Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Moving to Seattle -- Leather vs. Vegan Saddle

Leaving my fair Queens for Seattle in a month or two. I'm getting ready to buy a Turbo saddle, but don't know if I should get the leather or artificial top model (seen both on eBay). I plan on commuting daily and will likely lock the bike up outta doors.

i had a leather turbo on my winter bike here in iowa for about 3 years, it got wet all the time, never noticed any warping or damage.

I ride a brooks, just use a plastic bag when parking.

depends on how large your gauges are

The leather ones are much more comfortable than the vinyl ones.

The leather ones are much more comfortable than the vinyl ones.

Thats a no brainer. Vinyl gets slippery and doesn't absorb that summertime swamp ass. Just didnt wanna kill a saddle. Looks like leather's the move.

depends on how large your gauges are

*swish*

I thought maybe you were worried the Seattle Vegans wouldn;t like you. :lol:

Definitely vegan saddle if you plan on visiting Portland.

Do you plan on eating the saddle?

Not sure why I said vegan instead of artificial. I guess I've just had vegan-fear on the brain since I decided to move out there. Blecchhh!

they are a rabid breed here. get the synthetic just because you won't have to worry as much about rain.

they are a rabid breed here.

Dammit. I'm a cook and every day somebody comes in and insists on a custom vegan plate. You're paying $150 for dinner at a 3star restaurant and you're gonna get a plate of sauteed rabbit food? Go get a falafel and meet your friends after dinner.

oh don't worry they don't do that. there are plenty of rich omnivores filling that type of restaurant. the vegans i know take the falafel route on their way back from the bouldering gyms.

**** it seattle, all the vegans i know wear leather shoes or eat veggie burgers with baconaise

all the vegans i know wear leather shoes or eat veggie burgers with baconaise
lulz, funny cause true

LOL, the word turbo prominently displayed on a bicycle seat from all angles ? Seriously ?

LOL, the word turbo prominently displayed on a bicycle seat from all angles ? Seriously ?

Serious false advertising. At least cars, as evil as they are, have technology to backup their "turbo" logos ..fartvroom

I cant speak for the Turbo, but I recently joined the 21st century in the saddle department. I picked up a Thomson Elite and a Specialized Romin for my Big Block and I couldnt be happier. Feels great. Its got a carbon fiber reinforced nylon shell that feels solid and forgiving at the same time. All of my weight is on my sit bones and the center channel alleviates almost all of the pressure on the nether regions and provides ventilation.

It's just a great product. From now on, any questions about saddles and tires are going straight to the roadie forum. Too much form over function and pack mentality 'round these parts.

http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp56/shonuff777/orly.gif

Buy an SLR.

So to sum it up:

Leather's more comfy but vinyl would be more suited to seattle weather, vegans suck in seattle and in NYC (just different), the Turbo's got a stupid name, I should actually buy a different saddle altogether and I should get a Kilo TT.

If you're gonna ride the saddle everyday go for the plastic for sure. I have 2 leather saddles and a handful of plastic covered saddles. Thinking of reupholstering one of my leather covered ones with some fake leather. Having two dry-day-only saddles is too constricting on my daily bicycle choice.

I used to ride an Ideale (basically a French Brooks) when I lived in Portland. It often grew mold. So nazzty.

man youre lucky, there are going to be so many nice places to ride up there. Im from oregon and would love to move back just so that i could ride around eugene again.

I used to ride my mtb on the bike path next to the willamette river from eugene to springfield when i was a kid. SOOO MUCH FUN

MTB trails in the PHX city limits = 1,000,000 times better than those in the Seattle, Portland or Eugene city limits.

lol probably not.

ive been on some nice trails when i was a kid in eugene.

South Mountain, Trail 100 (and feeders) and parts of the T-bird trail system all within city limits. Gotta go outside Eugene city limits to find anything approaching that kinda fun trail mileage.

MTB trails in the PHX city limits = 1,000,000 times better than those in the Seattle, Portland or Eugene city limits.

yeah if you like riding in barren wasteland trails in sweltering heat inhaling valley fever spores with the dust your kicking up from the tires.

give me OR or WA trails anyday over PHX.. yuck

... and I live here in PHX

I love rocky, dusty trails. I love the cushy fir needle trails here to, but you gotta drive to the good ones. I lived about 4 miles from trail 100 trailhead and 7 miles from T-bird mountain trailhead in PHX.

Here the only close action is teaser trails and pump/jump tracks. Gotta drive about an hour to get the goods. Closest to bus route is up in Scappoose. Only about a 5 mile road grind after a 1.5 hour bus ride for me to hit that up. About a 10 mile SCARY road grind after 30 minute bus ride to hit trails in my county.

That's how this carfree trailrider sees it.

I guess in fairness I should say that road rides within PDX city limits and where I live now are at least 500,000 times better than road rides in PHX.

Have very few road miles in Seattle and none in Eugene. I should do something about that this summer.

**** just riding around eugene itself would be fun :) i havent been back to eugene since around 08.
Id move back after my probation ends in august but id like to be able to get a paying job lol so for now im stuck in phx because i have a decent job right now.

Hey when did you live in phoenix bro? and where abouts

1981-1992. 35th Ave/Bell Road. I still get down there once a year to visit the family and ride the trails.

lol im right off 11th ave and bell, **** hole desert start apt's :|

Of all the places I've lived, Phoenix is the only one I absolutely despise. I literally cringe just thinking about it.

Phoenix is a pretty awful place, Id rather move back to vegas than live here but eh things dont always work the way you want them :|

Not sure why I said vegan instead of artificial. I guess I've just had vegan-fear on the brain since I decided to move out there. Blecchhh!

HEY! I resemble that remark.

That said, I have no issue with leather saddles: 3 Brooks Pros and 3 vintage Turbos here.

IMO, using the leather responsibly is better than having it go to waste. One of my Brooks Pros was made in 1967 and is still going strong.

Phoenix is a pretty awful place, Id rather move back to vegas than live here but eh things dont always work the way you want them :|

i hear ya .... were moving from phx to portland at the end of July.. cant come sooner

Of all the places I've lived, Phoenix is the only one I absolutely despise. I literally cringe just thinking about it.

+1. I will never set foot in that place again.

I ride a brooks, just use a plastic bag when parking.

My Brooks saddle came with a rain cover.

I think the Team Pro Classic is the only one that doesn't.

my b-72 didn't come with one either.

I also have a Brooks and use a plastic bag. It protects the saddle from rain and (somewhat) disguises it from thieves.