[Coast Rider]

Hi folks just back from my first long distance tour 2500 miles around the coast of Ireland one thing that has left an impression on me is the discomfort I have been in due to the shape of the seat on my 650 Transalp. Does anyone know of a replacement seat similar to the Africa Twin Enduro style seat which will allow me to shift my position backwards without the raised rear section which pushes me back forward.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give . Cheers Neil

 

[alias]

on behalf of the people of Ireland I would like to apologise for you getting a sore backside while you were hear visiting our pleasant and green land there is a saddle alteration specialist in England by the name of Tony Archer that's well regarded . if you put his name in the serch bar some threads with his contact details will come up . takes about a week to get a saddle done . its probably your best option as it will be tailor made to suit you . good luck with it . how did you get on hear anyway on your trip ?

 

[Coast Rider]

Apart from the sore bits the tip has been a blast I started in Larn and went down the West and all the way round the coast completing around 2500 miles by the time I got home to North Tyneside. I have learned a lot from my first experience of long distance touring which I may go into in more depth in another post but thanks for asking and I don't blame the location for my discomfort at all the people are lovely the scenery is truly exceptional I absolutely loved it
Cheers Neil

 

[PaulScar]

I am just back from the Pyrenees 2,550 miles in the heat. I find that standing up on the pegs when you can really helps to restore the blood flow and stops the pain for a bit. I have bar risers fitted and they make standing more comfy for me.

 

[2cvandy]

You may well still want to swap the seat, and I can 2nd the bar risers and standing up occasionally as an effective remedy,,,,,,,,,,,

but I've also fitted cruising pegs to mine, gives a chance to stretch your legs, and puts pressure on a different bit of the derriere,,,







ok, I admit it, I had some spare handlebars laying around,,,,,,,,,, effective though,,,,,,,,,

 

[PaulScar]

Might help too, some people say so, cheap enough for a try....http://www.lightinthebox.com/arsuxeo-cycling-underwear-with-coolmax-3d-pad

 

[harleywilma]

Dont think there is a real solution to this problem as Long stints in the saddle does reduce blood flow and different seats just slightly improve the situation buying some more miles, but not a total cure. My XRV seat Is a real pain , I use a piece of sheepskin which only give me another hour or so on the bike. Airhawk claim to have a cure but have not tried one as some say this just increases the ride height. I know others have had there seats redone but this also just buys a bit more time and miles. I think it is just a case of getting off the bike now and again to get the blood flowing and also the more trips you do the tougher your arse is going to get.

 

[ds99]

an airhawk can work for some. but they do increase the seat height a little, the key is not to inflate them too much

or get tony archer to "flatten" the seat

or gaffer tape a cheap yoga mat/camping sleep mattress onto the seat

 

[ds99]

i guess you want something like this

Honda XLV Transalp seat - ACM Seats

 

[Coast Rider]

My problem doesn't seem to be blood flow I tend to ride for 2 hours at a time then take a break to stretch. My problem is I need their further back to ease my knee angle (long legs) the slope of the seat then pushes me back forward rucking my riding pants under my bum and the backs of my legs so a flat seat like the one ds99 posted is what I was looking for (that one is for a 600 model though) I tried wearing cycle shorts with gel pads but found riding sans skiddies much more comfortable
I considered the cruising peg option but the type of riding I do and certainly the roads in Ireland don't lend themselves to that style of riding.
I think a re shaped seat is my best option perhaps with a gel pad insert

 

[ds99]

i have the same problem, with long legs i prefer a 'flat' seat that i can move around on, to stop knee/thigh pain

i think a re-shaped seat is your answer

i would experiment with "building" the seat up with foam, cheap yoga mat material, or foam camping mat material, using tape - ie before committing to getting the seat re-shaped permanently

 

[jonathan]

My problem doesn't seem to be blood flow I tend to ride for 2 hours at a time then take a break to stretch. My problem is I need their further back to ease my knee angle (long legs) the slope of the seat then pushes me back forward rucking my riding pants under my bum and the backs of my legs so a flat seat like the one ds99 posted is what I was looking for (that one is for a 600 model though) I tried wearing cycle shorts with gel pads but found riding sans skiddies much more comfortable
I considered the cruising peg option but the type of riding I do and certainly the roads in Ireland don't lend themselves to that style of riding. View attachment 117714
I think a re shaped seat is my best option perhaps with a gel pad insert

All the above advice is good and relevant, but may not be appropriate for your needs. I do a lot of cycling and whilst the basic saddle design makes a difference to long term comfort, there's no escaping the fact that you're putting pressure on the same spot for a sustained period. If you sat in a comfy armchair for long enough, your arse would eventually go numb...so the key, is not so much the design or material, but what you do when any discomfort starts to become intrusive and affect your concentration. A gel pad, sheepskin, or air cushion won't prevent this, it will just delay the inevitable as people have already pointed out. By all means, go and get your seat reworked so you find it easier to 'hutch up' or slide back a tad when things start to ache, but the best option, by far, is to stop at the nearest convenient spot, grab a cup of tea, have a wander around for ten minutes...there's no magic solution, unfortunately

I can vouch for Tony Archer for seat re upholstery and modifications...

 

[Mac1]

I was shocked by the discomfort of the seat on my 650. Couldn't believe an otherwise excellent design could be so flawed. As a harley owner i expected there to be a host of aftermarket solutions! lol. I went for the tourtech air pad. A cheaper version of the airhawk. It works very well but does raise the seating position a bit even when only partially inflated. Will be interested if you can feedback on the tony archer solution please.

 

[Coast Rider]

I got a quote from a local custom seat builder which came out at £180. That was just too steep for my pocket so I took the cover off and shaved off some of the foam and blended the now much shallower slope to the front of the saddle then re stretched the original cover back over and stapled it back total cost, a few pennies for staples. I haven't had chance for a long ride but it certainly feels better initially.

 

[Andy8ch]

First post here, but just had to give another endorsement for Tony Archer - got him to turn my 650 'Alp's seat into a 'bench' type and couldn't be happier! I think the cost was about £90 (and that included postage back).

 

[mophead]

Cycling shorts with gel inserts improve things for me. Regular breaks still needed though.