Trying to make this a real rest day after getting laundry done the first night. I was lucky to get a head tube spacer I need at a small bike store, and the owner even installed it and was then able to properly tighten my headset. I don’t know how I ended up without enough spacers, or whether my headset was loose before the trip. I have also switched my saddle from the cushy softer gel Terry Fly to my regular road bike saddle two days ago. The road bike saddle has improved my ride comfort, as I concluded on a 120 mile ride, and mitigated some soft tissue (perineum) rubbing I have had on this tour. This is an issue that can be serious if not addressed before a saddle sore develops, especially on a multiday tour. It could even end a tour for a rider.
If you are reading this, and your are not an avid cyclists, be aware saddle comfort can be addressed with just the right shaped and sized saddle (seat), but it takes effort to find the correct balance of cushy gel to protect the pressure on your sitz bones (ischial tuberosities) and the rubbing on your perineum tissue if it is too soft and cushy. Also essential to ride comfort is a properly sized cycling shorts or bibs. Many beginner riders don’t make the proper investment in a saddle choice nor lined shorts and end up concluding they don’t like bicycling.
Excellent explanation on the importance of properly fitting a saddle. I have ridden with several that did not properly fit a saddle and then complained about the discomfort. I am using a brooks B17 saddle and find that one to be the best for me. But I remember having a saddle once that was the worse ever! That one didn’t stay with me long!
Thanks for your comment, Don. Most anyone who has taken the time to break in the Brooks B17 leather saddle swears by them. I have 800 miles on the B17 predecessor (seen on this website page Bicycles and Equipment) installed on my Waterford. I think I still need some more miles to break it in. Of courses, break-in time is unique to leather seats, which most people don’t ride anymore. They are vintage-looking, and real cool on the right bicycle, and for some, supper comfortable. To let everyone unfamiliar with this know, you shouldn’t need any break-in time on a good modern seat.
I know this is a cliche, but crikey, Texas is really really BIG and you’re still in it. Good job on the record long ride. Double ice cream for you. Interesting notes on the saddle. A proper bike fit done by a pro, whilst seeming a little over the top, when done well, makes all the difference, including the pressure scan and saddle selection, god bless Lennard Zinn. And comfy gel not always best in the long run. Biggest changes I made: no underwear (TMI) and “chammy” cream. Ride On. Can’t wait for the next State.
Adrian, thanks for your thoughtful comments and encouragement. The comment I hear most from non-cyclists when I tell them I ride any distance over 30 miles, is something like “Geez, I couldn’t handle sitting on the bike seat that long”. Their concern is legitimate, but I wish I could convince them that it is a problem that we avid cyclist do solve, most of the time, via effort. All your suggestions are sound. Pro-fits are probably worth every penny they cost, yet I have not done one yet. Glad you had a good one that came with that beautiful custom Ti Zinn road bicycle. And yes, we don’t wear underwear because it would definitely create problems!
You had me at ischial tuberoisities….
It is all part of our ass!