If you don’t want a part of your body to get sore, then that part shouldn’t be pushing against something that doesn’t move along with it. That’s the thinking behind the vabsRider bicycle saddle, the two sides of which pivot in time with your pedaling.

  • ZeffSyde@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Hooray. I’ve been looking to add a few more points of maintenance and failure to my bike.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      5 months ago

      I think these things are pretty well made, they don’t appear to be cheap Chinese tat, but I’d want to confirm that before I was prepared to even consider buying one.

  • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
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    5 months ago

    Anything that makes cycling more comfortable for me people is always a win in my books.

    I’ve always felt that if a saddle needs the rider to wear padded short, it’s not the right saddle.

    I recently switched to a Selle SMP saddle, and suddenly my hand pains went away, and I’m more comfortable without padded shorts.

    But the issue for me, isn’t so much pain from sitting, but chaffing/rubbing by ordinary underwear and bottoms. Cycling shorts are just designed to exclude seams where you don’t want them.

    I wonder if this saddle addresses clothing rub.

    Side note, it bothers me immensely that many of the riders in the demo video are rocking side to side. Their bike isn’t nearly set up right if they are forced to do that. Like the saddle is too high.

      • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
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        5 months ago

        I use it when wearing padded shorts, but I really shouldn’t need to wear padded shorts. I may need to get different underwear, so the fabric doesn’t bunch up or crease, but that’s about it.

        When I was riding with a Brooks C15, I pretty much had to wear padded shorts or it felt like I was sitting on a wooden plank. I endured it for thousands of KM until I realized that there are so many better options out there.

          • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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            5 months ago

            My big problem with all of that though is that now I have to do prep work before I can ride the bike. I just want to be able to get on the bike and go, I don’t want to have to do stuff.

            This is for just riding around on simple terrain and on the quieter roads. Obviously if you’re going to go off-road then you need to make some preparations, but that’s reasonable. I shouldn’t have to put on special gear just to go to the shops.

          • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
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            5 months ago

            I don’t! The underwear are for when I use regular shorts or jeans. Some have seams that just tear into skin under friction.

            That said, some shorts, specially those with loose liners, are also really bad when riding long distances.

            • Timecircleline@sh.itjust.works
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              5 months ago

              Thank you for the response! I just started learning how to ride (short distances) and a coworker gave me that piece of advice and I didn’t know if they were messing with me or not.

              • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
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                5 months ago

                For short distances (no pun intended), I don’t think it’s necessary to use cycling shorts, or even special regular clothes. It’s a personal preference. I sweat more in regular clothes, so I don’t mind the cycling/technical wear.

                But much of the riding I do recreationally tends to be long distance (80km+ at a time), so comfort is at the top of my list over pretty much everything else.

    • FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.ioOPM
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      5 months ago

      I totally want one, but they’re expensive AF. I think I’m gonna go with a Cane Creek Thudbuster seatpost after reading some reviews, the LT looks like it could soak up a good amount of bumps for a seatpost.

      • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        you aren’t supposed to sit on the saddle over bumps. you lift up your butt and use your knees/hips to as the suspension.

        • FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.ioOPM
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          5 months ago

          I know, I do, and that’s good advice. but suspension seatposts are still nice for minor stuff especially on longer rides when you’re tired.

      • njordomir@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        They neglected road maintenance for decades in a climate with hot summers and cold winters so large cracks developed across the roadways every 10 feet. If I stood for every bump, i would never sit down. I bought a suspension seatpost.

        It’s a great way of smoothing out the smaller bumps, or the rumble of crumbling asphault. That’s about what I paid for mine. Unlike a suspension that will suck away my power, once I stand up, the bike is as rigid and connected as ever. When I sit down it’s like I’m floating on a pillow a few inches above my speeding bike. I set it per their suggestion but when I have some time I want to see if I can get it tuned in even better for me.

    • njordomir@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Do you prefer the praying mantis bars, or the under-seat steering? I hear you on the price, I’ve been eying the Hase Pino Tandem for a while now. The driver is upright in the back, while another rider can pedal along recumbent in front. It’s a marvel. Test rode it 2-3 times and I just can’t bring myself to fork over that much dough unless I have to (which is why most of the recumbent riders in my life did it). Also knowing I’ll have ongoing maintenance costs the whole time I have it and some of those parts may not be off the shelf.

