As I will do a lot of riding this summer (hopefully...) I'm going to try that one, it has never appeared to me before it was mentioned here that undies can make a difference...

On our 650 GS I didn't experience any problems, not even on a 2 day trip from ljubliana to brussels. I guess my substantial beer intake sorts out the padding of my rear, but other than that think of the following: Road cyclist have NO suspension at all and still they ride hundreds of KM with just a padded cycle short..... I can't be in the saddle of a mountainbike without rear suspension for more than an hour, but I can ride all day with bib shorts.

Get one from a good brand and you'll be a happy camper. Good makes include Cannondale, Pearl Izumi, Fox, Gore Bike wear. They exist in numerous varieties of lengths, and can also serve as a warm base layer on those icy days. Prices -from 15 euro- will also keep your wallet's padding up.

Score! Three magic words that will solve anyone's arse complaints:

AIRHAWK. AIRHAWK. AIRHAWK.

i used a full shepskin on a recent 8500m trip round N/W Africa great for sitting on on/off the bike great for sleeping on . i fixed it to the bike with a long thin bit of inner tube cut spiraly this also held the seat inplace on my 1100gs when the locks broke/jammed with sand in the desert & made removing both the sheepskin & the seat quick & easy . keep the sheepskin full it makes nice backrest & great to sleep on even in a hamock it keeps you warm.
cheers Kev

One of the best solutions is to stretch your legs, cross your feet once in awhile, and sit back in your easy chair against the back rest so that the gel pad changes a bit. Oh! This doesn't apply to those who ride motorcycles, only the really grinning ones who ride Maxi-scooters. Otherwise, just keep your coffee cup full enough in the dashboard holder so that you can have a sip once in a bit. be sure to have your cruise control set up right though so you can rest your right hand. When all else fails, shut down and go for a short walk doing some jogging in place. We do use bicycle shorts without the padding as a result of the decades of riding a touring machine before the knees went bad. Take a little extra niacin to help keep the blood running well, and the person above said: lots of water, but don't orget to replace the electrolytes so that the body can continue to get rid of the buildup of acids. 9 1/2 months to go.

Soggy Sheepskin?
 

Hi,
I too suffered long and hard on a seven-week trip a couple of while back. (I think it took a week or more for the numbness to leave my butt-cheeks once I arrived home!) I was on a Honda Dominator, and thought the vibes of a single-cylinder didn't do me any favours either.

I swore the next time I'd go on a long trip that I'd get a sheepskin (and a twin-cylinder). Thing is though, what's it like if it's raining? Does it turn into a soggy piece of carpet? That probably smells too?

And one other thing I often wondered (although I think I know the answer): which side out? Hide or fleece? (I'd go for fleece out.) And does it really make a difference which way round you mount it?

The Airhawk and its ilk sound like the way to go, but they cost a lot.

Thanks!
Ken.

if they get wet they dry no probs (sheep dont go inside if it rains) mine smells ok flease out yes you could always put it in a bin bag if you dont want to get it wet mine was ok even when raining as i was sitting on it . One of my mates who had a airhawk was impressed with it & said he would get one next time & it was better both warmer & more comfy to sleep on than my Exped which got a punture in the end ( sheepskins dont get puntures ) I payed £1.50 for mine from a boot fair look on the ground at them you can often find the.
Cheers Kev
Ps should be at the ace this sunday if any one wants to try it or see the rest of the Stigtech range LOL

I hear sheepskin works great, but it's so dang hard to keep them still! On top of that, you have to pack too much grass hay- the ride is just unstable with two bales stacked up like that.:thumbup1:

I got myself a sheepskin last summer while touring Poland. I actually got a really thick and heavy one at some small-town-saturday-morning-market for roughly 20 bucks. It's the most comfy thing I've ever had my precious butt sitting on, and my girlfriend also agrees and even refuses to go anywhere without the sheepskin.

The fitting and keeping-sheepy-in-place is a bit tricky though. Fitting takes a while but it can be done with patience, a pair of scissors and at least four bottles of beer. For the keeping-sheepy-in-place part I have used a self-adhesive velcro that I bought at Walmart. Works like a charm.

PS: Don't ever get sheepy wet... it smells like a thousand rotting sheep right underneat your heinie and trust me, that's the last thing you'll want

Glad I'm not the only one, my latest refrain is:

"My new helmet is greeaatt! My helmet is quiii-et! My visor don't steeaam uppp...."

