Kinda sounds like a query on a voodoo forum, don't it?

Seriously, I've used beads on my Concours the past two summers, and it really helps the airflow around the boys, etc. You actually do not notice the individual beads.

I made my bead seat cover from a car bead seat I had.......check online for how-tos...I'll have a boo to see if I can re-find the one I used and will post if found.

 

They might feel fine on shorter trips. But long hours in the saddle will have you squirming like a worm on a hook!

There is NO substitute for a good seat. Beyond that, a properly set up Airhawk cushion is a help. But paying for one of those is a big chunk you could put toward a good seat........

 

That was my solution; a Russell Day-Long seat. It's all day comfort. Don't know why I waited so long.


YMMV

 

Well, there's a good how-to from our own resource, but I cannot post, as I'm still a mere child. Do a search for bead seats, and It'll pop right up.:nerd:

 

Monkey butt?
I don't get the correlation.

 

Here you go. Enjoy.

 

Correlation is an uncomfortable sweaty, burning tookus. Ever seen a picture of a Baboon's butt all flaming red?
Gold Bond Riders powder up and travel on.
Even with the Air HAwk, I get monkey but after a few hours. Some folks swear by bicycling shorts.

 

Do beads help/work?

Yes. So does an Airhawk inflatable.

 

I spend 2hrs min everyday on my beads, and yes, they are the best thing ever...

In the heat, they let air flow extremely well and keep me free of butt sweat. I don't think they do anything much for straight comfort compared to the bare sargent seat I have.

Look at making your own from a car seat, the car seats are WAY cheaper, and larger. I have done some mods to mine to make it fit better, and to reinforce it, documented HERE

The big thing is to use something to reinforce the outside of the cover, the way I used the braided fishing line (no stretch). That stuff has worked great on both my motorcycle beads and my car seat cover.

 

Millions and millions of cab drivers can't be wrong..........

 

yes beaded seats work. they allow airflow between your butt and seat. just get a bead rider.

 

They help with ventilation and hot spots, but then you are sitting on hard wooden balls. I cannot recommend enough the use of cycling shorts or under armor "or the equivalent" base layer shorts, cotton is the enemy as is "seams". I have a Corbin, and always wearing this type of base gear I can ride comfortably for hours and miles.

 

Baby wipes and bicycle shorts much better, IMHO

Visited provinces:

Visited states:

 

They might feel fine on shorter trips. But long hours in the saddle will have you squirming like a worm on a hook!

Ummmm are you talking from experience or from where the sun don't shine...??

There is a rider on here that did back to back 1000 miles on his way to Alaska from Florida after not being able to ride more than 200 miles without agony prior to his BeadRider purchase.

Even with my expensive seats...the BeadRider improves my ability to go distance. I did back to back 1,000 km on my Daylong with the Beadrider. Took it on the Vstrom with the Terry Adcox .....tried one day later in the trip without it....put it right back on after I started to ache way too soon. It stayed on the whole way.

Feels like it should not work...for me and thousands of others ....it works really well.

 

Ummmm are you talking from experience or from where the sun don't shine...??

Feels like it should not work...for me and thousands of others ....it works really well.

Talking from experience. Which sometimes is different from others, which indeed may come from where the sun don't shine. Ran heavy equipment for years. Some operators would leave the bead cushions on the seats from the previous shift. Tried to get used to them. After 8-9 hours you could feel the pressure points of the beads starting to get sore. Cab drivers sit on softer foam seats, maybe that allows the beads to sink in some and be less irritating. Yes, tried them on motorcycle seats too. But that was many years ago. Maybe the wood is softer now...

Cannot ride 200 miles but immediately able to ride 1000 miles with a beadrider? I'll bet he'll never see the sun............

For shorter trips beads may feel good. Maybe my idea of a trip is different. 800+ mile days is a LOT different from 3-400 miles.

Beads, air cushions, other devices are a band-aid for a seat that isn't right for the riders butt.

 

I put beads on my modified stock seat for a 4000 mile trip this summer. First day was over 100F and I rode 1050 miles. It was MUCH more comfortable than previous rides in similar conditions. Had a 1000+ day on the way home too. I am absolutely sold on it for the heat and fairly convinced of its benefits for comfort. Mine was a car type from a flea market, $10 for two. The other is going in my truck next time I do a big drive.

