Air hawk, beads, or sheepskin?

[kingoffleece]

Another thing the IBA competitors tell me is they get their custom made seats constructed with a bit of fore/aft space designed for movement.
They say that they shift slightly every 15 min or so before hot spots develop.  They never want to be fully "locked in".
All the IBA riders I know stand from time to time and make sure drink hoses and such are of the correct length.

[twowheeladdict]

I have a sheepskin on any bike I am going to ride longer than 50 miles.  I move it between the Himalayan and the Road Glide. 

I carry an airhawk with me just in case, but it does make me feel a little disconnected with the bike. 

I've used beads in the truck and like them in the summer. 

[n3303j]

I'll stand up upon occasion as the situation dictates. Speed doesn't seem to make much difference except for the wind.

BUT every so often I flash on the mental image of the fellow who was standing at speed when his footpeg broke off.

 

[twowheeladdict]

I'll stand up upon occasion as the situation dictates. Speed doesn't seem to make much difference except for the wind.

BUT every so often I flash on the mental image of the fellow who was standing at speed when his footpeg broke off.

 

I was pulled over and threatened with a ticket for stunting when I stood up for 100 yards coming up to a stop sign.  I think my riding gear, and grey hair saved me.

[Guzzistajohn]

I'll stand up upon occasion as the situation dictates. Speed doesn't seem to make much difference except for the wind.

BUT every so often I flash on the mental image of the fellow who was standing at speed when his footpeg broke off.

 

I do stand on the pegs while on the center stand now and then just in case. Also inspect for bolt tightness. (I did find them loose 1X)

[Lannis]

Standing every 20 minutes may be a resolution of sorts to butt pain, but that frequency of a ‘solution’ is like plugging a hole in a kayak with your thumb. Maybe it’s time to get a better solution, especially for high speed. Standing is certainly a small luxury that standard motos offer over cruisers and sport bikes, but when I occasionally do 300+ mile rides, I don’t want to have to do it every 20 minutes—the fun in riding begins to evaporate. Hence, the search for better, and perhaps safer, solutions.

See, that's where the difference between people comes in.   

I've tried sitting in a "touring cruiser" position like my Cal III had, and it was very uncomfortable for me to have my weight on my spine and no way to shift it off.   Other folks can ride an EV for 3 hours, shift their weight to their other butt cheek, turn on the reserve fuel supply, ride 3 more hours, shift their weight back to the other cheek, ride another hour and stop 10 minutes for a bag of peanuts, a tank of gas, and a Pepsi, and do it again.

It's no big deal at all for me to stand up for a few minutes every 25 miles or so.  Flexing my legs and working my thigh muscles during a trip is way better than NOT flexing my legs and ending up with one of them clots or whatever people get from sitting too long.   

Matter of fact, all my touring bikes have throttle locks or cruise control, because every 15 minutes or less, I have to take my hand off the grip and shake it a bit to get the carpals back into the tunnel where they belong, or it'll all go numb.   I do that BEFORE it gets numb - if you wait till the feeling's gone, it's too late.

I can't possibly see what the "better solution" might be.   I've already got a sprung, customized, shaped, lovely touring seat on the Stelvio, and I still need to get off of it every once in a while.   But Fay and I can go 600 miles in a day two-up, and not be hurting at all at the end of it, and do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next .... so aside from a perception of "safety" somehow (and I don't do anything "unsafer" than riding in the first place), I'm happy with it as is.

It's why I generally comment when someone asks "What's the best seat?" or "What's the best underwear?" or "What's the best butt powder" .... that "No one is going to know that except YOU!   What I do has little or no relevance ....

Lannis

[twowheeladdict]

See, that's where the difference between people comes in.   

I've tried sitting in a "touring cruiser" position like my Cal III had, and it was very uncomfortable for me to have my weight on my spine and no way to shift it off.   Other folks can ride an EV for 3 hours, shift their weight to their other butt cheek, turn on the reserve fuel supply, ride 3 more hours, shift their weight back to the other cheek, ride another hour and stop 10 minutes for a bag of peanuts, a tank of gas, and a Pepsi, and do it again.

It's no big deal at all for me to stand up for a few minutes every 25 miles or so.  Flexing my legs and working my thigh muscles during a trip is way better than NOT flexing my legs and ending up with one of them clots or whatever people get from sitting too long.   

Matter of fact, all my touring bikes have throttle locks or cruise control, because every 15 minutes or less, I have to take my hand off the grip and shake it a bit to get the carpals back into the tunnel where they belong, or it'll all go numb.   I do that BEFORE it gets numb - if you wait till the feeling's gone, it's too late.

I can't possibly see what the "better solution" might be.   I've already got a sprung, customized, shaped, lovely touring seat on the Stelvio, and I still need to get off of it every once in a while.   But Fay and I can go 600 miles in a day two-up, and not be hurting at all at the end of it, and do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next .... so aside from a perception of "safety" somehow (and I don't do anything "unsafer" than riding in the first place), I'm happy with it as is.

