A friend just bought a spin bike and she's now looking for a gel pad for the saddle. The usual requirements: cheap but not nasty. Any recommendations?
Cheers,
JJB
Looking for a Gel Pad Bike Seat...for a Lady
[Deactivated] on 07/01/2015 - 23:51
Comments
Thanks altomic. How do you know which one to choose though? There's so many of them.
they are much of a muchness. if she is in no hurry for it then get a china one. otherwise aus stock.
I have an elcheapo on my city/office bike. it's fine.
I'll weigh in on this - don't go too cheap.
I got an el cheapo for my wife from Kmart and it lasted about 4 rides before it split the stitching and started leaking the gel. It's not liquid, but can still make a mess.
Tell her that if she's sitting on the seat she's not working hard enough ;)
More seriously, I would avoid those larger padded style seats (if that's what your after) as I have one on my wife's bike and anyone who rides it for a long period of time complains.
Good Luck
It's counter-intuitive but the slim racer ones are better. She's not doing the Tour de France for hours straight.
The padding goes in your pants, not your seat. But you can't change the mind of some people once they've set on their ways. And they do it and realise you were right to start with but don't apologise or thank you for it.
Use it and suck it up, get used to the difference and you'll be fine.
Yes you can get probs for long duration use, but it's down to the rigidity of frame going over bumps etc and posture. Nerve damage, ouch. Since this is a spin/stationary it won't be as bad.
But you can't change the mind of some people once they've set on their ways. And they do it and realise you were right to start with but don't apologise or thank you for it.
what was that rant about?o.O
Haha, it's just frustrating. Seeing friends and family go against your advice and then come back and do what you had suggested originally but don't have the humility to acknowledge it. Doesn't even have to be a sorry, or thankyou or you were right! Just a 'Oops, I was wrong' would do.
But the world is becoming more and more narcissistic, so I understand LOL.
I would have cracked a joke about how ladies can be stubborn but I don't really mean that and it's a bit sexist.
Just wish I could save the time and money of people I know.
Thanks adamren. I totally get what you mean.I wear padded shorts when I ride too. But then we're men and don't care if our butt look big in them or not. Women…hence my question to ms Turnip
@Jar Jar Binks: Oh, just checked names and you're OP LOL. So what does your wife say about just wearing padded pants on a racer seat? It's indoors at your home right? Who's going to see?
I'm all for seeing my SO in lycra. But I like big butts (or curves in her case) and I can not lie.
@adamren: Helping a female friend. so the less said about her curves, the better. My wife could be lurking around.
Whichever type of saddle she goes with, hopefully it'll have a 'cut-away'… (not all women need it, but it's better safe than sorry).
I've never used or felt the need for a gel saddle. Could she possibly go around to different stores like Big W etc and sit on various bicycles and spin bikes, purely to try various saddles? To then get an idea of what might be comfy for her? (hopefully different stores have a variety of saddles on offer for her to try..)
Do you wear padded pants then?
That might be counterproductive as when you first sit on the racer seats they feel a bit uncomfortable and firm. You just want to get on a gel one! LOL
But after a few minutes you get used to the racer ones and they're better.
Best to just wear nice lambskin padded lycra.
Up until I was told that the cut out section is for different pelvic design I used to think it was to accommodate labia, but then why didn't men have to big testicular cut out seats? ;-p
Because they're designed by radical feminists (kills sperm count).
On long rides it is the perineum that is constantly being rubbed back and forth on the saddle for both guys and girls. The idea behind the 'flow' or cut-away saddle is that the area where it would rub is not there so no rubbing. Also look up 'Chamois cream', great stuff but maybe a bit much for this conversation. If you get chaffing though, chamois cream is what the pros use to avoid it. Your main weight should be supported by the padded bits of the saddle where your 'sit bones' at the edges of your pelvis are supported.
I have a flow saddle on my bike and it helps a bit. If you go to a good bike shop they have devices to measure the width of your pelvis (a board with a gel pad on it you sit on and they measure the distance between the indentations to see how wide your pelvis bones are). They make boys and girls versions of flow saddles to accommodate the differences. There will be women's flow saddles on sale at the likes of chainreaction and wiggle although even cheap ones will be more expensive than an eBay gel/neoprene pad.
Sometimes having a big padded saddle that is too wide for you is actually making things less comfortable. If it is too wide it could impeded the motion of your legs or, I have heard, pinch the nerves in your groin and make your legs numb.
I ride a fair bit and I would never ride without a good set of bike knicks and a decent saddle. There are only 3 contact points on a bike, saddle, handlebars and pedals, make sure all are comfortable.
ebay
also seen in Kmart