Horse riders vs Cyclists

abbijay

abbijay

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Just a random musing but why do ALL cyclists insist on having padded shorts to sit on their bike seat (whether they're doing a 20 minute time trial or a 200km ride) where as us horse riders just have regular jodphurs even if we're going out on a 4 hour hack?
 
abbijay said:
Just a random musing but why do ALL cyclists insist on having padded shorts to sit on their bike seat (whether they're doing a 20 minute time trial or a 200km ride) where as us horse riders just have regular jodphurs even if we're going out on a 4 hour hack?
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Have you sat on a bike seat!? Considerably less comfortable than a saddle.


(And I'm not a cyclist, don't even own a bike!)
 
FlyingCircus said:
Have you sat on a bike seat!? Considerably less comfortable than a saddle.


(And I'm not a cyclist, don't even own a bike!)
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Yup, I do a bit of cycling.
I must admit that my hubby does race bikes and I have on one occasion been responsible for applying sudocrem to him after a particularly gruelling 24hr mountain bike race...
 
Once I was behind a cyclist who had these shorts on but they were a bit tight and I could see his bum crack.
 
cobgoblin said:
Count yourself lucky you were behind him!
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*Snorts* !!!

I am happy in a horse saddle for 4 hrs, have even joked about elephant skin, but...when I ride my bike, a very nice hybrid, with special "ladies" saddle, WITH gel pad on saddle and gel shorts.... I can still feel uncomfortable!
 
Thought this was going to be a thread about cyclists and horses as in the letters pages of the Telegraph this week!

SIR – I cycle 20 miles daily along country lanes and often encounter horse-riders (Letters, August 2).
Though I do not have a bell, I give plenty of warning by calling “Coming through” to the rider. To my dismay, the rider is often engaged in texting or deaf to the world due to music via earphones.
Perhaps an appendix to the Highway Code is required.
John Bird
Milland, West Sussex

SIR – The Highway Code states that riders must “never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends”. Most young riders in my area do not seem to understand what “narrow” means in this context.
They always ride two abreast, even though most local roads are narrow. They never trot-on to assist car-drivers, and they expect all road users to keep their distance.
The British Horse Society’s Highway Code guidance largely just repeats the relevant Highway Code paragraphs.
What is needed, I suggest, is more detailed guidance that all (but especially young, non-driving) riders should be encouraged to learn.
David Alder
Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire

SIR – I have been driving for 60 years and have never once been thanked by a cyclist for my consideration.
However, horse riders nearly always acknowledge that one has slowed down (Letters, August 1). In fact, part of the Pony Club Road Rider training includes thanking other road users.
Jane Mekie
Tadworth, Surrey
 
As a rider who does Spin classes..trust me, the padded shorts are a necessity. My well hardened backside is in agony in a very short period of time if I don't wear the shorts. Which is quite odd looking at the size of it!
 
abbijay said:
Just a random musing but why do ALL cyclists insist on having padded shorts to sit on their bike seat (whether they're doing a 20 minute time trial or a 200km ride) where as us horse riders just have regular jodphurs even if we're going out on a 4 hour hack?
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Because we are all well hard, and they are all pussies LOL :-)
 
This should answer your question.

This is the type of saddle I have fitted to most of my bikes...



This is the saddle that doesn't need padded shorts...



In one of them there is comfort built into the saddle, in the other there is not, hence padded shorts.
 
Padded pants are a definite must for cycling! Couple of years ago I did the London to Brighton cycle event and even with the padding I got blisters on an area no women would ever wish to experience them! Total agony but I can only imagine how much worse it could have been without the padding.
 
So if bike saddles are so uncomfortable, why isn't the padding on the seat instead of in the rider's pants?
 
ycbm said:
So if bike saddles are so uncomfortable, why isn't the padding on the seat instead of in the rider's pants?
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They aren't uncomfortable. Why would anyone think that cyclists would ride on uncomfortable saddles without doing anything about it?
 
I have a road bike for touring so long-distance riding and a mountain bike. I always wear padded shorts unless I'm riding less than 5 miles. Both my bikes have saddles with a cut-away or deep centre channel - I just wish these had been around when I was younger so cycling more as my anatomy means I have to sit slightly to one side on an ordinary saddle in order to protect my more vulnerable areas. Padded cycling shorts of course were originally the territory of the male cyclist and given that cycling can do very nasty things to the nerves and blood supply to a man's meat and two veg, you bet they need padding to spread the pressure. A racing bike saddle is a rock hard banana basically and you squat on its nose, the narrowest point, not sit back on your cheeks. I've yet to ride on a padded saddle that was remotely comfortable for more than a few miles. You might as well argue, why do people use seat savers on their horses saddles, or chaps (half chaps never helped me in any way shape or form). You use things because you need them and they work for you. And yes I always go commando on my bike - knickers and bike shorts + saddle = pain.
 
Bit disappointed, thought this was going to be all about a new sport...sort of gladitorial....what would one use to eliminate them. Lances? Lassoos? Nets? A well aimed-cow kick as they go past? Go out in rides of four so we can T-Pack them like the police do?

No really I love cyclists very much and would never dream of lancing one.

Not if they are nice and considerate at any rate :)
 
We could have done with them years ago for those lessons which included death on a 20m circle in sitting trot with no stirrups in a saddle designed for the male anatomy. Our solution at the time was Vaseline and gamgee.
 
case895 said:
They aren't uncomfortable. Why would anyone think that cyclists would ride on uncomfortable saddles without doing anything about it?
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Agreed. Getting comfortable is an art, there are so many specific saddle shapes, sizes, lengths, widths that it often takes many attempts to find the best one. Also with cycling vs horse riding, not all of the weight is on the saddle. On the bike it is ideally is is split roughly 60% saddle and 40% hands onto the bars. Then when cycling along some weight is taken through the feet onto the pedals as well.

To complicate things further, its common that over time the saddle needs to change. I have ridden for 40 years, raced for the past 27 years, and following a torn disc my bike position changed slightly and the saddles I had been comfortable on all of that time suddenly started giving me issues.

I tried 11 different types before I was back to some degree of comfort for an 80 mile 2nd Cat race (although I am still not as comfortable as before).

Its not just is lowly amateurs that have issues, there are recent cases of the worlds best pro's abandoning major races due to saddle sores.
 
SatansLittleHelper said:
A slight deviation from the OP but exactly WHY are bike saddles so narrow and pointy?!
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The closer your legs are together the more efficient they are. If your legs only move up and down, in a perfect circle, that's the most efficient. If the saddle pushes the legs apart slightly the knees move out, you don't pedal a perfect circle and pedalling become much less efficient (read harder!).

Its the same for the distance between the pedals. The closer the pedals/crank arms are to the centre of the bike the better, its known as 'Q-factor' and with a few exception the general rule is that the narrower the whole set up is the more efficient (and aerodynamic) it is. Its the same reason that race bikes have thin, wide crank arms and only a few millimetre clearance between the end of the crank arm and the frame. The aim is get everything as narrow as you can, this photo is a good example, although it is possible to go even narrower!

 
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