      The guys who ride the recumbent trikes have it made though, they can pull up their wheeled lawnchairs in a circle and reach behind them into the attached cooler for some snacks.

      • Xaphanos@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        I prefer uss, but it’s really a per-person preference thing.

        I bought a used Infinity a few years back. Quite affordable, even with shipping. Sure it’s old and heavy and has nothing modern. But damn fun and very solid.

    • The How™@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Kansas roads have me empathically wincing with tailbone pain whenever I see one out and around

  • sbv@sh.itjust.works
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    5 months ago

    This looks similar to the Hobson bike seat I’ve been using for the last couple of decades. I recommend the Hobson - it’s very comfortable. Maybe this one will be great too.

  • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    A properly fitted bike saddle should not make you sore during normal use.

    • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      A properly fitted bike saddle should not make you sore during normal use.

      Most folks who ride a bike ride a crappy soft foam saddle that makes your butt sore after more than 10m of use.

      Good saddles cost over $50+, most folks are buying entire bikes that cost about $100-200… on which the saddle costs $5-10.

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago

        I doubt this mechanical seat will be cheaper than an entry level , but properly built normal saddle.

        And frankly the fit matters the most. Most shops will give your seat a quick review/adjust if you go in and buy anything.

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago

        There are many folks at 100kg or more riding comfortably. Having properly fitted equipment is critical.

        I recommend stopping by a bike shop, they’ll often review your fit for free or very cheap the difference is massive.

  • Grass@sh.itjust.works
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    5 months ago

    would be interested in comparison to properly fitted regular seat but I’m not super convinced.

  • theskyisfalling@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    5 months ago

    If you are getting a sore arse when riding a bike then your setup is wrong. There is no need for whatever this abomination is, if your “sit bones” are aching then you need to take the time to actually set your bike up properly.

    It isn’t just about the height you need to adjust the tilt, how far forward or back it is which is also dependant on how much reach you have with your stem and bars. The size of your frame which also affects things like your reach as well. The positioning of your feet on the pedals which is especially important if you are clipping in.

    The list goes on and some shitty tilting saddle is not going to magically alleviate poor bike fit, it is just going to move the aches and pains to other areas on your body like your knees or your shoulders.

    • Lag@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Ideally I would want both. I don’t think they are claiming that this removes the need for a proper setup.

    • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      vast majority of people do not care about having a ‘setup’. they are bike bicycle nerds who will spend tons of time and money to get their ‘bike fit’ right. a proper bike setup is for people who spend $1000s on bikes, not your average consumer who spends under $500 and sees a bicycle as a toy.

      they go to walmart, or a bike shop, buy the cheapest bike that looks cool, and ride it. and then stop riding it because it hurts their butt/back/wrists, or they just get bored of it.

      • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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        5 months ago

        That’s ridiculous. You don’t need to be a bicycle geek to care about the comfort of your commuter vehicle. I’m ten times as geeky about my rollerskates as my bicycle, despite the fact I’ve spent a hundred times as long on my bike. But I still care about comfort during those hundreds of hours a year on the bike.

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago
        1. Being ignorant of how to use a tool is not anyone else’s fault
        2. Sharing education that even a cheap bike can be improved by a proper fit is a good thing. It doesn’t require expensive gear to get a comfortable fit, assuming you bought the right size bike in the first place
    • PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Do you have to get a custom seat setup for your car? What about your office chair? Perhaps cyclists have become accustomed to the need for specialty seat fittings because bike saddles are just inherently small, prone to pressure points, rigid and unforgiving. This innovation looks promising to me, at least as far as reducing perineal numbness and nerve damage (hopefully without the need for ridiculous diaper shorts which I own and love).

        • PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          That is patently false. Buying a saddle is not the same as going to your LBS for a “professional fitting”.

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago

        Yes, I have a custom seat setup in my car…I adjust the “handlebars” and the “seat” every time I get in.

        Same for office chairs.

  • Usernameblankface@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Seems overdone. A simpler, cheaper version of this will probably take off as an alternative, but normal seats are so cheap that they’ll stay the default seats.

    People with money to burn and sore bottoms will probably buy enough of these to keep the product going a while.