The Brooks helps a lot. The slick surface and lack of padding for you to sink down into address a lot of the issues. I'm still more comfortable in cycling shorts - especially on a long ride.

You need cycling pants because you have a soft butt.


When I was a kid, we didn't even have seats, so we used to duct tape rocks to the top of the seat post. And we liked it.




Up hill, both ways.

Great advice i used the search function and now know how to add jack to the ol ignore list, honors to U.

O woe is me...good for you. It took you long enough to learn something. You are welcome...:Roflmao:

ha, yeah, my huffy 10speed had a steel seat with a thin layer of vinyl. Somehow I could ride on that for hours.

Unless you need a cut-out. I started on a Brooks...couldn't make it work with or without bike shorts.

OP, in case you secretly think that bike shorts would help you but are afraid to get all spandexy, you can get baggy "normal" shorts with a padded liner, or just a padded liner to wear under your own shorts. Of course doing so will get you shunned from the roadie club and you will be caught in the pergatory that is looking like a MTB'er, but riding a road bike...and that's no place for a man to live.

I bought some liner under-layer things - basically bike short underwear. They have a more minimal pad and much thinner material since they are meant to go under things. They are very comfortable, but I found them to be much hotter under shorts than normal bike shorts resulting it sweaty swamp butt.

More of matter of seeking advice from those that have already been down the road. When I ran allot i used to wear bike shorts under the running shorts to help with the chaffing while running. Currently just using what ever shorts I got on, but i have not went over 25 miles yet...so

The saddle is the stock vesse knock off and is working for now.

Weird, I just had the same thought as the OP an hour ago. I was trying out my Performance Ultra shorts for the first time - they seem to have a lot more padding in them than the cheapy eBay shorts I've been wearing. It could be that they're brand new and haven't been broken in yet, but I found them to be much less comfortable than the eBay shorts (too much padding/chafing, too much perineal pressure). Again, they're not broken in yet, and I might want more padding on longer rides. But for my normal 15-20 mile rides, I'm thinking of sticking with my eBay shorts. Either way, I think that the best fit involves a proper butt/shorts/saddle combination, rather than one specific saddle or pair of shorts for everybody.

fify

I would suggest taking it a step further and attaching the seat post to your shorts. I could see the benefit of always having a sitting stool handy, as well as a potential deterrent to unwanted advances.

Aw come on, dude...it was a "serous" question! :roflmao2:

Thanks, stone.

I realize that the shorts do in fact help. Most of my rides are in the 10-30 mile range, and I get by okay with just the Brooks and regular shorts. If I ever started riding brevets I'd be a little more into the cycling shorts thing.

The spandex shorts do a very important thing in addition to including padding. They keep your junk up tight and out of the way.

My junk is going to be hanging down beside that saddle and not be comfortable.

I started out wearing my jogging shorts on my hybrid. Twice, the jogging shorts hung on the saddle, I wound up putting the bike down roughly and standing over it. Plus, I was sore and figured the padding would be nice.

So, I bought some Suggoi biking shorts.

Then, got a road bike with a long narrow front protrusion on the saddle, which actually works surprisingly well.

Went to the local park with jogging shorts on to make a brief adjustment to the bike - Didn't go two hundred yards, came back home and put some shorts on.

Depending on you, your bike, how you ride, what terrain you ride, type of ride you do - you may or may not, like want or need shorts.

If I'm riding, I'm gonna be wearing them.

Also, at age 65 - I could give less of a rip what someone else thinks

This saddle doesn't look too good to me, so I was a little concerned when I bought the bike. But, it works great.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...jsp?spid=56904

You love me don'tcha. I can tell:thumb:

+1, but I also have a couple of lightweight conventional saddles that are reasonably comfortable.

Well, I like ya better than I did in the first thread where we met. I don't remember the details, but I remember a virulent disagreement of some sort.

Yeah I can't remember either. Must have been real important.

Aren't all internet arguments?

But do you remember that there was a disagreement?




Or am I the only one that holds a grudge?

That would be awesome. To see a flame war arguing whether or not there had been a flame war!

I appreciate the information on seats and shorts. I am starting to move to the next level on my rides and will be needing to address the bottom side before long.

So far I have not had any issues but I am only in the road bike saddle for 30 to 45 minutes per run. The multi hour rides have been mountain biking and I spend time standing, pushing, and carrying so my behind has been doing fine.

I appreciate the help advice and loads of information I have found so for on the Forum. Thank.

Rule #61 / Like your guns, saddles should be smooth and hard.
Under no circumstances may your saddle have more than 3mm of padding. Special allowances will be made for stage racing when physical pain caused by subcutaneous cysts and the like (“saddle sores”) are present. Under those conditions, up to 5mm of padding will be allowed – it should be noted that this exception is only temporary until the condition has passed or been excised. A hardman would not change their saddle at all but instead cut a hole in it to relieve pressure on the delicate area. It is noted that if Rule #48 and/or Rule #5 is observed then any “padding” is superfluous.7

Rule #48 / Keep your saddle level.
The seating area of a saddle is to be visually level, with the base measurement made using a spirit level. Based on subtleties of saddle design and requirements of comfort, the saddle may then be pitched slightly forward or backward to reach a position that offers stability, power, and comfort. If the tilt of the saddle exceeds two degrees, you need to go get one of those saddles with springs and a thick gel pad because you are obviously a big *****.
Nuf said!