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I got the worst saddle sores/infected hair folicals on an Ergon SMC Core with padded shorts. It was on a 1k mile tour earlier this year. I always get saddle sores on tours and long rides and I think it has more to do with padded shorts than it does the saddle. I have since switched toa Geyes G17 leather saddle and want to find riding underwear with no padding and no seams to cause chafing, but I have not been able to find any. But, I do believe, long rides and padded shorts are holding tons of bacteria. I’m glad I you have put this out there for like minded people to share info.

A saddle is highly personal. Love this vid. I am 5’11” and big bottomed so I have been riding a Brooks c19 carved and have ridden over 3000 miles on it since last year. I do use padded shorts. I have not experienced sores or chafing. My longer rides are in the 60 mile range. Saddles are a little like shoes in that we should experiment and find one that fits and performs the best for you

Thank you for making this video. It helped me make my decision.

B67s with cheap, well-aired Chinese cotton cargo pants, commando-style, so far, so good. For me loose and airy works best.

the answer to your question is that it's preferable to have the padding on the shorts instead of the saddle because the padding moves along with your body and causes less chaffing than your body rubbing against a padded saddle also you normally use chamois cream that reduces chaffing and has anti-bacterial properties finally, saddle choice is personal and only half of the equation, the other half is proper fitting

I ride with a Prologo Dimension, it was good every time until about 50km of riding, after that it started to feel a little unconformtable. After that i bought Ergon SM Pro, it was incredible how much better it was UNTIL about 20km, after that i was i pain, every time! I had measured my seat bones (153mm) so i should be ok and wondered whats wrong.. well i found out that for me, a brand called SQLab recommends 160 or even 170mm wide saddles. Im rambling about this because it is so insanely induvidual what fits you. Two of my relatives ride a lot with 18€ Super market saddle😂

Thanks for the video was useful. That coffee is probably giving you the heartburn mate, that rennie shite is so bad for you. Fennel tea, ginger, honey, and other herbs much better for you. And figure out what in your diet is causing the acid. Will f*ck your stomach eventually

What kind of shorts are you using? I use bib shorts

Finding the right saddle is a minefield and an expensive one at that. I'm looking to get a new one and torn between the SMC and E-sm. Trouble is once you have bought it and removed the packaging it's non refundable. Great review. Got yourself a new subscriber.

Does this have uv protection?

Thanks for sharing, nice video and information. I got a touring gravel bike (it is an odd one) from Decathlon, it came with a Brooks C-15, the carved one.... completely unsuitable for the riding position and proposed use, I couldn't ride it for 10 mins even with padded shorts, I really don't understand why they went with a C-15 instead of a C-17. In any case, I put a Selle Italia ST 7 Superflow (similar to the Ergon) on the bike and even through single trail, forest roads, I've done 120Km in a single day without padded shorts and sure enough I got a bit bruised (I didn't pick the smoothest of the roads) but made me question why the padded shorts since a good saddle will do it with less hassle and maintenance....

On a tour I can wear the same bibs for weeks just use Sudafed cream down below and you are fine. I use a brook C7 leather saddle

Over decades of my cycling experience the most important bit of advice for all types of bike fitting is - use "by the book" specifications and (if available) bike fitting as your starting point, then tweak to your own feeling as we are all different and small changes from the theoretical best may suit us best. Same applies to the saddle in my opinion. Took me long time to zero-in on my best fit (my riding is "rando" and "touring" mainly, similar to your topic and we seem of similar physical proportions). For me the winer is Brooks B-17 Narrow. I ride sometimes with padded shorts and sometimes without, B-17 Narrow feels good with either option. It is my best fit though, worth considering for others. Now in 9th yr of using it and no reason to switch.

Excellent Review for me, just what I needed to see, Cheers Mat!

Great review! Is the SMC any good for an upright riding/ touring position? I noticed you rode fairly upright during the GDMBR, same as me (85° back angle). I'm also considering the C19 since it's wider and usually recommended when sitting on your seatbones but I don't think that will solve the problem of hardness

I am not a padded shorts rider, I have found the best saddle for long rides to be the leather Brooks. They just take a long time to break in so it will be a while till it does the job.

hi bro .. i have one question this rack short or long ?

I bought 1 click stand used it twice the second time it broke the U bit just broke my first day of the GDMBR) he has sent a replacement but not used it yet as its at my daughters in Banff

Hi there, Nice and comprehensive review, can you please tell me the height of the Atom 40L when it is fastened and fully rolled down as far as it will go? I can't seem to find that info anywhere. Reason being I'm torn between getting the 30L or the 40L. Cheers.

This is the best review of the Tailfin system I've seen Mat - thanks for doing this. It is a highly praised product and I'm tempted but, for the price, I wish Tailfin would demystify the ordering process (I can't understand it!) and also that they included, rather than charged extra, for some of the essential extras such as the light mount.

Ways to improve: 1. Attach a more permanent cable loop around the cradle so the cradle is perpetually positioned/held to the top tube, reducing slippage issues. 2. Create a bag that is mounted right where the cradle sits by the seat-tube so that the collapsed stand can be stored right where it is used. Ideally you can have a side-closing bag using hook and loop (velcro) and when you're ready to use the click-stand, just open the pouch and let gravity do most of the work. Either that or add a loop and a pocket (to hold the bottom of the pieces) on a frame bag or similar. 3. The only thing this stand really needs is aftermarket/alternative foot. A trekking pole type of webbed foot to keep it from sinking into soft ground or sand would be the last thing to make this go from an A tier to an S tier product.

