The Saddle Consultation (June 28, 2012)

Checking out the saddle

We are on our way to Rochester and stopped in Fairport, NY.  We saw three women on bikes and asked if there was a bathroom nearby.  They inquired about our trip and we started to tell them we had come from Boston, but before we could even tell them, they noticed my saddle (which is rather unusual – it is a Selle SMP TRK which has a turned down nose).  They were intrigued by its shape and asked about comfort.  I happen to like this saddle quite a bit and it is on all my bikes.  We talked about how saddles are a very personal thing and how the ones that come with bikes are usually very uncomfortable.  It took me three tries to find one that suited me.

I also told them about the women’s cycling site www.teamestrogen.com.  It was fun to share my experiences with these women. 

The Spirited Bunch

DW: As Pata would say, these three ladies were a spirited bunch. They were impressed by the quest we were on and the distance it would take to achieve it. One woman commented that after an 8 mile ride she needed a two hour nap. The encounter turned into a spontaneous saddle consultation, the three of them huddled around Pata’s saddle like doctors around a patient. I realized their bikes were probably not as comfortable as they could be.

At the bathroom entrance a man asked me how far we were going. “L.A.,” I replied. “Wow,” he said and added, “good luck!” I find that when people see our bikes fully loaded it immediately piques their interest. We have people roll their windows down at intersections asking where we are going. One woman, when hearing our destination, used her index finger to make a rolling motion around the side of her head, the universal sign of: these two are nuts! Maybe she’s right.

We leave Rochester tomorrow with two days of rest under our belts (although we did venture out this morning so we would know our route in the early morning and racked up about 8 miles). I want to be  back on my bike, the heat and wind welcome friends as we pedal westward. I’m into the rhythm of daily riding so it feels weird to interrupt it.