Let me begin this post by first stating that I truly love riding my Softride except for ONE problem. I tried to email Softride with a concern/suggestion about their seat clamp design on the classic beam but never got a reply. Soooooo, I’ll break it into the open here to see what they (and STers) have to say.
Maybe others with a similar problem can chime in with suggestions or just to confirm I’m not the only one who experinces the same problem.
So what’s my problem???
On the classic beam clamp, the allen head that sticks out on the right side of the seat rubs the hell out of my leg. I don’t have any issues with rubbing on my left side. First it destroys my $90 Sugoi cycling shorts, then after it gnaws through them, it gnaws into my skin. I’ve already wasted two pairs of shorts in 9 months.
Does Softride have any plan to change this design so that the allen head is FLUSH with the clamp. I tried monkeying with the saddle fore/aft and on the beam to try and make the bolt head as far back as possible but to get my correct position I can’t move it more than it is. I was professionally fit by FitWerx in Vermont so gimme some credit here in that my position is sound…
So Softride, any comments? I can provide my mailing address if you would like to send me a new pair of shorts!
i dont have a softride, but looking at the photos, my educated guess is that your problem is caused by the combination of softride’s design of the seat clamp very poorly ‘interfacing’ with your particular seat, the side cutouts of the seat’s shell, and the orientation and position of the saddle rails with respect to the saddle’s sitting surface. what kind of saddle are you using? my suggestion would be to try another type/brand, one that is quite different in shape, especially with regard to the saddle rails.
and I agree with you that, for a racing bike (one that very typically uses narrow saddles), the softride design of the seat rail clamp is quite primitive.
but i think you are stuck unless you try the above option…
I’m using a Terry Fly saddle. Given that I’ve had ZERO issues with the Terry it’s tough to spend the money on something different when it’s likely to have the exact same problem. Seems that Softride could simply make the allen head seat into the clamp so it’s a flush surface like on the left side of the clamp.
Seems that Softride could simply make the allen head seat into the clamp so it’s a flush surface like on the left side of the clamp
you may be dreaming here. more likely, you could go to your local machine shop and have it done custom for you, because much as you would like it, i would bet good money that softride isn’t going to do that anytime soon (although ideally, they should and also correct the weak design).
About the seat, could you just borrrow any other kind of passable saddle and see (as an experiment) if it fixes the problem? i bet it will. the terry is a fairly unusual seat and i can see that it has quite substantial cutouts of its shell, which may be one of the sources of your problem, although i cant be sure. do you have big thighs?
and another thing: this will also solve your problem–slide your terry saddle very far forward on its saddle rails. to compensate for positioning, then slide the softride clamp equally aft on the beam. your problem will be solved. that will be $75, please (my hourly rate is steep).
and another thing: this will also solve your problem–slide your terry saddle very far forward on its saddle rails. to compensate for positioning, then slide the softride clamp equally aft on the beam. your problem will be solved. that will be $75, please (my hourly rate is steep).
Not so simple. When I slide the clamp aft, and then slide the saddle forward, I get too much bounce in the beam (I’m 190 lbs). A lot of trial and error went into my position.
A machine shop request may be in order. Can’t hurt to see what Softride has to say about it and if they plan any design changes. Of course I need something NOW!
As a start I will just have the allen head ground down so it doesn’t stick out as far.
Not so simple. When I slide the clamp aft, and then slide the saddle forward, I get too much bounce in the beam
that would seem impossible. if you do it exactly the same amount aft and then forward, it should cancel out perfectly and your center of gravity (cg) should be in exactly the same position as it is now, so you should bounce no more or no less than now.
something is missing here…
(ps, i think grinding down the head of a screw–that you are sitting on–is not such a safe idea)
Not sure why it does it, but that’s what happened when I slid it back. I went through whole set-up tweaking last year (painful, oh so painful, process). As the clamp is farther back on the beam, it tends to have more “give” and I can bounce. Not bad, but enough to make me uncomfortable after a couple hours in the saddle.
I ride with a 75-80 RPM cadence and it was really noticable.
not sure if they make an allen head carriage bolt but if they did I imagine that would work well in this case. I too ride a Classic SR and find my shorts catch on that bolt occasionally as well (though being a bit bow legged likely not as often). I’d do a search in a bolt and but supply shop (taking in the original bolt so they know the thread and pitch) and see if they make one with an allen head (most that I know of are flat head screwdrivers…and likely won’t have enough surface area to apply enough torque to sufficiently tighten the bolt). Good to see I am not the only SRer who rides in a lower cadence…power to the pedals
Move you seat clamp back. Leave saddle the in the same position relative to you Bar and Bottom bracket, but move the clamp back further on the saddle rails. This will allow the bolt head to move under the wider part of saddle. This will not effect your position, and there will be much less wear on you shorts…
Go to http://www.mcmaster.com/ use their search for socket cap screws then you can check out the head types (pictures) You may not need the quantity they sell but at least you can have a name for what you need at your local bolt shop.
A button, flange button or even a flat socket cap screw shoud help get the job done. No special machine shop work, you can buy spares, no more holes in shorts hopefully.
Maybe Softride can do the same search and start using something better, rather than telling me to change my saddle position because of a screw that sticks into me.
Softride has not won any friends with me on this one… I’m PO’d about my not-so-cheap shorts from getting destroyed because of nothing less than bad choice of hardware in their. Maybe they’ll spare me the time and effort and indicate the size and length for me so I don’t have to do it myself. I’m not holding my breath.
You have about 7 inches of adjustment of for/aft adjustment on the beam. Not including the adjustment on the saddle rails, 3 inches maybe.
If you slide your clamp back, leaving your saddle in the same position, you do not increase your leverage, it remains the same. If your leverage remains the same so does your spring rate.
It’s win-win…