Wednesday 4 May 2016

Seat for the Soul

From yesterday's theme's of ancestral connection, other worldly and ethereal communication to a more pedestrian focus; well actually a cyclist focus. Today while browsing through a local "outdoor shop" where I was mostly struck aghast at the prices of many of the garments; I made my way back to the cycling section, where I was reminded how uncomfortable I find my bike's seat.

I have been gradually riding the bike with more frequency beginning about two years ago when I first took my car of the road and then even more frequently over the last year as one of the places I resumed employment is biking distance. (The other I find "too close" so I walk).

At first I put the discomfort down to my body getting accustomed to riding again. I then reasoned that the inflexibility in my low back and hips made it challenging for me to stay back on the seat. With all these factors rectified some two years later - it still doesn't feel good. I even adjusted the angle the seat was mounted at, a couple times, it made a slight difference but overall still unsatisfactory.

I should mention I have been in the same store on other occasions pondering a seat change but managed to talk myself out of it. You might think that all has been said, that could possibly been said, about bike seats. Well - if you have read anything of my writing in the past, then you know I can masterfully spin, nothing into something.  Even if neither of us hold to be true that is due to any inherent talent on my part; I submit that something is always waiting to be said, the rest can be credited to my grade nine typing teacher. (flash to a pointer cracking out a rhythm on her desk, as her dulcet tones chant "A,S,D,F J,K,L ";" ")

So why would I go so long with the "original seat" and deny myself the enjoyment and comfort of an alternative?

Are ya ready for this?

Well there is a myriad of reasons. I've had that bike for I believe about twelve years. At the time I wanted something of an alternative to the mountain bike I had been riding for quite sometime previous. What I wound up with was this "performance hybrid" bike. It has the narrow high pressure tires and gear ratios of a racing bike without the dropped handle bars; so it was designed for road riding. I even had some after market armrest extensions mounted so that now and again when I felt like a sprint, I could "assume the position." I was more into running and a variety of other fitness pursuits at this time - I even considered the biathlon - gratefully my "higher self" or a moment of sanity/clarity intervened and I just stuck to recreation. The bike currently overall still meets my needs (in fact pre-spring I sunk a few hundred dollars into refurbishing some drive train and tires that were showing their age) - all except that seat! Oh no, I'm going to hang on to that Spartan gonad mashing medieval conveyance. Have you seen the cost of after market seats?

As I said I didn't get into the competitive scene. Sure I have had some "performance apparel" the wicking and insulation properties of some of that stuff actually live up to the marketing. Overall though, I'm not keen on laminating my physique in spandex and doing that scene.  Group rides I participated in or went on solo, might have been deemed the "tour de farce" they were measured in hours (not so much because of the immense distance, but because there were always coffee and food stops strategically interlaced along the route).

So why then the need to hang onto this minimalist seat? I couldn't think at any level that comfort over performance meant I was ..................AGING!....... could I?

What about any vestiges of "no pain no gain?" Thought I had effectively let go of that mantra, however in light of this conversation, maybe another go around.

And what of personal worth? Am I not worthy of the expenditure on a new seat so that while I'm cycling for leisure, exercise, wellness etc. there is no need to be suffering along the way?

Now that I'm on the topic of "suffering" how deeply are those paradigms and mental constructs around the virtue of suffering and self-denial anyway?

Values, viewpoints, perspectives, priorities all change innumerable time through a lifetime - is it any different for the needs of the body?

The manufacturer of this seat offers a 120 day comfort guarantee. The sales rep at store said keep the packaging and receipt and we'll beat that. Try it out for awhile and if you're not satisfied swap it for one of the other dozens of alternatives on the wall. Someone commented in my travels over the last few days "self-love" is so complicated, what does it even look like?" Hmm... maybe not so complicated and today for me, it looks like this.

So now if you should see me riding around town with a big grin on my face you'll know why.  Another thing that occurs to me is that I've occasionally heard the comment (not a particularly loving reflection I must say) that men should have to under go some equivalent to a mammogram.

Tell you what, an ill-fitting bicycle seat must run a close second - especially when you hit an unexpected bump!

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