The Holy Grail

Hello there! Been away, but now I'm back.

Spring has arrived since my last post! Longer days, more cycling time, better weather (fingers crossed!), etc. Thank goodness. Winter is the pits!

Well, it's got to go! What has? One of my saddles. Three or four years ago I bought a Selle Italia Flight saddle. The "original" model, albeit with titanium rails, this particular model saddle has been around for a long time and is well known and well loved by many cyclists. But not by me! Having read several reviews of said saddle and being aware of its popularity for some years, I eventually got around to buying one.....just as it was being superseded by lots of other new designs. Nevertheless, it was still about £40 and remained popular at the time. I can recall one of the reviews saying something along the lines of it might take a while to break in, but when it is you'll love it, very comfortable, etc. Rubbish! I've been trying to break it in on a regular basis for the past three years or more and the only thing I've succeeded in breaking in is my backside! I'm beginning to think that there is no such thing as a truely comfortable saddle, i.e. one which is still comfortable, with no trace of aching arse after 50 plus miles in the saddle. I might even be so bold as to say that those cyclists who proclaim to have found the perfect saddle only do so because after several decades they have simply lost the strength and will to continue in a search akin to that for the Holy Grail! However, I will continue in my quest. I already have a Fizik Arione saddle on one of my other bikes and this is much better. Indeed, I would recommend it, but not, alas, whole-heartedly. So, the Flight saddle will probably soon be appearing on Ebay. The fact that it looks exactly the same as when I bought it is perhaps proof positive that the "breaking in theory" is a load of hogwash - it's too hard! But at least it looks decent enough to sell. I wonder if it might attract more attention on Ebay listed under "instruments of torture"?......

But what of lighter and more joyous cycling matters? Well, on the off road front the Morayshire trails are beginning to dry out with the improving weather and, in respect of matters tarmac, with any luck we have now seen the last of the gritting wagons - no more bike-corroding salt! I took to the road myself over the weekend and it was nice to see some sort of "bike convention" taking place at one of the local schools as I passed by - good to see young cycling blood being encouraged. I also got a few off roads miles in on some local forest trails on Sunday and, having regard to the sunny and warmer conditions, donned my shorts for the first time this year. Fortunately, I didn't come across anybody on the trails, although a number of sheep in a nearby field were unlucky enough to behold my legs in all their terrifying winter whiteness. Since then I have seen them bumping into each other, gateposts, etc - clearly their retinas were reduced to ashes by the glare! Alas, I am truely "the pale one".

Here's to a cracking Spring and Summer on road & trail!

Cheers, all.

TPR