Recumbent Trike Seats: Mesh vs Hard Shell. Is One Type Better Than Another?

Rich and I explore the differences between mesh and hard shell recumbent trike seats.
Music:
FynestLyk-Noir Et Blanc Vie

[@markfeldman6509]

On my Catrike Trail....which has a fixed position mesh seat I placed an Amazon purchased ($25) fabulous seat cushion which was really a game changer as I could feel the support bars underneath. Replacing the seat with a newer Catrike seat would have cost hundreds of dollars. The cushion also has a detachable by Velcro back element which I use when going on long rides. My 559 has a very well padded mesh seat as the 559 is a much newer trike. Getting a 700 also and that will have the mesh also, although I’m sure it will be the next generation and best available. The best seats are one of the most important options one should test and spend the extra money on. Great video.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hey, Mark! That seat cushion on your Trail sounds like quite the find, especially when considering the cost of a newer seat. Yep, it looks like the trike manufacturers are coming up with some interesting new seat designs, with combinations of mesh and padding. Haven't had a chance to try any yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

[@TravelsByTrike]

Another big difference between seat types in the option to add a side seat mount bag to the mesh seat. I ordered my trike with the hard shell seat because I think it looks sleeker. A couple of years later, I switched to a mesh seat because I wanted to add the side seat mount which isn't possible to add to the hard shell seat. For me, both seats were equally as comfortable.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Good point, Sylvia! Thinking about it now, it seems like the mesh seats would offer lots of item mounting possibilities that a hard shell seat wouldn’t. Keep on rolling, and be careful out there!

[@stevemullin1195]

Interesting video...I have a Gekko 26 with mesh seat but I still need a seat cushion to relieve pressure on my tail bone and a cushion on the back to relieve pressure from the metal frame pressing on my back.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hey, Steve! Interesting...there are a few trike manufacturers who are going over to mesh seats with built in cushion type pads. Looks like you're not the only one who finds additional padding on a mesh seat helpful.

[@nigelnightmare4160]

I've ridden both and for me it's Mesh seats as I broke my neck years ago and the hard-shell seats are uncomfortable for me on longer rides. The Ventisit seat cushion is very effective. ICE have two sizes of hard-shell seat Medium or Large and I'm sort of in-between as the large hits the back of my neck on rough roads and the medium feels a little cramped hitting the T1 vertebrae. They (ICE) did suggest a custom built carbon one if I didn't like the mesh seat, luckily I like the mesh seat.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

I think all things being equal, the mesh seats are generally more comfortable. Very sorry to hear about your neck, but it's great that it's not stopping you from getting out there and riding! Ride on! :)

[@karlInSanDiego]

Have any folks out there with mesh seats like the Greenspeed shown in this video, used closed foam tubular pipe insulation between the frame and mesh? I'm thinking of trying some at the shoulder blades to help create a little padding where my boney shoulders strike the frame. Otherwise, happy with mesh when it's pulled pretty tight. It also acts as suspension when laced with shock cord as seen on the Greenspeed design. But your cord needs to be springy and your mesh needs to be able to slide a bit on the frame rails for that effect.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

I haven't seen that, but all bets are off when it comes to trying to make your seat more comfortable. My mom has a small neck pillow she uses in the lumbar area to give her more back support on her mesh set. The only issue I've ever had with mesh was when I cleaned my GT-3 seat with Windex. It got between the seat and frame and made the mesh "squeak" when I put back pressure on it.

[@11111972cjb]

Good advice. Many thanks.

[@11111972cjb]

Thank you.

[@brickboo1]

I have a Sunseeker Tadpole and the seat allows me to keep sliding forward and I have to push myself back often on a ride which is annoying. I wish Sunseeker could fix this problem and make a seat for us old heavy guys. Just looking at the seat you can see that it is shaped and leans forward which would cause this problem. I'd also like to mention that my trike has small tires (skinny) and accelerates quickly. However, on another video, a fellow mentioned bigger softer tires for a smoother ride, I'm going to speak with my tech about bigger softer tires. I just put new tires like the ones that came on the bike when I purchased it three years ago. The old ones looked good but having 1800 miles on them made me nervous. I ride on paved trails 99% of the time. When I bought the trike, they said I would get 800 miles on the tires. They were off only by 1000 or maybe more miles. I still see the little wear slits so maybe they would have lastest even longer.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hi and thanks for your comment! I've had the "sliding down the seat" issue on a few trikes. Sometimes it can be helped by moving your boom further in. If your tires look good and you don't see lots of tread wear, they're probably still ridable. Then again, I ride mine until I see the casing coming through. :)

[@brickboo1]

@@bikestrikesrazors if a puma boom back it may cause a problem for me getting on and now cross over the one pedal and then stand one foot still while I move the other leg around the other pedal and back up to the seat. If you know please explain if I had that slime whatever in a tire and the liner to protect the gains flats if I do get a flat and I go around my tire and examine it and pull out a foreign object pump it up and start writing it does that slime or whatever works dependably to repair that flat. I'm old and worried about having a flat-out on the trail and can get help to it out here in Colorado there's some places on the trail you can't get to with car for help. This is done by voice and I know there's going to be mistakes I'll check it out when I get home and try to correct it with my computer and edit this, thank you.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

I haven't tried using slime yet, but I know a few folks that do, and they like it. The theory is that you hit something that puts a hole in your tire and the slime rushes in and fills the hole before the air leaves your tire. @@brickboo1

[@HotHerps]

I have a Carbon Air Pro Medium on my ICE Sprint X and I do like it. I have it on maximum recline. Oh and nice to see a fellow Sinn owner (I nave U2 & U1000).

