dcuper1

I have a Trek 1500 it is a full aluminum frame and am looking to make it more forgiving on longer bike rides. Especially when I ride through rough roads in the Bronx my body just shakes badly. If I just go about 30 miles I can take it, but longer than that it starts to hurt. Especially my back, head, even my jaw sometimes slams shut.

I am wondering what you guys suggest to help make it more forgiving, especially if placing a saddle with springs would help. I understand that it is usually not used in a road bike, but just would like to know what are the drawbacks of such a saddle.

Daniel

Kotts

You can do more with riding technique to increase your comfort than a cushy saddle will ever do. Watch the local bike couriers, who have to ride the same roads you do, all day every day. Notice how much of the time they are up off the saddle, knees and elbows bent, upper body floating along while the bike jumps and jives like crazy underneath them.

Campag4life

Dan...putting a sprung boat anchor of a saddle on a 1500 is like putting white walls on a Porsche. You likely know you have the wrong bike for the roads you ride. Put your Trek on ebay or craigslist and buy a more forgiving bike. Biggest factor is tires. If you can't part with your Trek....put the widest tires you can and run the pressure low short of pinch flats.
You need a Cross or that type of bike if you are going to run on bad roads.
There are also countless riding techniques to cope. I get out of the saddle all the time on bad roads where I ride. Stand on the pedals and use your legs as shock absorbers...how mountain bikers ride.
HTH.

EGreen

Instead think about cushier, wider tires. If I have 700x20's I get rattled to death (even on my titanium bike). So I go w/t 23's. You might even consider 25's on your aluminum bike.

nagsheadlocal

Yep. I switched from 23s to 25s (Conti Ultra GatorSkins) on my commuter and was pleasantly surprised at how much it improved the ride.

As for the sprung saddle - it will eventually start squeaking and it will drive you CRAZY.

bbattle

First, make sure the bike fits you and you aren't sitting too far forward on the bike. Your pains make it sound as though you are too forward.

If you want a more comfortable saddle, get the Brooks B-17.

If you want a more comfortable ride, get wider tires.

Molto Lento

Are you talking about an ejector seat?

EGreen

Oh look at you... such a clever fellow.

hammond9705

People will laugh out loud at you

nachomc

Weight + Fredness increase.

bryroth

Hey to answer your question the only drawback is that you would lose some pedaling efficiency if you were to bounce around on the saddle. Although I hear that the Brooks Flyer springs are pretty taught and only take out the occasional "jarring" bump.

Then again if style points from BF is an issue for you... then by all means get up off the saddle for your entire 30+ mile ride. I'm rolling my eyes as I type that last sentence. Don't forget that it's your bike and you can do whatever you like with it.

I got a cx bike and put 38 wide armadillo tires on it and run them low. It made a world of difference. Of course my bike is not really a road bike anymore. But I ride it on the roads with the roadies. If I hadn't the cx bike I'd go for a sprung Brooks saddle. I ride alone so I couldn't give a ****.

If you really want to lose style points, then take a look at a seatpost shock called the Thudbuster. It seems to get high ratings from everyone who uses it.

mondaycurse

Can you get pedal bob like a FS mountain bike using these? I'd imagine so, but can't vouch because suspension seatposts are too ugly for me to use.

BarracksSi

I can't say about the Thudbuster, but I haven't noticed much bobbing at all with the cheap telescoping seatpost I have on my old MTB. Along with the suspension fork (itself an inexpensive entry-level Rock Shox model), the ride quality is quite plush.

drowley

Their tops are made out of rubber,
their bottoms are made out of springs.
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy,
Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!
-Tigger