A couple of these came up in the first thread I started, but since it was under a different topic, I thought it best to move this into a new topic.

I have just re-entered bicycling after a seven year hiatus. I bought my Cannondale last Tuesday (July 11). So far, I like it very much over all. I have a couple of questions for anyone else who has this bike, or a similar one.

1) Tires: The Panaracer website says that my tires are rated for a range of 44-73 psi. I assume that inflating it nearer the minimum might give a cushier ride, and nearer the maximum might make it a bit quicker on pavement but give a stiffer ride. Is that true? How are you inflating your tires? Should both tires be at the same psi?

2) Saddle: My backside is having a hard time adjusting to this saddle. I get some 'sit bone' soreness, but no numbness with 'sensitive parts', shall we say. I'm not sure if I just need some time, padded shorts, or a different saddle. What are your experiences with this saddle? Did anyone else have the adjustment problems I am having? What worked for you? I realize that everyone is a bit different, but I'm looking for a few clues that will help me sort this out.

3) Accessories: So far, I have only added a simple Cannondale computer that gives me speed, odometer, distance traveled in the current ride, and a few other things. I'm thinking that a basic under-the-saddle toolkit might be wise. What else has anyone added? Just looking for ideas.

Thanks for any input.

I took my CX 4 out for a ride this afternoon. Here's the weird part. Although I could feel this soreness in my behind when I sat down on a chair and (especially) when I got up again, I did not feel it at all during the ride. I felt a little stiffness on the outside of my behind, as the saddle is somewhat firm. But no additional soreness. Then I realized that this soreness only started some time after my previous ride. Could it be that it wasn't the saddle at all, but that I could have pulled something back there? It reminds me more of a pulled muscle than anything else. Does that make sense to any of you?

I also tried padded bike shorts for the first time. When I put them on, they had an odd "bunched-up" feeling as I stood. But, said I, if they help the ride, I can accept that. And they do seem to help. I'll do a ride each day and see how things go.

First, on the stock tires, I used 70 psi. I have always thought that near max inflation is best to avoid flats. Don't know if that is accurate, but it seems when I was mountain bike I got it flats I got were always on those short rides where I didn't check or top off my pressure. As you may remember I actuly went the oppset of most and went to a smaller higher pressure tire. I run them at 110 but I almost never leave the pavement. I use the padded underwear. If I'm just going to zip into town or something I don't brouther but on long rides I put on the padded underwear and wear my normal (baggy) shorts. When I used to ride road bikes, I always wore bike shorts and dint wear anything under them

It maybe all in my head, but I think the bike takes time to break in. I m sure it gives me less road vibration now then it did a couple hundred miles ago when new. I did a ride with some road bikers today. 50 miles and I had no problem keeping up. Yesterday I did 35 miles with a "slow roll" group. I felt comfortable in both groups. I did adjust my seat a little lower for the slow ride group to make it easier to mount and dismount, but no big deal.

I have a little wedge bag under my seat. I keep and extra tube, CO2 inflator, plastic "tire irons" and one of those zillion function multi tools. I don't think it matters which as it just for eng use. I know some guys that think that is their tool kit to work on the bike. They are often disappointed. I also have a couple of unused zip ties in there, never know if you might need one for some reason. Of course I have a computer and one of my water bottles mounted up on my bars.

When I was riding with the slow roll group, I went down to my smallest chain ring for the first time. Later when I tried to shift back up, it just kept grinding the chain. Stupid me, I figured out it helps to get in you smaller rear cogs before trying to go up the chain wheel. I haven't really looked at it yet, maybe a little adjustment or possibly the cable is hanging up. At any rate I'm sure it will be addressed when I take it back for the 30 days check up

Thanks for all of this. It is helpful and encouraging.

I find that, as I get used to my new bike and to riding again, I'm rediscovering why I loved bicycling in the first place. Nothing unusual or unexpected about that, of course. Today, I did a nine mile drive solely on paved roads - rural roads that have a decent shoulder and not a lot of traffic. My bike did fine there, even though it isn't a road bike. Those roads also give me some practice going up and down small hills. I'm gaining some confidence, and my average speed was up. I look forward to longer rides, on pavement as well as on rail trails (or both).

