Saddle Sore

I bought a bike saddle from Tredz online store in November 2011. Ordered 1st November, delivered with typical Tredz urgency at least 3 weeks later.

The saddle in question was a Charge Spoon, recommended by my buddy Steve.

I was a bit disappointed to find, when it arrived, that it was upholstered in "synthetic" leather, but at the price (around £25), I wasn't too bothered, as it was only a trial purchase.

I liked it straight away. It's a good shape, very firm. Kind of saddle you'll love or hate, no in betweens.

It didn't get anywhere near as much use over the winter as it would usually get. I had very little work, so I wasn't commuting. The weather was rubbish for leisure rides, so not many of those either.

By the middle of March the surface material had started to fray, which was mildly annoying, considering the minimal amount of use it had, so I decided (eventually) to contact Tredz about it.

I sent them the above photo with the following email:

Hi Tredz,
I ordered a Charge Spoon saddle from you on 1st November 2011, which arrived a couple of weeks later. (order no 162557)
As you can see from the attached photo, the surface material has split and is peeling away.
I do a lot of mileage, using my bike for commuting and audax riding, but I expect a lot more from a saddle than I’m getting from this one. I’ve only been riding it for 4.5 months, and my mileage dropped considerably over the winter months.
Your thoughts, comments, and suggestions please.

Kind regards
Jim 

After no reply for a couple of weeks, I phoned them, and was asked to resend the email as they couldn't find it, so I did. Here's their reply:

Thanks for getting the pictures through again!

Having looked at the picture, and where the wearing has occurred, the saddle has appeared to suffer under normal wear and tear. that said , I am a little surprised that it has gone so soon, but there are many factors that are involved here, including your thigh shape, trouser/short material, weather conditions (sunlight/moisture), not to mention riding style and if like me, you may crash the bike a lot! which can bring on the wearing much sooner.

With all this in mind, I have just contacted our Charge supplier to see if this would be considered a warranty issue. They have informed me that Charge saddle have a 90 day manufacturers warranty, from date of purchase (or in your case delivery). So unfortunately there is little we can do regarding this particular saddle for you.

However, we would still like to help you as much as we can, and as the Spoon saddle is widely regarded as being a good one, we would highly recommend upgrading to the leather version (the synthetic material is weaker, and will not last as long, as you have experienced),
and we would be happy to offer one of these saddles to you for a discounted price of £67.99 for the Brown Leather and Ti-Railed version, and are happy to offer a discount on any other item that you may prefer - but please contact us regarding the pricing first, just to be sure.

We are sorry that we cannot help further with the saddle you have, but should you have any queries, or would like to discuss the order in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,
Errol,
Tredz Customer Care

My response:

Hi Errol,
Thanks for this – very helpful, though I am disappointed to say the least! I don’t crash my bike all that often as I’m a roadie and don’t bounce too well these days. I always wear Endura Humvee, either short or long, as they’re just the perfect garment. My thighs do not resemble those of Sir Chris of Hoy, though living in Pembrokeshire, I wish they did. My bike, (Surly Crosscheck) while not moving, is kept indoors, and is looked after, some might say, a little too well, so if that’s “normal” wear, then I’m completely dissatisfied with that particular product, even at the price I paid.
Thanks for the offer of a discount on the TI rail leather saddle, but I still just can’t afford that at the moment (and they’re currently being offered at wiggle even cheaperhttp://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-spoon-ti-leather-saddle-with-titanium-rails/.) I’ll have a think about it and get back to you.
cheers
Jim

No response from Tredz as yet.

I contacted Charge:

Hi There,
I’m the guy who commented on your facebook page.
I attach a photo of what’s happened to my Charge Spoon, as you can see, it’s not the stitching which has frayed but the synthetic leather.
I ordered the saddle from Tredz on 1st November 2011, and received it about 3 weeks later.
I commute by bike, and ride long distance (audax) but my mileage is considerably less in the winter as my work as a cycle trainer is seasonal, so my saddle has seen no unseemly or extraordinary use. When not in use my cycle is always kept indoors and well maintained.
The fraying appeared about a month ago; the end of March, meaning I’d been riding it about 3 months.
I personally don’t consider this acceptable at all. From any saddle whatsoever, I would expect a year’s riding from it before it started to fall apart. I’d like your opinion on whether you think it’s acceptable wear and tear. I’m not after anything else.

Jim

Their rather perplexing response:

Thanks for getting in touch. As I have already mentioned on Facebook, we have no influence on warranty or do we cover warranty here. We are only 3 people total in Charge and have a team of experienced people dedicated to dealing with issues like these around the world.

For this reason, I can only agree with what our distributor has said as they have more experience than I. They see all warranty returns in the UK from Cannondale, GT, Mongoose, Charge, WTP bmx, etc. They see a lot more worn out components than we do.
As a contrast we do not see or hear of returns. We have many test mules so our own saddles don't get a lot of use, we don't see differing wear here.

