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One Year Later: The WTB Saddle

05.12.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 7 Comments

One year ago, I reported that I had put a new saddle on my bike. After less-than-stellar experiences with hard racing-style saddles, I decided to go a different direction, and get something that offered more cushioning. I settled on the WTB Speed V.

It’s time for an update.

After riding the saddle for a year, I can report that it has done what I expected. The added cushioning  makes for a more comfortable saddle (for me, anyway — I know that saddles are very personal things, and what works for one person might not work for another).

I have come to a conclusion about saddles, though. I think they all start to get uncomfortable after a couple of hours. I noticed when I did the LBJ 100 ride in March that no matter what saddle people were riding, many of them stood on the pedals while coasting — often switching the foot at the bottom of the pedal stroke. They were obviously doing what I have been doing — shaking out the mild soreness that takes over after sitting in the same position for awhile.

Fair enough. Otherwise, what I like about the saddle is its wider profile. It offers the platform for my bottom that had been lacking with my earlier choices.

What are the downsides to the Speed V? Take a look at this picture from today.

I took a fall back in September, and while it didn’t do any major damage to the bike or the saddle, it did cause some cracks in the vinyl cover. Those cracks have grown in number and spread a bit since then. In addition, the vinyl is starting to pull away from the embossed “Speed V” logo on the saddle’s nose. Neither of these problems affect the saddle’s comfort at all. They just don’t look good, and I can see that I might need to replace the saddle down the road sooner rather than later if they get much worse.

I’m not able to say if the surface cracking is the cause of my recent rash of saddle sores, since I get them on both sides, and the cracking is only on the left.

But it’s also important to remember that this saddle set me back a whopping $25 last year. I believe the advertised price at Performance is now up to $28. In any case, it’s a cheap saddle, and by that, I mean inexpensive — not shoddy.

Would I buy another WTB Speed V?

It depends. My friend David was intrigued by my original review, so he went out and bought the WTB Rocket V — what WTB calls an “enthusiast” saddle rather than a “recreational” saddle like the Speed V. He likes it. I might consider going that route, although it’s narrower than the Speed V, and I don’t seem to get on with narrow saddles. WTB saddles have gotten good ink in other venues, too, like Kent Peterson’s popular blog. So if I have to replace my saddle sooner rather than later, it will probably be with another WTB.

But if this one holds together for a little longer, and I can save a few more pennies, I might consider trying a Brooks B-17.

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Categories // Review Tags // saddle, WTB Speed V

Phantom Knee Pain

05.10.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 6 Comments

My knee was sore Tuesday, but I went for my usual Tuesday evening after-work ride anyway.  Made it worse.

Besides my saddle sore issues, I had another weird one last week. I noticed while climbing stairs during the day that my left knee hurt. Nothing big, but it was bothersome.

I didn’t think much of it, and I went out as I usually do on a Tuesday evening to take my small ring ride at the Veloway. While riding, the pain disappeared, so I figured it was just a temporary ache.

When I got home after an hour’s ride, the knee was quite sore. It ached with every step I took, and it was hard for me to get comfortable for any length of time in my easy chair that evening. I worried that I had stupidly done some serious damage to the knee.

While getting ready for bed, I applied pressure with my thumb to the edge of the kneecap. Hm, that was some noticeable soreness. I stared at the ceiling for awhile that night, rolling over in my mind all the dire medical problems I might have aggravated by riding the bike that day.

In the morning, the pain was gone. The night after, I rode again (the night when I aggravated the saddle sore – the fates were going to get me one way or the other!).

I was baffled. I had thought that somehow I had been riding out of position. Maybe the saddle slipped down a bit (No). Maybe I had loose cleats that caused my knee to be out of alignment when I pedaled (No, cleats are nice and tight). Maybe I had ridden with my knees pointed out, which I sometimes catch myself doing. But I haven’t really done that in two years, so I was confident that couldn’t be it.

Here I am a week later, and I have no knee pain. Still trying to figure out how it was able to come and go so quickly.

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Categories // soreness Tags // knee

Riding With a Saddle Sore

05.08.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

Sometime after last Tuesday’s ride I felt it. Another saddle sore. It could have been caused by the thin pad on the shorts I wore, but it was one of those pimple-like things that’s probably caused by a hair follicle. I didn’t think much of it, because in the past, these things have always gone away quickly.

Then on Thursday, I got the chance to ride again. I usually can’t ride on Thursdays, because of my work schedule. I took the bike out for an easy 15 miles. Although I could feel the saddle sore, it actually lessened once I was on the bike. The ride was comfortable.

I wound up working late Friday, and didn’t ride. During the day, I could feel that I had irritated the sore Thursday. It had swelled up some, right in the crease between my butt cheek and my thigh. Walking was not comfortable.

But Saturday morning, Pat said she wanted to go for a ride. I wanted to go along. “Where shall we go?” she asked. “Are you up for a Mopac loop?”

“Not really,” I answered. “Let’s go out to 1826 [about 9 miles round trip]. This isn’t good.”

She was disappointed, because she wanted to get some miles in. Her work had kept her indoor all week, and she was ready for action. We started pedaling through the neighborhood. After about four miles, I asked her if she still wanted to do Mopac.

“I would,” she said.

“Okay. I feel a lot better now,” I replied.

In fact, I did. Maybe the pimple had popped during our short ride, but I wasn’t feeling any pain or even discomfort. We took some side streets to Mopac, and out on the highway, I started pedaling with more vigor.

We finished up at the Veloway entrance, and Pat said she wanted to do a lap there. By then I was ready for more. But I decided not to push my recovery. We did our lap and headed home.

After showering, I noticed the sore was still swollen and ugly – darker than it had been. It still hurt to the touch. I covered it with Bag Balm, and went out to cut the grass. Walking irritated it. Inside, sitting and watching TV, I was okay, depending upon my position in the chair. I Bag Balmed it again (is that a verb?) before going to bed — hoping it would let me ride Sunday morning.

No dice. I think I could have done a repeat of Saturday. I don’t think I could have done the 30 miles I had planned to do. I decided to give it a chance to heal, and skipped today’s ride altogether.

Athletes talk about playing through pain. Running even with a cold. But some things just get worse with activity. Staying off the bike today was a good idea. I couldn’t feel the sore tonight when I walked the dog, but it still hurts when I touch it. I’ll be off the bike for another day or two as we wrap up the semester at school, and then I’ll be on the road for two more days. That should give the sore plenty of time to heal and even disappear.

I’m sure I’ll get saddle sores in the future. When I do, I’ll grudgingly be still for a few days.

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Categories // Odds 'n ends Tags // saddle sore

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