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Test Ride
My rating: 4 out of 5
Today I took a slightly different cycling route in the Calpella area, but felt really annoyed by my saddle. After about 10 miles it starts to get uncomfortable to the point where I have to get off my bike and walk for 30 seconds every 2 miles. This is not cool if you plan on going up beyond 20 miles, so I hatched a plan: I would deviate from my schedule and stop at the bike shop before heading home.
Darwin at Dave’s Bike Shop was savvy enough to immediately point at my saddle and say, “that thing???” when I mentioned my discomfort. Before I could say another word, he had his hex wrench out and began putting on a “Test Ride” saddle by WTB. After a quick ride around the parking lot, I knew this was much, much better than my previous saddle. A bike saddle should make solid contact with bones in your hip, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt better hip bone contact on a saddle in my life. So I get three days to try this one out and if I like it, I get to pay $50-$80 for a new saddle. This already seems like a worthwhile expense to me. Anything that allows me to keep up my exercise momentum feels like a great investment.
Ukiah is beautiful these days—time to get out the sunblock before each ride. Here’s a cartographer’s-eye view of my ride:
Mood upon leaving:
Mood upon return: