B17S Saddle and the ThudBuster
Surprisingly, our bodies do not stay the same as we age. For almost four years Mary has been living with a discomfort that is specifically feminine and greatly aggravated by riding. Short rides have been a chore and long ones have been excruciating, sometimes resulting in painful, broken blisters. I mention these details only in the interests of other female riders who may suffer similarly.
Various remedies have been tried, including changes in the bike setup, etc., etc., all to no avail. I showed Mary the post of the RIDO bike seat which she found very interesting. However, vanity ruled. She did not want to give up the honey leather saddle on Lady CoMo.
What she did find, once she started looking at saddles, was the cutaway version of the B17S. The “S” (for short) is considerably shorter than the standard B17. We took care to break in the saddle using Garry Lee’s tried-and-true method (place saddle on floor, stand on it with both heels, repeat often).
Since we changed to this saddle Mary has not had even the slightest hint of discomfort. Nothing. The cutaway has been a dream. It is hard to believe the change has had this great an effect. Better yet, I now have a spare B17 for myself. I may even try cutting it out .
The other element of comfort for the stoker has been the ThudBuster seatpost which JJ convinced us to buy when we got Lady CoMo. The ThudBuster works by compressing a trapezoidal rubber insert to absorb shocks. (There are different rubber inserts for different rider weights.) This is very important for the stoker since she cannot anticipate bumps in the road. For us it has been very effective. In the year we have had Lady CoMo Mary has not complained once about a bump.
One feature that I like about the ThudBuster is its adjustment mechanism. You can see in the photo a knurled knob in the top centre and a second adjusting screw at the rear. These two screws in combination allow you to fine tune the tilt of the seat. It is much easier to adjust than the standard ribbed fittings.
Comfort is important. I think we have a winning combination.