Folding walking stick £3.99 ;)

As you know women get UTI's much easier than men and for that reason I chose NOT to use padded shorts. I have a saddle similar to the ergon SMC. I bring a spray with me of water and tea tree oil drops and use this to disinfect the inside of my riding shorts and gently my anatomical parts and even the saddle after each ride , so far so good! sometimes just a dab of vaseline helps to prevent any chaffing as a precaution.

what is that bottle cage with the strap?

I have one as well…works great as long as the brake clamp thingy is applied. Found that the clamps provided aren’t as strong as it needed to be, so I made a simple one…once the brake clamp is applied, it’s so rock solid that I can confidently load my bike! Definitely worth the purchase, especially since I can use it on both my road touring and my bikepacking bikes!

I use the ergon smc sport gel . Have used it for just over 1600km now and I have to say it is excellent I dont use padded shorts anymore myself thanks to this saddle

Well worth it. I have one

For me I prefer a flat saddle, that is rounded on the back, and 125mm wide. I just cannot get on with wide saddles. But that is just me, every arse is different.

They’re great! Nice review! I made my own using a 5 section tent pole. It extends and straddles the bottom of my saddle. There’s a bit more stability holding the bike at its highest point. Folds down to about 7 inches.

Have one for all my bikes they work great. Highly recommend!

The C17 isn't for everyone, but they've been great for me, (I own 4.)

One man's 2x4 arse hatchet is another man's armchair....

I've been using a Click Stand for seven or eight years now. What is also important to know for those conscious of every gram they pack, Click Stands weigh practically nothing. At any rate, they're far lighter than any mounted kick stands I've ever seen. It's a great product. As I'm 72, I guess the life time warranty really means life time for me. 🤣😂

Hi Mat. I have the same requirements as you for a saddle, I'm fed up of relying on padded shorts for multi day trips. Too much maintenance. This video reminds me that I still haven't done a necessary sit-bones measurement. I'll do it tonight. No doubt it'll be an Ergon in a style that suits the drop-bar riding position on my touring bike. My sit up and beg style MTB position may well require a slightly different style of Ergon saddle. Looking forward to your next trip and saddle experiences 🙂👍

nice but way overpriced.

Umm..... It's usually called a trekking pole. Handle goes under saddle and can be adjusted to terrain. That device couldn't be used as a walking stick. The cheapest & simplest is a peg and guy rope.....

I like this idea. I managed to use a random stick with success once….. Once. I sometimes share pictures of my “adventures” and not all my bikes have a kickstand. This would be handy for that. I’ve found later in life that some kickstands make sense. But if it gets in the way, or somehow isn’t functional for the situation, an express trip to the scrap bin 😁

I've used a Click Stand for 4 years now. I store the stand in my handlebar bag, and have replaced the brake locks with a Volle style rubber strap, wrapping around the downtube and the front rim. This has the dual benefit of locking the front wheel and getting rid of wheel flop when parking the bike.

I’ve had one for years! Sized it to a bike a don’t even own now, but found the height isn’t that big of an issue, it fits two of my current bikes and works, yet their frames are completely different. Simple solution, but you definitely want to use the brake bungees.

Why would you use this instead of the regular kickstand mounted to the rear fork close to the rear wheel axle?

Great little video. It's good to see your bike will not be able to roll back or forth with that awesome little number😘

Just from looking at it I can see that it will not work on smooth ground, e.g. asphalt, tarmac. It does not prevent the bike from rolling forwards or backwards.

this is cool. I can instantly see this as also being a good way of fixing a tarp / using your bike as a tarp fixing point

This is the dumbest thing I saw today.

Nice gadget

Yeah I'll stick to my kick stands. I can see me tripping up on that. I don't understand why people have a big thing about kick stands. They are so simple and always there, ready to hold your bike up.

I have made several variations on the click stand. The first one I made I used old aluminum section tent poles from a tent long gone with bungee cord.. The poles are twice the diameter than the Click stand brand and will not collapse under the weight of a loaded touring bike, I constructed a yoke at the top to fit over the bike top tube. I used the three legs of an aluminum telescoping camera tripod to make variations to hold my bike up. They are very adjustable and will work on any bike of any size. They telescopes down to 20 inches 50.8cm. On two of the legs I attached a trekking stick basket about 4cm from the bottom to keep it from sinking into the sand or soft ground. On the bottom I attached a rubber chair leg foot to keep from slipping on a concert surface. The third I made into a trekking pole with a rubber chair foot at each end which I can also use as a bike stand. All three versions have a rubber chair foot at the top and fit under the bike saddle or I can use as my tent pole. To carry the collapsing bike stand I mounted two tension clips to the front rack that they securely clip into. A folding walking cane found a medical supply store also works.

I've got one and I love it!

Similar experience; hated the Cambium, love the Ergon SMC. I got the gel version but the design is the same. Can’t speak to the gel because I didn’t compare them but the padding is quite firm. The saddle just felt right immediately. I also tried the flyer carved which is a very heavy saddle. It felt good but the cutout pinched the nether regions unless I wore pads so I nixed it.

I know I’ve mentioned this to you before, but please be careful when you stow that in your feed bags. Mine came out and I didn’t realize it until I was miles down the trail.