[@bikestrikesrazors]

I think that seat is a great design! Super comfortable. Wow, a U2 and U1000! Both amazing watches! My U1 just went in for a service and I miss it! :)

[@FirstLast-ml7yf]

25000 miles on my etrikes mesh seat since 2008. I don't notice it much. I do have an inflatable sit pad sandwiched under the mesh.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Nice milage, First Last! It's good that you don't notice your seat. It's when you DO notice it that you have a problem. :) Keep on riding!

[@petejansen8098]

Had a Body link seat but bought an HP original ergomesh XL. I left the foam all the way up thru the backrest and rode 30+ miles. Way better and seems great. But most pics show the foam out of the backrest portion of the seat. I am going to try to remove the backrest portion and leave the seat cushion foam in. Any suggestions, comments, preferences, etc to leaving the foam in the backrest or leaving it just mesh. Please let me know.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hi Pete, I'd just say try it both ways and see what works best for you. The foam will have less ventilation, but you might not need the ventilation.

[@markrobinson891]

My ICE Sprint X has the identical saddle to your VTX. (I have the lower cost fiberglass version) It is more comfortable than I expected but I’ve been trying to find some way to fit open cell foam for some extra padding and air flow. So far no luck.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hi Mark! My brother has the fiberglass seat on his VTX while I have the carbon fiber version. We don't notice any difference, but I guess the carbon seat is lighter. Some extra air flow would be nice. Let me know if you come up with anything! The Venisit pads would add breathability, but they're not as comfortable as the ICE seat pad and they can be slick. I slide around on the pad on my Q.

[@markrobinson891]

@@bikestrikesrazors Aquarium filters seem to be a good material but so far I’ve not found any in a large enough size. Power on Cycling made a “Swanson” saddle with a nice foam pad I used on a Bacchetta carbon Aero a few years ago. I may contact them to see if the material can be purchased in a bulk quantity to cut to size. A work in process. Yes, the carbon seat is identical except for weight 1/2 KG, costs a bunch more, and of course looks wonderful.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hmm...my youngest brother has a Bacchetta that has that filter foam type material on the seat. Wonder if Bacchetta would sell the pads separately?

[@markrobinson891]

@@bikestrikesrazors yeah. Good stuff but much narrower than the ICE saddle. I might check with them and see if it comes in bulk to cut. Thanks.

[@asiatouring]

Thanks for a very interesting video. Maybe you will be interested that I am currently testing a prototype of natural latex seat pad (seat and back cushion). The obtained results in relation to mesh seat : 1. better comfort 2. increase in speed of the recumbent trike - I think thanks to the buoyant support of natural latex The latex seat pad is very breathable and cooling ( I test in tropical Thailand :) Soon I will publish a video of the next tests. Regards.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Sounds fascinating! Let me know when you publish your video with the test results!

[@asiatouring]

@@bikestrikesrazors Hi, below is a link to a video showing the flexibility of a natural latex pad. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5-8iGiih8aXnbc In the next video, I test cycling uphill. In total I did 8 ramps, 4 with the simple latex pillow and 4 without the pillow. All climbs with a pillow were faster than those without a pillow. I tried to pedal with a similar effort. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4DFfoJ4Yt1llck To sum up: the latex seat cushion provides 1. super comfort 2. shock absorption 3. strength resulting from the elasticity of latex I did not find that I sweat more compared to mesh seat cycling, and I test in tropical Thailand. I will continue my testing and try to be objective. Regards, Peter

[@11111972cjb]

I have most of my spine fused so its mesh for me. I tried a moulded seat and couldn't stand up afterwards. Can i ask a question please, with mesh seats, how tight do I stretch the elastic cord and is there a specific way to lace it up? Many thanks for this video. Kind regards, Chris.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hey, Relic Hunter! One of the great things about a mesh seat is that the tightness of the straps or cords can be adjusted, tighter or looser, to find just the right amount of tension to make them comfortable for you. You just have to be careful that you don't make them too loose or your seat may wind up touching your back wheel when you sit down in the trike. Do you have a trike with straps, like a Catrike, or a trike with bungee type cord, like a Greenspeed? Sounds like you're describing a bungee type cord, so I'll try and get a photo of the lacing pattern on my Greenspeed GTO and post it here later today.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

I have a photo of the lacing pattern on the Greenspeed here, but KZbin won't let me attach photos. If you want, you can email me at bikestrikesandrazors "at" yahoo.com, and I'll be able to send you the photo through email. Thanks! Joe

[@ecp4500]

Never used a mesh seat. My twin has an HP Velotechnik Scorpion FS 26. It has the hard shell seat. We are both quite over weight and i notice the same problem with sliding on to the small lip end of the seat. Needs an extra inch of seat. Also has carbon fiber hip wings to help with staying planted in seat. I don't like them as the soft pad on them sits to low so your left with sharp carbon fiber digging in your hip. HP Velotechnik have a new seat this year that seam to best of hard and mesh seats. Recently put on Easy Knees Crank Shortener. One pedal hole lower is about 150mm equivalent. Feels much better and not noticed any sliding.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Interesting that the pedal shorteners would have stopped the sliding, but I've heard folks recommend shortening the boom also to stop sliding. Seems like there are a few new seat designs on the market that might be nice to try, like the ICE Ergo-Luxe. The new HP seat seems to be about the same type of design.

[@tomboyd9053]

The new HP Velotechnik seat is called Premium Mesh and it's cost is around $700 as a replacement to my current HP mesh seat.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hey, Tom! Does the HP seat have any padding, or is it just mesh?

[@tomboyd9053]

The new HP Velotechnik Premium Mesh seat dies have side padding. I'm not sure about the back or seat itself. I saw two different KZbin videos describing it. The one was produced in German by HP Velotechnik and the second came out of Florida by Bent Revolution. A KZbin search may put you on those videos.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

@@tomboyd9053 Thanks Tom. I'll check it out!