Charge Spoon saddles...

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Bought a charge spoon after seeing so many good reviews but i just couldn't get on with it.Maybe i should have persevered but i gave it away in the end.

 

[Slioch]

Another Spoons fan here. Fitted my shape perfectly straight out of the box.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Have 2 spoons, both fab. Spoons and Brooks B17 seem to be my preferred saddles.

 

[figbat]

I picked one up second hand to go on my FrankenBike. I obviously fall into the Spoon-shaped-bum majority as it works ok for me.

 

[Jenkins]

They seem to fit the shape of my backside and are on six of my bikes. I just wish they'd do them in plain grey again to match the Ti frames.

 

[fossala]

I find the spoons padding is way too soft and causes saddle sores.

 

[rovers1875]

Must admit I am a fan 4 bikes 3 Spoons and one Brooks

 

[Fab Foodie]

I picked one up second hand to go on my FrankenBike. I obviously fall into the Spoon-shaped-bum majority as it works ok for me.

View attachment 519543

Grass looks slack....

 

[figbat]

Grass looks slack....

That was taken ages ago. Looks no better now though.

 

[wafter]

Thanks all

They really suit me and I would certainly recommend. They are inexpensive, I’ve never paid more than £20 new, second hand they seem to fetch £12-£15 so buy new, if it doesn’t suit then you can sell on with little loss.
https://www.merlincycles.com/charge-spoon-cromo-rail-saddle-106422.html

Thanks for the link - seems Merlin are the cheapest by a decent stretch; as much as I'd prefer not to deal with them after past experiences..

I rode stock boardman saddles for years and got on with them but recently started getting saddle sores and after much research it was suggested to me that i needed a wider saddle as i felt like i was sitting on the pad edge but it seems i was overhanging the saddle edge and chafing . my shorts agreed as i was getting a lot of wear in the same spot.
I chanced it on a spoon that i was given and it cured my woes and i am in the process of changing all bikes to them and and a fabric scoop which is very similar .
Just one piece of advice would be set up with them as they are a curved saddle i rest a spirit level on the nose and the back lip and level from there and a idropped it a few mm in height .

That's interesting and sounds familiar, although I my issues are directly beneath my arse-bones so I don't think it's an overhang issue - possibly more to do with the saddle's flatness and lack of padding allowing my to move around to much while pedalling. I think I might have got away with it were it not also wonky so allowing one side to move more than the other..

Glad you got it sorted with a replacement anyway and ta for the thought about the angle!

I've swapped between the Spoon and the stock Genesis saddle a few times and I much prefer the latter, I'm obviously not one of the many that like the Charge.

Thanks - that's interesting since they both look similar; although just because they come from the same supplier doesn't mean they're the same of course. I did have a look at Velo's website assuming the variants they make for different OEMs would be re-badged versions of what they sold under their own name, but that appears not to be the case as there's nothing that looks like a good match for the Spoon.

I have a spare genesis saddle removed from a new bike. You can have it for postage if needed.

Thanks - that's very generous of you!

I may well drop you a PM once I've given it a bit more thought

Yikes!

I found a saddle type that really suited me - the original Fizik Arione and that was a more affordable £70-odd. The problem was that they turned out to be fragile. The 'Wing-Flex' system which made the saddle more compliant also introduced stress risers from which cracks would start. I owned 2 Arione saddles which broke that way and read about lots of other people having the same problem.

I tried a 3rd Arione but by then Fizik (for some inexplicable reason) had taken the design's original curved top and replaced it with a horrid flat one which I really did NOT get on with so that one had to go.

I discovered that Planet X do an own brand 'superlight' saddle which is a very similar shape to the original Arione. I have now switched over to them on all of my bikes. Very affordable at the full price, but I got some at even lower prices in sales and from other CC members.

Nice work - interestingly from the rails that looks like another offering from Velo! Looks very similar to the design on the Boardman too; which may or may not be a good thing for me depending on what the root of the problem actually is!

Have 2 spoons, both fab. Spoons and Brooks B17 seem to be my preferred saddles.

View attachment 519533

Thanks! Is that a Velo Orange seatpost I spy too? Was looking at these as a possible route to setting the saddle back further on the Genesis - how do you find it?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Thanks all


Thanks for the link - seems Merlin are the cheapest by a decent stretch; as much as I'd prefer not to deal with them after past experiences..


