Why aren't sprung saddles popular?
#51
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The "feel" of a sprung saddle is significantly different than that of a sprung seat post. When a seat post hits its travel limit, there's a hard stop. I've not ever remembered a similar thing from any sprung saddle. I think it's because when the sprung saddle is out of travel, the leather still flexes, but I'm only speculating.
In any case, despite their weight, I do like sprung saddles. I currently own a Brooks B-190, Brooks B-135, B-68, and a copy of a Brooks Flyer. Each are comfortable & pleasant to ride. I don't care about racing or about weight. Only about comfort. To my butt, the most comfortable saddle to ride is a leather one with springs.
YMMV
In any case, despite their weight, I do like sprung saddles. I currently own a Brooks B-190, Brooks B-135, B-68, and a copy of a Brooks Flyer. Each are comfortable & pleasant to ride. I don't care about racing or about weight. Only about comfort. To my butt, the most comfortable saddle to ride is a leather one with springs.
YMMV
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#52
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Sprung saddles are appropriate if (and only if) a very "upright" seating position is used on the bike. If you're sitting upright, the springs are almost essential to cushion the bumps. If, however, you're on a "road" bike, where the posture is somewhat (to extremely) leaned forward, sprung saddles can't be used at all. Why? Because springs allow the rear of the saddle to sag downward, which, combined with the forward-leaning riding position, puts pressure on the tender parts of the rider's anatomy (which lie toward the front of the saddle). This combination creates numbness, tingling, and an extremely unpleasant riding experience.
This is why "better" bikes (almost always "road" styled bikes), never have sprung saddles. The Brooks B-17, however, has the advantage of a wide rear seating area, the absence of springs that cause rear sag, and the advantage of leather suppleness, that eventually molds itself to the contours of the individual rider.
So, in a nutshell - sprung saddles (Brooks B-72 is typical) are for comfort bikes with upright seating positions, non sprung models (Brooks B-17 is typical) are for road bikes where the rider leans forward to some extent.
Hope this helped!
This is why "better" bikes (almost always "road" styled bikes), never have sprung saddles. The Brooks B-17, however, has the advantage of a wide rear seating area, the absence of springs that cause rear sag, and the advantage of leather suppleness, that eventually molds itself to the contours of the individual rider.
So, in a nutshell - sprung saddles (Brooks B-72 is typical) are for comfort bikes with upright seating positions, non sprung models (Brooks B-17 is typical) are for road bikes where the rider leans forward to some extent.
Hope this helped!
I have tortured myself with a Brooks B190, not appreciating the points you raised, for far too long.
I've been wondering about this myself. And, while I appreciate the thorough explanation; I remain a bit confused. Presuming one has low drops and a 0deg from horizontal (with positive indicating back-down and negative indicating front-down as seen from the right side with the bike pointing right) unsprung saddle on a road bike. Assume that a sprung saddle will have a static tilt of 5 deg with a rider's weight in normal riding position, i.e. hands in the drops, relatively forward weight distribution.
If one install the saddle at 0 deg, then the rider will indeed experience squashed genitals when riding. But, what if one installs the saddle with a -5 deg tilt -- nose down. Then, during normal riding, the will have the exact same saddle position as with an unsprung saddle. But, when the are leaning further forward, pedalling hard, etc. the saddle will rise with them keeping contact and stability longer. And, none of that unpleasant ass-smack when going over a bad road joint while really mashing the cranks.
Note, I am NOT suggesting that this is a proper or useful way of doing things. I want to know whether this would work or what the actual drawbacks are on a road-training or road-touring bike where freedom from pain is more important than the extra weight. Thanks!
If one install the saddle at 0 deg, then the rider will indeed experience squashed genitals when riding. But, what if one installs the saddle with a -5 deg tilt -- nose down. Then, during normal riding, the will have the exact same saddle position as with an unsprung saddle. But, when the are leaning further forward, pedalling hard, etc. the saddle will rise with them keeping contact and stability longer. And, none of that unpleasant ass-smack when going over a bad road joint while really mashing the cranks.
