I have just bought a KH29 with the new 2009 Freeride saddle. I just completed my first longish ride (4 miles) and found that my legs got badly chaffed even though I was wearing cycle shorts. I have never experienced chaffing with my Nimbus Gel.
The two main differences between the two, as i see it:
KH Freeride - Wider but not as “banana” shaped
Nimbus Gel - Narrower but with a larger upturn (curve)
I was a little surprised given the high praise Kris’s Freeride saddles usually get in the comfort department.
Let me expand - the chaffing did not start at mile 4 but probably after only a couple of miles - I have done similar length rides on the Nimbus Saddle with no problems.
Why change saddles if the Nimbus is such a perfect fit for you?
Personally, the Nimbus saddle is too curved for me and makes my nads go to sleep. I have all the saddles made by Nimbus and KH (Gels, Street, and Freerides (08, 09), but by far my favorite is the 09’ Freeride. But then that’s my anatomy
I have found that heat and humidity can change the way my body deals with chaffing, so this time of year I use anti chaffing in certain areas.
If you are used to riding a 24" then you’re used to your knees being pretty far up while you are riding because your feet don’t need to reach for the pedals. On a 29", your knees drop down lower while you are pedalling due to the larger wheel size. That could cause the insides of your legs to slide against the sides of the saddle more than what you’re used to.
This might not completely apply to the KH09 saddle because it changed shaped a bit, but I’ll post it anyway. I switched from a Nimbus Gel 08 to a KH Freeride 08 after using the Nimbus saddle for about 6 months. When I first sat on the Freeride it felt really soft and comfortable, but after a short distance it always started to feel somehow awkward and discomfortable. Switching with my brothers muni, with the Nimbus Gel saddle mounted, immediately felt relieving.
It felt like the thick cushioning in the middle section of the saddle (that makes it less curved) was “too much” and just adding pressure rather than comfort - because I was used to sit on a flat and rather hard middle section on the Nimbus Gel. However, I didn’t want to discard my latest acquisition and decided to try it a little longer. Eventually the problems became less after a few rides, and now after 2-3 months I’m pretty sure I will keep the Freeride. Maybe the drastic change in the cushioning really just needed some time to get accustomed to :).
But saddle preference is a very individual thing I guess, also your problem might be related to the wider base of the 09 model.
I see where you are coming from but I raised the seat so that my leg extension would remain pretty constant and the crank length was 150mm on both unis.
Granted there my be a very slight difference in the angle of the my legs but I would have thought a different saddle shape would be the biggest contributing factor to the chaffing.
On looking at the KH saddle I wonder if the top seam may have been the cause as the Nimbus saddle has no seam.
I think they are suggesting riding 4 miles isn’t very far at all especially on a 29’er, so if you’re chaffing part of the ‘problem’ at least may not be the seat.
Could be numerous things e.g
Your crotch etc has toughened up to suit the Nimbus seat, could take some time to get used to another seat.
The setup on your KH29 needs some work - seat height and/or seat angle.
What you were wearing
What you were wearing combined with a different saddle
(chamois in cycling shorts can aggravate your crotch differently depending on seat, especially the seams and edges of the chamois)
The Nimbus saddle suits your body better than the Fusion
etc
I’d give it some time though, at least try adjusting the angle and/or height of the Fusion saddle. If you end up finding the Nimbus saddle suits you better fit one to your 29’er.
Thanks Luni (and all the other posters). I realize that 4 miles isn’t a huge distance but was surprised at the chaffing given that I am a regular bicyclist, putting many miles in the saddle, and have never experienced chaffing before even when moving from one saddle to another.
I was wearing cycling shorts (ones that I have worn on the Nimbus with no side effects) which also added to my surprise.
I guess unicycling, and unicycle saddles, follow a different set of rules and you have to acclimatize to new saddles, something I have never experienced before!
If I may add, not only your crotch has to get used to the saddle, but the saddle also will give itself over time to match your physiology. I guess it just needs many more miles than just 4 to adapt. Think of it as an italian shoe
Of course, not all shoes fit all feet, as was said in this thread, so the choice is up to your own feeling…
Is it possible that your experiencing the chaffing from the new fabric that is applied to the 09 KH seat? The old KH and Nimbus were a smooth texture The new 09 seat is a rougher fabric.
The '09 saddle has the same smooth fabric on the sides of the saddle where your legs rub. Only the top, front, and back are the breathable stretch-nylon.
On the production '09 Freeride saddle the foam width is slightly (about 3-4 mm) wider than I had originally spec’d to the manufacturer (the spec was to make the foam the same width as the frame). For most riders it’s not noticeable, but if you want to modify it, it’s easy to modify by taking the seatcover off and carefully using a sharp knife (a bread knife works) to cut any excess foam off around the outside.
Thanks for the input Kris - cutting some of the foam away definitely helped. After cutting I would recommend using a 120 sandpaper to smooth things out!
