I know the topic comes up a lot, and we recently discussed it in another thread (that I can't seem to find), but here's something for those of you who do a decent amount of bicycling. Cyclists go through saddles like crazy, trying to find one that has a decent fit and doesn't leave your ass or man bits going numb after a few hours. I happened to stumble across the Selle SMP TRK saddle at a local bike shop, and for the last couple of years have really appreciated the thought that had gone into the design. It looks a little funny because it's a split saddle (that is, it's open in the center) and the nose dips down like an eagle beak. The combination of those two features made me wonder if this saddle would allow cycling with a device. I finally got a chance to try it out yesterday. The answer is, yes - with some qualifications. Note that I am a road cyclist, but I tend to ride on the hoods or up on the bars, and not hunched over in the drops (I'm not 24 anymore, if you get my drift). I wore normal lycra shorts with nothing underneath, and applied a liberal amount of Gold Bond lotion around the ring. After I clipped in, I sat up, and found I had to move/twist the cage slightly more to the side than I would in snug jeans, but once I got going along it was fine. In fact, after the first few miles, I forgot I had it on, and kept going at a nice pace. Since it was my first ride of the season, I was just warming up, and kept to the flatter roads (well, what passes for flat in central Connecticut). At some point I stopped for a drink, and switched the cage to the other side of my seam. I had a couple of minor pulls that I attributed to hairs getting caught. About 10 or 12 miles out I did notice that things were a little out of place (it gets hot in those shorts), but a quick stop to readjust set everything right again. I finished the 15 mile ride with no chafing, redness, pinching, or any other problem. Again, this was a shorter ride for me, with no steep climbs. I maybe averaged 13-14 mph, and didn't do anything unusual. The lotion held up pretty well, and I should mention that I'm in the A272, which has a flat profile on the cuff ring, so I'm not sure what difference a round ring would make, but I suspect less friction. I'm not sure if I would try a 50 mile ride, although I'll try a longer ride soon just to see how things hold up. However, for those of you who typically ride a more upright bike along the bike trails, then the TRK might be the saddle that works for you.
I find this quite useful. I am pondering to get my old bike (almost 20) in a usable shape. It has been quite long I have rode it but I do remember that the seddle it has is really uncomfortable. Due to that I often rode it without sitting down. Getting it to a workable condition is one of the summer projects I came up with.
That's... interesting. One of the reasons my wife gives me the key in the evening is so I can get my exercise ride in, which is usually a 10-20 mile ride. Not sure I want to find a solution that removes that reason, if you know what I mean!