Since it was a relatively snowless winter out here this year, and because I no longer bike commute (working from home) I didn't have a lot of saddle time with my 90's drop-bar MTB/commuter which gets studded snow tires in the winter.

Yesterday I put the big summer smoothies back on it and went for a ride.

I now have four fairly different bikes and I like to compare how they ride: a 1984 roadbike, a 2015 semi-tourer, a 2007 folder and the 1987 mountain bike in question. The MTB is the heaviest , but it's both nimble and stable.

But the impression I was left with from yesterday's ride was just how nice it was to have a sprung seat! When I bought the bike in 1997 I put on the sprung seat from my previous bike, a 1986 Schwinn Cruiser Supreme. That seat finally wore out four or so years ago and after much thought, I replaced it with another sprung seat, one with a slightly wider rear, and a longer nose. At the time I had straight bars with attachments that allowed for a more road-like position and also a more upright position, so the wide rear made sense. Since converting the bike to drop bars two years ago I had thought about getting a narrower saddle, but one that is sprung.

However, on yesterday's ride the wide, sprung saddle just felt right. All through my 50s I felt my "natural padding" decline, and now entering the first springtime of my 60s I found myself thinking about finding narrow sprung saddles for my two road bikes, and possibly the folder.

I don't like the feel of front suspension, (like on my wife's 'comfort' bike) and I don't ride off road much. Perhaps my appreciation for sprung saddles goes back to my earliest bikes back in the 1960s and 70s which included a Schwinn Typhoon and a Schwinn Speedster. I remember when I got my older-brother's hand-me-down Schwinn Sting-Ray with the padded, but unsprung banana seat...that took some getting used to. And my first road-style bike, a 1974 27" Azuki with drop bars had a narrow sprung seat.

Since all my bikes now have drop bars (the folder has bull-bars) I use my arms and legs as suspension, but when those unseen and unexpected bumps kick up the rear wheel, those seat springs are really nice.

I wish you all a happy spring from the bottom of my butt!

OTOH my first 25 mile ride of this season on my recumbent trike produced no pain at all. I remember when I rode DF bikes, and went on a 25 mile ride after being off the bike for about 3 months, my butt was so sore I didnt want to get on the bike again for a week or more.

Did my first 30 mile ride of the year on my Surly LHT yesterday. No pain in the butt whatsoever.

Scheduled to start a long weekend tour a week from this coming Thursday. Might be a bit of a trial, but it will be worth it.

Yesterday morning was 30F and sunny, but with rain predicted for afternoon. So I figured I'd do a short ride on my hybrid rather than get the highracer out. Seven miles was just about it for my butt; in fact I felt it for the rest of the day. There was a club ride scheduled for today, but I'm not gonna ride in 38F and wet.

coming outta winter, once i was able to assimilate to the so called change in season, the most discomfort was a pain the neck. I feel it pays off using the indoor unit as to maintaining some sort of outdoor cycling conditioning during the unfavorable weather days.

I like to ride in 72+ degree weather, but I'll get myself out when it's 50 or above in the Spring. I used to have to start with a 2 mile ride to ride without butt pain. SInce I've been using a trainer for the past few years, I can start at 10+ miles.

It snowed here yesterday. It didn't get near 50 degrees. Spring, my butt!....

(Admittedly, snow in early April is common in Chicago.)

And I HOPE my 'natural' (i.e. overweight) butt padding gets smaller as I age....

I do this, but more often than not, it is during the week in the summer when the heat and humidity hit dangerous level or when he afternoon storms start throwing out lots of lightning. I don't mind getting caught in the rain, I just hate starting out in the rain.

I can understand that & would treat extreme humidity & heat same as the icy cold windy northern weather. If it is not a heavy/steady rain & the radar shows the weather clearing up, I may go for the puddles. Windy, cold & rain.... HARD PASS. Thunder & lightening doesn't bother me much.

Doing something is essential for me. My transition has been different this year. Been riding SS for most of two years. We had about six bad weeks of snow and ice that mostly killed off February and the adjoining weeks in January and March. I don’t have a rig for indoor cycling nor much interest, but I did go to the rec center most days.

So getting back to riding in March, I was better off in terms of core and upper body strength and decent on CV fitness from torturing myself on the stair climber, but deficient in cycling leg strength when climbing hills.

I threw some gears on the back and now I’m riding about half in 42/14 and half in 42/16. The 42/14 really forces me to work on lower cadence and leg strength. I’m starting to see some improvement now on the hills. I have to stand fairly often running the higher gear, but the trade off is less time in the saddle and no comfort issues.

I’ve never had a sprung saddle, but it seems like an elegant solution to dealing with the occasional bump in the saddle. Do you notice much give when pedaling hard?

Otto

Troul, thank you for outing yourself about your infinity for your indoor unit. It was very brave of you to come right out with it. There is a treatment for the unhealthy use of your unit, and it’s called riding an outdoor unit. Best of luck.

Hardly, but I may still have some youthful elasticity left in my dog years.

sometimes the stiff sitbone isn't so hard for the saddle, but, I don't want to be premature in assuming that just yet. The cycling community will patiently await for others to be brave in coming out of the woodwork too.

Hoping for first ride in a week or so. Gravel roads still have muddy stretches, and paved roads still have sand in places. Just need a sunny 50 degree day to inspire me to get started on paved roads until gravel is passable.

First few rides are generally painful each year, but I hope to get out before the ice is gone on the many local lakes and ponds. Last year I was cycling past people ice fishing, but the ice goes fast this time of year, and will be gone in the next two weeks.

Here's to a safe and enjoyable season to all!

It will be approaching 100F in SoCal later this week.
Yikes! I was enjoying the 65F-75F temps this past month.
Maybe night/early morning rides is the cure?

Out of the last two weeks, I think it has rained on about ten days. But I've managed to ride on a few dry days including this past Friday after work. No wind! Then of course it rained Saturday and again Sunday night, and more tomorrow....

Sounds painful! What do you do to stay in shape over the winter?!

Nothing. And I have learned that at age 57 I cannot simply jump on the bike at the beginning of the season and knock off a bunch of miles like I did when I was younger. I need to start going to a gym over the winter like I used to.

The first day of my planned tour is 64 miles. I may use a train to shorten that.

My hat is off to you, Reflector Guy, for riding outside at the same temperatures that kept me inside.

Yup im in the same boat I feel you

No, and that's why I like it better than the front shocks or the suspension post and sprung seat on my wife's bike.

Saw a glimmer or spring early on. But lately--more like monsoon season with way too many rainy days, and calling for snow in this coming weekend mornings. Will be above freezing, so at least it won't be handing around. Might be another "spring" that transitions right into summer. Grass will probably be halfway up to my knees by the time it dries out enough to cut.

I rode nearly 250 miles in the first 3 weeks of March. Since then ..... nothing .... got cold again with lots of rain. Was gonna ride today after work .... 45 degrees with a stiff breeze and rain on the way. No thanks. Luckily for me I have not experienced any significant butt pain LOL. I have a great seat on my new build and actually quite like the seat that came with my Domane.