As for accessories, I will likely get a bag with a spare inner tube and some basic tools, like you describe. I'm also wondering about a handlebar mount for my smartphone. I'm getting used to the saddle, so I don't know if I'll need to change it. I really like the stock tires; they do very well on rail trail surfaces, and yet aren't shabby on paved roads, either. No need for me to get different tires - or not now, anyway. I'll see how I actually use my bike over the coming weeks and months.

I saw a few guys on that slow roll ride that had a little bag on the top tube that had holder for their cells. I never used one but it looked like a cool way to have a pack and phone holder. Might want to check that out. I already have one of my water bottels up on my handle bars, so I mwouldnt want my phone up there too

I have a cell phone mount on my handlebar, and I do like it up there. I usually ride with Strava open and tracking me. I also often ride with Pandora radio, and I don't wear headphones, and keeping the phone up on my handlebar means I can hear the radio without having it cranked up so high as to annoy other folks.

Regarding your tires, they look neat:

https://www.cxmagazine.com/review-pa...ck-gravel-tire

Nice meaty 39mm when installed.

https://www.cxmagazine.com/panaracer...ire-nahbs-2015

Amazon has the folding bead version (probably the most desirable, with its better casing) for 30 bucks, and the wire bead version for 22 dollars. Great value!

I've added a spurcycle bell to my Quick 1. Mostly for bike trails (and the rare occasion I am able to pass someone on the road).

I have a hydration pack that I bought for my long walks, an Osprey Raptor 10 (that was designed for biking as well as hiking). I'll bring that along for longer rides, so the water bottle isn't as important. I like the idea of a handlebar mount for my phone. I'll install Strava or Map My Ride pretty soon.

Yes, Cannondale made a good choice with those Panaracer tires.

I hadn't thought of a bell, but it could come in handy at times.

Looking around on other threads, I see that some folks have done some very interesting things with their bikes. I'll keep things simple for now. But down the road, who knows?

I went on a 30 mile "slow roll" ride in Saturday. I know I expected it, but I really can't believe how much faster I coast down hills then the other bikes. There is one long down hill on the bike trail part of the ride. It was the only time I just let her go instead of breaking to stay with the group. I got out a good 100 yds on the next guy. Surprised me it was that much!

Did some riding on a brand new Quick 4 today (ridge fork). Just about lost the fillings in my teeth riding on some side walks! I'm really believing that this frame some how has to Break in. I ride the same section on the CX4 (which now has over 300 miles on it) and it is much easier.

The Quick 4 has a rigid fork, so it will have a stiffer ride than the CX 4. Maybe the Quick 4's ride will improve with time, but the CX 4 will ride more smoothly with its suspension fork.

I have also been pleasantly surprised with how my CX 4 does on pavement. I did fourteen miles today, in two seven mile rides on different side roads heading out of town. I can also coast downhill quite quickly. But I also feel that the CX 4 is easier to pedal on pavement than my last hybrid was - and that was a Trek 7300, seven years ago. I'm adjusting to the saddle, and my leg muscles are beginning to adjust to pedaling. It's all good.

One more question. I love the front suspension and the gearing on my Quick CX 4. However, the ride on the saddle feels pretty stiff over gravel and rough pavement. (My last bike had a suspension seatpost, as I now recall). It may well feel less stiff with time, as some of you have said.

But, for the info, has anyone tried a suspension seatpost? What are the pros and cons of getting one? Which ones might work well with the CX 4? Thanks for any info. It will give me something to talk about the next time I go to my LBS.

I don't know about anyone else, but I recently bought a bike with with a suspension seat post, and have since changed to a normal seat post. The issue I had was the seat rocked back and forth when I was riding. There was a clamp on the top that I could tighten to stop the rocking, but it also stopped the suspension from working. I also found it was an odd size I guess (26.75mm). At any rate, I like the standard post better. It may be because this Schwinn is a "comfort" bike and has a wide seat. It dosent look like that Cannondale seat is very wide

No, it isn't wide at all. I've given it almost two weeks. My 'saddle soreness' isn't getting better; in fact, it's a little worse, in spite of the padded bike shorts I now wear and in spite of the fact that I now avoid the gravel trails as they are too painful on my behind now! I'll take my bike tomorrow to my LBS to get a wider, more padded saddle. My last bike, a Trek 7300, never gave me that problem, and I never wore special bike clothing with it. It had a wider saddle and a suspension seatpost. I suspect that a more comfortable saddle will do the trick, but I'll ask the folks at the LBS about a suspension seatpost while I'm there.

