bicycle seat ... could use help

[rock n roll kid]

i have an xbex ( brand ) stationary bike . not cheap , but has been a god send . i have had several physical ailments which have limited the type of excercize & how much activity i can get . riding the unit 4-5 times a week & doing some light toning work-outs a couple of times a week .
bare with me for a bit .
the seat has proven pretty uncomfortable at times ....i am a pretty skinny 140 lbs , where the seat hits me , yes groin area , can make me glad to get off the bike after a 30 min ride ! put an other jel seat ( domain cycling brand ) on top of the factory seat , still not the greatest . put a lambs wool cover with some foam inserted with a folded towel to top it off ! am removing the lambs wool cover & towel , too much shifting and not at all comfortable .
darn ... ! is there a COMFORTABLE option for us skinny guys that does not cost a fortune . am willing to take suggestions , ( under $75 but will consider all ) yes , i am getting desperate for some more comfort !!

your feed back appreciated .

 

[arjay]

Cycling shorts make a big difference in comfort

 

[Bladeswitcher]

It's counter intuitive, but padding does not make a bicycle seat comfortable. Support does. The best/most comfortable bicycle seat on the market doesn't have ANY padding. It's beyond your price range, though . . . Saddle - Brooks B17 Special – Rivendell Bicycle Works

You can make significant improvements in comfort just by adjusting your saddle. Tipping it up or down just a little bit can make a huge difference. Also, front to back and height matter.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

You are stuck until you can get out and about! But there are several Jel padding seat available and jell padded covers. I have bought different styles and sizes of each. Some are better than others but everyone I tried, is better than factory seats on my butt!

Ivan

 

[chief38]

Have it fitted with a Gel Insert or Sheepskin cover. There are custom Motorcycle seat makers and modifiers that can help you out.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Can't speak to the problems facing a slim man, but I comfortably averaged 125 miles a day on our long distance bicycle tours, using a Brooks saddle that was OEM standard equipment on the Cannondale ST1000.

Also:
The design concept for the Russell Day-Long motorcycle saddle, transfers the weight bearing area to the outside edge of the seat pan, greatly improving the extend range comfort on our Goldwing. Perhaps there is a bicycle equivalent.

Good luck.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[mckenney99]

I will be following this thread with interest myself. I have the same problem only different. I am a big boy, 61yoa, 6-02, 235lbs and shaped like a pear with legs. Getting a mental picture? And NO BICYCLE SHORTS please, I don't want to inflict the rest of humanity with that image for the rest of their lives. I have pretty much given up riding for any distance due to severe discomfort. I moved into a house that is approximately a mile away from a large bicycle trail hub that extends in at least 5 different directions and offers hundreds of miles of trails.

 

[Farmer17]

Your butt will hurt no matter what seat you have when you first start cycling, it takes about a month of riding several times a week to get used to it and get some callouses. I'm 60 and haven't been riding in a while and rode around the lake last Saturday and my rear end hurt for 3 days but once I start riding more regularly I won't hurt at all. Most experienced cyclists don't use gel covers or extremely padded seats they just get use to the seat or get a different one that fits their butt a little better.

 

[coltle6920]

This is what you need. What man hasn't been able to sit comfortably on this for an hour or more.

Seriously though I think a wider support for the rump would take the pressure off the groin area.

 

[altbrewer]

I'm with Farmer17. You need to break in a bicycle seat, and put up with it until then. I have never in my 50 years of cycling found a padded seat that was good for the long run. Brooks saddles are great, once they fit your bottom. My last several saddles have been Selle Anatomica. When you search for reviews like "best bicycle saddle" remember that these sites pretty much only show what Amazon sells, so they can get the referral dollars. Check Sella Anatomica, which sells direct.

 

[BC38]

Can the whole seat be replaced?
I had the same problem with my regular bike until I got a "wide" seat like this one.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Schwinn-Foam-Comfort-Breeze-Extra-Wide-Bicycle-Seat/129797697
It also has a built in gel pad, and is spring mounted to boot.
It only cost $20
Worked for me.

 

[moosedog]

Order a new seat from Amazon or Ebay, it will be at your door in several days and replaces just like a regular bicycle.

