skyway
Well-known member
I recently made the trip up to Reading to get my first Russel seat. In hindsight it should have been the very first thing I ever did to this bike.
The trip all started on a Thursday afternoon. Around 7.00pm I made it to the Bluestreek's residence and we headed off for dinner. Had a nice visit, then took the advice of Fairlainer to stop in Reading for the evening as there 'aint a whole lot near the destination.
I arrived at around 11.00pm ish and stayed in the room next door to the lobby which was also robbed at around 1.30am, to my surprise in the am before departure. :blink:
Anyway I split that joint with the intent of never returning and made my way for my 8.00am appointment.
Photo's were taken with me sitting in my usual riding position, and off went JJ to fabricate my new seat. After about 2-1/2 hours I came back and they were ready for a fit check. All felt pretty good, but I wanted to do a short ride to feel it out while underway. This proved to be very fruitful, as I found myself sitting forward of the pocket of the seat they had created to get comfortable in my riding position. I found myself always trying to move back into the sweet spot. Not good at all for long term ergonomics.
So back I went, we talked about what I experienced and the seat was removed for a minor adjustment. 10 minutes later I was back on the bike for another 15 mile loop. BTW if anyone is ever in the Reading area, take the Shasta Dam blvd exit off I-5 and ride west for around 7 miles and go check out the views, fantastic.
Now the pocket was right where it felt good to me. When I returned I mentioned that the wings on the outer edges of the seat were raised to a point where the pocket of the seat was not even all the way around. JJ pointed out that this is exactly how they want it to feel, as the cover will lower them slightly once sewn in place and after some miles will break down slightly.
So the cover was sewn from scratch and off I rode home. Not too bad for the journey home, which was a stark contrast to ride up there on the torture device known as the stock seat. Around 320 miles each way. I pulled into my garage and felt that it was at the very least worth the effort to get it.
I thought I was relatively happy with this seat until this past week. I had to make a trip the Bay Area for a client. The traffic was all messed up in the am, so I decided to ride and have the luxury of lane splitting to save huge amounts of time.
My impression of this seat now is that I don't think a seat can be made any better for long term comfort. I am dumbfounded at the comfort level it has afforded me and unless something better comes along in the future, the Russell Daylong seat will be my first choice from here on out. Unbelievable.
The only thing I will note is that if you cannot do a ride in, make a concerted effort to take exact measurements of your normal riding position to ensure that the pocket of the seat is where you want it. Do this and you'll be very happy of the outcome. I was also advised by them to not lower or raise the seating position, as this can mess up a riders whole ergonomics in relation to the handlebars and overall reach.
Maybe you WFO guys can somehow talk them into attending in Park City, because there would be a lot of folks who could benefit from their expertise in seat making. 10 out of 10 in satisfaction. This farkle has been the best comfort feature I have ever invested in.
The trip all started on a Thursday afternoon. Around 7.00pm I made it to the Bluestreek's residence and we headed off for dinner. Had a nice visit, then took the advice of Fairlainer to stop in Reading for the evening as there 'aint a whole lot near the destination.
I arrived at around 11.00pm ish and stayed in the room next door to the lobby which was also robbed at around 1.30am, to my surprise in the am before departure. :blink:
Anyway I split that joint with the intent of never returning and made my way for my 8.00am appointment.
Photo's were taken with me sitting in my usual riding position, and off went JJ to fabricate my new seat. After about 2-1/2 hours I came back and they were ready for a fit check. All felt pretty good, but I wanted to do a short ride to feel it out while underway. This proved to be very fruitful, as I found myself sitting forward of the pocket of the seat they had created to get comfortable in my riding position. I found myself always trying to move back into the sweet spot. Not good at all for long term ergonomics.
So back I went, we talked about what I experienced and the seat was removed for a minor adjustment. 10 minutes later I was back on the bike for another 15 mile loop. BTW if anyone is ever in the Reading area, take the Shasta Dam blvd exit off I-5 and ride west for around 7 miles and go check out the views, fantastic.
Now the pocket was right where it felt good to me. When I returned I mentioned that the wings on the outer edges of the seat were raised to a point where the pocket of the seat was not even all the way around. JJ pointed out that this is exactly how they want it to feel, as the cover will lower them slightly once sewn in place and after some miles will break down slightly.
So the cover was sewn from scratch and off I rode home. Not too bad for the journey home, which was a stark contrast to ride up there on the torture device known as the stock seat. Around 320 miles each way. I pulled into my garage and felt that it was at the very least worth the effort to get it.
I thought I was relatively happy with this seat until this past week. I had to make a trip the Bay Area for a client. The traffic was all messed up in the am, so I decided to ride and have the luxury of lane splitting to save huge amounts of time.
My impression of this seat now is that I don't think a seat can be made any better for long term comfort. I am dumbfounded at the comfort level it has afforded me and unless something better comes along in the future, the Russell Daylong seat will be my first choice from here on out. Unbelievable.
The only thing I will note is that if you cannot do a ride in, make a concerted effort to take exact measurements of your normal riding position to ensure that the pocket of the seat is where you want it. Do this and you'll be very happy of the outcome. I was also advised by them to not lower or raise the seating position, as this can mess up a riders whole ergonomics in relation to the handlebars and overall reach.
Maybe you WFO guys can somehow talk them into attending in Park City, because there would be a lot of folks who could benefit from their expertise in seat making. 10 out of 10 in satisfaction. This farkle has been the best comfort feature I have ever invested in.
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