Bicycle Seat

GoldenMotor.com

anothen

New Member
Dec 31, 2010
31
0
0
Austin Texas
I use my motorized bike
for general transportation.
After about an hour it get
very uncomfortable.
I've tried several times to
build my own custom seat,
but I'm just not getting it right.

Regular bicycle seats are
fine for bicycling because
the seat is only one of five
contact points. However
when riding a motorized bike,
the seat takes most of the
weight most of the time.

Has anyone else done a
seat project?

I'm thinking of maybe a banana
system that is similar to
a regular motorcycle seat.
 

matthurd

New Member
Dec 13, 2010
817
2
0
manchester NH
could just stand when you ride for 5-10 minutes whenever you're starting to feel uncomfortable, just slow down to a speed you feel safe with, i used to ride 15 miles in an hour n a half on a 20" bmx bike, so sitting wasn't much of an option, or take a 5 minute rest stop and stop to get a drink or something.

how often do you really ride an hour straight non stop anyways?
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
i use Brooks saddles. once they break in, they're the best thing ever. i've ridden my bike for hours at a time, and it's never uncomfortable. no soreness at all. ever.

they are pricey, though (in the 100-200 dollar range.) but to me, the comfort (not to mention the style) is totally worth it. they're even better when you find one for a coupla bucks on ebay and restore it yourself:

http://motorbicycling.com/f38/refurbishing-brooks-leather-saddle-26320.html
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
2Door did a nice Motorcycle seat. Maybe he will catch this post and share it as I am sure its exactly what your looking for. http://motorbicycling.com/f15/new-comfy-oversised-harley-seat-my-11665.html

I don't know where it is at the moment. I ride my bikes more from a touring peddle bike stance or I have to walk around for an hour with my fist buried into the small of my back trying to stand up strait.

Some folks do really well with their knees folded into there chest I don't know how they pull it off?
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
the thing everyone needs to remember (or figure out) is you're not pedaling a bicycle anymore. you're just sitting on it.

my 24" bike would be totally uncomfortable if i had to pedal it everywhere. the bars are too short, the seat's too low, the cranks are too short...

but for sitting on it while it rolls along, it's more comfortable than my couch.
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
This is funny I just sat on mine it was not working that's how come I had my back sore. There is only so much stress the lower vertebra can take from impact too. . I got a buddy I got into this hobby he had the same problem too. He is about 5 foot 5 . I got another buddy he would remove the rear tire and sit on the pavement if he could. No body will ride that bike ether. Me at over six foot tall there's no chance.

I gave some incite from my personal experience is all. I drummed up more comfortable seats than the brooks too. tried suspension seat post the works. Some folks fair off better being able to brace them selves with their legs a bit ''shrug''. Heck I built and ride full suspension bikes.

I know these bikes look uber cool with the seats lower but still to each their own. I spent a lifetime peddling before discovering these motors. lol.:rolleyes:
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
I was like you. I couldn't find a comfy seat. My bony bottom just wasn't meant for bicycle seats so I made my own.
If you have some metal fabrication skills it's not hard. I made the frame then a 1/2" plywood foundation and added 6" of motorcycle foam (high density) and a half yard of vinyl. I'm not much of a seamstress and the wife's sewing machine wouldn't take the think material so I ended up hand stitching the cover. It's not too professional looking but it's one soft ride.
Tom
 

Attachments

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
i just never went to a bigger bike, so i was always used to tiny 20" bikes, i'm sure once i get my worksman and ride it for a few months a 20" will feel like **** lol.
I got away from BMX BIKES 25 years ago that's how foreign they are to me.
 

matthurd

New Member
Dec 13, 2010
817
2
0
manchester NH
I got away from BMX BIKES 25 years ago that's how foreign they are to me.
i could never afford a good single speed 24/26" bike with good rims, and i hated derailers since my brothers bikes always had trouble because of them, which left me with 20"s to ride since i could get a good one at a reasonable price.

apparently im going to be riding cruisers for (hopefully) a long time from now on.
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
goat, i wasn't putting you down, just sayin'. i've ridden every kinda bike there is, from cushy cruisers to hard plastic bmx bike seats and i think the Brooks saddles are the best there is. if they don't work for ya, so be it. some people hate them.

i was also trying to point out that the majority of riding a motorized bike is sitting down. you don't have to worry about hurting your knees or back from not having it adjusted for pedaling, cadence, reach, or whatever you want to call it. it's more like a motorcycle, where you need to be comfy while you're just cruisin' around.

the bike i pedal around all the time is a 26" cruiser, but it's set up way different, 'cause i need to actually move around more.

it all depends on the way you ride.
 

decoherence

New Member
Aug 23, 2010
476
2
0
sebring,fl
i only get saddle sore if i haven't ridden in a while.i use to have a super skinny racing seat. that was before using a motor. i have no issues now.

once my friend wanted to use my bike. she was a "big" girl. she made it about a quarter mile. she walked the bike back home in tears.
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
To many years of wrenching I guess at over six foot tall they don't make a bike for me. A stretched cruiser would totally cripple me I think. The vertebra at the very bottom of my back can't take it it is more like the tendons and watching a dog streatch out when it gets up.

