My bum liked the shape of the C17 but I didn’t like the rough surface that made it harder to adjust position on the saddle, as one is always doing while riding. My pants always “caught” on the fabric and “stuck” there. But I found the shape more comfortable for the slightly more upright position I had on the Dahon Hon Solo, better than B 17s or Flyers or the B72 for that matter, not quite as comfortable as the Pro. I ride mostly in good touring shorts without lining and in low humidity conditions.
My favorite — as in “I don’t think about it” — saddle is the original Flite which I have on all my bikes. Again, in non-lined shorts, be these cycling-specific or cut off khakis, they are my best compromise for support and non-interference. The thing requiring more consideration is nether garments. I’ve been wearing very loose (buy a size larger than normal) but thin nylon boxers and these generally do well in avoiding bunching and friction in our high desert climate, but I’ve noticed that these work better with certain of my shorts than with others, for some reason I can’t identify. I’ve been thinking of using something closer fitting but still longer in the leg than briefs; any ideas? Note that if possible I’d like to find an undergarment that is reasonably priced enough to buy in dozen-at-at-time lots (2-week laundry cycles) to wear every day, since I dislike having to change just to go ride a bike. I do have a few pairs of wool cycling shorts with real chamois (one pair has a synthetic non-padded liner) that I use for very occasional longer rides, but I hate with a passion tight, clingy lycra shorts with thick padding. On Sun, Jun 8, 2025 at 6:51 PM Jay <[email protected]> wrote: > A thread dedicated to complaining about saddles! Plus other related > topics such as cycling shorts, chamois cream, improper bike fit, and > weather. Enjoy :-) > > I'll start. And I'm going to go with, weather. Hot. Humid. > Leave-you-dripping-in-sweat. Weather. > > I've had Brooks C17 on my two bikes for the last 15 months. After > initially installing the saddle and sitting upon it as I went 20 feet from > my driveway I was like "this fits me well, it's supportive, yet I can still > sink into it a bit, feels good when I'm pedalling". And it really has been > great, with only a few hiccups since then. One thing I don't like about > it, the surface is rough. The brown is rougher than the black, to me at > least. The black is on my Salsa Fargo. I don't think I have one complaint > about that saddle on that bike, but then I only ride that bike up to 1.5hrs > at a time, on trails, where I'm off the saddle a lot (similar to mtb). I > have the brown on my Roadini and it looks good. I even have a back-up for > when it wears out. Enough about that, on to my complaint! > > The last time I rode in heat, like where I'm wearing s/s shirt, shorts, > helmet and gloves and no extra layers, was October 2024. I put the year > after October as it was so long ago it's now strange writing or saying > October, without qualifying - 2024. Riding in cool weather so often means > I'm really acclimated to it, plus I'm generally not a fan of doing anything > outdoors when it's hot. > > Yesterday I had the day to myself as the family was working. I usually > ride within an hour of waking up and I wake up early, but yesterday I > waited for my daughter to leave for work so we can have breakfast > together. This was going to be a long ride, adventurous with a new route, > connecting two rail trails, lots of gravel paths and roads, and very little > traffic. Stopping a lot to smell the flowers. And it would have been > great, if not for some discomfort. Oh, and I had legs, and felt great. > > I headed out around 9:30 and it was actually quite pleasant, and wasn't > really getting very hot, but to me, hot enough. I have three brands of bib > shorts. I opted for the one yesterday that fits me the best (I mean it > really stays in place, doesn't ride up or anything, including the chamois, > with the outer layer apparently taking any friction as it moves and the bib > doesn't). Sounds good, good marketing, but I learned that when you're hot, > have been pedalling for over 3 hours on gravel roads, trails; lots of > pedalling in the saddle, having to remember to stand up every so often; > that a bib glued to your butt so-to-speak, getting all hot and sweaty > (sorry, TMI), isn't all that good. About 2.5hr into the ride I can feel > the friction on the sit bones. Stopped a lot, but could never maneuver > myself or the chamois, like on long descents, I couldn't get any air in > there. Long story short, got home and had a couple of saddle sores. > Nothing awful, but it did have me questioning the saddle, shorts, and > riding in the heat. I mean these shorts are great under winter rights when > the temp is -10C, but now I've learned, not so good for hot days. This > morning I went for a short trail ride, different shorts, and that riding > style on that bike meant lots of out-of-the-saddle time, plus it was cool. > Was a fantastic ride, albeit short. > > What have *you* got!? > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/89b58923-30ee-4403-aed5-88a2f36435e5n%40googlegroups.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/89b58923-30ee-4403-aed5-88a2f36435e5n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *When thou didst not, savage, k**now thine own meaning,* *But wouldst gabble like a** thing most brutish,* *I endowed thy purposes w**ith words that made them known.* -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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