Still Blue in Boston

This charming Swiss Miss was doing a great job staying cheerful in Boston despite our terribly cold weather. Her bike is new to her, another English-made 3-speed, because she misses her green Raleigh in Basel. She bought it from Menotomy Vintage Bicycles, which has installed in the antiques building near the Lechmere T stop. The electric blue really pops in our red brick city.

Finding the right saddle

I can't tell you what the best saddle is (Brooks! Brooks!) because only your bum can tell you (Brooks!). I can point you to an excellent article on saddle fit, and excerpt some content, with deepest gratitude to Sheldon:

Everybody wants a comfortable saddle on their bicycle. What is not so obvious is what constitutes a comfortable saddle.

You'll notice that I do call them "saddles," not "seats." There is a reason for this. A "seat" is something you sit on, and is designed to bear essentially your entire weight. Recumbent bicycles have "seats," but conventional upright bicycles have saddles. A saddle is intended to carry some, but not all of your weight. The rest of your weight is mainly carried by your legs, and some by your hands and arms.

A cyclist who is out of cycling shape, from being off a bicycle for a bit, will start out strong, but the legs will tire rapidly. When the legs tire, the rider sits harder on the saddle, and that's when the trouble starts. Many saddle complaints are actually traceable to fatigue caused by starting out the season with a longer ride than you are ready for.

Hard or Soft?

When a cyclist finds a saddle uncomfortable, the first impulse is often to look for a soft one. This is often a mistake. Just as the softest mattress is not necessarily the most comfortable to sleep on, the softest saddle is not the most comfortable to cycle on.

Imagine sitting down on a coffee table. Your weight is concentrated on the two bumps of your "sit bones", also known as the "ischial tuberosities." These are the parts of your body designed to bear your seated weight. Most cases of saddle-related discomfort arise because the load is carried on the soft tissues between the sit bones.

Imagine placing a soft pillow on top of the coffee table. Now, as you sit down on it, the sit bones compress the pillow, which yields until the sit bones are almost on the table surface again. The difference is that now, you have pressure in between your sit bones from the middle part of the pillow.

Many cyclists are unaware of this, and many saddles are made to appeal to the purchaser who chooses a saddle on the basis of how easily the thumb can sink into the squishy top. This type of saddle is only comfortable for very short rides, (though an inexperienced cyclist will often find it more comfortable than a better saddle, as long as rides don't exceed a mile or two). Saddles with excessive padding are also a common cause of painful chafing of the inner thigh, as rides become longer.

OK, so you want a minimalist saddle which is just wide enough to support your sit bones.

Most saddles are designed for men, not for women. Due to the wider hips of most women, this can result in the sit bones overhanging a narrow saddle, leading to painful pressure on soft tissues.

In general, women's saddles are somewhat wider and somewhat shorter than those that work best for men. Some newer women's saddles have a large cutout in the middle to eliminate pressure on soft tissues. These work well for many women, but some riders find the sharp-ish edges of the hole irritating.

My solution is a tensioned leather saddle (Brooks!):

Until the mid 1970s, most good quality bicycles came with tensioned leather saddles. These have a frame basically similar to that of the padded plastic saddle. A thick piece of leather is rivetted to the bridge, and to an adjustable fitting at the nose of the saddle. The leather is suspended sort of like a hammock.

A properly shaped leather saddle is an excellent choice for the high-mileage rider who doesn't mind the fact that it is a bit heavier than a plastic saddle.

Leather saddles provide "give" by stretching and flexing, without the need for foam padding. The lack of foam greatly improves comfort in hot weather, as heat and perspiration can "breathe" through the porous leather.

Leather saddles also "break in" to fit the particular shape of the rider, in much the same way as a baseball glove does (or a fine pair of shoes!). They do require more care than plastic saddles.

I have a Brooks B17 and a Brooks B72. No, you can't have either of them, I love them both. Best of luck finding your perfect saddle!

Little red riding boots, you sure are lookin' good

Spotted on Newbury Street this evening. I am sure that Sam the Sham and all the Pharohs would agree that she's lookin' good! I like how she added her cycling gloves to an otherwise street-oriented outfit.

Ceremony to honor Major Taylor

On May 21st Worcester Public Library will unveil a statue installed in honor of the "Worcester Whirlwind", Major Taylor. Greg LeMond and Edwin Moses will be speaking.

Taylor is indisputably a cycling hero and his life story is all the more poignant because he had to overcome terrible racism to achieve his success.

Taylor had a number of endorsement deals at the height of his career and a particular form of trussed bicycle has become associated with his name. When you see a bicycle with an extra top tube, impress your friends when you tell them Major Taylor's story, and also how he was the first athlete with paid endorsements.

In addition to being the second African American ever to win a world championship in any sport, and a true hero, I think he was a smart man. I try very hard to live his wisdom:

"Life is too short for a man to hold bitterness in his heart."
Marshall W. 'Major' Taylor

Glorious Rivendells

Beautiful bikes, if you have the means! I try to recycle old bikes but Rivendell bikes are truly lovely. I love the blue ano brake levers on these bikes, like sapphire earrings paired with a more sedate outfit.

Original photos at Cyclofiend

Greater number of lunch options

Another unexpected benefit of cycling to work. These guys are heading back with their takeout from somewhere far away. Doesn't matter how far, they have their bikes!

Pretty in pink

Love how her bag matches her pink bike! I've never before seen a bottle cage under a bike.

For every problem there's an engineering solution

I'd say this is a resounding endorsement of the bicycle.

DIY skirt guards

For ladies looking to keep their garments out of the rear spokes, here are directions for making your own fabric skirt guard.

Other interesting skirt guards:
Spoke skirt guard by Ant Bike Mike
Jasbeschermer from Jolly Bike
Making a pattern for a metal fender skirt

I'd love to see a beach bike with a sail-inspired skirt guard - white canvas with lacing to the fender. It would seem so fitting.

I'd also love to see a metal lace skirt guard. There are simple ones on eBay, but I'd like to see something like Ministère de la Culture in Paris.

Product Review - Gap wool coat

Santa brought me a wool jacket from the Gap. I can't rave about it enough as a cycling jacket. I got the extra-long, which provides sleeves that still cover my arms when I'm on my bike. It hits at the hip, but that's fine on a bike. I replaced the plastic buttons with some carved horn buttons from a local boutique. The jacket is now perfect.

Tall women - check out the Gap next winter for a normal coat that's good for cycling and that will actually fit!