Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418
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Post by Jem on Feb 24, 2014 18:22:29 GMT
I have for many years,quite happily, sat on whatever saddle came with my bike. And never even thought about them, as it seems my backside isn't choosy where it sits for hours. My earliest 'proper' bike was the Viscount Indy 500 and I did 1000's of miles on the suede saddle that came with it. Apart from issues of soaking up rain water, it was fine. Then I started to get a bit restless. I had never had a bike with a Brooks saddle on it and held off buying one (I am a bit tight with money). But I kept reading about how most people swear by them. I also thought the Brooks looked good on the Viscount's on last summer's Rally. I decided to treat myself late last year when a used Brooks Colt came up for sale. It was used a little but not broken in. I picked it because I thought it would suit the Deore 18ax. And it does... However, I've not done a ride of more than 15 miles on it since then that hasn't left the inside of my thighs sore. My bum doesn't hurt though. I'm not sure whether to stick with it , accept this isn't the model for me or to go back to the Vitesse style suede that it came with? Any thoughts? I have been looking around and like the look of this particular saddle. Does anyone have experience of this kind of material? It seems like a cheaper version of the Cambium?
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bendo
Viscount
Posts: 538
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Post by bendo on Feb 25, 2014 10:39:31 GMT
Unfortunately saddles are something that are just trial-and-error to find the one that is right for you. Velocipete's "Major Bumsore" experiences are a case in point: I swear by Ideale saddles (not at them!). I have seven of them (two Competition 70s, a TB 92 and four TB90 Diagonales): some are broken-in and some were (are) NOS. I like them not just because I find them beautifully comfy but because, like Viscount and Suntour, they made great products but still went bust. I was surprised to ride a bike recently with a Selle Italia Turbo saddle and found it incredibly uncomfortable, both from shape and hardness. You have to ride any new leather saddle like a Brooks or Ideale for quite a while before you can tell whether it will be right for you. With the thigh soreness is it muscular soreness or chafing/rubbing? If it's rubbing, can you tell if it is the bottom of the side flaps that is doing the rubbing? If so, you could cut that away, a la racing saddles of old... b (Ideale saddle with aluminium rails = reallyfuckingexpensive *drools*)
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418
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Post by Jem on Mar 3, 2014 20:04:02 GMT
I realised that part of the problem was that I was slipping a bit on the leather of the Colt.
I sold it last week and went for the one above. Still waiting for it but will feedback when I've been out on it.
In the meantime I went back to the original suede covered plastic. It still has the Viscount stickers on the sides of it!
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418
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Post by Jem on Mar 13, 2014 20:35:29 GMT
I bought the new Velo-Orange Gand Cru micro-fibre touring saddle last week. Got chance to test it out today - so way too early to properly evaluate it , but I did a mini review here
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Post by goldie on Apr 3, 2014 22:13:15 GMT
The photos on your Tumblr blog are cracking sooper8. Your VO saddle looks great. I've got an Aerospace 600AX frame which will need something different to the Brooks B17 that I've got on my Aerospace Pro. That might do the trick.
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