stock ones, including the one on the rad rover), the best have been the one on my neo xtrem (kept it when I sold the bike!) And the one on my new haibike. For my birthday I bit the bullet and bought a Brooks racing saddle!

The Brooks racing is firmer than the b17 (knew than going in), but the smoothness makes up for that off the bat once I got it angled correctly, and after some breaking in it should be great. Bought it in a honey color from nashbar when they had 30 percent off and it has copper rails and rivets, looks beautiful to top it all off!
 
I tried a pair of Canari padded underwear years ago, I didn't like them, but many riders swear by some sort of padded shorts, including some pros. If you get the underwear you can wear your favorite shorts.

http://www.amazon.com/Canari-Cyclewear-Cycle-Liner-Cycling/dp/B0052R5JV6


They say these are padded but no pics of the back.
I wouldn't go by a pic of the back, many MTB shorts have a reinforced round seat panel on the back, yet have no pad. I have several Tenn Outdoor MTB shorts that have that panel and no pad.
 
As you said, part of the problem is that you've put in a bunch of miles on your new bike with an unbroken in butt. You will build up more endurance as your body gets used to it. Saddles are a personal thing, but I've been riding for 35 years and hard and narrow are more comfortable in the long run as weird as that sounds. You can buy them sized to your sit bones, by width which is a good place to start.

Any ride under an hour and I'm ok in street clothes, over that and I wear padded shorts, either alone or under mtb shorts which is how they are designed to be worn. Mtb shorts will disguise your lycra as well as having all sorts of zippered pockets for your stuff. For long rides, 4-8 hrs, I'll also use butt butter, which is a lotion designed to reduce chafing on your sit bones. It really does work if you start doing long distances.

Rubbing and chafing is the biggest issue riding in casual clothes which can bunch up, or the seams create hot spots, some people swear by going commando under nylon gym type shorts or mtb shorts.

Whatever ends up working for you is the solution.
 
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