Thanks for mailing us and I'm sorry I couldn't give you an alternative view. I hope you understand.

Kind regards,

Neil Cousins

 

(wo)man and machine

Giving some thought to long distance cycling, which is best done on a long bike ride. It may be stating the glaringly obvious, but the key factor is comfort, in every respect. Any tiny amount of discomfort is going to become disproportionately magnified with each passing mile, be it an inner-thigh chafe or a humble hunger pang.

I get pain in my knees. I fell off my bike a couple of months ago and landed heavily on my left knee. Stupidly, I didn't get it looked at immediately, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Thankfully, it's not constant pain, and can be "ridden around", but I am going to get it "looked at" before undertaking any more long rides.

I consider myself lucky that that's the only discomfort I've noticed (though maybe it got so bad that it's eclipsed the rest!)

So, what makes a cyclist comfortable?

The Bike: This has to be the main consideration. If (wo)man and machine are to exist in perfect harmony, then the machine needs to be as near perfect as can be. I've ridden good and bad bikes, and it's not an easy call. It's certainly not a case of just spending loads of money, though if it's spent correctly, it will certainly help!

"Money cannot buy you happiness, but it can buy you a bike, which is the next best thing."

 My current bike is completely hand built by me, from the ground up, wheels included. Every nut and bolt has been put there by me, every bearing has been greased by me. Every component has been chosen by me, and a lifetime of experience has informed those choices. You might look at my bike and think I've done it wrong - why would I put Mountain bike gearing on a road bike, for instance, and the answer is because I built the bike for me, not for you. If I was building a bike for you, it would be to your specifications, not mine. If I felt you could improve something by taking a less obvious route I'd certainly make the suggestion, but the choice would ultimately be your own.
How do you know when a bike is "right" for you?
Whichever cycling forum you go onto, every question you ask will bring forth a million answers, all of them definitive, all of them gleaned from years of experience. It is truly bewildering!
Basically, your bike needs to fit you. The frame has to be the right size and shape, the seat adjusted to the right height and angle, and the gears to do what you need them to do - to get you up those hills! However, just sitting on a bike in Halfords doesn't tell you much. Nor does going to a much more expensive bike shop with a "fitting stand", frankly. There's no real substitute for getting out there and riding your bike to see if it fits. Saddle adjustment can take months! A coupleof millimetres back or forward on the seatpost can make all the difference between a comfy ride and raging sciatica. It really is that critical. You can make adjustments to your reach by moving handlebars up and down and back and forth, but the distance and between saddle and pedal can only be altered by moving the saddle, the pedals stay where they are.

"The bicycle is the only machine which is powered by the passenger."

Clothing: Cycling clothing is notoriously uncool. And expensive. You pay a fortune to look stupid! However, when you're zipping past on your bike, how long does anyone get to gawp at you? Again, the amount of good and bad cycling clobber out there is astonishing when you start to look into it. You soon find out from riding which clothes are Ok and which are not. Your most comfortable pair of jeans suddenly becomes very restrictive when you're trying to get on and off your bike, let alone spin the pedals. That sweatshirt will become unbearably hot at the first incline. 
The basics are this:
you're going to sweat, so fabrics which "wick" sweat away from your body are best.
A few thin layers are better than one thick layer.
Stretchy clothing (like lycra) is easier to move around in, honestly!
Keep your fingers and toes warm - your toes especially will soon become numb in cold weather, because they're not doing anything, and they're exposed to chilly winds. 
There probably is breathable, waterproof kit out there that does work, but I've yet to find it. I prefer instead to wear Windproof stuff, which is breathable, and usually showerproof. If it rains hard, you're going to get wet whatever clothes you're wearing, so my philosophy is to wear stuff that dries off quickly. If it's windproof it will keep the wind chill at bay while it does so.

"The bicycle will accomplish more for women's sensible dress than all the reform movements which have ever been waged."

 

Barmouth by Bike

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Easter Holiday 2012

School holidays. My wife and I both work in schools, so we have the "luxury" of school holidays. It's a double-edged sword. I don't get paid if I don't work. My rate of pay includes "holiday pay", but I can't choose to work over the holiday, because all my workplaces are closed. 

We have just over two weeks in which we have to keep our children stimulated and entertained on a minimal budget. Not easy.

We decided we needed a change of latitude, and as my wife's parents live on a rather lovely part of the North Wales Coast and haven't seen their grandchildren in a long time, and can provide us with free accommodation, we decided to grace them with our presences.

Travelling anywhere from Pembrokeshire is not easy, however you do it, but travelling to North Wales by public transport seemed all but impossible. Train: Pembroke Dock - Swansea, Swansea - Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury - Machynlleth, Machynlleth - Barmouth. Price: extortionate. All we want to do is travel about 100 miles up our coast; do we really need to go via England?

Online journey planners such as Traveline Cymru seem incomplete and do not include buses such as the rather important Traws Cymru, though that could be down to my wife rather than the website.

