mling1985

Thanks for answering my question edelay, the tyres I have right now are 1.75 in width and the narrowest big apple is 2.0. I am going to use your chart later and do some measurements.

Thanks badmother, I have watched a quick video on youtube about the basic of bike fitting, the bikefit forum would be an ideal place for me to soak up more information

Does spring saddle and wide tyres pretty much give the same result as saddle, suspension seatpost and wide tyres?
I wouldnt mind spending a little bit more if it helps to improve the comfortability

Thanks again abu, I have added the tyres you mentioned into considerations also, quite a few choices now hehe

invisiblehand

What tires do you have on the bike now?

I read that they're 20 x 1.75" If they're a high quality tire upgrading might make less of a difference than expected. Although whenever you replace them, I would go with the widest high-quality tire that fits the bike with fenders.

You never mentioned what tire pressure you're using. Most folks, IME, pump their tires up too high. The Bicycle Quarterly folks have been pushing the issue of tire pressure for a long time with lots of evidence on their side. Here are a couple of quick reads but there are other articles with lots of details if so interested.

https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/...ure-take-home/
https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/...tire-pressure/

That's why wide supple tires are so comfortable. You can lower tire pressure without a fear of pinch flats -- although tire squirm with lateral forces while turning can be an issue -- which creates an efficient suspension to smooth out the ride. They'll also handle better with a wider contact patch. So after you get a few bike fit things addressed -- see below -- I'd experiment with tire pressure before purchasing new tires.

For context, on our triplet, I pump the Big Apples to roughly 60/50 PSI on the front/rear once a month. I've never weighed the bike but with all of the doo-dads -- racks, IGH, independent coasting cranks, drag brake, and so on -- it's probably 50 pounds. The people are easily 300 pounds.

Just to add my vote to some earlier comments ...

(1) certainly play with bike fit
(2) cycling shorts besides having some padding typically cover/place the seams to reduce friction
(3) bar ends often give you a few more hand positions for longer rides
(4) like the shorts, cycling gloves can be helpful too
(5) saddles matter a lot although a "good" one is wildly dependent on the individual
(6) experiment/ride for a while before buying stuff

Have fun and good luck!

invisiblehand

BTW, there is a pretty big difference between Big Apple Race Guard and Big Apple Plus Green Guard in terms of weight and suppleness. I needed some extra puncture protection on the triplet. The Big Apple Race Guard seemed like a better choice than the Tioga Power Block I've used elsewhere. But I was pleasantly surprised by the ride quality.

EmmyLou32

If you'd like to try a quick fit to help your seat issue first, I know the Origami bike company sells an inexpensive memory foam cover for your seat. That may help resolve some of your pain at least temporarily. You can find it here: origamibicycles.com/product/classic-bag-svea/ Hope this helps!

12boy

Velo Orange sells nice leather saddles for a little less than brooks. Bike Nashbar sells
Short liners for about 20 and I have found them fine under
Regular clothes if spandex isn't your thing. I would think
If you go with softer tires ergo grips and adjust your bike to
Fit you may mot need anything else right away.

downtube

I had a rough time with brooks saddles. I am not sure I would recommend a leather saddle for comfort ( in the short term ).

Thanks,
Yan

downtube

Don't ride with underwear, and get some padded shorts.

Thanks,
Yan

mling1985

Thanks invisiblehand, the tires I have right now are the schwalbe citizen "20 x 1.6" and the tire pressure is 50 psi.

Yes right now I am playing with some basic bike fitting and will lower tire pressure to 40 psi and see how I feel before I buying anything. If I do buy stuff, I will probably get shorts and tires first, like a lot of people has mentioned finding the right saddle isn't so easy as everyone has different preferences and they are quite expensive also

Thanks emmy, will take a look at that

Thanks 12boy, yes saw some brooks saddle in the shop the other day and they were a bit more expensive than I would like to pay, I will have a look of Velo Orange for sure.

Thanks Yan

invisiblehand

OK. They're fairly ordinary. I think you'll get a noticeable improvement from Big Apples or some of the other high quality tires mentioned in the thread.

mling1985

Just want to say thank you to everyone in this thread for helping me out!! This place is so awesome, you guys are so friendly and helpful! Dont see this on a lot of forums nowadays

I also want to give an update of things I have changed so far:
1. I have been reading a lot into the basic of bike fitting and my setup right now is a lot more comfortable and a lot more efficient than before.

2. After another week on my orignal saddle, I just couldnt take it anymore and went ahead and bought a pair of brooks B17. They were so much more comfortable even being brand new, the sorness of my sitbones pretty much went away instantly. It only got rather uncomfortable when the road was very bumpy or after a very long ride.

3. I then bought a couple of pair of padded cycling shorts and they helped a lot on the longer rides but it was still a bit uncomfortable on the bumpy sessions.

4. I decided to either get the big apple or a suspension seatpost, since big apple wasnt easily available in my country, I went with the latter and got myself the thunderbuster LT and OMG this thing is amazing!! My ass never gets uncomfortable on the bumpy sessions anymore, it almost feels like I am riding on flats

I am now 100% happy with the comfort level of my ride so thank you so much to everyone for helping and teaching me!!

pedroaragao

Wow, i make chorus with invisiblehands considerations.
tyre widt and pressure does wonders in confort.

linberl

Sounds like you did everything right...the Brooks will get even more comfortable with time....now just go ride

invisiblehand

Sweet! I'm happy to read that things worked out for you.

As you improve in fitness and such, never be afraid to experiment in the future. Good luck.

edelay

Now that you've got a B17, Thudbuster and padded shorts, you can pump up your tires closer to the maximum level and be a bit faster. Thanks for the followup. Glad we all could help out.

BassNotBass

Of course there are exceptions to the rule. I'm a guy, about 6'3" 200lbs and I prefer the wider and shorter Brooks saddles (supposedly female saddles) on my touring bikes with a more upright position (bars level with the saddle top). I have Brooks B18 Ladies style (the actual model I have no longer seems to be made) and they are all day saddles... good for 100 mile days wearing just regular cargo shorts. The Brooks B17 women's work better for me on my sporting road bikes.

chagzuki

I use a women's b17 on my brompton simply because it's a lot lighter, due to being shorter.

jeanettebcrivel

Seriously it looks comfortable.

George3

What helps:

Losing body weight!

No heavy luggage on your back or shoulders. Use the luggage rack instead.

A saddle with horizontal springs.

Limit the length of your rides.

Take breaks during longer rides.