Adam's bike challenge. Stage 4: Soreness and saddles for long distance cycling

Adam Bradbury

04 November 2011

In Mexico a few years ago some so-called friends took me out into the bush on a day trip. We went by donkey. To be accurate I rode the donkey and they walked. I took this to be a kindness until I climbed into the saddle.

My memory is probably shaped by what happened to the lower half of my body that day. But in my mind's eye the saddle is a short wooden Toblerone - a triangular prism. And the rider - me - is balanced on the ridge. I guess this would be OK if it really was a big piece of chocolate going soft in the Mexican sun, or if you're Johnny English reborn. But it wasn't and I'm not.

Neither was it a 30-second party trick. It was a 4-hour ride across rough terrain. Sometimes the donkey plodded along meekly like a donkey is supposed to and I was able to forget the pain, look around at the scenery and feel at one with nature.

Sometimes the donkey trotted and I bounced. And I found myself capable of a degree of murderous hate towards living creatures that's probably not appropriate for someone working in a charity that values nature.

That memory came trotting back when I had my bike refurbished earlier this year. The plan was to get my 5-year old hybrid in good enough shape for me to train for Friends of the Earth's Big Green Bike Ride in 2012.

The saddle was an obvious sore point.

In case you haven't replaced a saddle before, we're talking about simply unbolting and replacing the seat itself, not the vertical post - which should last for ever.

I'd done a little research and had my donkey-phobia heightened by tales of numbness, chafing and worse from long bike rides. What surprised me was the advice that soft doesn't necessarily mean comfortable. You need some resistance and stability under your backside.

As always there's too much choice and a suspiciously wide price range. I plumped for the cheapest saddle (under £25) - a narrow, sporty-looking thing.

Around town it's not proving super-comfortable but on slightly longer rides it does feel like it's giving me something to push against.

When I get into training seriously in the new year I suspect I'm going to want something that better fits what is coyly referred to as my personal geometry.

In other words get a saddle that fits the shape of your bum.

There's more information about saddles on the internet than you could ever need. I quite liked this one which recommends proper cycling shorts with seamless padding (isn't that a nappy?) and no lace knickers.

Any tips for me?

Adam Bradbury, Publishing & New Media team