Eventually, after much searching and researching, we came up with what seemed the optimal travel plan for the family: train to Carmarthen, bus to Aberystwyth, bus to Dolgellau, lift to Barmouth.

My choice was obvious.

However, Barmouth is around 120 bumpy miles away (for bumpy, read "very hilly"). The most I've ever cycled in a day before was just over 100 much flatter miles, and at the end of that I was incapable of any further movement for a few months.

Then again, I'm fitter now than I was then, right? I cycle everywhere. I usually have loaded panniers when I do, sometimes even a trailer draggin' behind me. I didn't really feel convinced, to be honest.

I've driven the coast road many times and "know" it well, though you never know a road well until you ride it. (insert quote)

Preparation:

As I didn't have much time for preparation, I didn't do any. I'm not joking. I put some new wheels on my bike which had just been given to me by a friend. I gave the bike a quick fettle, making sure all the nuts and bolts were tightened, and then spent my time conserving as much energy as possible.  When you've built your bike from the ground up, you have the advantage of knowing where every nut and bolt is. It makes life easier. I'd been riding daily as I commuted to schools to teach safe cycling - the previous week had involved riding out to a remote village school, about 8 miles each way, and towing a trailer with heavy signs, so I was as "warmed up" as I was going to be. To throw in a fifty just for the sake of it would, I felt, just be wasting energy. I know people who will train hard for an event up until a week or so before and then stop and rest for the few days prior to the ride. If I did that, I'd seize up! We're all different. I'm no "athlete", believe me. I don't go in for the "fitness for fitness' sake" ethic, I'm way too lazy. One of the reasons I cycle is that you can get away with minimal effort quite a lot of the time, it's the whole point!

Having done rides of similar length before, I'm very aware of how important the conservation of energy is, and the need to pace the ride correctly. When I estimate a journey time I take 20kmh as an average speed, then factor in stops. This is an important bit to get right, as you don't want to feel "against the clock" at the end of a long journey. I also hoped to meet up with the family en route at Aberystwyth - I had a "window" of about 90 minutes between their bus changes.

I decided that in order to arrive at a reasonable time, and to be able to meet up with the family at the appointed hour, I would have to be out on the road at 4am. OUCH! 

Needless to say, I didn't get any extra sleep the night before.

The Ride:

I was awake in good time. Plentiful tea and a bacon sandwich were enough to get me going, and I left the house at around 4:30am in pitch blackness. Most of the streetlamps were out, and the whole town looked peaceful for once.

A note to anyone who thinks that going out into the darkest hours and riding off on a bike is complete madness: Daybreak is ALWAYS AWESOME! The birdsong is probably the best thing you will ever hear, and as the light grows, so does the noise!

I didn't have much luggage as most of my stuff was being taken with the family. Luxury! Most long rides I do, I'm gone for a few days and need to carry changes of clothing and food etc, so I'm weighed down from the start. All I took with me was:

• emergency toolkit
• first aid kit (including painkillers!)
• lots of chocolate "energy food"
• phone
• ipod
• camera
• GPS
• money
• mobile charger (power monkey) and spare batteries (rechargeable of course)

all of which fit neatly into my rack box. I don't include drinks bottles as luggage, they're just part of the bike. I just take squash. I used to mix up energy powders, but they cost more and there's no appreciable difference I can see. If I just take water, I drink less. Take what works - if you don't like the taste, you're not going to drink it, especially when you've a raging thirst and your bottles are lukewarm.

To travel light, you have to be brutal about what not to take.

Windproof clothing is better than waterproof in my opinion. I've not managed to find any waterproof material which really works, and windproof material dries quick once the rain stops. It's also usually lighter.

Once you're moving, you soon warm up, however cold it is. Just look after your extremities. Fingers and toes soon go numb in the right conditions.

I didn't see daylight till I was heading up into the Preseli hills, about 30km, and when it did appear it was foggy and cold. Only on the top though - it soon warmed up after the descent.

At Cardigan I stopped for a "Full English" - IMHO the very best cycling fuel money can buy. I'd travelled about 40m (65km) on a bacon sandwich. I also needed to get warm. My feet had been numb lumps since before the top of the preselis and getting some feeling back was important.

I knew there'd be little opportunity to stop between Cardigan and Aberystwyth, so a good feed was essential.

The weather was overcast but clear - it didn't look like it would rain, but this is Wales, and rain it will. It started just after Aberaeron, light at first, steadily getting heavier. In Aberystwyth it was chucking it down so I was glad of a sit down with the family in a dry cafe and a few exra cups of tea. It was still raining when I set off again and did so almost all the way to Machynlleth, when the sun popped out again, and stayed out pretty much all the way through Dolgellau, apart from a heavy and cold hailstorm.

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There was another brief fall of hail on the estuary road between Dolgellau and Barmouth, but by then I was past caring. The coast road was a struggle against a strong and cold Northerly wind and each kilometre seemed longer than a mile as they ticked slowly over, but I arrived dry and happy, a new Personal Best of 199.3km, according to my GPS.