What are your ***-comfort secrets?

PrivatePilot

PrivatePilot

Ironus Butticus
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Sorry for the attention whore headline, but it's kinda on topic. ;)

There's a good possibility I'm heading out with a friend for a 4000-5000KM trip starting next Saturday. No, not the James Bay trip I was talking about earlier this year (that's been delayed for other reasons), but to some distant points in Northern Ontario and then over to the Manitoba border and back. It's been in the planning stages for a while but the schedule was a little quicker than I anticipated...but I have the time and an actually kinda excited about it.

My only concern is aches and pains, and, well...my ***. Any long distance rider can relate.

Aches and pains I can take care of with meds, including some prescription ones I have. Don't worry, nothing that effects alertness.

My ***, well...more or a concern. I've done countless 8-10 hour riding days, and a 17 hour day before just a few weeks ago, but I think we are anticipating about 11-13 hour days back to back for about 5 nights.

I have an aftermarket (Ultimate) seat on my VTX and it's generally comfortable, but I do start to get grumpy around the 12 hour point.

Anyone have any magic tricks or suggestions on seat/*** comfort?
 
Throttle rocker, vista cruise and keep moving your *** around. I probably spend 30% of my time on long rides on the passenger seat, it gives your *** a different shape as well as your arms, shoulders and legs.

Some people like beads or eggshell foam, I haven't tried either on a long ride. On a short ride I didn't like the beads when leaned over as they are damned slippery.
 
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GreyGhost said:
Throttle rocker, vista cruise and keep moving your *** around. I probably spend 30% of my time on long rides on the passenger seat, it gives your *** a different shape as well as your arms, shoulders and legs.
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I have a throttle lock and use it a lot. Passenger seat option not really an option on my bike - it's too far back and too high to be able to slide up onto it..and I'd have to remove my backrest to make that work. And I'm very partial to the backrest. ;)

I have an old gel-pad thing in the basement, I'm tempted to cut it up to make it fit...but then again, I have an AirHawk on my wifes bike, maybe I'd be well advised to just yank it off hers for the duration of this trip. Her bike probably won't leave the garage.
 
PrivatePilot said:
I have a throttle lock and use it a lot. Passenger seat option not really an option on my bike - it's too far back and too high to be able to slide up onto it..and I'd have to remove my backrest to make that work. And I'm very partial to the backrest. ;)

I have an old gel-pad thing in the basement, I'm tempted to cut it up to make it fit...but then again, I have an AirHawk on my wifes bike, maybe I'd be well advised to just yank it off hers for the duration of this trip. Her bike probably won't leave the garage.
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Even if you have a throttle lock, I strongly recommend the rocker too. Your hand is magically happier at the end of the day when you don't need to be actually gripping the throttle. The lock only helps you when things are straight and clear, the rocker helps always. I like the ones that don't slide, others prefer the ones that can be adjusted easily while on the move.

I like this one:
Triclicks-Universal-Black-Rubber-Hand-Grip-Control-font-b-Assist-b-font-font-b-Throttle-b.jpg


This is the moveable kind:
25020-000_02.jpg


It looks like Throttle rocker II is fixed:
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Spandex bicycle shorts with a fleece crotch.

Wear 'em under your pants but don't tell anybody! You'll thank me.
 
Don't forget padded bicycle shorts and some powder.

Sent from my LG-H831 using Tapatalk
 
Gold Bond medicated powder.............it works
 
Airhawk for me. I've heard people swear by sheepskin. Taxi-driver beaded seats as well.

The key is to shift the butt into different seating position so you're not always putting pressure on the same points. Highway pegs help with that. Ankles on the passenger pegs (if your bike is ergo-ed that way) and Superman on the tankbag. Move your butt over and sit on one thigh and then the other. Stand on the pegs.

When we were doing distance on dirtbikes, we had a couple of empty, partly crushed, plastic 500ml water bottles stuffed inside the Airhawk seat cover. You could move the bottles around inside the seat cover to move the pressure point around.
 
I used an Airhawk for a couple of years but eventually opted for a Russell day long, the sport seat version which made a huge difference for me. I've kept the Airhawk just in case I eventually have to throw it on top of the Russell.
 
I used to use an Airhawk on the RDL ..beads too at times tho mine came off a different bike so was not built custom to my dimensions....
 
I have an old FOX kidney belt I wear for long rides- makes a huge difference in maintaining my posture (no slouching) and relieving lower back pain.
+2 on the cycling shorts !
 
Air circulation is the key.Really long rides are on beaded things cut down from walmart.
 
You got the quality seat, which is #1 important. Next is a sheepskin cover to get that air circulating (never tried beads though). I also find boxer briefs help a lot, keep the junk in place but avoids sitting right on top of a seam.

Tried cycling shorts but after a while I start to feel to constricted with them.

And good tip to move positions every so often, even before discomfort sets in.
 
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I've got one of those ^ airflow seat covers for my dirt bike. I don't actually sit down much on that bike though, but it would be nice to have one on the VStrom. It doesn't flow as much air as the beaded cover I also have, but it would be generally more comfortable (softer) and would look a lot better.
 
Look up Motoskivvies , they're actually pretty good. I also bought their compression socks which help a lot. I also end up standing on my pegs quite a few times for several minutes at a time to err.....air things out. I also always ride with a bottle of baby powder in the side bags. I sometimes wear a compression top. Seems to work well for me. My issue isn't *** pain, it's knee pain so I also fitted some highway pegs on my bike to change the leg bend angle.
 
Thanks for all the ideas guys.

- I do have a throttle rocker, built into my grips, so all good there. I seldom have problems with hand/arm discomfort, my bars fall naturally to my arms and that's always good.

- The airhawk from my wifes bike might be a bit small for my seat (the Ultimate is massive) but I will try it out later this week.

- I had a bead seat for one of my cars years ago - I found it uncomfortable honestly, but maybe that was the back part more than the butt part, I don't remember. Are they easy to cut without all the beads falling off? For the tiny bit of space it takes I'm willing to pack one even if I only use it occasionally, or don't use it and just take it off.

- I like the bicycle shorts idea (I suspect that the jeans and boxers combination with bunched seams and such is what leads to some of my discomfort often) but sadly I doubt (actually, I'm quite confident LOL) they come in my size. ;) . The MotoSkivvies looks pretty cool actually (and would fit me), but there's no time to get them here in time now even if I ordered them right now.

- Gold Bond comes with me on all long trips. ;)

- I have highway pegs, and I use them a lot (they are quite comfortable and put me in a recliner type position which I love), but on the 17 hour marathon day trip a few weeks back I found that my legs more so then my butt were sore, and I think it was from the leg position. I will have to be careful to keep my legs moving from position to position.

- Standing up and repositioning isn't easy on my VTX because of the ergonomics - the handlebars are low so when I stand up on the floorboards I have to bend over (at probably 70-80 degrees) to be able to keep my hands on the controls, so aside from shifting my butt a little it's not a position that can be held for any long term relief.

- And lastly, sheepskin - not a fan, I find it just overheats me down below...and if there's one thing that's worse than a sore ***, it's swamp-***. ;)
 
MacDoc said:
I put a peg lowering kit on to the KLR and it was really helpful plus I could stand up easier.
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I regularly scrape my floorboards leaning hard through corners as it is, so I couldn't drop them any lower than they already. Yeah, I do like to get my lean on regularly...no chicken strips here. ;)
 
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