Best seat pads/covers

[Pyrrho]

I'm going to be picking up a new-to-me RS next Thursday in Tucson, AZ and riding it 1,830 miles back to Milwaukee, WI over an extended paid weekend off. I'm shipping them the same sport seat I had on my old RS so I'm pretty sure my knees will handle it, but unsure about my ass. I've never ridden more than 400 miles a day let alone for days on end.

What are your best suggestions for pads or covers to ease this 56 year-old's posterior's possibilities?

[Grumpy Goat]

... I've never ridden more than 400 miles a day let alone for days on end.

What are your best suggestions for pads or covers to ease this 56 year-old's posterior's possibilities?

Depends what the specific needs are. My suggestion is always to test ride the standard seat for the desired duration and see how you make out and what your needs might be. I have 6 years on you and can ride 500-mile days back-to-back. It is not like sitting in my armchair of course but the discomfort is not enough to make me want to get a different seat that cups your butt and stops you from moving about. The RSs seat is fairly comfortable to me and if I stop every 2 hours, I find it is comfortable enough.

That said I do have a seat cover on the bikes, and it also helps with cushioning in addition to its primary function - heat dissipation.

[Lee]

Two common covers are Alaska Leather and a cooling cover like Wayne uses.
https://alaskaleather.com/collections/sh...n-buttpads

Not sure if you can get one in time. Amazon has the Alaska cover.
Years ago I tried a Alaska cover but didn't like storing it away each time it rained.
I thought about trying one again because my 30 liter BMW top box is rarely full and it would be easy to throw it in there.

Take a short break between gas stops to give your knees and butt a break.
Don't fuel the bike while sitting on it. Walk around a little at each gas stop. A few minutes helps a lot for your circulation.

[Pyrrho]

Thanks for the suggestions! Looking at the Alaska place now and there are a lot of choices. Which one did you get, or rather, which would you recommend?

[Lee]

Thanks for the suggestions! Looking at the Alaska place now and there are a lot of choices. Which one did you get, or rather, which would you recommend?

It's been too many years ago to remember.
Their site shows size medium for the Wethead GS and RT.

https://alaskaleather.com/pages/buttpad-...and-sizing

https://alaskaleather.com/products/mediu...in-buttpad

[BobAin'tStoppin']

Alaska Leather 2006.  The sheep pads do not need to be removed for rain.  Especially if you have waterproof pants!
   

This is the same pad I'm now using on the RS.
   

[Lee]

Alaska Leather 2006.  The sheep pads do not need to be removed for rain.  Especially if you have waterproof pants!


This is the same pad I'm now using on the RS.

I forgot I was wearing leathers back then.
The other thing that's no longer a problem is you no longer have to remove the seat to remove the pad. They now have two quick release buckles.

[Ray]

Alaska Leather 2006.  The sheep pads do not need to be removed for rain.  Especially if you have waterproof pants!


This is the same pad I'm now using on the RS.

Right. If I recall correctly, it also holds up to snow pretty well....

I always wear a pair of padded, hip and coccyx armored mountain biking shorts sold out of St .Louis ( G Force). 

Of course, any time on a bicycle saddle makes a motorcycle saddle the dream.

[Becksy]

I swear by my Airhawk which I have used on a GS, an XR and now my RS.

[Grumpy Goat]

I swear by my Airhawk which I have used on a GS, an XR and now my RS.

Yeah I like the look of those as supplementary padding. Not a fan of a sheep on my saddle.

[ESquared]

Alaska Size Medium, Sheared, Charcoal Grey.  I'm still getting used to it and don't currently have it installed.  I've toyed with seat upgrade/replacement options, but with nearly 2,000 miles on since April, I've never had a bad thought about the seat (sport seat), but I also lowered the pegs.  It looks good, though! Front end tucks between seat and tank, back end snugs under the pillion.

[Lee]

Alaska Size Medium, Sheared, Charcoal Grey. 

I'm tempted to try one again on my Sport seat. At $50 shipped from Alaska Leather it's not a big lose if I don't like it.
I'm not crazy about the Sport seat but with the extra height I noticed I have not had any knee pain this year on trips.
I have 11,400 miles on the bike so the seat should be broke in.

[darrell]

I'm not crazy about the Sport seat but with the extra height I noticed I have not had any knee pain.

Consider removing the cover and shaving off the crown in the middle of seat and then put a layer of smoothing foam over the whole seat and reattach the cover.  This will still retain the height but a wider flatter seat. 

After 20,000 miles I found the foam completely broke down in my sport seat so I had a shop remove all my foam and replace with some very dense foam, add a smoothing layer over the top and it actually sits a tiny bit higher then the OEM sport seat but just as firm and flat as my Wunderlich seat.  Still have the OEM cover on the seat.

Do yourself is cheap, have a shop remove the crown and add smoothing foam probably $75 and remove and replace all foam as I did probably $100 to $125 in your area.

[Boxerboy55]

My Cool Cover is probably the most surprisingly smart mod I made.

I read a recommendation and followed suit.

Keeps your rear dry in wet weather and cooler in warm weather.

Imitations fall apart quickly I’ve read.

   





ps - how hard is it to shrink photos to load

[Grumpy Goat]

My Cool Cover is probably the most surprisingly smart mod I made.

I read a recommendation and followed suit.

Keeps your rear dry in wet weather and cooler in warm weather.

Imitations fall apart quickly I’ve read.

ps - how hard is it to shrink photos to load

I agree on the Cool Covers. It is now an automatic accessory added to any bike I own. 

Resizing pictures is not hard, but it depends on your familiarity with computing ... 

[Motorhead1977]

How much height does the Cool Cover add to the seat? I'm inseam challenged so it's an important consideration for me. The Cool Cover website does seem to provide any information like that. TIA

[Grumpy Goat]

How much height does the Cool Cover add to the seat? I'm inseam challenged so it's an important consideration for me. The Cool Cover website does seem to provide any information like that.  TIA

Without your butt on it it is maybe 8mm thick. After you sit on it there would be a slight squishing down maybe to 5mm. In other words it adds nothing to the seat height.

[Boxerboy55]

Resizing pictures is not hard, but it depends on your familiarity with computing ... 

Let’s just say “I’m IT literate”

[Magile]

I've enjoyed this sheepskin cover for many years. Similar to the Alaska one, a bit less bulky - 

AEROSTICH SHEEPSKIN SADDLE PAD

[4corsa]

Just had my BMW Tall Seat modified with a gel pad in preparation for a 2000+ mile round trip to Nova Scotia. Note the "prostate saver" space as per current bicycle seats. Took it for a 100 mile ride yesterday - still firm, but noticeably more comfortable.

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