Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Sprung saddle = core workout?

I'm looking for a way to get more of a core workout from my daily cycling commute. I ride about 10 miles, twice a day right now, and while it has been great for my legs, I could use some core strength training. Normally, when I get home I do some stability exercises on one fo those giant inflatable balls, but gets a bit boring after a while, and I'd bet my neighbours think that I am trying to hatch a giant blue dinosaur egg!

I'd love to be able to add stability exercises to my ride, and I am wondering if a sprung saddle (like a Brooks touring model) might force me to maintain the stability of my upper body while I ride. They look to me like they'd be wickedly unstable and make for a flexy ride that you'd have to work to counteract. Does anyone here have any experience with these types of saddles? Do you feel the saddle works your core muscles when you ride?

I tend to ride fast, (20 to 30 km/h average speed) with a constant 75 to 90 rpm spin, on a drop bar touring bike with the bars set about equal to the height of the saddle. The weight of the bike and parts is not really an issue for me. I realise that it's likely that the typical sprung saddle rider is more of a 'cruiser' than a 'spinner' but I'd love to get ideas about this.

Also, I clock in at about 230#, so the effects of heavier riders on sprung saddles would also be appreciated.

I'm looking for a way to get more of a core workout from my daily cycling commute. I ride about 10 miles, twice a day right now, and while it has been great for my legs, I could use some core strength training. Normally, when I get home I do some stability exercises on one fo those giant inflatable balls, but gets a bit boring after a while, and I'd bet my neighbours think that I am trying to hatch a giant blue dinosaur egg!

I'd love to be able to add stability exercises to my ride, and I am wondering if a sprung saddle (like a Brooks touring model) might force me to maintain the stability of my upper body while I ride. They look to me like they'd be wickedly unstable and make for a flexy ride that you'd have to work to counteract. Does anyone here have any experience with these types of saddles? Do you feel the saddle works your core muscles when you ride?

I tend to ride fast, (20 to 30 km/h average speed) with a constant 75 to 90 rpm spin, on a drop bar touring bike with the bars set about equal to the height of the saddle. The weight of the bike and parts is not really an issue for me. I realise that it's likely that the typical sprung saddle rider is more of a 'cruiser' than a 'spinner' but I'd love to get ideas about this.

Also, I clock in at about 230#, so the effects of heavier riders on sprung saddles would also be appreciated.

I doubt it does any such thing. I rode 580 miles on tour on a Brooks B-66 and didn't notice any such problem.

Building core strength? Squat and deadlift. Pilates-type exercise may work, but I'm skeptical of most bodyweight strength building.

A sprung saddle wouldn't give you any kind of a workout.

A sprung saddle like the Brooks simply absorbs the road buzz and softens up the ride. It's also much better than a suspended seatpost, in that energy loss is less.

http://www.rowbike.com/

Seriously, though, I just do 210 twisting situps during commercials while watching the evening news or Jeopardy. 3 sets of 70.

Mt. biking, dirt jumping, etc will give a little more well-rounded workout than a road commute, but not serious core strength building.

If you want to work your core while cycling, Increase your cadence and use a lower (easier) gear.
You will have to tighten your core muscles to keep from bouncing in the saddle.

Exercises, like curls or presses (with bumbells) while balancing on one foot (or 2 feet on a wobble board) will help as well.

Standing sprint intervals on the way to work might help, better than staying seated on a sprung Brooks, anyways.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-4-20-15681-1,00.html

Here's an article from Bicycling Magazine that has some excellent exercises for core strength.

Check out page 4, it lists some simple exercises you can do while on the roll as well.