Why aren't sprung saddles popular?
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alll butone ofmy bikes have sprung saddles ju9st becuase thats how i find them. most parts for my biikes vome from the local tip or somethingas being 15 i camnt afford to have great equipment. Sprung saddles a very comfy and quite releiving if you donthave supsspension ...
alex
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alex
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I've been doing a little research on sprung saddles and it seems like Brooks is the only maker carried by most online shops. I'm interested in buying a brooks but I'm confused as to why the sprung saddles aren't heard of more often. Having only ridden a cheap sprung saddle, it was (at first impression) very comfy. I commute daily and would welcome a better saddle. Should I just go with a B17 and see how I like it or are the sprung saddles just that much more comfortable?
HELP! I'm confused. Thanks!
PS - I understand that the suckers are HEAVY. I'm not worried about that as much as comfort
HELP! I'm confused. Thanks!
PS - I understand that the suckers are HEAVY. I'm not worried about that as much as comfort
And photos of my bikes on Flickr listed below:
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I just bought a Brokks B67 sprung saddle that I haven't received yet. I've read that Brooks sprung saddles that are sprung in the back as well in front has a tendency to have lateral movement. I don't think I would like a saddle that did that no matter how much it cost or what brand it is.
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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.
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!
#30
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Good lord you drug this thread out of the basement
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This is not just wrong, it shows an utter lack of thought. Force exerted on the pedals in normal pedaling is low compared to rider weight. Common sense should tell you this, because if "cruising" force equaled rider weight then going up 30 degree hills would take minimal effort...
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The "tilt the sprung saddle forward to compensate for spring sag" theory seems sound to me. Level is level, no matter how you get there. The proof is in the riding. If it's comfortable, then it's good. Racers may need finer calibration for maximum output during specific tasks (such as climbing), but for the recreational rider, the proper attitude is "comfort uber alles."
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What's even funnier is that this zombie has been dug up, stabbed through the heart, buried, dug up again, stabbed and buried. There's no meat left on the bone!
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Truly impressive, since there ain't no friggin' basements around here. Best part of a house, missing throughout northern Cali. And Florida.
On a more serious note, does the community prefer that idiots like myself post new threads on old topics or resurrect ones from the morgue that are pertinent? I'd rather do what is preferred, 'cept I've got no idea what that is.
On a more serious note, does the community prefer that idiots like myself post new threads on old topics or resurrect ones from the morgue that are pertinent? I'd rather do what is preferred, 'cept I've got no idea what that is.
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Truly impressive, since there ain't no friggin' basements around here. Best part of a house, missing throughout northern Cali. And Florida.
On a more serious note, does the community prefer that idiots like myself post new threads on old topics or resurrect ones from the morgue that are pertinent? I'd rather do what is preferred, 'cept I've got no idea what that is.
On a more serious note, does the community prefer that idiots like myself post new threads on old topics or resurrect ones from the morgue that are pertinent? I'd rather do what is preferred, 'cept I've got no idea what that is.
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Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#37
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Bike companies dont put them in the box, so when people buy a new bike, it's already on it.
then to have one they have to make a separate purchase .. is why..
then to have one they have to make a separate purchase .. is why..
Last edited by fietsbob; 09-05-14 at 01:00 PM.
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A good sprung saddle provides stiction and decent suspension on rough roads. I have the Brooks Flyer on all my bikes.
Sure its heavy but its so comfortable. I feel less fatigued after a long ride.
Sure its heavy but its so comfortable. I feel less fatigued after a long ride.
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Quote Originally Posted by capsicum View Post
Racers use unsprung saddles(monkey see monkey do) and unsprung are lighter, that is why springs are not popular. Racers don't use springs because of weight, aerodynamics, they are light in the saddle(weight is on the pedals)
This is not just wrong, it shows an utter lack of thought. Force exerted on the pedals in normal pedaling is low compared to rider weight. Common sense should tell you this, because if "cruising" force equaled rider weight then going up 30 degree hills would take minimal effort...
Racers use unsprung saddles(monkey see monkey do) and unsprung are lighter, that is why springs are not popular. Racers don't use springs because of weight, aerodynamics, they are light in the saddle(weight is on the pedals)
This is not just wrong, it shows an utter lack of thought. Force exerted on the pedals in normal pedaling is low compared to rider weight. Common sense should tell you this, because if "cruising" force equaled rider weight then going up 30 degree hills would take minimal effort...
Even at that, racers use about 3 times the pedal force of Joe cruiser, which is a significant reduction in weight.
This is the more immediate answer. And a step out, they aren't in the box because springs add to cost, they don't have racer style, and saddles are often swapped out by serious riders anyway.
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Arrhhh!
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I weigh about 180, and the springs on my Velo Orange Mod 5 saddle don't sag. They are just right and move when I hit bumps and dips. My riding position is relatively upright.
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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 do some some limited touring and I've only seen a Brooks sprung saddle once, so I don't think that sprung saddles are all that popular here in the US but occasionally I'll see a suspension seat post, I think the suspension seat post would be a better and lighter option vs a sprung saddle, I think sprung saddles are probably more popular in the UK than anywhere else.
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I prefer the resurrection of old threads. It shows the person did their due diligence and searched the archives first but did not find the answer they were looking for.
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More important than sprung vs. unsprung is saddle shape in regards to comfort. And proper shape is dependent body position relative to the bicycle, application and distance. For the non-racer I seen no problem with a sprung saddle as long as the saddle fits properly. I believe racers don't use sprung saddles because they weigh more and at a high cadence the rider tends to bounce. And keep in mind, on any saddle, sprung or un-sprung, the rider should unload the seat when hitting significant bumps.
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Well, on the surface of it, a sprung seat post would seem to be a better option than a sprung saddle. It is lighter, but that's where the advantages end. My experience is that sprung seat posts always (not sometimes, not often, but always) fail. Sometimes catastrophically. So despite the weight disadvantage, I prefer sprung saddles to suspension seat posts.
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Well, on the surface of it, a sprung seat post would seem to be a better option than a sprung saddle. It is lighter, but that's where the advantages end. My experience is that sprung seat posts always (not sometimes, not often, but always) fail. Sometimes catastrophically. So despite the weight disadvantage, I prefer sprung saddles to suspension seat posts.