Please recommend a seat for me - Aventon Level 2

[Smaug]

I got my Aventon Level.2. Its riding position is leaned forward, but not racer level. I didn't find its stock seat comfortable; not enough cushion (no rear suspension) and a bit hot on the prostate area.

I put my Brooks B67 on it, but I'm finding Brooks was correct when they said it's better for upright riding. I do like how the springs take the sharp edges to the impacts from the road surface. If it just had the cutout in the prostate area.

I'm thinking of selling the B67 and ordering a Flyer Carved, as it keeps the springs I like but has the cutout in the prostate area. (I do like how the leather breathes, compared to vinyl-covered foam.)

...or a Selle Anatomica X2 and a shock in the seatpost. Selles have softer leather, and don't need thousands of miles of break-in.

What others have you considered that have the perineal cutout?

 

["A"]

Have you tried padded bike shorts?

Over four decades of pedaling, more padding on the saddle doesn't always mean more comfort.
Years of attempt, I've learned that Brooks doesn't work for me.
and
bike shorts make a big difference, not just the passing, but the extra support from the lycra around the glutes & thigh muscles.
If I know I'm going on longer rides with more hours in the saddle, I would even double up on the padded bike shorts.
Sure they feel like I'm wearing a diaper, but comfort for my ass is more important.

Suspension seatpost could be another option, if you already have a particular shape of saddle that you find fitting to your rear end and just want more suspension.

 

[Smaug]

Hi "A",

I had padded bike shorts before, but lost them somewhere along the way. I stopped riding more than about an hour at a time, so thought I didn't need them. I need to get some more.

So far, of all the saddles I've tried, Brooks B67 was the second best (for more upright) and a Selle Anatomica with the cutout was the best. Selle doesn't make a sprung saddle, so I think I'll take your advice for the shock seatpost too.

What experience do you have with them? I see there are two main types:

1. piston & shock inside the post itself. Pure telescopic.
2. Cantilever-style. These are more expensive; can I assume they're the superior ones?

The only one I've tried was the one that came on my old heybike Ranger. It worked OK, but wasn't smooth. Most of the time, I didn't feel it doing anything, but when it did work, it felt like the seatpost was slipping in the seat tube. It was a cheap Chinese one, though.

I have one other saddle at home that I'm going to try. It is a higher-end thinly foam-padded vinyl one with a cutout.

By the way, have you read about Selle Anatomica? It's sales info, for sure, but I've found what they said about Brooks to be true and fair:

Why Us? Selle Anatomica vs. Brooks and Everybody Else

What if there was a better way? Leather saddles aren't just trendy saddles for your hipster buddy's commuter. In spite of the throwback looks, they remain the first choice of endurance athlete cyclists, called randonneurs, because leather is the best choice for keeping your main point of contact...

selleanatomica.com

Anatomical Bike Saddle Benefits and Medical Information

The right bike saddle can make all the difference. Learn about the research behind our anatomical saddles and how they can help get the most out of every ride.

selleanatomica.com

Plus, it'd be cool to support an American company.

 

[Dmetcalf]

I’ve ordered a C9 Cloud seat to try. Hopefully it is what I need ..!

 

[Stan]

I've tried them all. The best was the Schwinn old style cruiser seat but they don't fit on a standard post. The only seat that puts 0 pressure on your prostrate is a sits bone seat. They are harder on the bones part of your bottom but puts no pressure on your soft tissue. I have Spider seats on both of my Ebikes. They are expensive but worth it if you like to ride on rough roads. Trust me. The cheaper sits bone seats are junk. Spend the $130 on a Spider and a gel pad over it.

 

[hsdrggr]

After several seat trials I settled on going with a Brooks B17 Carved on a Suntour suspension seat post. Luckily it was already broken in from my Surly touring bike. But it takes at least 500 miles to get them to start breaking in. Once a leather seat is broken in and fits your specific sit bones you will be hard pressed to find a more comfortable seat for longer rides. I typically never ride less than 25 miles per ride though.

 

[mrzippy]

My wife and I have found one that they carry at most walmarts, and it is very nice and cushy. It is a selle royal brand...model is a lagoon, its like $35. we have them on all our ebikes and they are great.

 

[Smaug]

I am trying a Bontrager now that has a prostate cutout area and the area that the sit bones hit have gel and that slick fabric. I'll try that until my Selle with the Suntour shocks comes in.

That outfit should be just like Brooks B17 carved seat hsdrggr recommended. (except the leather is allegedly softer from the beginning, not needing 500 miles of break-in)

 

[hsdrggr]

Some people, like myself have an issue with branches of the pudendal nerve that typically runs along the medial aspect of the Ischium (sit bone). For most people it’s the center of the seat that puts pressure on the perineal nerve resulting in numbness centrally, however in my situation I have a nerve branch from the pudendal nerve that runs near the bottom of my right ischium and when I sit on a cushion type seat the seat wraps up and around the ischium bone and puts pressure on that nerve branch which causes fairly severe local pain slightly forward of the sit bone just to the right of my perineum. It’s not a burning or pins and needles sensation which is typical of saddles that don’t have center relief areas. So going to a leather saddle fixed the problem for me because once broken in it only develops a slight depression for the ischium in the leather saddle which ends up not wrapping up high enough to put pressure on that nerve.
I just mention this so that if someone else has this same problem, that it’s quite possible a leather seat could be the fix.
For example I can make it through a 70 mile ride with my Brooks B17 Carved leather saddle but on a Cloud 9 type seat I have pretty severe pain by mile 10 or so.
Oh yeah, if I’m going to ride more than 30 miles I use this Chamois Butter on my bike short’s pads. It makes all the difference in the world.

 

[hsdrggr]

I am trying a Bontrager now that has a prostate cutout area and the area that the sit bones hit have gel and that slick fabric. I'll try that until my Selle with the Suntour shocks comes in.

That outfit should be just like Brooks B17 carved seat hsdrggr recommended. (except the leather is allegedly softer from the beginning, not needing 500 miles of break-in)

Yeah, those first few hundred miles are fun.
But there is a little trick to accelerate the break in. Take a washcloth, wet it and ring it out mostly so it’s a little more than damp. Put it over the seat and ride it. You don’t want the saddle soaked just damp. After it’s broke in I recommend using Sno-Seal or a proprietary saddle wax to seal and protect the saddle. Don’t put that seal stuff on before breaking it in though if your going to try the damp washcloth trick.