I’ve been cycling for years, and over time I’ve become a pretty decent wrench as well as an avid fan of vintage cycling gear. Over the years I’ve seen multiple fads, bad ideas, and misconceptions float among novice cyclists. Inevitably, these people have a bad experience on their bike and end up parking it in a garage collecting dust. While I appreciate the occasional yard-sale bargain that results, I’d rather see more people on bicycles and fewer in cars. So here’s a couple of cycling myths I hear over and over…
- Gel seats
- Novice riders want the most comfortable ride possible, the market has responded by creating an astounding array of ‘gel’ seats. These seats feel plush and spongy–at least while pressing on them with your thumbs in the store.
The problem is that soft seats aren’t comfortable. In fact softer saddles cause more pain. The material of a gel saddle spreads the rider’s weight uniformly across all the