The acoustics in there are fantastic. Anyone else make stuff up or do you stcik to the classics? ..."Got ma motor runnin...head out on the highway..."

Or am I just going nuts in this damn office job...

Matt :)

Numb Butt And Frozen Feet
 

Last year I rode south from Mexico to Ushuaia on a Honda 125, eight to ten hours a day in the sadle. Apart from the numb butt, my biggest problem was clothing: how to keep warm crossing the alteplano and cool at sea level on the equator. I don't have much storage space. In cities I have to look reasonably smart when interviewing people. I wear good Church's shoes which polish up, charcoal chinos and a good shirt.However riding in real cold I end up wearing two pairs of long underwear, two pairs of pyjamas, three pairs of chinos, all my shirts, two pullovers and a bright blue Peruvian rain suit. I look like a blue baloon and have great difficulty getting at what I need to get at (old men have to hurry). AND I FREEZE....
Near Boquette I was riding in driving sleet and found myself laughing outloud (see archive on Blog at www.simongandolfi.com). That I can enjoy the experience proves that I am either crazy or a real biker - probably both. However my only purchases for the southern leg were a used Clancy Brothers sweater and green cord shirt at a thrift store (in hope of an upgrade on the Aerlingus flight from UK to Boston). I want to be better prepared this year for the ride back up to Duchess County, NY. Particularly as I will bve riding north into a US winter. Why? Because at 74 I don't have time to wait for good weather. Can anyone out there advise on light warm clothing that packs into a thimble?

I think you need some good bike gear , layering is OK but a decent jacket and trousers or a one piece suit would be much, much better .
You won't find anything that will do for the cold AND for humid heat.So you'll have to compromise just a bit.
Top of the line bike gear will have ventilation with zips and velcro secured vents.
Also there will be inner liners that can be removed .Handlebar mitts are good too ,you can get them from stores that sell ATV gear [ they do not seem to be fashionable amongst the bike crowd ]
Try and buy your gear in the USA it is cheaper and you'll get more choice .Or buy from a Hein Gericke store in Britain .
Helly Hansen underwear is good , I haven't used it for biking but it works at -35c in Canada on the ranch. Stansfields is good too .There are lined trousers that you can buy form Carhartts and similar companys ,I prefer these to long johns .[You can still get those red combos with an escape hatch in the arse - well you know if they wus good enough for John Wayne ! But I've never indulged .]
Gloves are important , take some for cold and some for the heat and a spare pair as well .Never ride without gloves ,gravel is nasty stuff to pick out of your palms and bruises are reduced by an extra skin of leather .
My apols if some of this is old hat , but there is nothing that will fit into a thimble , a TARDIS thimble perhaps would hold it all .

Gratitude
 

Dodger, Thanks for the time and the advice...

I bought a sheepskin halfway across Africa, as I was experiencing coccygeal calamity after 40 miles. A tailor in Kenya sewed it on - not ideal after rain, but it dried quickish in the sun. It didn't make a huge difference to the backside situation apart from allowing free movement of air under the nether parts, which is a bonus.

The things that have made the biggest difference to my gluteal gemutlichkeit are
1) Snug undies. Loose fitting boxers are the devil.
B) Buying a CB1000 - leaning forward a bit, and having a saddle the size of Heathrow airport allow all day comfort (downstairs anyway.)

I don't think it's quite the bike for a TDF - Alaska trip, so I'm probably going to buy an Airhawk for whatever I swap the CB for in 6 months.

You might want to take up smoking - it's a great excuse to stop every hour, although there's a vocal minority of doctors who insist the health benefits aren't all they're cracked up to be

aye but Exspensive..
 

Im a CHEAPSKATE! so what I find is this.... you know those Beaded cushions the Taxi Drivers used to/ still use in Hot Countries?

Get one, a bust one is ok.... measure to fit seat plus 2 inches/50mm.(4 beads more each side.....) cut it 50mm bigger still, remove the "extra" extra beads and tie off. fix 2 elastic or 3 if you like straps to the cover, so it fits on the seat, VOILA, Comfy Bum! no sweat..... as air circulates, you also get a "Bum Massage" as you ride! so no more Numb Bum......

Martyn