tshelfer
0
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2009
- Messages
- 13,485
- Reaction score
- 2,854
- Location
- Centennial, CO
- First Name
- Tim
- Last Name
- Shelfer
Last fall I bought a Sargent seat. I've loved it on numerous countryside cruises. But when I went to the hill country last month, my experience with a 4-hour ride was less than stellar. Around the 2-hour mark, the saddle and my backside conspired to find a couple of pressure points. Result: pain on both sides of my tailbone, and I had to make additional, unplanned stops to ease the aching.
I'm getting ready for a trip out to New Mexico next month, and decided I would need a little extra padding. Through googling, I quickly learned that lower-cost seat pads run at least $50 and get poor ratings on Amazon, and Airhawks are around $130.
So I decided to experiment with a homemade seatpad. After a little thought, I remembered an old Z-Rest backpacker sleeping pad. I paid $20 for it in 1997, and it'll never be used again.
Using simple tools - a marking pen and a pair of kitchen shears - I made a trace of the saddle onto the Z-Rest, then cut it out. I used a pair of 6" bungee cords as straps to hold it in place.
At a later date, I may put permanent hooks on the bottom of the saddlle. But for now, I simply hung the straps around the saddle supports.
And this is the finished product, as it currently sits on my V-Strom.
It's not exactly gorgeous, but what the heck - I ride a V-Strom, right? Anyway, I've road-tested it for about 20 miles up and down I-20, and it'll get a longer test tomorrow - a run down to Burleson.
First impressions - Definitely a bit softer. The material, which is similar to an egg carton except thicker, is not prone to slipping, so it stays in place pretty well so far. The thickness is only about 3/4", and it compresses under my weight - so I don't feel any "taller".
If it works out, I'll probably find a few needed improvements. But that's okay, because I saved the Z-Rest and have enough material left over to manufacture versions 1.1 and 2.0 if necessary.
Total cost - Well, $0 given that I was on the verge of tossing the Z-Rest anyway.
Now, can anybody recommend a way to color it black without ending up with clumps of spray paint that will cling to my butt after a prolonged ride?
I'm getting ready for a trip out to New Mexico next month, and decided I would need a little extra padding. Through googling, I quickly learned that lower-cost seat pads run at least $50 and get poor ratings on Amazon, and Airhawks are around $130.
So I decided to experiment with a homemade seatpad. After a little thought, I remembered an old Z-Rest backpacker sleeping pad. I paid $20 for it in 1997, and it'll never be used again.
Using simple tools - a marking pen and a pair of kitchen shears - I made a trace of the saddle onto the Z-Rest, then cut it out. I used a pair of 6" bungee cords as straps to hold it in place.
At a later date, I may put permanent hooks on the bottom of the saddlle. But for now, I simply hung the straps around the saddle supports.
And this is the finished product, as it currently sits on my V-Strom.
It's not exactly gorgeous, but what the heck - I ride a V-Strom, right? Anyway, I've road-tested it for about 20 miles up and down I-20, and it'll get a longer test tomorrow - a run down to Burleson.
First impressions - Definitely a bit softer. The material, which is similar to an egg carton except thicker, is not prone to slipping, so it stays in place pretty well so far. The thickness is only about 3/4", and it compresses under my weight - so I don't feel any "taller".
If it works out, I'll probably find a few needed improvements. But that's okay, because I saved the Z-Rest and have enough material left over to manufacture versions 1.1 and 2.0 if necessary.
Total cost - Well, $0 given that I was on the verge of tossing the Z-Rest anyway.
Now, can anybody recommend a way to color it black without ending up with clumps of spray paint that will cling to my butt after a prolonged ride?