More padding in the saddle is not the answer. A seat that supports your sit bones properly and a good quality pair of padded shorts will do it.

You may just need a wider seat. I can't ride 138-143 mm seats. I need 155mm for comfort.

Avoid the suspension seatpost. Bad idea...adds more weight to the bike and consistently changes the geometry.

I went to my LBS this morning. They had a couple of versions of the Planet Bike ARS saddle in stock to show me. Besides that, they told me that if I wanted the ultimate in comfort and durability, I could go with a Brooks saddle. They didn't have any Brooks saddles in stock, but they had one installed on a bike they had for sale, and they showed that one to me. Don't know which Brooks it was.

I decided to buy the wider of the two Planet Bike saddles. I watched as the salesperson installed the new saddle, and asked about how it's done. He told me that all I'd need is an Allen wrench, so I picked one up while I was there. It didn't look like it would be hard to learn, or do.

I haven't yet ridden my bike with the Planet Bike saddle, but I will today (if the expected rain holds off) or tomorrow. I sat on the new saddle, and it does feel more supportive. If I like it, so much the better. If not, I can look into a Brooks or something else.

I wish I could remember what kind of saddle my old Trek 7300 had. Never had any discomfort with it!

I tried my bike with the new Planet Bike saddle. It is wider than the stock saddle, and that helped. It also had just a little more padding, and that helped. But the anatomical cutout was actually a little uncomfortable for me after a couple of miles. Maybe I wasn't sitting properly on the saddle? I'll need to experiment more with it and see. The saddle adventure continues...

Agree with [MENTION=413198]prj71[/MENTION]. I have two suspension seat posts -- both can usually be found in my parts bins. They came on two Trek comfort hybrids and I never could get a good feel on them. They twist a little bit for one (by design). That's unnerving. And if you have them set so they actually travel some, your saddle-to-bottom bracket distance obviously changes. This changes how you interact with your pedals. It's just a very odd feeling, one that I couldn't get used to.

I've tried a number of saddles, and have a number of saddles (mostly inexpensive ones from parts bikes). Perhaps my favorite is an old Serfas "Deep Groove Design" saddle. It's not this saddle, but it does resemble it:

https://www.serfas.com/shop/products...mfort-wcutout/

Point is, it's not an especially wide saddle, and it's not a plush saddle, but it does apparently support me exactly where I need it, because I do ride it in relative comfort. I need to do some more riding with it -- it's currently mounted on my only bike with a 26.6mm seat post, so I can't do a tool-less swap to another bike right quick before a ride.

I do find that I prefer saddles with a pretty deep/wide cutout in the middle. Without that cut, I get some perineum numbness after 30-45 mins...and after much less time if the saddle's angle isn't quite right.

Saddles are definitely a tough nut to crack, only because it's hard to know if it fits until AFTER you've bought it and ridden it for a number of miles.

Thanks for your input. The folks at my LBS didn't think a suspension seatpost was a good idea for me, either. So that's out.

I've been reading about Serfas saddles. Don't they offer a 90 day comfort guarantee, or something like that? That would make buying one of their saddles a little safer - if I could return it and try a different model if the one I ordered didn't quite work out.

First, I'll use my Planet Bike saddle a few more times and see if it's merely a question of either adjusting it or adjusting my position on it. If that doesn't help, I'll likely try a Serfas saddle next.

One thing I have not yet experienced is perineum numbness. It doesn't mean that I won't, of course. A wide/deep cutout has its advantages.

At this point, I would gladly spend more for a saddle if I knew ahead of time that it would work for me. But that kind of guarantee doesn't seem to exist. Our bodies are too varied.

I like everything else about the Quick CX 4, and I don't experience any other kind of discomfort during or after a ride. So, I assume it's a saddle question. Once I solve the saddle riddle, I should be home free.

