143mm Revisited

 Last week’s disc brake refurbishment also gave me cause to reflect upon other things, specifically saddle width. Now, product testing means I test and review a wealth of different contact points and sometimes I am sent slightly wider models, or designs with more/less padding, of varied materials, and so forth.  

I am of the belief we need to spend at least 400miles with products generally and contact points in particular, before arriving at definitive opinions (longer in the case of traditional leather saddles that can require considerably more miles to mould properly and thus, become comfortable.) 

Switching the Spa Aire (titanium) saddle (265x148mm) to Ursula did not reap the rewards I’d initially thought, so I revisited the contact points spares’ box and replaced this, and the fixed gear winter/trainer’s 145mm BBB Echelon for the 143mm Selle Royal Respiro and 142mm Pro Turnix Gel.  

Both are cutaway designs, the former sports galvanized magnesium rails and tips the scales at 276g. The Pro Turnix Gel features painted stainless steel rails and weighs 278g. Both save a few grams from both builds.  

I had successfully run the Selle Italia Sport Gel Flow, (another cutaway model with thicker padding but slightly narrower at 140mm) with Ursula for a thousand miles, so will also keep that within easy reach, just in case. At 380g it’s a bit heftier than the others, courtesy of the hollow feC steel rails, but still a good bit lighter than the loveable Aire titanium. 

  

Back in 2008, I was lucky enough to receive a thorough 90-minute bike fit consultation, courtesy of Specialized and their BG Fit Specialized BG Fit System - BikeRadar. This revealed that my saddle height was 1mm out and yes, 143mm was my ideal saddle width. It also revealed that despite legs of identical length, one femur is fractionally longer than the other-cured using their insoles. This meant I had a very slight tendency to lean, inducing shoulder discomfort over longer distances.  

Being so remarkably close illustrates it is possible to get fit bang on, without a consultation but it is a very thorough means of assessing correct positioning and could save a lot of money long term. Not only in terms of wrong component length, but potential injuries requiring physiotherapy and other professional rehabilitation.  

Factors such as bike type and positioning will also play their part. A more upright stance will place more pressure on the ischial tuberoses (sit bones). Therefore, a slightly broader, more padded saddle might be prudent. At the other extreme, the Holdsworth is a long, low machine, sporting a 137mm BBB Razor saddle, which is also music to my derrière.  

A reliable ballpark measure of saddle width is achievable by sitting on a padded, leatherette chair or sofa for a minute-long enough for sit bones to leave their indents. Place two small coins to mark these and measure the distance between them in millimetres (just don’t tell Jacob Rees Mogg).  

A few 4am blasts suggest I’ve made the right moves, but we’ll see longer term, especially in Ursula’s context. Aside from sunrise being around 7ish, it’s also much cooler now- there have been a few mornings I’ve gone for the heavier weight long sleeve jersey, winter weight gloves donned a cap beneath my helmet.  

These Seal Skinz Leather Road Cycle Gloves are my default for general cool seasons riding, before temperatures really tumble. They offer excellent insulation, breathability and crucially dexterity. Some of the “lobster claw” types are fabulous when its bitterly cold and you’re cruising along but aren’t conducive to dexterous tasks and can often require removal for roadside mechanicals/inspections.  

Talking of inspections, I have been rather impressed by this Ravemen LR1600 Front Light. There are a few weeks to go before I arrive at a firm conclusion and root out any potential flaws but I’m certainly warming to it.  

As the name implies, it’s a six-mode front light producing a maximum of 1600lumens and staircasing down to 800 (medium) 450 lumen (low) and 150lumen (eco). It also has a 600-lumen daylight flashing and a 1600 emergency function.  

Aside from really build quality, it features clever optics. It employs a similar polycarbonate lens with the “Total internal reflection” and “refraction” technology meaning it’s a lot brighter than figures suggest.  

While there’s no denying the full 1600lumens are ideal for the navigating the darkest backwaters at warp speed, the 800lumens is still practical in these contexts. Anecdotally it feels closer to 1,000, maybe 1100lumens and I’ve had no issues cruising along at a steady 20mph.  

This also conserves battery reserves. Ravemen are no strangers to remotes, but these have been wired types. The LR1600 features a wireless unit fuelled by a single CR2032 cell. Range is approximately a metre, meaning the LR1600 is more practical than some as a helmet mounted option.  Let’s see what the coming weeks bring... Meantime, I’ll leave you with my review of these carbon forks Carbon Cycles Exotic Fork | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)