It's why I generally comment when someone asks "What's the best seat?" or "What's the best underwear?" or "What's the best butt powder" .... that "No one is going to know that except YOU!   What I do has little or no relevance ....

Lannis

Feet forward is a relative term.  All of my touring bikes have been like sitting at the formal dining room table.  Sport touring like sitting on a bar stool.  I've had cruisers where my legs are almost no knee bend forward like my Mean Streak.

With the touring bikes I always have highway pegs or boards mounted, and long running boards for the controls.  Many different places to put my feet.  Also, if you keep the handlebars short, you can shift around on the seat  and lean forward for a time if needed.  Then there is the rider backrest, or what I like to do, which is put all my soft gear in a T-bag strapped to the passenger seat.  Now it is like sitting in my truck going down the road. 





Now that is "feet forward".  LOL!

[Lannis]

Feet forward is a relative term. 

Yep, it is ... and I can tell you exactly what it means for me.

If I'm straddling a 2" x 6" board between two sawhorses, and I stand up from that position naturally, putting my feet wherever they need to be to keep me from falling forward or backward as I rise, that's where I want the footpegs on my touring bike ... right underneath my center of gravity.

I don't want anything even CLOSE to the position I'm sitting in when I'm in my car or truck!

Lannis

[twowheeladdict]

Yep, it is ... and I can tell you exactly what it means for me.

If I'm straddling a 2" x 6" board between two sawhorses, and I stand up from that position naturally, putting my feet wherever they need to be to keep me from falling forward or backward as I rise, that's where I want the footpegs on my touring bike ... right underneath my center of gravity.

I don't want anything even CLOSE to the position I'm sitting in when I'm in my car or truck!

Lannis

When I am in my truck, I have it on cruise control and my feet pulled back for a 90 degree knee bend, so I can relate.  Of course, with my current stable of bikes I have just about every riding position covered.  Spice of life.  LOL! 

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

[quote author=Lannis link=topic=106852.msg1692607#msg1692607 date=1596128442
What you set your posterior on, is the most (well almost) personal decision you can make.   I don't see how it's possible for other peoples' experience to have any relevance to you yourself.   

I would think that the only relevant information would be "Has anyone found a seat material to be less quality than they expected?" ....

Me, I use a Russell Day-long seat on the Stelvio and a Bead-Rider on the Triumph.   Others who have ridden the bikes say they're terrible ...

Lannis
[/quote]

Thanks Lannis. That is actually why I asked, to see if any of the mentioned items are terrible. In my experience most people have an opinion for what they prefer, but when it comes to truly bad products there’s generally a high consensus to avoid. I’ll be trying some beads out this trip. The cheapskate in me likes the price!

I also appreciate the suggestion of standing. Unfortunately I’ll be on my Victory, and I don’t like standing unless I’m on pegs. I also don’t care for the foot forward position. It’s fine for a short hour or two ride, but longer trips it gets old fast. My Quota has a great riding position that I can stand and stretch, but to have it ready I’d have to hurry getting it running and nothing good happens when I rush mechanical work!

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

Airhawk, beads, or sheepskin? Yes!
I've taken all 3 on longer trips and rotated them out at gas stops.
Also, I will slightly over-fill the Airhawk and have become quite deft at bleeding off some air every 75 miles or so. Different pressure points...
YMMV

This is a good suggestion. Someone had also mentioned changing positions to prevent sores, which is what I do on long distance rides. Myself and a buddy did the 1500 miles in 36 hours, I think it’s the butt burner? (I get it and the saddle sore mixed up) and shifting around and using highway pegs, floorboards, and passenger pegs was what helped me the most. For someone who doesn’t like the foot forward riding style, I sure have put some miles on that way!

[Lesman]

Alaskan Butt Pad sheep skin. Works great . If caught in the rain. It takes a while to dry. Air  Hawk, It just didn't help with my "Joy".
Excercise is just the best solution. I'm not riding much for the last couple years. Just dipping a toe in again. Haven't done any real excercising since the gyms closed in March. Jumped on a bike for a short ride.
Everything hurts from the neck to my toes.

[Tkelly]

Bicycle shorts help a lot with thr beadseat,also monkeybutt powder.

[kingoffleece]

As well stated, you may have to try a combo of things to find what works.
When I reply to posts like these I attempt to pass along what the competitive long distance riders tell me about what they do, what worked, and what does not.  It's a basis to start.  Again as mentioned, one think I always do that most of my customers in the IBA cannot is use the passenger pegs to really switch it up from time to time.  The IBA guys almost always use that location as a mounting point for hydration or fuel (aux) support(s) making it unavailable to their feet.

Not the best pic but maybe you can see.  This is Wolfe Bonham, 11th in the rally prior to the most recent one that the mother (forgot her name) finished first in.