Saddle for long ride 50-150km ... etc

[JTS911]

Hi All
I was told if you do long rides you need a hard/firm saddle, but this weekend I asked a cycling shop to show me saddles for longer ride's over 50km/32 miles and they gave me soft seats ?

Now I'm not sure what to get. As soon as I pass the 40-50km/32 miles mark my behind gets very sensitive and I have to stand every 5-10km/3-6 miles, I'm overweight and working on it but would like you go past the 50km mark without the seat stopping me.

I have done quite a few over 50km ride but always struggle after 50km

 

[Lee_M]

hmm, not sure why a longer ride would warrant a harder saddle, I think I'd prefer a bit more comfort

 

[ste.pearson]

hi what sort of bike is it,i use a really big gel seat on my hybrid ok it makes the bike look kinda daft but i aint bothered id rather have comfort over looks.am also overweight and dont think i could do over 20 mile or so on a hard seat

 

[HLaB]

There's exceptions to every rule but a harder saddle moves less against you so there's less chaving/ heat build up on longrides. I prefer a harder saddle myself fwiw

 

[Nigelnaturist]

There's exceptions to every rule but a harder saddle moves less against you so there's less chaving/ heat build up on longrides. I prefer a harder saddle myself fwiw

I wonder if thats why I managed to get to London on the original saddle on the viking with no padded shorts. though I only did a max of about 50 miles each day. (2008)

 

[JTS911]

hi what sort of bike is it,i use a really big gel seat on my hybrid ok it makes the bike look kinda daft but i aint bothered id rather have comfort over looks.am also overweight and dont think i could do over 20 mile or so on a hard seat

I have a MTB but only do road as I'm not fit enough to do mountain biking yet. I'm confused as I was told that if you have a soft seat it would restrict the blood flow on longer rides
I have to agree comfort is more important

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I have a cheapo Charge Spoon on each of my bikes. Yesterday I did a very comfy 80 miles, whereas the fellow I was riding with had a very fancy saddle and was in a bit of a mischief by half way through the ride.

 

[JTS911]

I have a cheapo Charge Spoon on each of my bikes. Yesterday I did a very comfy 80 miles, whereas the fellow I was riding with had a very fancy saddle and was in a bit of a mischief by half way through the ride.

hi Andrew is it a soft seat ?

 

[adscrim]

In my opinion, how hard you like your saddle is related to how fit you are. The fitter you are the less time you actually spend resting your bodyweight on the saddle and as such the harder the saddle can be (and you'd like it to be as a large soft saddle can get in the way). There are also elements of just getting used to a hard saddle and of course personal preference, but I believe fitness plays a much larger part in saddle comfort than any of the other factors.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

hi Andrew is it a soft seat ?

There is a certain amount of padding yes. It's worth also pointing out that my bibtights are the cheapest it's possible to buy so I know I'm not getting the comfort from the padding in them, in fact the padding is frequently in the wrong place and has to be moved about like an errant nappy on a dancing chimp.

 

[Licramite]

I have a hard saddle on my tourer but rely on the padded shorts , I get a sore bum after about 30+miles but that just makes me stay out of the saddle more and stay in a forward attack position. I think allot depends on your riding style. I,m more upright on my mountain bike and so more on me bum.
Don't think you aint fit enough to do off roading , it's great fun , just do bridle paths and the like.

 

[Herzog]

Decent pair of shorts goes a long way to solving discomfort problems! If you're a leisure cyclist (i.e., not training for racing/sportives) then a Brooks may be worth a look, don't be afraid of the breaking-in process...there are shortcuts

 

[JTS911]

Decent pair of shorts goes a long way to solving discomfort problems! If you're a leisure cyclist (i.e., not training for racing/sportives) then a Brooks may be worth a look, don't be afraid of the breaking-in process...there are shortcuts

Shortcuts ? more info LOL

 

[Crackle]

It's very much bum/person/riding style/bike dependent, so what works for one, may not for another. Soft saddles are OK for short journeys and times. After a while your bum goes numb or mine does, which doesn't happen with a harder saddle. However not all hard saddles are equal, shape becomes important. A lot of people swear by Brooks, whereas I swear at them.

Get some padded shorts and as a nearly universally liked cheap and comfortable saddle, a Charge Spoon. I find the Spoon good for a 40 miles or a few hours after which it has a bit too much padding. Best saddle I've tried so far (been through a few now) is a Specialzed Toupe, which comes in different widths for different width sit bones. Google sit bones to see, of course not everyone subscribes to sit bones width being the most important measure, which is why it's all trial and error.

 

[WobblyBob]

I think it's far more important to get a saddle that actually fits you correctly then think about how much/little padding you want/need.
Any good LBS will be able to help you sizing you up i would think.
I was in agony for a fair few trips of 20-30 miles then took my own advice & found my saddle was the wrong size, changed it to the next size up & the very next ride i did was 52 miles & i did'nt even think about my butt....which has gotta be a good thing !

Of course, decent shorts do help massively aswell i.m.o.

Good luck anyway.