MoonSaddle

[coyboy]

wanted to give it a little longer before posting but I'm eager to share... I got the saddle just a liitle over a week ago and have put about 50 miles on it so far. 20 on my first ride and 8 - 12 on the other 3. A little background. I ride an XL (25 in) Trek 520. With the seatpost nearly all the way down and the handle bars flipped over I am very comfortable on this bike. Well for about 10 miles due to the fact that I do not like bike shorts and purdy much refuse to wear them. I bought a Terry Liberator this spring and it was an improvement but was still not happy. Enter the moonsaddle. I wore sweatpants on the 20 mile ride. Started out with the seat facing backwards (tips of the moon to the back) which is standard. But my seatpost would not let me tilt the seat downward as much as reccomended on the moonsaddle website.

http://www.moonsaddle.com/Installation_s/5.htm (pertinant part copied below)

"Angle:
To attach MoonSaddleTM to your seatpost, rotate the front points of the "moon" upward and to the rear, where the saddle sits about 20-30 degrees from horizontal, or roughly directed toward the front hub of your bike. This adjustment presents the two radiuses to the sit bones in optimal form."

by turning it around I could get the right angle.

"Mounting Options:
If you prefer more support to the "moon", simply turn the MoonSaddle around. That's right... MoonSaddleTM can be installed in either direction. You may point the tips of the "moon" forward and down 20-30 degrees from horizontal and still harness the same skeletal support."

So I turned it around. The tips of the moon are slightly anoying turned this way. However, the comfort is a big improvement. Here are just a few of my observations. On the 20 mile ride I was still seated at the end of the ride. My butt was starting to feel a little tender but I wans't "standing" ever little bit like I did previously with the Liberator. My thighs were completly free from rubbing (a big problem for me on the wide Liberator). I felt absolutly no nubness like I did on the Liberator. Mind you, it wasn't bad on the Liberator so no big improvement here. On the shorter rides I really never felt anything. I did notice I needed to keep on hand on the bar when getting a drink. I could carefully coast hands free and even around a 90 degree curve at 18 miles an hour but no peddling hands free. This may or may not improve as I get used to the moonsaddle. The other thing. I wore gym shorts on one of the rides and felt like I was constantly sliding off the saddle (to the front). With sweat pants and kaki pants I felt a lot better but still felt a little more weight on my hands than with the Liberator. However using my aero bars felt great. I actuall think I can peddle harder with this saddle than the liberator. My knees are now closer together as they pass the front of my bike. With the bar end shifter on the left pointed straight back I saw my knee was naturally passing inside it. normally I have to concentrated to do this. Bottom Line. The saddle is comfortable but I am sacrificing a little bike stability when I need to be no hands a few seconds to take the lid off my drink bottle etc. I may eventually find a seat post that will let me turn the saddle around and ride it the prefered way. The money I save on bike shorts should help justify the expense to the wife...

Coy Boy

PS, I just started using this site. handy.

http://www.mapmyride.com/user_training?username=coyboy

PSS bent my fender today. well the wire part. the fender actually went under my fork when I bumped it with my toe which caused the wheel to grab it and turn it under. the fender rolled back out easy enough but the wires are bent and I lost one of the nuts that holds a wire. been looking to replace the front fender with one of the easy off kind Brian (in Jacksonville) mentioned so I may get that kind next.

[(51)]

Interesting. I'm not sure I would feel stable on that thing. I would worry about slipping off the whole time. Wouldn't you be putting more pressure on your knees as they support you more?

I'm glad you like it. Saddle comfort is a personal matter.

[Tom Stormcrowe]

Interesting take on a noseless saddle and if it works for you, that's cool. ;)

I use the nose of the saddle for balance reference though, myself. ;)

[BikEthan]

I'd actually be a little concerned about safety on a saddle that wide. In emergency braking situations I want to be able to shift my weight way off the back of the bike so I can get the most out of my front brake. Are you able to get your legs around the saddle in those situations?

