mudsticks
Obviously an Aubergine
Can't a girl be allowed a little undercarriage magic in her life, now and then??Umm right
All this 'sensible' stuff gets a tad drear from time to time
Asking for a friend.....
- Thread starter Scotty55
- Start date
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All this 'sensible' stuff gets a tad drear from time to time
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I'm waiting for Drago to change his forum name to Undercarriage Magic now... ! 
mudsticks
Obviously an Aubergine
I'm waiting for Drago to change his forum name to Undercarriage Magic now... !
He can't I'm afraid,
I've already purchased the domain name for my new line of transformative balms for the discerning lady's derriere
Profpointy
Legendary Member
At the risk of being a dissenting voice I don't think padded shorts are the solution to the problem as described. They are more about preventing chaffing on longer rides than making an uncomfortable saddle comfortable. I now mostly wear cycle shorts but I didn't bother for many decades.
If the saddle hurts the first thing to to make sure the position is OK - not just height, but fore-aft positioning and angle of tilt (dead level or at most a smidge tilted down. The other factor is that hardly any "serious" cyclists would recommend a padded or gel saddle which can be awful after a few miles despite seeming softer. Some,
me included love Brooks leather saddles but they simply do not suit everyone - only those with a Brooksian arse like me
If the saddle hurts the first thing to to make sure the position is OK - not just height, but fore-aft positioning and angle of tilt (dead level or at most a smidge tilted down. The other factor is that hardly any "serious" cyclists would recommend a padded or gel saddle which can be awful after a few miles despite seeming softer. Some,
me included love Brooks leather saddles but they simply do not suit everyone - only those with a Brooksian arse like me
mudsticks
Obviously an Aubergine
What's the leg length difference though, could something as simple as an extra insole in one shoe fix it, for riding purposes ??
Is it an actual bone length difference?
Or a disparity in how much you extend one leg - that's just as, if not more common ime
mudsticks
Obviously an Aubergine
Dissenting right back atcha, but I've done thousands of miles on a slightly padded saddle.
And my bum has loved it.
Mind you, whether or not I qualify as a serious cyclist - I neither know, nor care.
But yes to all that about fore aft tilt, and so forth.
It's not simple is it?
It's as if bottoms, are as unique as faces
D
Deleted member 26715
Guest
I'd rather be a "silly" cyclist it's much more fun than being a fuddy duddy "serious" cyclist, they tend to take things about cycling, well TBH too seriously. How to you achieve the status of "serious" is it a look you have on your face when you're pedalling, do you have to have an initiation ceremony, is it a little boys club that "silly" cyclists can't join?
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
I rode one style of saddle for years then I started to get excessive wear on the stitching, then I started getting saddle sores on long rides.Turned out the saddle was to narrow so I changed shape and width and it solved it for me.
My saddles are all set up with the same height, setback,flat and same reach and drop to bar's
mudsticks
Obviously an Aubergine
Surely you must have met some over the years??
They're the ones who know the correct way to do everything cycling related.
Whilst the rest of us ??
We just flail about, in optimistic ignorance
D
Deleted member 26715
Guest
Erm excuse me, there is nothing optimistic about me, I much prefer my pessimistic ignorance I'll thank you!We just flail about, in optimistic ignorance
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
That's what the cream is for to stop the flailing?🤔Surely you must have met some over the years??
They're the ones who know the correct way to do everything cycling related.
Whilst the rest of us ??
We just flail about, in optimistic ignorance
Rusty Nails
We remember
- Location
- Living in the slow lane
Is it the same as what makes a cyclist serious?
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
It is significant and definitely due to bone length. If I stand up straight in front of a full length mirror I can see my pelvis tilting down from right to left and my shoulders sloping the other way.
I haven't had it measured but I'm sure that it well over 1 cm. I just tried an experiment with a couple of diaries. I stood with the foot of my shorter leg standing on one diary. That felt more comfortable than with the foot directly on the floor. (My usual lower back and shoulder/neck discomfort was lessened.) I tried a thickness of two diaries and that was definitely an overcompensation. The best thickness was ~1.4 diaries worth (I opened the second to about 40% of its pages.) That total thickness was 1.3 - 1.4 cm.
I've noticed in lots of photos that I often raise the heel of my left foot to try and stand more upright. That is done entirely unconsciously...
I've tries an extra insole and that didn't make much difference. I then put 2 extra insoles in but my foot was then too tight in the shoe so I gave up on that idea.
When I used to use Look pedals, I shimmed the left cleat by about 1 cm. That definitely helped. I now use mountain bike style SPD pedals and shimming that type of cleat isn't good because the cleat ends up sticking out from the protective tread on the sole of the shoe.
On one of my bikes I broke the left crank. I replaced it with a spare one from my junk box and noticed that I was slightly more comfortable on the bike. The replacement crank turned out to be 170 mm in length, as opposed to 175 mm for the original. It would be good to try putting a shorter crank on my best bike.
I often tend to point the toes down on my left foot a little when pedalling. I have the saddle height set for my longer leg but can't change it to experiment because the post is seized in the frame!
Tom B
Guru
- Location
- Lancashire
I'll agree with most of that.
Saddles are subjective and personal. You can't just look at reviews and find buy the one with the best reviews and know it'll be a good fit.
They're a bit like shoes in that respect.
If you don't fit a saddle no amount of jiggery-pokery with the position will give your tackle a comfortable ride.
I don't get this thing about pointing down being bad. Mine points down significantly and it's often remarked upon. My sit bones sit on the wider flange part of the saddle and the nose of it keeps the meat and two veg supported. If I get on anyone else's bike with a more level or upward pointing saddle this is what I notice and become unfortable with first. My saddle is also slammed forwards. It's a case of what works for the individual.
