Gel vs standard padding
 

Does anyone have anything good to say about gel padded saddles? I just got 2 WTB Speed Progels saddles and one standard padding one and hoping for many happy butt riding years to come. Hope the gel ones I got work out since they cost 15 bucks more than a standard padded one.

In general no.

All you can do is try it and see if it works for you.

I have nothing good to say about padded saddles in general, let alone gel versions.

I bought a MEMORY foam seat cover in China, half way in my tour. Went over a Brooks Flyer.
Haven't had a bum ache or pain or pimple since. I think it cured my back thigh cramps as well.

There are no bad saddles. It is just that not all saddles fit all individuals or all riding styles. Finding the right saddle for you can take some time and involve testing a few saddles.

It may not work for everyone, but gel padding works for me. I commute 45 minutes each way and all three of my bikes have gel pads. My MTB based commuter has a gel seat with springs. My old roadie with its hard, original saddle gets two gel covers, and my new commuter gets one gel cover. I have ridden the new bike 3 hours at one stretch, and the other two I have pedalled up to 6 hours on occasion. I wear coaches shorts and have not had bruises or chafing. I also pad the handlebars, but that's another issue. When I got the new bike last January I tried a few rides without any padding, but my butt hurt, and my hands. The old roadie I tried without padding for a few rides, then added a gel seat, then added another. My hands weren't giving me problems back then. WHen I bought my mountain bike in 1997, I transfered the seat from my 1987 Schwinn cruiser, it was lightly padded with springs. When it fell apart a couple of years ago I bought something similar, but with thicker gel padding and comparable springs. Padded or not, sprung or not, wide or narrow, when it comes to bicycle seats, if it feels good...do it!

That's as succinct and accurate as you can get right there.

I too went on a hunt for the right saddle. It took some doing. I believe I bought six different saddles before arrived at my current, and 'just right' saddle, the selle smp trk.
Four of my saddles were gel padded. I wear Asics gel sneakers with great success so I had a hard time accepting that gel wasn't the best choice for me in bike seats.
Well when I finally decided to go radical with the SMP I chose not to get the gel version. Best decision my butt ever made.

Padded saddles and padded shorts. Both need to be considered. Maybe one of these days, the two types of manufacturers will begin speaking to one another and come up with a comprehensive approach.

after much trial and error and wasted money my butt is happy with a $99 Brooks saddle. I use thin lined trishorts under regular shorts or pants. I had tried various types of padded saddles and even gel shorts and traditional thick chamois lined shorts but am quite sure my current combo is the best for me. good luck!

I only use saddles with springs. They're the best for comfort riding. Funny thing. Vinyl saddles with springs are some of the cheapest bike seats available on-line. I've been buying them for around $15 or so. Once you try one you won't go back to anything else.

I like the elastomers in the seatpost, by Cane Creek..

The Gel breaks down over time then you buy another one , if you like it another of the same .

Italian Selle Royale makes a vast range of Gel saddles, they own Fizik and I think Brooks too , now.

what does it feel like? is it noticeable? does it feel like a suspension seatpost?

What does what feel like? forty-two is that answer..

the various densities of elastomer (part of the design) are the rider weight range adjustment of their seatposts

Do you mind telling what kind of sprong saddles you use and where you buy them.

It seems to me that the padding area that needs the most attention is right at the sit bones. For each rider, its going to be different. Whether the padding is on the saddle or on the shorts, it still has to address the sit bones question.

Then it means the sit bones take on the most weight to support. When a rider moves around, it changes the dynamics as to what the saddle is called to support.

I watch the TdF time trials and those riders have an aggressive seat tube angle and their seat position appears to move forward towards the nose of the saddle. Lucky for them a typical Time Trial is not that long of a ride.

Whether its high density foam or gel, the two types of material has to somehow help support the weight of the rider where it lands. Too much gel and a rider will be sitting in a bed of squish as the gel tends to flatten out. The high density foam sounds better, a more directional support just where you need it, unless the rider moves around.

I suspect that on a long ride, not super fast, a rider can maintain the sit bones alignment to the saddle and have less discomfort.

oh sorry, what does the elastomers in the seatpost feel like?

Separate from being in the seat post , held in your hand, you can feel the various densities
they manufacture for their seat posts.

Or at least I can .. like the feel of a Rare, red meat, vs Well Done, cooked through, Steak.

LT you have color codes , ST they are all black But there is a clock face like number with a pointer

they change what number it is , by the arrow position .. Seatposts

Direct sales : Welcome to Thudbuster.com

Go to Niagra Cycles and look up seats. Pick the cruiser/mountain bike category. Select the feature that lists price from low to high. Find seat that has springs in the description. (Sometimes there's only a top view of saddle). Seats look like this:

~

Yes, like SPD bike shoes and SPD pedals, so that you will not be able to ride a bike with a SPD saddle unless you are wearing SPD shorts

(singing) "does your elastometer loose its gel on the seatpost overnight..."

learn trhe difference... between the gooey stuff in the saddle or saddle pad .. top,


& the "pucks" in the seatpost mech that are are denser from the get go..

For those old enough, he is quoting in the loose sense of the word: Lonnie Donnegan.