Pain In A**e

I've started taking my own advice and am actually putting some miles on the bike but the seat is limiting the joy of the whole experience.

The seat is an aftermarket fastback one. I was thinking of taking off the cover and taking a slice off the foam and putting on a layer of something bit more compliant.
Did a bit of Googling and gel pads came up.

Anyone used them?
Can you put a gel pad under the seat cover? the ones I found seem to be aimed at going on top of the existing seat.

Should I stick to good old reliable foam or just tough it out and put up with the pain

I believe that you can have gel pads fitted under the seat cover, as I understand that a couple of riders on the Triples online forum that I frequent have done, presumably after relieving some foam out of the equation.

I would assume that a seat upholsterer such as Leightons (http://www.rk-leighton.co.uk/) would be able to make a nice job of it. You could always give them a call? If it works let me know because the seat on my Triumph is bl**dy uncomfortable and I am thinking about doing this when I've got everything else sorted............if that's ever going to happen :?:

There is a real problem with the foam quality of most of the pattern seats in that it compresses to nothing and the the result is that within a half hour, you're effectively sitting on the seat base where it curves over the top tube. This means that most of your body weight and all of the road shocks are then concentrated on that sensitive area between...well, I don't have to go into too much detail, do I ?

I don't know about OE Fastback seats but certainly original Roadster units going back to 1972 at least were constructed with a 'Dunlopillo' insert under the rider's position. I talked with Leightons and other upholsterers about this some years ago and the view was that these moulded high-density inserts would not be commercially viable. Things may well have moved on now with the availability of gel pads. They certainly work on bicycle saddles.

I would say that it's worth removing the cover and maybe cutting away a bit of foam to accommodate a pad.

If ya gotta look sleek or factory then follow prior advice.
But if long comfy function is the goal. My first buy was
a huge KIng/Queen double cushy saddle. It worked a treat
for THE Gravel travel I used to stand of pegs. I don't got
a butt if not for a wallet and a pocket knife.

Still have it and would use - IF wife would ride with me but
no way after seeing how often I and bike return busted-leaking.
Can't use in on my factory Combat and its too big a mass
for new Ms Peel. So its in limbo now.

hobot

If anyone ever sees me on a bike with a king and queen seat they have my permission to shoot me :mrgreen:

My15 year old Corbin seat is like sitting on concrete, still looks cool though

any competent seat /upholstery shop can do this if the have experience w/ motorcycle seats - i had an stock interstate seat w/ the foam cut down to 2" and it was a rock - a shop w/ experience then removed part of the foam where my ass resided and inserted one of the gel pads (they come in different densities) and the seat is super nice, even with reduced height - the new foam/gel technology is great -

Rich_j said:

If anyone ever sees me on a bike with a king and queen seat they have my permission to shoot me :mrgreen:

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Having seen a LeadWing™ with a fur-coated armchair fitted, I'll promise to only use an air rifle :wink:

Back on-topic, I got an early original Interstate seat from a guy in the UK NOC, and it seems comfortable enough, but I get the distinct feeling that I now know the shape of the previous owner's posterior; like the padding has taken a permanent set, so 'Old' isn't necessarily 'Better'!

I also ride a bicycle (I even won a race...once...well, maybe twice), and no amount of padding will prevent a sore @rse if you aren't used to being in the saddle - only time on-task will cure it, and padding isn't the answer - just look at Lance's (Or any other Tour de France rider's) saddle if you don't believe me.

Best cure is rearsets, clip-ons and a fairing ... in my experience, at least.

Whenever I had to get a seat re-modelled I bought foam from an upholstery suppliers, and the best stuff looked like it was a recycle of lots of different colours, made up from many small bits. I also found the best way to shape it was using an angle-grinder - no, really!
Messy, but very effective.

You can get raw gel pads for around $65 ea. from several suppliers and do the uncover/cut out foam/insert gel/recover boogie.

B+Bogus said:

Rich_j said:

I also ride a bicycle (I even won a race...once...well, maybe twice), and no amount of padding will prevent a sore @rse if you aren't used to being in the saddle - only time on-task will cure it, and padding isn't the answer - just look at Lance's (Or any other Tour de France rider's) saddle if you don't believe me.

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This is not really a fair comparison as Lance has got less down below to damage than most of us :mrgreen:

By the way, anyone tried installing a Cancellara motor in the frame spine for a bit of extra acceleration ?

I'm strictly a sit up and beg cyclist who only puts on a spurt to get the croissants back warm from the bakers and a modern saddle is certainly easier on the 'nads than the original leather Lycett.

79x100 said:

B+Bogus said:

Rich_j said:

I also ride a bicycle (I even won a race...once...well, maybe twice), and no amount of padding will prevent a sore @rse if you aren't used to being in the saddle - only time on-task will cure it, and padding isn't the answer - just look at Lance's (Or any other Tour de France rider's) saddle if you don't believe me.

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This is not really a fair comparison as Lance has got less down below to damage than most of us :mrgreen:

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performance enhancing drugs will do that to you........ (or so i've heard)

Don't spoil the looks of your bike with some nanny seat, just stick some sponge down the back of your jeans and get on with it....good enough for Lance Armstrong?

Mick

My three year old Corbin looks good and is pretty comfortable. I have the world's least-padded sitbones, so for long rides I throw on the Airhawk, which is very good for alleviating sitbone pain (I find it tends to make my lower back muscles work harder, though, so there's a tradeoff).

mikegray660 said:

performance enhancing drugs will do that to you........ (or so i've heard)

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Ahem....allegedly :roll:

I don't know about OE Fastback seats but certainly original Roadster units going back to 1972 at least were constructed with a 'Dunlopillo' insert under the rider's position.

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First I ever heard of this. All the seats I have recovered have had a solid single piece of foam. Usually badly deteriorating!

Certainly the only reproduction fastback seats I have found to be acceptable are RK Leighton seats, so being that you are in England, I would ring them up to see if they help.

Here in the US, I would call Sargent as I know a couple Norton seats that they have installed custom foam of density designed for the specfic rider that put smiles on the owners face!