gel pad or gel saddle that will forgo my use of padded bike shorts?
04-24-07, 02:00 PM
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gel pad or gel saddle that will forgo my use of padded bike shorts?
I have a road bike that I will be using to run short errands. While I usually wear padded bike shorts on the weekend for my recreational riding, I wanted to see if a gel seat cover or a new padded saddle will forgo my use of bike shorts for these short jaunts. Any suggestions?
04-24-07, 02:10 PM
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how short? if you're talking about less than 5, maybe 10 mi total you can get away with not doing a dern thing to your saddle and just wear whatever. YMMV....
04-24-07, 02:23 PM
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nah, you don't need a cover or more padded seat. Just get out and go 
04-24-07, 02:28 PM
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Yeah, just hop on and go. I've got a commute that's about 20 minutes one direction and half the time or more I'm wearing dress pants. You'll get used to it.
And then when you put on a proper pair of bibs, it'll feel like a Lazy-Boy.
And then when you put on a proper pair of bibs, it'll feel like a Lazy-Boy.
04-24-07, 05:42 PM
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Originally Posted by bugmenot
I have a road bike that I will be using to run short errands. While I usually wear padded bike shorts on the weekend for my recreational riding, I wanted to see if a gel seat cover or a new padded saddle will forgo my use of bike shorts for these short jaunts. Any suggestions?
There's a few semi-recumbent bikes that are quite comfortable to ride without padded shorts--but unfortunately you don't own one of them.
~
04-24-07, 05:56 PM
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04-24-07, 07:58 PM
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Originally Posted by caloso
And then when you put on a proper pair of bibs, it'll feel like a Lazy-Boy.
04-24-07, 07:59 PM
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You might be interested to know that the chamois in a pair of bike shorts is not for padding at all. It is to keep the area dry and also eliminate seems in that area. It basically is there to keep you from getting rubbed raw there.
That typically doesn't happen on short distances. Also I hate gel saddles and am also a Brooks saddle worshipper. To each his own, but it's important to kill the myth that chamois are for padding.
That typically doesn't happen on short distances. Also I hate gel saddles and am also a Brooks saddle worshipper. To each his own, but it's important to kill the myth that chamois are for padding.
04-24-07, 10:04 PM
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Thanks for the replies.
I did a seach for "Brooks saddle" on ebay and got a few items for auction showing the movie "Blazing Saddles" by Mel Brooks. Hilarious.
Thanks, again.
I did a seach for "Brooks saddle" on ebay and got a few items for auction showing the movie "Blazing Saddles" by Mel Brooks. Hilarious.
Thanks, again.
04-24-07, 10:12 PM
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I have a Serfas Rx that makes a good jeans seat. I've done 20 miles in a day on it with no problems. For longer rides with bike shorts, I'm not sure yet if I prefer the stock saddle.
04-25-07, 12:58 AM
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i have an old serfas "dual density" saddle with ti rails on my mtn bike. comfy with or without bike shorts.
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04-25-07, 02:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Portis
You might be interested to know that the chamois in a pair of bike shorts is not for padding at all. It is to keep the area dry and also eliminate seems in that area. It basically is there to keep you from getting rubbed raw there.
That typically doesn't happen on short distances. Also I hate gel saddles and am also a Brooks saddle worshipper. To each his own, but it's important to kill the myth that chamois are for padding.
That typically doesn't happen on short distances. Also I hate gel saddles and am also a Brooks saddle worshipper. To each his own, but it's important to kill the myth that chamois are for padding.
04-25-07, 02:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Nicodemus
That makes sense. However, one must admit that the padding aspect is a bonus. My shorts are just the ticket for me, no other suspension needed. I hated my suspension seatpost. CF seatpost with bike shorts is great.
04-25-07, 03:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Portis
I don't think one must admit that at all. Again, that isn't the intent, or in my opinion, the result of a cycling chamois. In fact it is a myth, that actually has a placebo effect more than anything in terms of comfort.
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04-25-07, 06:55 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by roadfix
You can wear regular shorts on a Brooks saddle.
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04-25-07, 07:24 PM
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Do you have a problem riding in non-biking shorts? Have you even tried it? You might find it to be no problem at all - for short distances.
04-26-07, 11:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Portis
I don't think one must admit that at all. Again, that isn't the intent, or in my opinion, the result of a cycling chamois. In fact it is a myth, that actually has a placebo effect more than anything in terms of comfort.
Shorts made for recumbent bicycles have no padding at all:
https://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/...ory=1115155616
Recumbent shorts are lycra (or have synthetic liners) to prevent chafing from the thighs rubbing together, but if the purpose of the chamois was to wick away moisture, then recumbent shorts would have chamois too.
They don't.
....
I don't recall seeing ANY recumbent-specific shorts for sale that had any significant amount of padding at all. I'm not guaranteeing nobody sells them, but none of the big names in the business seem to.
------
I could be totally wrong here--but it's my guess that upright bicycle shorts have chamois to try to provide padding for alleviating pain from sitting on an impractically-small seat area, and also to try to prevent saddle-sores from the thighs rubbing on the nose of the saddle. On a recumbent you don't have either of those problems, so there's no chamois.
~
04-26-07, 11:44 AM
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Originally Posted by roadfix
You can wear regular shorts on a Brooks saddle.
um, you can wear regular shorts on any saddle.
just sayin'....
04-26-07, 11:57 AM
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Originally Posted by superdex
um, you can wear regular shorts on any saddle.
just sayin'....
just sayin'....
04-26-07, 11:26 PM
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Honestly even on my bikes with a very firm low profile racing saddle (which currently is all of them), even in jeans I'm pretty comfortable on a 20mi round trip. I think cycling shorts make sense on long intense rides, but are a bit overrated in terms of their necessity.
04-26-07, 11:32 PM
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The take I hear on gel saddles is that they distribute pressure too evenly. As one part of your butt starts to get sore, you shift your weight only to find the same amount of pressure there as before. I've never tried a long ride on one, but it makes sense.
I still have the cheap stock Bontrager saddle on my hardtail, which is lopsided and shaped funny. I've done 35 mile rides on it in unpadded nylon shorts. It starts to get a little uncomfortable towards the end, but not bad. I prefer a small amount of chaffing to the diaper feeling.
I still have the cheap stock Bontrager saddle on my hardtail, which is lopsided and shaped funny. I've done 35 mile rides on it in unpadded nylon shorts. It starts to get a little uncomfortable towards the end, but not bad. I prefer a small amount of chaffing to the diaper feeling.
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