Bike saddle bargains

[Kurt]

I went to k mart tonight and was wondering around while my wife did some shopping . I found some Schwinn Webspring comfort saddles marked down and down and down. They were now going for $3 Au or $2.40 US each . I garbed 4 of them and went to scan it to make sure it was correct. It was correct so now I have a new saddle for all 4 of my bikes for a total of $12 Au or $8.40 US.

I am happy.

Kurt.

 

[dogman dan]

Those are da kine. The saddles with thingys that look like springs suck, but those coils will actually be as good as some suspension posts.

 

[fifthmass]

I went to k mart tonight and was wondering around while my wife did some shopping . I found some Schwinn Webspring comfort saddles marked down and down and down. They were now going for $3 Au or $2.40 US each . I garbed 4 of them and went to scan it to make sure it was correct. It was correct so now I have a new saddle for all 4 of my bikes for a total of $12 Au or $8.40 US.

I am happy.

The question is will your a$$ be happy if you do lots of miles on one of those. A lot of saddle comfort depends on anatomy but in general the wider the horn of the saddle, the more pressure there will be on your inner upper thighs. That can get real uncomfortable fast. Too much padding can cause pain from supporting your weight on squeezed/compressed soft tissue instead of your sit bones. The springs are a plus as long as they are not to soft. In any event they were real cheap so no big loss if they don't work out for you.

I just went from a foam padded Walmart saddle held together with duct tape to a new Avatar gel ($80 US). My first impression was 'damn this thing is too hard', but after 5-6 miles I did not feel like I was sitting on anything. It was real weird but I only felt the saddle if I thought about it. It's the most comfortable seat I've ridden except for a recumbent. The ache I had in my tailbone area is also gone since I got it.

Regards,
Bill

 

[dogman dan]

2930 miles on a very similar saddle, and I like it very well. But its a, er personal fit thing, so to each his own. I agree about the wide saddles, I have several, but the one on my commuter is much skinnier and better on the long rides. I like the fatties though, for under 5 miles riding. I never experienced any tail bone pain, just a bit more chafing on the wide saddles.

 

[vanilla ice]

Dang thats cheap. I would've stocked up too. Better than a lot of used deals even. I just ordered a couple $10 nashbar san marcos and thought I got a good deal. Not as good as you though!

 

[northernmike]

Bargain:

Stussy Brooks Swallow. Only $400 USD!

I have a brown one with Ti rails, and it was a little dearer..

 

[Dan K]

I went to k mart tonight and was wondering around while my wife did some shopping . I found some Schwinn Webspring comfort saddles marked down and down and down. They were now going for $3 Au or $2.40 US each . I garbed 4 of them and went to scan it to make sure it was correct. It was correct so now I have a new saddle for all 4 of my bikes for a total of $12 Au or $8.40 US.

I am happy.

The question is will your a$$ be happy if you do lots of miles on one of those. A lot of saddle comfort depends on anatomy but in general the wider the horn of the saddle, the more pressure there will be on your inner upper thighs. That can get real uncomfortable fast. Too much padding can cause pain from supporting your weight on squeezed/compressed soft tissue instead of your sit bones. The springs are a plus as long as they are not to soft. In any event they were real cheap so no big loss if they don't work out for you.

I just went from a foam padded Walmart saddle held together with duct tape to a new Avatar gel ($80 US). My first impression was 'damn this thing is too hard', but after 5-6 miles I did not feel like I was sitting on anything. It was real weird but I only felt the saddle if I thought about it. It's the most comfortable seat I've ridden except for a recumbent. The ache I had in my tailbone area is also gone since I got it.

Regards,
Bill

X2. While the wide soft saddles are nice for shorter jaunts (neither of my parents will ride with anything else, but they don't ride more than a few miles at a time either) they don't work well for long distance. That is a great saddle for around town, but not something you want to do 50 miles on. Trust me on this. Like anything, the right saddle for you will be a personal fit issue, but I don't know anyone who can do 50+ on that style saddle.

If your thing is shorter rides in comfort, by all means, great buy. The price was certainly right! Just think twice about putting one on any bike you cover major distance with.

 

[mrgarci1]

Those are da kine. The saddles with thingys that look like springs suck, but those coils will actually be as good as some suspension posts.

I've been thinking of getting one of these vintage-looking "hairpin" saddles:

http://www.hiwheel.com/accessories_main.htm#saddles

Purely for style.

But has anyone ridden on one for any distance (say more than 5-10 miles)? Wondering if those springs are aesthetic or functional.

 

[Kurt]

If it were a nice road bike or even my good Mtb's I agree 100% that a well fitting slim saddle is best. If your legs are moving a lot and your leaning down over the hand bars you sit more forward on the saddle anyhow and some of your weight is taken up by your arms and most by your legs as you peddle so skinny well shaped saddle is best.

What I find is on my e bike fitted with 5304 and a big capacity lithium battery is that I don't really need to peddle much but when I do my e bike frame has a slight feet forward and up write peddling position and you tend to sit on the back of the saddle so this wide style saddle works well. Have a look at the saddle that comes on some of the cruiser style townie bikes its like a tractor seat .

My wife's little folding e bike is much the same so she is happy with it. I will probably leave the standard saddles on my two mtb bikes. keep the other two as spares for our electric bikes.

The main reason I needed a new seat is because I had an accident into a car the other day and the impact of it broke my saddle completely off the bike .

Kurt.

 

[fifthmass]

Those are da kine. The saddles with thingys that look like springs suck, but those coils will actually be as good as some suspension posts.

I've been thinking of getting one of these vintage-looking "hairpin" saddles:

http://www.hiwheel.com/accessories_main.htm#saddles

Purely for style.

But has anyone ridden on one for any distance (say more than 5-10 miles)? Wondering if those springs are aesthetic or functional.

A properly broken in leather saddle is arguably the most comfortable style for long miles. It must be maintained and kept properly tensioned however. Springs are good for the constant random road fluctuations but not the larger holes.

Bill

 

[northernmike]

Lepper, from Holland - cheaper than Brooks, nice quality too.

 

[northernmike]

Also, I've pedaled over 50kms 3 times a week on my Brooks Swallow and taken a few 130km + rides - it is THE MOST comfortable saddle ever.

A close second is the Fizik "Aliante".

 

[mrgarci1]

Phew, those Lepper saddles are siiiiiiiick - and not too pricey either. Good call, Northernmike, I may end up buying one of those down the line at some point:

old-school style, new-school comfort. I'm in.

 

[curious]

I second recommendation for a leather saddle. It totally changes the feel from a plastic framed one no matter how thick is the padding layer. It basically works like a hammock relieving pressure to the most sensitive areas. Different pressure profile altogether.

I recently shelled 100$ for a Brooks B67 (tried many sports saddles in my former MTB life) and it is night and day. Believe me - I had more than half a dozen surgeries in *that* place, no joke, and any plastic saddle for me is a guaranteed visit to colon-rectal surgeon office few days (and sleepless nights) later.

You can ride as cheap a bike as you want (as long as it is strong and maintainable) but do not skimp on the saddle.