MikeinFL

good point. the thigh arms I'm thinking of would be more to the sides than top, not in front of the waist so much, and would not force into the waist in an accident somehow.

MikeinFL

that's the problem, there's about 10 noseless designs out there, and trying them out means buying them and shipping them back if you don't like it, if they have a return policy. I can see by their designs they provide more comfort but not stability as no noseless design I see in pics has anything to replace the function of the nose.

The function of nose is wanted. I don't want what the nose contacts.

Machka 

Apparently you misread what I said then.

In fact, I don't even know what it is you're trying to argue about ... you've obviously taken something someone said and have created a whole conversation around it which I wasn't a part of.

Maelochs

Shocks me that in a thread this long, no one has yet said, "HTFU."

Almost always a stupid response ... but I have never seriously claimed to be smart ....

unterhausen

no reason to HTFU. As said above, it does take the right saddle and some conditioning. I usually have some problems in the spring if I haven't ridden much over the winter, but by summer everything is fine again.

Some shops can measure you for a saddle width. Others have loaner programs. I use a Fizik Aliante. The person that sold it to me said it was "like a hammock" and it is, in a good way.

Flip Flop Rider

for noseless saddle, try the moonsaddle (look it up). I've got 2 and ride pain free always

fietsbob

For Me Or you,? and for how long..?

Maelochs

Are you considering some fairly radical surgery? You'd be the first I have ever heard of who made that change for cycling. Quite a martyrdom.

LouB 

REI lets you return a saddle for up to a year. I'd take advantage of their policy, If you are like most of us returning to riding, you'll start with a "cushy" saddle and do fine for a couple of months, then need something slimmer and easier on your pernium (taint.) The more you ride, 2 things are going to happen. Your seat post will go up and your saddle will get more "racy." Make a tracing of your sits bones (get a clean piece of cardboard, set it on a step and sit on it for a few minutes.) Get up and run a piece of chalk or crayon over it. The 2 circles (indentations) where there's no chalk are your sitz bones. Measure the distance (in mm) between the center of these indentations. Thats what your saddle needs to support. God luck. Most of us have a bunch of old, no longer used saddles!

Maelochs

never heard of this method. Thanks for sharing.

rydabent

The simple fact remains that on a recumbent the weight of the body is spread out over a wide area, unlike a DF saddle. With no high pressure points the seat of a bent logically just HAS to be more comfortable. Among other things, that is why cross country rider that spend long hours "in the saddle" are more and more turning to bents. Of course in addition, they sit up right and get to see the scenery rather than long hours staring at their front wheel.

Jeff Neese

Good idea. If you're at REI (or anywhere that sells seats) you can always just put the saddle on the edge of a stool or something (take it over to the shoe department) and just sit on it. It won't tell you how comfortable it will be on the road, but at least you'll be able to tell if it hits your sitbones in the right spot or not.

Jeff Neese

I'm sure some people find "noseless" saddles comfortable, but that's only compared to their old, ill-fitting, poorly designed, and uncomfortable conventional saddle. I think most folks would find that the right conventional saddle, with a nose like it's supposed to have, would be better still.

It depends on the kind of riding you do of course. The casual rider that gets out on the weekend and peddles around the neighborhood is basically just "sitting on top of" the saddle and peddling their legs to make it go. Like an exercise bike. A noseless saddle might be OK for them.

For a lot of us though, riding is a bit more "dynamic". We're shifting fore and aft, modulating the amount of weight distributed between our seat, legs, and arms, and the nose of the saddle is part of what gives you control, not to mention safety.

Besides, when I go fast downhill, no-handed and standing up, I still need to hold the nose of the saddle between my thighs.

Maelochs

Post #99:

modelmartin

Sport can be approached many different ways. It can be a lot of fun.

VegasTriker

Of course there is but so many of the people here don't want to read the word "recumbent". Haven't had a sore butt in 17 years in spite of riding many thousands of miles.

Maelochs

Liking them hills?

cbrstar

I used to cut the nose off my plastic seats BITD, just to make them lighter. Odd thing is that it actually makes them more uncomfortable, and you seem to slide off too easy. The nose actually provides a lot of support.

Reynolds 

"Zero pain or discomfort" is a tall order. You must expect some grade of discomfort after a few hours of doing anything.

kickstart

This
My contention is this isn't the only way to be comfortable on a bike, and got the impression from your reply you disagree with my opinion.

linberl

I had a professional bike fit (to deal with some problems) and the fitter said you should feel like a tripod, balanced on your feet, hands, and butt. He said no one area should feel like it is carrying more pressure than the others, you should basically be "floating" over the bike, relaxed. In my case, it took a while and some very incremental adjustments to reach that point, but it is like finding the Holy Grail. Suddenly, the Brooks saddle that had been killing my ass on long rides was just this nice practically unnoticed support for my rear. My body weight was balanced so well that I didn't feel like I sitting "in" the seat anymore, just lightly perched on top. Precise positioning also got rid of my hand pain, and knee pain as well.
My point is you don't need a recumbent or a noseless saddle......if you can get the right fit.

Machka 

I agree with what Maelochs said.


I neither agreed nor disagreed with whatever it was you said.

Maelochs

I would add, that if you get a big, wide, pillowy seat and only ride for short distances, you can probably be comfortable supporting most of your weight on the buttocks. Do much more than a half-hour though, and you will find that your body is not designed to take vertical shocks directly to the buttocks while seated .... your buttock muscles and lower back will end up trying to absorb all the shock, and sorry to say this, but humans didn't evolve in chairs. The buttocks are not good shock absorbers, and the lower back is supposed to absorb shock which has already mostly been absorbed by the calves and thighs.

if you ride far enough on too soft a saddle you will probably chafe, and if you ride too far with too much weight on the saddle you will have pain.

Do you regularly ride 50 or 100 miles with most of your weight on your buttocks?

You contend that there are other ways to ride a bike comfortably than with most of your weight supported by your legs ... please tell me about how you do this and for how long.

Chuck Naill

How my cycling has evolved. What you think is best turns out not to be true. Thinly padded cycling shots are more comfortable that thick. Hard leather saddles are better than padded one. A slightly upward cocked saddle is better than level. Most of the weight is on the feet, not the rear.

Phil_gretz

End of story for people who ride for extended periods and with vigor...fit it king. The body adapts painlessly. I haven't felt (my own) saddle (on my own bike) in many years.


Other saddles on ill-fitted borrowed or temporary bikes, well, that's a different story.