Comfort seats

[Lee337]

Some of you may have read about my bony a$$ and how uncomfortable it's getting riding recently.

It's not because I'm losing weight, far from it - let's call it a 'redistribution' Anyway, having taken the XC out for a long(ish) ride a couple of weeks ago and what wasn't aching, was numb 

I already have a sheepskin cover on the seat which has worked well in the past, but I've obviously moved or adjusted something & 150 miles & I'm walking  like John Wayne. (for those of you who don't know who John Wayne is, ask your parents!).

I took the sheepskin off, still uncomfortable, adjusted the seat, first dropped it to its lowest level, then up at the front, then up at the rear & down at the front, still had numb nadgers after around an hour in the saddle.

Proper Triumph comfort seats are rarer than hens teeth, so I decided to go down the comfort seat pad route.

I set off with Talyn J's seat in its highest position & headed for teh bike shop around 20 miles away. Now this may be important - I was wearing some bamboo boxers, nice & airy (it's a warm day) and I find them quite comfortable on the bike, together with a pair of armoured cargo trousers, rather than my Alpinestars trousers.

During my 20 mile ride, a little uncomfortable but no numbness anywhere but the fingers of my left hand. I doubt my seating position was the culpret, more keeping the revs up & having fun in the twisties.

Anyway I digress. I forked out £63 of my hard earned dosh for an Oxford air seat with air pump included. I'd read the reviews which were pretty good. I'd read one that says pump it up about 80%, others saying only put a little in or you feel dsconnected from the bike.

I didn't fit it straight away, but headed home for coffee & cake, well coffee and a biscuit anyway, fitted the comfort seat which was a doddle having filled it with air to around 80%.

Within around half a mile I stopped & let some air out. It was like trying to balance on a Space Hopper (perents will know  ), got around 2 miles & stopped again. Let some more air out.

Within the space of a 20 mile ride, I'd stopped & adjusted the air either up or down 5 times & I'm still not convinced I've got it right and was more uncomfortable than the 40 mile round trip to the bike shop.

Yet almost all of the on-line reviews (all 9 of them) say it's very comfortable once you've played with the air pressure.

So, I'll give it another try when I go out next to see if I can crack this comfort thing. Otherwise it's back to bamboo boxers & sheepskin.

 

[93TigerBill-2016]

Lee, I feel your pain.....
Had only a sheepskin on the Steamer for most of my L-D riding, and (two) Kawasaki Versys 650's. When I switched up to an 800XC, I needed a bit more: I swapped to an "Airhawk", not only used for 'bikes, but for others who are forced to sit for extended periods of time (wheelchairs etc.).
The 'trick' is to only have the minimum amount of air, just enough to not 'touch' the seat - and the Airhawk is blown up by mouth pressure only, the less the better.
There are other similar items now available, but the Airhawks seem to last well.