Air seat! Aaaaaaahhh!

I’d like to thank any/all who may have posted comments recently about using an
innertube as padding for a unicycle seat. I’ve been trying for some time now to
think of ways to make my 24" Miyata’s seat more comfortable; my riding time has
generally been limited more by saddle-soreness than by leg fatigue. I hadn’t
thought of this idea but was eager to try it out when I read it here. So a few
days ago I took the foam pad out of the seat and packed a 26" tube in its place,
arranging it as symmetrically as I could (a smaller tube would have made more
sense but the 26 was what I had). The inflation valve protrudes through a hole
drilled close to the left rear edge of the seat. I tried it out for a short ride
the other day and it made a tremendous difference, although I have now added a
bit more air to the tube. I haven’t had a chance to test it on a longer ride yet
though. If it holds up, it will definitely be a major improvement. I am
interested in any comments that anyone might have on the following questions…

How likely is the tube to burst while I am riding?

Are there any other potential problems should I look out for?

Has anyone ever tried filling the tube with water instead of air? (I
imagine that a burst tube would create a rather more embarassing scene this
way however.)

What other odd or unexpected padding materials have people used successfully?

Thanks again!

Posted by Joe

Go ahead. Spam me. See what good it does you.