I use the Specialized Power saddle. Available in 3 different widths.

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/sa...-expert/105546

The Specialized saddles generally get very good reviews, from what I've seen. Thanks for the input.

Well, I took my Planet Bike ARS saddle (with padded bike shorts on) for a slightly longer and more varied ride today. The weather is ideal. A sixteen mile ride in all. I took the main road to a nearby town - decent paved shoulders, gently rolling woods/farmland terrain - then took the rail trail back. The rail trail is not well-maintained, and gets ATV use, but is in decent shape overall. The further end has more areas of loose gravel, more potholes, and more rocky areas than the end nearer to my home. So, a good overall test for tires, saddle, and me. The tires handled the varied terrain pretty well. The seat and bike shorts combo felt better this time. And I held up as well. If this Planet Bike saddle isn't the best possible answer, it seems like a decent one, at least for now. So I feel more encouraged, both by that and by how I have begun to gain a little more leg strength in just a couple of weeks.

I can say now that the Quick CX 4 is a better bike for the varied terrain than my old Trek 7300 was. I look forward to further adventures with it.

There is another rail trail that begins about eight miles from where I live. It is better-maintained than the nearby one, and much longer (28 miles). I may give that one a try soon. (But not on a weekend - too many ATVs on it then!) Later on, once the summer tourist rush lets up, I'll take my bike to Acadia. It's only a 90 minute drive from where I live.

As far as saddles go, I'm considering one of the Serfas comfort saddles, one of the Specialized saddles (the Power or the Phenom Expert), or the Brooks Flyer. Not yet sure which way I'll go.

I'm glad your getting things sorted with the new 'Dale. This weekend I meeting both my cousin and Uncle for an organized ride ( mostly 2 lane blacktop) and a 16 mile rails to trails section on the 50 mile loop. My cousin has the CX Quick 4. So I will have a chance to ride both the carbon fork and the spring fork for an extended time. In the mean time I'm selling so woodworking tools so I won't really have to worry about the cost. Thanks for keeping us up to date! I'm going on a slow roll ride tonight with my Schwinn. No bony I know on the ride wants to trade bikes, so just getting a few miles on the old legs

Thanks! I get more impressed with the Quick CX 4 and its Panaracer tires every time I ride. Now that the saddle business is getting sorted out, riding is becoming even more enjoyable.

I'll add a mount for my iPhone to my handlebars, as the pocket of my bike shorts might not be the best place for my phone (for a variety of reasons). Once I do that, I should be all set for the time being - unless I choose to upgrade my saddle. For now, however, things seem good.

Well now I'm a 'Dale owner too! Are you getting a clamp for the 1 1/4"!part of the handle bars? Everything I see is for the 7/8!part near the ends, and the large ear selectors seem to ale up most of that area. I just ordered little saddle bag like thing th goes across the top tube and strap around the fork tupe so it won't slide back. There is a clear covered pocket on the top so you can see the phone. My bikeing shorts don't have any pocket for mt phone, wallet, or keys. I plan on using that in place of a little wedge under the seat for my tools, the, and inflator.

Of course I have only put my first 30 miles on mine ( just got it Friday) but I love this bike. Mine is the bright green. That is the only thing I don't like, but the color is growing on me. Lots of nice thing said about my "new" bike! Not even thinking about it, I find I'm going a good deal faster on some of the trails I normally ride. It's not e faster I'm thinking about as much as how much more "road bike" it feels (which is a good thing for me).

Of course I feel I look a little foolish. Fat old man on Star bride green super cool bike. But I guess I don't really care. My Uncle is lots older and just as heavy, and I think he is just fine!

Congrats on your new bike, and welcome to the 'Dale club! It sounds like you are already enjoying it. Great!

I have ordered this mount for my smartphone. It has adapters for various handlebar sizes, so it will fit that 1 1/4 area. It's inexpensive but has gotten solid reviews. I may get some sort of saddle bag at some point.

No need to worry about what others may think. You're out there on your new bike and having fun. The exercise and fresh air won't hurt, either. Enjoy!

Now I really feel stupid. I searched Amazon, and I didn't find that. I'm sure you will let us know how it works out! Thanks