 

[pittpa]

Outside your price range bit I’ve heard they’re comfy. $275

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[snubbyfan]

I'm 150 pounds and what works for me is a regular bike seat and triathlon shorts with just 6mm of padding. They're a lot like bike shorts but with a better fit (for me), small pockets and less padding.
I just rode my home spin bike for an hour today and I've ridden my bicycle 110 miles using that combination.
I've worn the same shorts for spin class.
I'm in the red tank top on the right.


My home spin bike.


My bicycle, Frankenbike.

 

[snubbyfan]

Your butt will hurt no matter what seat you have when you first start cycling, it takes about a month of riding several times a week to get used to it and get some callouses. I'm 60 and haven't been riding in a while and rode around the lake last Saturday and my rear end hurt for 3 days but once I start riding more regularly I won't hurt at all. Most experienced cyclists don't use gel covers or extremely padded seats they just get use to the seat or get a different one that fits their butt a little better.

I have similar seats on both my bicycle and my home spin bike. Keeps my butt in cycling shape year 'round.

 

[Oldfrt]

Go to a local bike shop that supports the charity riders in your area, they can recommend a proper saddle and if you can transport the bike even do a fitting for you. You may have to remove the current saddle and take it with you to make sure they can have the proper fittings for it.

mckenny99, check out the recumbent trikes, I went to them back in 2007, they are the ultimate comfort bike.

 

[Imissedagain]

Bike shorts with chamois are always worn, even under my cargo shorts.... I pocket carry.
I use a Sella San Marco Rolls on all my bikes.

Doing patent research for a kid's bicycle, decades ago, I found an anti-theft bike seat from the late 1800s.
You arm the spike to function like an OTF knife and when the thief sits down.
Ouch!!!
Seriously evil.
Batteries and large capacitors are more my style.
If you're pedaling or moving forward, like turbines in a sailboat mast, electricity can be generated as well.

 

[CrankyThunder]

Dear Rock and roll kid:

As a avid bicycle rider I have a considerable amount of experience with a sore tailbone and it took a while for me to overcome it but what I learned hopefully you can benefit from.

First off, you need to get very intimate with a razor and shave your personal area. What happens is that the hairs will get pulled and torn as you go through the motions and aggravate the skin to unbelievable degrees of discomfort.

Next you need to get a product called Chamois Butter which is a glorified hand cream that reduces the friction of skin on skin contact. They have tubes of the stuff in bicycle stores for $20.00 but personally, I just use any old hand cream although I tend to mix in some cocoa butter (very cheap) when loading it up in the squirt dispenser bottles. On long rides, the chamois butter will last about a hour and needs to be reapplied whereas the hand cream/cocoa butter mixture does not last as long. Since you are inside on a stationary bicycle removing it from your skin will not be a problem but if you were out on the road, I would recommend cleaning yourself up with handi wipes as you reapply the chamois butter at the rest stops.

So to sum it up, get very intimate with your razor in the shower and apply a anti friction cream.

Regards,
Crankster

 

[CH4]

It's counter intuitive, but padding does not make a bicycle seat comfortable. Support does. The best/most comfortable bicycle seat on the market doesn't have ANY padding. It's beyond your price range, though . . . Saddle - Brooks B17 Special – Rivendell Bicycle Works

You can make significant improvements in comfort just by adjusting your saddle. Tipping it up or down just a little bit can make a huge difference. Also, front to back and height matter.

bladeswitcher is correct on all accounts. The Brooks B17 is a classic and for most, universally one of the most comfortable seats extant - a favorite with long distance tourers. The leather version usually takes a couple hundred miles to break in, but the synthetic version (Cambrium)is pretty much ready to go. If you’re on the slender side, either the B15 (leather) or C15 (synthetic) May be a better fit. I prefer mine with the nose slightly tilted down. I use Brooks on all types of bikes, i.e., road, mountain, adventure, fat, etc. That said, there are myriad cycling seats out there. I also like various models from Selle Italia. Do your research.

 

[Marshwheeling]

One more vote for the Brooks B17, or, depending on how your seat mounts, the B72. I have never had a stationary bike with a decent saddle. They are typically cushy and over-padded, but I have never had so much trouble with one that I felt like replacing the seat.

You couldn’t tell from looking at me but I was skinny once, 138 pounds when I graduated from college. The Brooks saddles worked as well for me then as they tey do now for this fat old guy.