 

Beads hurt my bony butt.

I used an Alaskan Sheepskin buttpad for awhile. It worked pretty well better than the beads for sure.

Ultimately I went for a Seat Concepts tall seat.

To me nothing is comfortable for all day riding. I end up squirming around after about 4 hours. After about 8 hours though I'm numbed up and good to go!

 

Ship skin?

 

This is one of those questions that end up having such a subjective set of answers that it's almost not worth asking. Some guys will tell you that they're great, some will tell you that they're awful, but you'll never know for yourself unless you get a set of them and try them out. Fortunately, a beaded pad isn't prohibitively expensive; it's not like investing in a Corbin seat and then finding out you're one of the people who hate them (on any seat topic, you'll find guys who swear by a Corbin or Sargeant, and others who'll say it feels like sitting on a leather wrapped I-beam). The only seat I've found that has more fans than detractors seems to be the Russell Day Longs, but lots of people just don't have the funds for something like that.

I've never tried the beads; I did get an Airhawk cushion, which made 500 mile days possible (and 500 miles is about as far as I want to ride in a day, regardless of how comfortable the seat is). A nagging flare up of both prostatitis and hemorrhoids (the two Horsemen of the urological apocalypse) this summer forced me to abandon the Airhawk and create my own seat pad specifically for those two little demons. It's made out of a $15.00 yoga mat from WalMart and some vinyl cloth from Hobby Lobby. It's allowed me to keep riding, and it's actually pretty comfortable, though aesthetically it's a nightmare.

 

That is awesome. I've got bolts and rods in my lower spine and that looks like the ticket. You should sell that. I'd buy one. Strap it to the seat and good to go.

So after reading all the responses, beads may or may not work and high end seats may or may not work but bike shorts are great.

Gonna try bike shorts first, then beads. May try the yoga mat thing too but a custom seat is not in the cards. Single full time dad without financial help means I've gotta feed my son, not my addiction (the Vstrom)

 

You can try beads. You could also try some lipstick and make up, but if you have a monkey butt, then nothing, but nothing, is going to make it look good, except to another monkey.:wink2:

Coops.

 

For the record, monkey butt is what it feels like, not what it looks like...:crying2:

 

My first improvement to the WEE seat was to have Spencer re-shape it. Stopped me sliding into the tank and already a significant improvement. That toghether with a bead seat got me to all day riding WITH wearing LD riding shorts without issues.

I then got lucky and picked up a new saddleman seat from an inmate here at a good price and I never looked back. No need for the beads but I still use the ldcomfort shorts on any longer ride. This summer 18 days for 7-10h riding every day no problems at all (with my butt ).

 

http://www.stromtrooper.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180930&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1477770374

Butt, all your farts get trapped in there and you could have an explosions. That's just dangerous.

 

I tried beads, did nothing for me. Don't change the shape of the seat, which is what creates pressure points. The ONLY thing the beads were good for is airflow. I hated the feeling, looks, and I ditched 'em.

 

Yes! I found the perfect monkey butt bike shorts!

 

For what it's worth I ride with a Bead Rider seat every day. Mostly short rides to work but for the long trips I throw a gel pad under the beads. I find it to be much cooler and it keeps your butt from sitting in water when it's raining. If I start to slide forward I stand up and pull the gel pad and beads forward some. Easy to adjust when things get uncomfortable. I've done 14 hour days and felt that I could continue. I just can't get myself to spend $700 on a custom seat. Oh sure, I spent that much for my wife's seat on her Harley but that's the wife!

 

ugh, i tried'm once. no, thanx!

 

I am in the camp that likes seat beads. They are not panacea for all your seat woes but they do help you ride longer in more comfort. I also like that when its raining they allow the water to drain and not pool in the crotch area. Also on mornings when the dew point is high and there is water all over the bike I don't even worry about drying the seat off before saddling up. Give the beads a slap with the palm of my hand and it get rid of 95% of the water that would contact my arse.

 

They are a low cost first step in getting seat comfort. Won't work for everyone ....but it's the place to start. IMNSHO