Back Rest/Cushion for Recumbent Bike
#1
Oooooooofffff SALESMAN!
Thread Starter
Back Rest/Cushion for Recumbent Bike
I recently bought a recumbent bike and would like to buy a proper back cushion since the stock one is a bit firm, especially on the sides where the material stretches over. Here is the bike:
I bought a popular one at Amazon but it tapers toward the top and feels like it only supports my spine and not the actual back.
I installed it on my bike and as you can see on either side there's like a good two inches where my back doesn't even touch the cushion.
Also, I'm into working out so my upper back is actually pretty wide and I need some expert advice from you guys if I should buy another cushion that's 16 inches wide at the top (that's how wide the stock back rest is) or should I keep this cushion I just bought which appears to be only like 6 inches towards the top. My main concern is I don't want to screw my back up.
I bought a popular one at Amazon but it tapers toward the top and feels like it only supports my spine and not the actual back.
I installed it on my bike and as you can see on either side there's like a good two inches where my back doesn't even touch the cushion.
Also, I'm into working out so my upper back is actually pretty wide and I need some expert advice from you guys if I should buy another cushion that's 16 inches wide at the top (that's how wide the stock back rest is) or should I keep this cushion I just bought which appears to be only like 6 inches towards the top. My main concern is I don't want to screw my back up.
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,762
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6881 Post(s)
Liked 10,869 Times
in
4,634 Posts
You might want to ask a moderator to move this to the Recumbent subforum.
#3
Forum Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 21,321
Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Colnago Classic Rabobank Schwinn Waterford PMount Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista
Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3059 Post(s)
Liked 6,376 Times
in
3,689 Posts
Thread moved from General to Recumbents.
__________________
#4
Senior Member
Are you that wide that the frame is digging into your shoulders? The mesh back on my V-Rex was always supremely comfortable to me. Adding a pad like that will negate the airflow aspect of a mesh back. Perhaps you can find some filter foam that's wide enough to work?
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 3,802
Bikes: Trek Domane SL6 Gen 3, Soma Fog Cutter, Focus Mares AL, Detroit Bikes Sparrow FG, Volae Team, Nimbus MUni
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 878 Post(s)
Liked 2,019 Times
in
1,055 Posts
On my carbon seat, I built up a pad to fit the curve of my back using layers of thin yoga mat. Basically layered them up different thicknesses based on where i needed it.
When i used a mesh seat, I never needed anything except to tighten the mesh from time to time. Maybe that could resolve the issue?
When i used a mesh seat, I never needed anything except to tighten the mesh from time to time. Maybe that could resolve the issue?
Likes For downtube42:
#6
rebmeM roineS
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Metro Indy, IN
Posts: 16,216
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 653 Post(s)
Liked 345 Times
in
225 Posts
I’ve never had a cushion on the backrest of the seat on any of the ‘bent bikes I’ve ridden, just mesh fabric under tension.
__________________
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Likes For JanMM:
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sin City, Nevada
Posts: 2,879
Bikes: Catrike 700, Greenspeed GTO trike, , Linear LWB recumbent, Haluzak Horizon SWB recumbent, Balance 450 MTB, Cannondale SM800 Beast of the East
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 521 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 227 Times
in
179 Posts
One that gets frequent recommendations on the largest recumbent owner's site is the Ventesit pad. It comes in many versions for different recumbents, You can see examples at the Hostel Shoppe in Wisconsin https://hostelshoppe.com/search?type...ventesit*+pad*. You can ask them if there is one for your bike. There was an earlier post on this very subject in July 2021 https://m.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=22126492
#8
Senior Member
The problem with recumbent bike seats is, that they are made for 1 size fits all which it actually does not. I am a tall person at 6'4" with rheumatoid arthritis and have not found a recumbent yet with a seat that works for my back.
All the seat backs are too short and the shapes never support my back where they should. I modified my bike-E seats and I had two seats for my Phantoms custom build by member ADC here in the forum. Extra long seat back and wider than the original. This has saved my back big time and I now ride hours after hours without pain. I just did a 6h ride on Sunday.
To have my seat custom made I traced the outline of the back rest of other seats I have at home. One is firm modern recliner and the other an aftermarket car seat for tall persons. May sound funny but with that procedure I was able to design a pattern which works for my back.
All the seat backs are too short and the shapes never support my back where they should. I modified my bike-E seats and I had two seats for my Phantoms custom build by member ADC here in the forum. Extra long seat back and wider than the original. This has saved my back big time and I now ride hours after hours without pain. I just did a 6h ride on Sunday.
To have my seat custom made I traced the outline of the back rest of other seats I have at home. One is firm modern recliner and the other an aftermarket car seat for tall persons. May sound funny but with that procedure I was able to design a pattern which works for my back.
Likes For Harhir:
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Yolo County, West Sacramento CA
Posts: 517
Bikes: Modified 26 inch frame Schwinn Varsity with 700c wheels and 10 speed cassette hub. Ryan Vanguard recumbent. 67cm 27"x1 1/4" Schwinn Sports Tourer from the 1980's. 1980's 68cm Nishiki Sebring with 700c aero wheels, 30 speeds, flat bar bicycle.
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 131 Post(s)
Liked 141 Times
in
102 Posts
My present used Ryan Vanguard seat started out not being comfortable. There is a seat thread on this recumbent site from which I got the following seat maker. https://recumbentseatfix.weebly.com . This fellow made a great seat with a shaped cushion that did away with all the problem areas my Ryan seat had. I use the standard heavy duty seat frame that Ryan made leaned back quite a bit. I had to purchase some aftermarket turnbuckles that were shorter than the Ryan struts to get my seat leaned far enough back. This has made for a really comfortable seat which can be ridden for hours with no pains. I'm 6'5" 270lbs but my shoulders are not as wide as yours appear to be. I just use the stock mesh seatback that came with the bike.I owned a Rans Gliss recumbent for many years and the Rans seat was just excellent. Good luck in your seat comfort journey.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 3,460
Bikes: Trident Spike 2 recumbent trike w/ e-assist
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1321 Post(s)
Liked 374 Times
in
288 Posts
The problem with recumbent bike seats is, that they are made for 1 size fits all which it actually does not. I am a tall person at 6'4" with rheumatoid arthritis and have not found a recumbent yet with a seat that works for my back.
All the seat backs are too short and the shapes never support my back where they should. I modified my bike-E seats and I had two seats for my Phantoms custom build by member ADC here in the forum. Extra long seat back and wider than the original. This has saved my back big time and I now ride hours after hours without pain. I just did a 6h ride on Sunday.
To have my seat custom made I traced the outline of the back rest of other seats I have at home. One is firm modern recliner and the other an aftermarket car seat for tall persons. May sound funny but with that procedure I was able to design a pattern which works for my back.
All the seat backs are too short and the shapes never support my back where they should. I modified my bike-E seats and I had two seats for my Phantoms custom build by member ADC here in the forum. Extra long seat back and wider than the original. This has saved my back big time and I now ride hours after hours without pain. I just did a 6h ride on Sunday.
To have my seat custom made I traced the outline of the back rest of other seats I have at home. One is firm modern recliner and the other an aftermarket car seat for tall persons. May sound funny but with that procedure I was able to design a pattern which works for my back.
#11
Senior Member
The ventisit cushion, mentioned earlier, provides good ventilation but is rock-hard, almost as unforgiving as a carbon shell. There are other filter foams that are softer, or maybe use something like Ligntning uses, a Thermarest cushion with a cover on it for sweat absorption? Or, maybe the real problem is that the seat fabric is too loose, allowing the frame to cut into him?