That's interesting and sounds familiar, although I my issues are directly beneath my arse-bones so I don't think it's an overhang issue - possibly more to do with the saddle's flatness and lack of padding allowing my to move around to much while pedalling. I think I might have got away with it were it not also wonky so allowing one side to move more than the other..

Glad you got it sorted with a replacement anyway and ta for the thought about the angle!


Thanks - that's interesting since they both look similar; although just because they come from the same supplier doesn't mean they're the same of course. I did have a look at Velo's website assuming the variants they make for different OEMs would be re-badged versions of what they sold under their own name, but that appears not to be the case as there's nothing that looks like a good match for the Spoon.


Thanks - that's very generous of you!

I may well drop you a PM once I've given it a bit more thought


Nice work - interestingly from the rails that looks like another offering from Velo! Looks very similar to the design on the Boardman too; which may or may not be a good thing for me depending on what the root of the problem actually is!

Thanks! Is that a Velo Orange seatpost I spy too? Was looking at these as a possible route to setting the saddle back further on the Genesis - how do you find it?

If you want a VO post buy the Holdsworth one from Planet X, they’re the same thing. It’s excellent for me as being long of back and short of leg I need to sit further behind the BB than most so it works for me! Also good for Brooks as their rails are short.
If you look at the Rourke (which is custom-made) the TT is long and the seat tube quite laid back with a laid back seat post as well :-)

 

[cyberknight]

 

[cyberknight]

Finally settled on a fabric scoop , its very similar to the spoon .

 

[wafter]

If you want a VO post buy the Holdsworth one from Planet X, they’re the same thing. It’s excellent for me as being long of back and short of leg I need to sit further behind the BB than most so it works for me! Also good for Brooks as their rails are short.
If you look at the Rourke (which is custom-made) the TT is long and the seat tube quite laid back with a laid back seat post as well :-)

Thanks for the heads-up

I've since done a bit more homework and it seems that the VO item changed in format some years ago from the original two-bolt with cylindrical nuts that allow you to adjust saddle attitude independently of fore-aft position to what I've seen referred to as the "hocky stick" setup where one affects the other.. which is a shame.

Tempted to try and find an early VO item but apparently they were subject to a recall due to the clamping plates cracking; which is perhaps why the design changed (although a couple of years seems to separate the recall and design change).

I'm also put off a little by the short length after having a frame killed by a post (well, shim) with a short amount of contact inside the frame. It's proving really bloody difficult to find a decent seatpost with a genuine, significant amount of layback and a decent adjustment mechanism.

It's interesting that you feel the need to move yourself back because of short legs, since my driver is long legs - perhaps there's some shared issue with thigh length or something.

You certainly have a (for me) terrifying amount of reach on that bike! Weren't out on it earlier around Oxford were you? I vaguely recall seeing someone on something of similar colours, but it escapes me as to where it was now..

Finally settled on a fabric scoop , its very similar to the spoon .
View attachment 519976

Thanks - shape looks good; how are you finding it?

A fine choice of steed too - is that an aftermarket seatpost?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Thanks for the heads-up

I've since done a bit more homework and it seems that the VO item changed in format some years ago from the original two-bolt with cylindrical nuts that allow you to adjust saddle attitude independently of fore-aft position to what I've seen referred to as the "hocky stick" setup where one affects the other.. which is a shame.

Tempted to try and find an early VO item but apparently they were subject to a recall due to the clamping plates cracking; which is perhaps why the design changed (although a couple of years seems to separate the recall and design change).

I'm also put off a little by the short length after having a frame killed by a post (well, shim) with a short amount of contact inside the frame. It's proving really bloody difficult to find a decent seatpost with a genuine, significant amount of layback and a decent adjustment mechanism.

It's interesting that you feel the need to move yourself back because of short legs, since my driver is long legs - perhaps there's some shared issue with thigh length or something.

You certainly have a (for me) terrifying amount of reach on that bike! Weren't out on it earlier around Oxford were you? I vaguely recall seeing someone on something of similar colours, but it escapes me as to where it was now..


Thanks - shape looks good; how are you finding it?

A fine choice of steed too - is that an aftermarket seatpost?

I used to live in Abingdon and co-founded Abingdon Freewheeling, so there’s good chance you saw me in Oxford ‘cos I often rode around there. :-)