Note, I am NOT suggesting that this is a proper or useful way of doing things. I want to know whether this would work or what the actual drawbacks are on a road-training or road-touring bike where freedom from pain is more important than the extra weight. Thanks!
I had my Brooks B190 setup as the middle picture showed and it was a very painful experience.
#53
Senior Member
I love my Brooks Flyer that I've had for 6 or 7 years now. Its nicely broken in now.
It took a while to get used to the creaking.
I put it on my non-suspension Trek 920 with bike path tires. It takes a slight edge off the big bumps.
But I could see how some riders don't like it.
It took a while to get used to the creaking.
I put it on my non-suspension Trek 920 with bike path tires. It takes a slight edge off the big bumps.
But I could see how some riders don't like it.
#54
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Boo!!!! (english isnt my main language i live on a 3rd world country with horrible bumpy roads and hilly roads)... the saddle and springs is correlated to the width, the position on the bike and the power you will put on the pedal stroke, if youre upright an you will use low power strokes (like on a beach cruiser or english roadster) maybe you wont notice pain and discomfort on the perineum area, but if you need to climb a high degree road you will squish some valuble parts of your anatomy...and thats bad for the bloodstram who nurtures your body parts (specially if youre a 40+ yo male), so if youre on the side of more aerodinamic position of your body (leanned foward) and need to use powerfull strokes maybe you wont need springs because your knees and forearms are acting like natural springs/suspension....
Last edited by depechegore; 03-28-24 at 01:09 PM.
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Boo!!!! (english isnt my main language i live on a 3rd world country with horrible bumpy roads and hilly roads)... the saddle and springs is correlated to the width, the position on the bike and the power you will put on the pedal stroke, if youre upright an you will use low power strokes (like on a beach cruiser or english roadster) maybe you wont notice pain and discomfort on the perineum area, but if you need to climb a high degree road you will squish some valuble parts of your anatomy...and thats bad for the bloodstram who nurtures your body parts, so if youre on the side of more aerodinamic position of your body (leanned foward) and need to use powerfull strokes maybe you wont need springs because your knees and forearms are acting like natural springs/suspension....
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Let's keep this thing alive!!!
There are a couple of ways you can take the bump out of your ride, The one way is what you're doing with a sprung Brooks saddle, Another way is with a suspension seat post, some are bit clunky looking like the Cane Creek Thudbuster; some barely work like the Specialized CGR; some work really well like the Redshift which is the one I have, and it works nicely; some are cheap, but one of the cheap ones is actually a good one, the Suntour NCX but it's also heavy. You could even combine the sprung seat with a suspension seat post for the ultimate suspension ride. If you chose a seatpost since your sprung seat has dampening up and down, is to get a seat post that is dampens differently like the Redshift, so you have two different dampenings.
Let's keep this thing alive by you responding what you decided to do.
There are a couple of ways you can take the bump out of your ride, The one way is what you're doing with a sprung Brooks saddle, Another way is with a suspension seat post, some are bit clunky looking like the Cane Creek Thudbuster; some barely work like the Specialized CGR; some work really well like the Redshift which is the one I have, and it works nicely; some are cheap, but one of the cheap ones is actually a good one, the Suntour NCX but it's also heavy. You could even combine the sprung seat with a suspension seat post for the ultimate suspension ride. If you chose a seatpost since your sprung seat has dampening up and down, is to get a seat post that is dampens differently like the Redshift, so you have two different dampenings.
Let's keep this thing alive by you responding what you decided to do.
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I use this type of saddle on nearly all my bikes except the "built for speed" ones. Whether around the block or a full century, my hiney seems happy.
Sometimes they're branded Serfas, sometimes Cloud 9, sometimes generic, but they're almost all the same double-sprung goodness.
My sister makes saddle covers which we use to resurrect saddles for several nonprofits. They look spiffy when they're done:
Sometimes they're branded Serfas, sometimes Cloud 9, sometimes generic, but they're almost all the same double-sprung goodness.
My sister makes saddle covers which we use to resurrect saddles for several nonprofits. They look spiffy when they're done:
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