lurker wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 1:41 pm
so, you know how they say you'll get used to that PITA bike seat? the one with minimal padding and the trough for the delicate parts that will make you faster than greg lemond on steroids, and comfier to boot?
yeah, me neither.
so today i've swapped out the "coda expert" saddle i randomly grabbed on the way to the exit at the co-op for the cheap-a$$ vitesse saddle that came on the denali. and i weighed them too. the vitesse is 72 grams heavier. big hairy deal. i'll try it out later in the day when it cools off, hopefully below 90. i should probably just buy a brooks like i had 30 years ago, but i'm too cheap right now.
I like modern gel-cushioning, but I like the sprung structure under the old leather saddles. Why can't they make one with both?
I do find that getting the EXACT angle, height and backward-forward positioning on the seat just right can make an enormous difference in comfort, between alternately numb, sore, and chafed, or pretty good tolerance. The narrow saddles DO keep weight off the muscles in the gluteous maximus so you pedal better. Yesterday's ride made lots of things ache, but the saddle seems to be set correctly, so at least not there. (Getting old ain't for the faint-hearted!)
A guy admired the Old Lady and I asked how old he thought it was. He said 10 or 15 years. I said, nope, over 45. His jaw dropped and his eyes popped out! Made me feel pretty good. I AM thinking about replacing the old chrome wheels and spokes, both OEM, over this winter, with alloy wheels. They still make 27x1.25" (630x32mm) alloy wheels with 36 holes, but I don't know what length spokes yet. I'll probably replace the bearings on the hubs at that time, but I'm not going to part with those wide-flange Normandy hubs!
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."