[coyboy]

Interesting. I'm not sure I would feel stable on that thing. I would worry about slipping off the whole time. Wouldn't you be putting more pressure on your knees as they support you more?

I'm glad you like it. Saddle comfort is a personal matter.

I may be putiing a little more weight on my feet but I am not noticing any differance. I do feel like my bike is shorter with this saddle. good thing my knees can pass inside the bar ends.

[coyboy]

Interesting take on a noseless saddle and if it works for you, that's cool. ;)

I use the nose of the saddle for balance reference though, myself. ;)

With both hands on the bars I cant tell any diferance in balance. With one it feels a little less stable. No doubt with hand free though. I didn't realize I was riding as much hands free until I tried this saddle. I think I was doing it on just about ever short downhill which is a lot around here. I think over time I will get more used to the moonsaddles balance requirments but it probably wont ever be as stable as a nose saddle.

[KingTermite]

It seems like it would only work well in a very upright position. I can't imagine it being very stable if you were leaning over very much.

I think you'd do better getting over your aversion to bike shorts so you don't hurt so bad for longer rides.

[coyboy]

I'd actually be a little concerned about safety on a saddle that wide. In emergency braking situations I want to be able to shift my weight way off the back of the bike so I can get the most out of my front brake. Are you able to get your legs around the saddle in those situations?

No, I can't get my legs around the saddle. They are always to the front. If I could turn it around I think it would be less of a sliding issue because with the C would be tuned around I think I could hang my sit bones behind the C easier. I guess I will find out if I ever need to brake suddenly. I was breaking pretty hard riding down the mountain but I was firmly gripping the bars. It felt fine.

[coyboy]

It seems like it would only work well in a very upright position. I can't imagine it being very stable if you were leaning over very much.


I think you'd do better getting over your aversion to bike shorts so you don't hurt so bad for longer rides.

Actually it is just the opposite. I works better when I am leaning forward. Don't ask me why, maybe the tilt? It tilts like this \ only at about 20 degrees so a lot closer to flat.

On the shorts. I just dont like the 2 pair I have, one is a mountain bike type short and the other is a rode bike type. Both from performance. They fell awkward. maybe I need to spend more on a better pair and I would like them better. I later bought a pair of the underware bike shorts. I like these better but they are starting to wear out with only aout 500 hundred miles on them. But I really had rather just throw on a pair of sweats (in the winter) and take off. I may have to use some kind of bike shorts on my rides over 20 miles. Since I ride up and down the mountian a lot (translated short training ride) I should be OK for most rides.

[KingTermite]

Even though I am beginning to question their quality on some things, I still think aerotech shorts are the best.

I've had 3 pair of "normal" shorts that are still going (though wearing thin) after about 2 1/2 years. I just bought a pair of "top shelf" shorts and a pair of their bibs (which are same as top shelf, but in bib form). I suspect these two will last me 3 or 4 years easily.


Actually it is just the opposite. I works better when I am leaning forward. Don't ask me why, maybe the tilt? It tilts like this \ only at about 20 degrees so a lot closer to flat.

On the shorts. I just dont like the 2 pair I have, one is a mountain bike type short and the other is a rode bike type. Both from performance. They fell awkward. maybe I need to spend more on a better pair and I would like them better. I later bought a pair of the underware bike shorts. I like these better but they are starting to wear out with only aout 500 hundred miles on them. But I really had rather just throw on a pair of sweats (in the winter) and take off. I may have to use some kind of bike shorts on my rides over 20 miles. Since I ride up and down the mountian a lot (translated short training ride) I should be OK for most rides.

[thaetviking]

I have always wondered about these types of saddles. Many, many years , in an engineering class, we watched a video about paradigms and at the end of the video the guy talked about the seat that he designed did not sell because people would not accept a new paradigm. His seat design was pretty neat and have wondered about trying to make something similar myself. I look forward to hearing more from you on this seat and what it is like in different biking situations.