I’m looking for ideas on how to cushion my handle saddle. My medium was a muni leather version and I modified it by removing the top layer of foam and re-attaching the leather cover which made it about perfect for me. I have some ideas floating around that i will eventually try. This will probably be an ongoing tinker project for me
I like your photos with the bike saddle, I was thinking of something very similar just last night when I was putting my new handle saddle on my KH26. From the side the leather covered cushion on it made me think of the Brooks leather saddle on the bike which was next to it.
I’ve got the handle saddle on one of the adjustable angle KH seat posts which is pretty much a scaled up version of the angle adjustment on the top of the dropper post the Brooks saddle is on – so that maybe influenced my thoughts.
I think that a noseless saddle would be the thing, considering that a unicycle has a more upright riding position that generally results in more of your weight being supported by your crotch rather than your sit bones. Also, the handle part of the saddle largely serves the same function as the nose on a normal bicycle saddle, giving you control of the unicycle through your upper legs.
I recently sold my brooks but wish I still had it now to try out with the handle saddle. It didn’t work out for me on a bike due to the nose up position but that would probably work great on a unicycle!
That’s about the most comfortable looking saddle I have seen. Have you tried it without the two extensions behind the brake mount? Are they necessary to prevent you from sliding forward?
I agree. It would be interesting to see the step-by-step for attaching the ISM saddle to the handle saddle base.
I also remembered seeing this older thread from 2019 where @Vogelfrei80 shared images of other similar handle saddle ISM modifications. There are other great photos on that thread as well.
The saddle is missing 2 bolts 'cause I stopped modding it until I bought black bolts and change those ugly ones I tested it with. So I will remove all the parts and upload better images while completing it. I need a bit of time due to family affairs so it will take 1 or 2 weeks. However I’m near the best comfy saddle (IMHO), these are my 2 builds:
KH fusion one + Ursli bar extension (from M4O).
-pros:
firm and strong,
comfy as a Fusion One (love it or hate it), adjustable saddle nose up
-cons:
weight,
price
M4O handle saddle base + Triathlon saddle
-pros:
lightweight saddle (maybe the lightest),
really comfy
-cons:
modding: the saddle should be carefully drilled and nut-riveted, the handle saddle should be carefully precision drilled.
price,
existing ambidextrous brake adapter solutions is no good (again modding required),
existing solutions to achieve saddle nose up are no good (M4O seatpost isn’t enough / steel rail adapter + KH seatpost are far heavier than the sadddle).
You could tilt the saddle further by using aluminum risers. Washers could achieve the same effect for testing purposes, but because you would be altering the angle that they bolt on at they would likely not sit flush where they contact the saddle and the seatpost and the bolt heads would also contact the seatpost at an angle. With risers you could file the surfaces of them so that they sit flush.
Another option would be to use a udc seatpost and bend the front of the seatplate up and the back down to accommodate a greater angle then use a few washers in the front as spacers.
I used the spherical washers that come with v-brakes (and others) when I mounted my homebrew handlebars. They adjust to any angle, fit the seatpost bolts, and I had dozens of them lying around.
Those might work well too, but they have a very narrow contact area and I would wonder about how well they would hold up to lateral forces like a blow from the side during a upd.
For a lighter duty application allthread could probably be used too with just a couple washers and some set nuts. A simple bend in the allthread could compensate for the new angle in the front and the v-brake washers could compensate in the back where the gap is minimal.