I have to disagree, I have tried the new Fusion freeride a few times now on my 36er and I keep going back to my old KH fusion, and this last time I switched back I modified my old KH fusionby grooving it and shaving about 1/2 to 3/4 inch off the front top part of foam to give the boys a little riding room and it is very comfy now. I feel the new KH puts to much pressure in the crotch area due to its flatness.
Although for Muni I like it
For me, the old fat styled KH feels really good for distance rides.
Not too long ago I did a 20ish mile ride with no crotch soreness at all, before that I have done 50 mile rides with no crotch pain either, so for me, those fat styled seats work amazingly well.
We are all built differently though, so its worth a try getting the new seat and seeing how it works for you.
I’m going to chime in on the side of the new KH Freeride. For me, it’s WAY more comfortable than either the old KH or any airseats that I’ve fiddled with.
I’m using the Fusion Freeride foam on a Miyata style carbon fiber seat. This is on my Coker. It is more comfortable for longer rides than any of the previous Coker seats I’ve tried. I’ve tried air seats, thin foam on air, cut down Fusion (old style) foam, and now the Fusion Freeride foam.
I rode the Chilly Hilly last month (33 hilly miles at a social pace). Finished the ride feeling like I could still sit on the unicycle. That’s completely different than previous years when I dread the last few miles due to saddle soreness. For me the saddle soreness comes from pressure on the sit bones.
With the Miyata style carbon fiber base the Fusion Freeride foam has more of a curve and is not as flat as the standard Fusion Freeride saddle. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. But that’s the way it works out with the Miyata style CF base. I’ll have to experiment.
Yes, I see there is quite a range of opinions and experiences with regards to the orginal KH vs the Freeride. And Jerrick, I think you are right, my best bet may be to just give the Freeride a try to check it out for myself.
I only go 10 to 12 miles for long rides. I like the fusion freeride the best. I could not go back to the older KH style seats with the deeper curve afterward, so I modified all my old seats to be more like the freeride
What kind of air pillow is that and where did you get it?
I think it would work better than mine and easier to put on than mine.http://unicycle.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2&subcat=68&cat=Air+Pillows&L2=&L3=&L4=Air+Pillows
I’ve got the last model of fusion released before the fusion freeride, (flatter, not so fat), and used to have an old KH seat and the newer ones were much nicer than the original kh seat for me. Less big and chunky.
Joe
Hello skilewis, I’m thinking maybe you quoted the wrong post, cuz I didn’t mention an air pillow. I tried using wood and foam. While the wood worked fine, the packing foam was easier and best to use.
KH Fusion Freeride is much better in terms of saddle comfort and also stiffness of the base. There is really no comparison - Freeride saddles own!
Well I have just returned from a 26 km ride on my new KH Freeride seat.
Yesterday, when it arrived I was quite pleased with the well thought out design and shape, the removable seat cover, and the ribbed handle.
However after riding on it for a while I have to agree with Daytripper63 that due to its flatness it puts more pressure on my crotch than my old stock KH.
I know that for some people the Freeride is just the ticket, but as many of you have stated here, everyone’s built differently and for me its back to the banana style KH. That said, I have swapped handles so that my old KH now sports the new ribbed handle. And my brother, who is just learning to ride and was showing a lot of interest in the Freeride today, may find a new seat heading his way soon. 
Hey,
I’ve been experimenting with other foam shape combinations, trying to improve the saddle again for 2008. I just got back from a ride with a Freeride saddle where I reshaped the cutaway so that it gradually increases from 10 mm deep (same as current saddle) at the front and back to 25 mm deep in the middle.
No guarantee that it will work for you and it’s a bit hard to do this evenly, but to me it feels like an improvement. I’d be interested in feedback if anyone decides to try it.
Kris
what if you filled the dug out portion with gel, would that be as comfortable as i think it would?
There are some manufacturing limitations to doing something like that. However, I’m not sure it would actually be more comfortable.
The main reason is - gel is NOT more cushy than foam; actually it’s the opposite.
The main advantage of gel (in my opinion) is that it is good at absorbing vibrations, and thin gel is better than similarly thin foam at absorbing force (ie a 5mm thickness of gel absorbs force better than 5mm thick foam). These advantages make it good for thinner saddles such as the Fusion Street or Nimbus Gel. But ultimately thick foam will always be the most cushy, which is why I used it for the Freeride saddle.
Kris
erm
freeride owns
just the seat stiffener. THAT needs improvement. and the bolts… seriously, tons of people break seats in those ways.
maybe I don’t know how, but i do know that you can make it a TON stronger w/ the rib that you have on it going all the way down it somehow. i don’t know how they are manufactured, but maybe they Could be made 1 2/3 the thickness they are now.
Regarding the shape: Great job with the 2007, a massive improvement in my mind. Would varying the width of the cutaway be possible? Say for example 50% wider in the middle… don’t know if it would be better, it’s just a thought. (You have probably seen how many bike saddles look nowadays.)
I’m not sure that deepening or widening the channel would improve things much. Too much of a channel (wide or deep) and the edges of the channel become chafing points. Maybe making the channel a “V” shape instead of a square shape?
Another idea would be to make two different styles of freeride saddle with different curvatures. Have a flat version that is as flat or flatter than the current Freeride saddle. And have a curved version that is slightly more curved than the current Freeride saddle.
One curvature is not going to suit everyone. People sit on the saddle differently and have different shapes to their anatomy. Having two curvature options might make it so that more people can find what suits them best. But adding options like that does complicate manufacture, inventory, and selling.
or people can buy it as is and make their own modifications… just a thought.
Since I deemed my pre07 “undrideable” I modified it to resemble a 07 before that was available. (Thanks Kris for prototype pictures/instructions!)
It was a bit annoing at first trying to cut/shape the foam, but once you get the hang of it it not so hard. I did mine in increments, which took a while longer as far total elapsed time went, but yielded a good result. Still bought the 07 when that came out though, and it was even better than my “home made 07”, perhaps because i didn’t bother with a cutaway knowing that the 07 was just around the corner.
I prefer to not have to have a go at brand new stuff with a knife… and most people seem very reluctant to modifiy their gear.