The secret of these devices is to create an air gap,and to improve blood flow. Most seat covers being synthetic unbreathable materials, they act a bit like a plastic wrapper round a piece of meat, they make you sweat. Sweat with pressure causes skin acid sores and good old monkey butt! Your product and the beaded type products massage your backside to improve blood flow in that area, reducing the numbing effect which is caused by reduced circulation sitting down.

The best solution ( IMHO) for long periods in the saddle is natural sheepskin. Keeps you cool on hot days, is warm on cold days, and prevents the rubbing on the saddle, especially at the top of the inner thigh and on the backside. Sheepskin also has natural ''spring'' which prevents pressure on the backside which causes loss of circulation.

As an aside, here's something not many people know, and it's to do with diet. Persons who have a high red meat content in their diet have higher acid sweat discharge which is usually detected by noticeable B.O. No conclusive proof here, but skin sores would appear to develop quicker with higher acidity levels. I'm not vegetarian, but only eat red meat once in a blue moon. I use a sheepskin. In the last 3 years I've ridden over 50,000 kms and never once had a sore backside, but a slightly tingly bum once after a 450km not stop run!

__________________
-''It is better to walk alone than with a crowd going in the wrong direction''. ( Herman Siu)
-'' Live life then give life '' (www.lltgl.org.uk)

I've never had skin sores from bike riding. I've had a few bikes where had I replaced the seat with the edge of a knife the comfort level would have been much the same but that's all its ever been - uncomfortable. I've always assumed that when I've read about people's posterior problems on trips that that's what we're talking about; sore in the sense of aching rather than sores in the sense of skin breakage. Do many people here get sores like that?

Maybe there is something in the diet hypothesis after all. I'm for all intents and purposes vegetarian - not for ethical reasons but following a bout of food poisoning many years ago I have problems enjoying red meat so I've stopped eating it. On the other hand I have a red meat enthusiast friend who also rides long distances and he doesn't have comfort issues either.

So that's two veggies to one meat eater. If we get a few more contributions we could knock the data into shape and write it up for the IJMS. "Do vegetarians make better travellers?" sounds right up their street.

Yep, Vegetarian riders will do fine ... until they get to Argentina!
Meat Meat and MORE Meat! Would you like a side of Sausage and Liver with your steak? (Parilla Mixta)

I like Sheepskin covers but IMO, a good base seat is the most important element to start with.

I've had Monkey Butt a couple times when I raced Enduro, and also on Marathon Baja runs, riding LONG days for 8 to 10 days in a row. Once it starts, you have NO TIME to allow it to heal up. A BIG problem!

ALL that was on dirt bikes with torture rack seats and without any sort of cover, no bicycle shorts used then and little knowledge on prevention.

We soon discovered products like Gold Bond Talcum powder, diaper rash creme, and other things to help prevent or heal up the Monkey Butt ... which is terribly painful. It's so bad ... it really can STOP your ride if you don't address it as soon as it appears. Can also get infected.

I've not had it in years but I'm proactive:
1. Apply either Gold Bond Talcum powder or Diaper creme (with Aloe) BEFORE the ride, and clean up, re-apply at lunch, again at night.
2. Quality, padded bicycle shorts help, they absorb sweat, minimize chaffing.
3. Quality seat
4. Stand up as much as you can!

But if you never ride really long days, then not so much a problem. Sheep Skins extend your comfort range, but I find they "pack down", and in the end, do very little. (I rode across the US ... and back using sheep skin cover on BMW R100RS) Many 400 mile days.

The more you ride, the tougher your backside gets and the further you can go without suffering too much.

I've never had the saddle sores BUTT have worked out a way of using the beads successfully on the saddle by sewing theminto the mesh of the 'sit &fly'. I think that will work out ok....just got to find a place that sells the bead matting. I haven't seen them for a while...they pop up now and again in places but will have to go on the 'search party' for them and incorporate them in to the mesh.

If it works I'll write it up.

Cheers