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Are You Sitting Comfortably?
Blog Date - 27 July 2012
I have a friend with an old CBR 600. He's not an everyday rider like myself but when he does ride he likes to cover what I consider HUGE mileages. He's done the "Iron Butt" challenge a few times and tells me tales of 700 mile rides to various points around the UK. On a Sunday he'll happily ride from his home in Bolton to Lakes, then over to the East coast then back via deepest darkest Derbyshire. That's just a short run to warm the bike up and charge the battery. Yikes!
I know other people who think nothing of 300 miles for a jaunt. Me? Oh I cover maybe 15,000 miles per year, but nearly all of those are 40 mile rides to work or maybe 100 mile days out and about. There's the odd 300 mile day but those are trips and holidays, not "just a ride out". It seems I'm not one of those that covers the ground with a lightness and ease, I suffer for my art.
These modern seats look very thin to me...but maybe they're scientifically designed for ergonomic comfort...or to look good.
On a long run, be it in town or the motorway or the countryside, I get uncomfortable. I've owned several bikes over the years and some are better than others, but whatever the machine I know after an hour or so I'll be aching and ready to stop. I know after half a day in the saddle, even with stops, I'll be fidgeting and wriggling around in the seat. I know after a full day I'll be ruined. Luckily I recover quickly, when I get off the bike after a long ride I'll be fine in 20 minutes, but then if I were to get back on the bike I'd be sore again in no time.
I used to think it was the bike. I've altered handlebar postitions, changed bikes, tried different seats and added padding, all to no avail. Some things help a little like the bar risers on the Fazer and a decent seat. These things extend my comfort but only by a few minutes, they still don't make an all day ride a luxurious pleasure. It's me, I can't sit still on an arm chair for long. I don't know why, it's just the way I'm made.
The old style bikes look more comfortable with big fat seats, but are they really?
I'm envious of those that can. I'd love to be able to ride and ride and ride without discomfort. Those that can are not always those on bikes designed for comfort like BMW tourers or Gold Wings. Nick Saunders, the guy who makes a living traveling the world, is known to use an R1 for goodness sake. There's a girl who covers big miles on a Gixer 750 and another guy who has no issues on his Aprilia Mille. I suppose they may fit the bike well but there's something about them that makes this possible.
I'm considering a new bike sometime in the future. I know whatever machine I buy I won't be able to ride from Lands End to John O'Groats in comfort but I would like to be able to test if it is more comfortable than not. I know you can book a test ride, but no shop is going to let you take their shiny demonstrator for a 6 hour jaunt around North Wales. It's one thing to hop onto a bike for an hour and feel fine, it's another to sit on it for many hours. I think it would be boring and I'd feel a bit stupid sitting on a bike there in the shop for a day. Yet I don't want to spend over 5,000 pounds only to discover it's an instrument of torture after the first hour.
Maybe a cruiser with forward pegs and laid back riding position is the solution?
There's no point asking someone else if it's comfortable. One man's easy chair is anothers rocky outcrop. Some people rate the BMW GS range as the most comfortable bike known to man but one friend says his was blooming awful. The NTV 600 was a dispatch rider's favourite, as such you'd expect to be able to ride long hours without pain. Mine was terrible for me. We are all different shapes and sizes, we all have preferences and our bodies are different inside as well as out. The only way to know what works is to try it...and you can't.
It's a problem to which I've not found a solution. I'd welcome any input or suggestions.
Reader's Comments
John Almond said :-
You can borrow mine for a day Ren if you wish.
Let me know.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
John said :-
Have you considered trying a gel seat cover Ren? I got a gel seat pad that is designed for a push bike, I got it from Aldi, £3.99 and it seems to work for me. even though the DV seat is very comfy for me any way its the gel pad makes it that bit more comfy
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
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