Thanks to a massive outpouring of concern over my lack of blogging (if one guy from Ireland defines ‘massive’), I’m back…with a crack. Introducing my new saddle – the Selle Italia SLR Tekno Flow.
And speaking of nuts, I got myself a urinary tract infection right at the end of 44|5’s last big tour this summer and, apart from pissing blood, there was a whole lot of pain ‘down there’ till the antibiotics started doing their job.
I don’t know if my saddle had anything to do with any of this, but there was a lingering pain for weeks afterwards, so I went and bought the beauty above. I’ve only had it out for one short ride, but I’ve got a few things to say about it already.
- It’s hard. I’ve got a Selle Italia with a littler slit, which feels like I’m sitting on a sofa in comparison. The outer border you see above is raw carbon; between this and the void you have a teeny bit of padding for your sit bones.
- It’s light. 110 grams is light.
- Its got a whole lot of hole. But to honest, I didn’t feel much different, except more pressure on the sit bones than normal. Relieving one issue may make others appear, but only time will tell on that one…most likely well after the warranty runs out.
Apart from this little inconvenience, 44|5 has recently clocked out of our 5-month shift of tours and guided rides and are diving into the off-season, which means me sweating over the guts of our website, John working his magic on our many accounting and budget spreadsheets, and both of us putting effort into developing new tours (one we’re very excited about here). I’ll be in the Pyrenees for the next 4 days researching routes, hotels and restaurants for another tour we’ll be running in late summer next year. Bloody pee is a small price to pay, I guess.
The Vicious Cycle 
All you need to say is that you will be in the Pyrenees for me to say: have a fabulous time!
You’ll know all the cols I end up posting, I’m sure!
Vraiment, I won’t know all those cols, am not so strong a climber as that, but I do know how extraordinarily beautiful it is for any rider and how lovely the little roads there are.
Ouch, good luck on the recovery and new saddle, and of course the off season preparations for next season. Maybe I’ll see you in the alpes…
Still haven’t decided on the ‘objective’ for next year, but I’m going to watching your climbing miles closely to motivation!
Hey…. I am massive in my own head
Good luck with the new Berry catcher saddle …. I dare you to ride it nude , it would make for great blog stuff
There’s a lot I’ll do for this blog, but that might not be one of them.
Interested to read about how that saddle turns out. Heal fast!
I was also wondering where the blogs were. Good to see you back in the ‘saddle’. 😎
Gerry. if you need some accommodation in the Pyrenees for your cycling trips. look up a friend of mine who also runs tours there. he used to run it full time living there but they have moved back to the UK. He goes to France when needed to take cyclist out. He has all the resources you need and is a great guy. His place is geared up for cyclists. Look him up. his name is Chris. company website. http://www.allons-y-pyrenees.com
Thanks Steve. I’ll take a look at Chris’ site.