Edit: The bulk of my discomfort appears to be predominantly located in my testicles rather than my buttocks. 😄 While I’m no stranger to daily cycling, I’ve not ridden for such prolonged periods here in Tokyo and with a mamachari type of bike. The current challenge lies in the seat’s upward-tilting tip and its uncompromising hardness.
Hey r/JapanLife community!
I want to share my experience and ask for your advice regarding my bike seat. About two months ago, I purchased a Panasonic Timo S and recently started cycling daily to and from the office. My daily commute is now around 10-15 km, and I’ve begun to notice that the seat is quite uncomfortable and causing some pain in my nether regions (lol).First, I wanted to give a shoutout to u/anzhp for their recommendation on the e-charity website – it was a great experience and I’m very happy with my purchase (minus the seat issue, of course). So, once again, I’m turning to you wonderful people for some guidance.Can anyone recommend a comfortable and durable bike seat that can easily be installed on a Panasonic Timo S? I’m looking for something that provides adequate cushioning and support for a daily commute, and overall improves my cycling experience. If possible, it’d also be great if anyone could share their own experiences with bike seat upgrades or where I can buy a good replacement seat here in Japan.Thanks a lot all in advance for your help! Can’t wait to see your suggestions and improve my daily commute.Stay safe and cycle on!
7 comments
This seems like a post about shopping, maybe your question is solved by [the wiki page](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/wiki/shopping)?
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/japanlife) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Most bicycle seats are interchangeable. There no such thing as a comfortable bike seat for all as everyone is slightly different. There a chance you may have to try multiple seats to find one that works for you. Alternatively you can try using seat cushion covers or padded cycling pants.
Brooks saddle are lovely. Depending how you ride it could be a mix of your position like if you sit upright, lean forward, how high your seat height is, your body type. Narrow may be better than wider.
Use YouTube san for suggestions like appropriate seat height, and general recommendations for saddles.
>adequate cushioning
That is a common misconception among beginners that you need a cushioned seat. I actually enjoyed the cheapest 1500 yen Asahi mamachari seat, which basically does not have any cushioning underneath fake leather. I eventually replaced it with Brooks, which previously was installed on my road bike. The leather Brooks seat requires occasional maintenance and rain cover, so I would not recommend it for casual riders.
>If possible, it’d also be great if anyone could share their own experiences with bike seat upgrades
If you are riding with heavily bent knees (which is typical for mamachari), then buy a longer seatpost asap. If you are doing 10-15k commutes, then the right posture is more important than seat cushioning. If you are not tall af, then Asahi has a 380mm one (the longest stainless steel one I have found), just make sure that your bike’s seatpost has a 25.4mm diameter. If you are tall af, then there are 450 mm ones with various diameters at Amazon, but those are aluminum and might bend.
Also, there is a chance riding with heavily bent knees might be a reason for a sore butt. Straightened legs can take off some of your weight, while bent legs will shift all your weight load to your butt.
My anecdotal evidence – when I replaced the 1500 yen Asahi seat with the 16000 yen Brooks, I noticed that my butt hurts a bit more, and worst of all my knees hurt. I realized that Asahi’s seat was higher than Brooks thanks to springs, so I had to replace the 350mm seatpost with a 380mm seatpost to compensate for overall height loss. That additional 3 cm definitely made my posture better, which resulted in less soreness.
UPD. The ultimate comfort upgrade is probably the suspension seatpost, but those are expensive and I do not think there is a 25.4mm one.
I bought a “senior seat” off Amazon US. Nice, made from leather, cushioned and a little larger than normal. My posterior is completely happy with it, plus a suspended seat post for my e-bike. I prefer a very upright and comfy seating position, though, and have no particular need for speed.
15km each way??
Get a seat with a cutaway if you’re experiencing discomfort below. A Brooks saddle will probably not help IMO.