air hawk or been bag.

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*Touring Ted*
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Re: air hawk or been bag.

Post by *Touring Ted* »

Try a nice thick sheep skin first... WAY cheaper.
Selous
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Re: air hawk or been bag.

Post by Selous »

simonw wrote:These have been suggested on the vstrom forum, as low cost alternatives worth a try:

Lambland Seat cover £14 http://www.lambland.co.uk/shop/motorcyc ... -1190.html
Inflatable stadium seat http://www.putnams.co.uk/sitting/inflat ... adium-seat
I just looked at the seat covers from Lambland £75.00

soon as go to second hand shop see if a old sheepskin coat or Rug is about, try it out see how you get on with it.

or look on fleabay might find one on there cheaper




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simonw
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Re: air hawk or been bag.

Post by simonw »

The motorcycle seat pad is £13.99 and is the 2nd product from the left on the bottom of the motoring page, if the link's not working properly. The car seat covers are £73 - is that what you looked at?
PaulinBont
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Re: air hawk or been bag.

Post by PaulinBont »

The so called 'seat' on my F800GS was originally a piece of hardwood covered in vinyl material (or so it felt like to my *rse). To call it a 'seat' was a breach of the Trade Description Act, I think it was better described as a plank!

Now I have had it re-worked using memory foam and gel inserts (£60 by Custom Chaos) and also have a motorcycle pad from Lambland to go over the top.

Result= all day riding bliss :)
JimboF650
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Re: air hawk or been bag.

Post by JimboF650 »

Also theses...

http://www.danmedicasouth.co.uk/shop/mo ... -seat-pad/

http://www.danmedicasouth.co.uk/shop/mo ... -seat-pad/

I used to use the above gel pad, and it is pretty good - but not as good as the airhawk!
Dr.Jekyll
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Re: air hawk or been bag.

Post by Dr.Jekyll »

Going back on topic i.e. airhawk or bean bag..... the question is how much do you want to spend?

The airhawk is a very comfortable bit of kit (remember to use very little air) but expensive and can be punctured.

Been bags are 3 to 5 time cheaper than the cheapest airhawk and are comfortable too!

Me.... I used both (not at the same time!) and found that I liked the been bag option best Oh I ended up in the end with just a sheepskin! Make of that what you like.
F800GS 2010 black/orange
McOo
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Re: air hawk or been bag.

Post by McOo »

simonw wrote:These have been suggested on the vstrom forum, as low cost alternatives worth a try:

Lambland Seat cover £14
http://www.lambland.co.uk/shop/motorcyc ... -1190.html

Inflatable stadium seat
http://www.putnams.co.uk/sitting/inflat ... adium-seat
I used that exact combination for 4500 miles to Morocco and back, worked a treat. Just sew an elastic strip around and you're sorted.
James691
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Re: air hawk or been bag.

Post by James691 »

What is it you plan on doing?

Airhawk - beanbag - inflatable - sheepskin.

They are all good add on bits of kit but I think more important is the use of posture and movement.

I've done 24 hour rides that cover over 1600 miles. I do have a sheepskin but that I use for temperature regulation (no one likes a sweaty bum!) :blush:

It would depend how long you ride before you are uncomfy mate.

I work on stretches and shift my weight around a lot, for a bend that only requires a slight shift I'd over compensate. My body lean almost to one cheek but counter the bike weight to keep just a gentle curve.

You are looking at basically avoiding 'bedsores' and this is done by a regular air flow (see - sweaty bum) and release of pressure.

I've looked up days and days on the matter for endurance rides. Most of my research came from people that use wheelchairs and the avoidance of discomfort, as this was a seated position for many hours at a time.

Repositioning in a wheelchair

Repositioning in a wheelchair includes the following recommendations:

Frequency. People using a wheelchair should change position as much as possible on their own every 15 minutes.
Self-care. If you have enough strength in your upper body, you can do wheelchair push-ups — raising your body off the seat by pushing on the arms of the chair.

This information I use to shift around on a bend, squat so that my bum is off the seat while on a slow straight and riding as if going over bumpy off road conditions (good exercise for the thighs also!).

Cushions. Various cushions — including foam, gel, and water- or air-filled cushions — can relieve pressure and help ensure that the body is appropriately positioned in the chair. A physical therapist can advise on the appropriate placement of cushions and their role in regular repositioning.

This what you are looking at now - I'd say start with the cheapest and most minimal you need while you practice your riding posture and repositioning techniques. So start with the stock seat and shift yourself around. Position yourself forward and then drop the shoulders to stretch out your back - basically doing handlebar push ups.

Don't forget your skin! :)

Skin care

Protecting and monitoring the condition of the skin is important for preventing pressure sores and identifying stage one sores before they worsen. The Baboon male in mating season look is only attractive to female Baboons :)


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Bathing.

Skin should be cleaned with mild soap and warm water and gently patted dry. Or a no-rinse cleanser can be used.

Protecting skin. Skin that is vulnerable to excess moisture can be protected with talcum powder. Dry skin should have lotion applied. You can if going extreme use a barrier cream for your backside. This all depends on what you are doing! :S Tropics is going to be another matter to artic and how you prep but just a nice ride around in temperate zones then basic skin care should see you right. With biker pants they can tend to hold in moisture, at every break drop your pants and let the air at your bits....REMEMBER to have something on underneath when in public! :blink:





Nutrition

Not to be under rated or done so at your own cost mate!

Your doctor, dietitian or other members of the care team can recommend dietary changes that can help improve the health of your skin.

Diet.

Vitamin C and zinc. I use these a lot in the form of effervescent tablets for immune boosting also.


Fluids.

Adequate hydration is important for maintaining healthy skin. Signs of poor hydration, such as decreased urine output, darker urine, dry or sticky mouth, thirst, dry skin, or constipation are all factors on longer rides. It is worth knowing that you are already dehydrated if you feel thirsty. Try to drink with every fill up.

Other strategies

Other strategies that can help decrease the risk of pressures sores include the following:

Quit smoking. If you smoke, quit.

Stay active. Limited mobility is a key factor in causing pressure sores. However, daily exercise that is appropriately matched to a person's abilities is an important step in maintaining healthy skin.

Fitness - again something that is always helpful for anything that we do in life, the fitter you are the longer you can do things :) The better your blood flow and muscle mass the easier you may find it. See what works for you.

This is no doubt WAY MORE than you are looking for but I thought I would cover most bases on the quest for the comfy ride :)....oh and take lots of breaks.

Just before you spend a fortune, see if you need it ;)

Happy Trails

James691
Dancing in the moonlight
Throttled
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Re: air hawk or been bag.

Post by Throttled »

JimboF650 wrote:Also theses...

http://www.danmedicasouth.co.uk/shop/mo ... -seat-pad/

I used to use the above gel pad, and it is pretty good - but not as good as the airhawk!
I got a gel pad from them. At first I was disappointed, but it has now formed a shpae and I have ridden for miles with no discomfort whatsoever.

Image

Icovered it with some non slip matting you can get to stop pillions sliding forward on their seats.

Image
YBR125 > KLE500 + KLE650 Versys Tourer
dusz
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Re: air hawk or been bag.

Post by dusz »

Slightly related. On a long haul flight last year to the US I was getting numb bumb syndrome after only a short time. I had recently bought a cheap blow up pillow from Lidl and ended up using it as a cushion to sit on. Took a little time to get the amount of air right - less was best.
As I recall the pillow cost about £5 so might also try it on the bike to see what the effect is. I will certainly be taking it on my next long haul flight just in case.
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