. I can pick up stuff pro wrestler style and throw it around and be perfectly fine. Auto transmissions etc over my head with heavy tools as pom poms all day long. Having to duck down all the time for car lifts that were too short for me prolly did not help. Got knots on my head to show for it as well. I could loose about 15 pounds tho. I have road motorcycles that were bigger and they were perfect. I could sit in a car or a couch all day long and eat bon bons nottun wrong. lol

I get what your saying tho..
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
I spent hours thinking this through this was the most comfortable thing I ever came across. I did set the seat a tad lower but not by much. It was a spring seat too. Then I found a super fat old man type exercise seat that looked almost comical it had springs as well. I set that seat even lower. Had to raise it back up.

I can run around on my touring peddle bikes all day long and it has no effect on me!!!!!!!!!

http://motorbicycling.com/attachments/f47/14908d1256281481-morini-time-full-sus-project-p1010008.jpg
Bicycling and Pain

Back

Back pain while cycling is usually caused by poor cycling posture. Good cycling posture is very different from good posture while sitting or standing. A posture that is comfortable for sitting still will not necessarily be comfortable while actually riding a bicycle. Correct cycling posture must facilitate the pedaling action, and also must enable the rider to cope with the jolts that result from road irregularities.

When riding a bicycle, the back should be arched, like a bridge, not drooping forward between the hips and the shoulders. If the back is properly arched, bumps will cause it to flex slightly in the direction of a bit more arch; this is harmless. If you ride swaybacked, bumps will cause the back to bow even farther in the forward direction, which can lead to severe lumbar pain.

Some back-pain sufferers modify their bicycles with extra-high handlebars so that they can sit bolt upright, with their spines straight. This is actually counterproductive in most cases, because a straight spine has no way to "give" when the bike hits bumps. Road irregularities will jam the vertebrae together, often aggravating existing back problems. The bolt-upright posture is comfortable if you're sitting stationary on the bike, but is not suitable for riding much faster than a brisk walk. Riders who for some reason require such a position should use some form of suspension...a sprung saddle at the very least.
...............................................................
True Motorcycles are heavier making them absorb all the impact too. Every little nuance in the road is gone with them. Which was why I had suggested a different stance using legs to take some of the abuse.. One of the reasons why the bike I posted was so comfortable was because it was a heavy bike , shocks and huge tires. This thing was very smooth.

Motor cross racers get pretty tore up with heavy off roading too. They will look a little like they had been bull riding walking away sometimes. There bikes have a different stance as well taller.

A Honda Gold wing with some lumbar support now we are talking.

Or be a real out law biker dude and get a fat heavy set old lady to sit on the back to make my bike a smooth ride. Tell her to hold on tight to cause I would hate to have to turn around and go back to get her.:D
 
Last edited:

anothen

New Member
Dec 31, 2010
31
0
0
Austin Texas
I was like you. I couldn't find a comfy seat. My bony bottom just wasn't meant for bicycle seats so I made my own.
If you have some metal fabrication skills it's not hard. I made the frame then a 1/2" plywood foundation and added 6" of motorcycle foam (high density) and a half yard of vinyl. I'm not much of a seamstress and the wife's sewing machine wouldn't take the think material so I ended up hand stitching the cover. It's not too professional looking but it's one soft ride.
Tom
Thanks for all replies,
I like the 2door idea and will probably
use a similar system.

My original trial seemed as if it were forward
too much. The seat was right over the
post. It also needed to be longer.
 

Tim_B_172

New Member
Aug 26, 2009
251
0
0
40
Saint Joseph, MO
2door, I love the seat. I did something kinda similar, but I used a suspension sissy-bar. It's a comfortable ride for sure.

Not to change the subject, but where did you get that gas tank? I've been thinking lately that my old bike needs a new tank.
 

solokumba

New Member
Nov 24, 2010
215
0
0
58
Florida
I saw a Schwinn "no pressure" seat at Wally World tonight. Wonder how well it works. My Schwinn has a nice seat... but this one is a bit wider. Not a bad price either... hmmm.

Check it out.
Read the reviews.
 

anothen

New Member
Dec 31, 2010
31
0
0
Austin Texas
Well, I have an old seat project
and I'm gonna give 'er another go.

The last time I did this it seemed
too far forward. This time I'm moving
it back past the seat post.

When I started this one, I ordered
a bracket from a harley parts and
some springs. It mounts on the
top tube and swivels up and down.
It will need a spacer, which I'll make
out of wood so that the bracket will
clear the seat tube.

The frame is made out of 1 1/4 c channel
with two uprights on either side.

The seat I made about five years ago,
I used a wood base with vinyl upholstery.
Three layers of cushion.

I'll try to get it finished this evening.