The Views on the Route to Globe Arizona

In my preparation for the Race Across America (RAW) I have been contemplating how on earth will I sit on a saddle for 928 miles? What is the most comfortable saddle? Naturally I turned to the Ultra Cycling community and asked for their opinions. Without a doubt everyone had an opinion. These cyclists routinely ride for hundreds and hundreds of miles each week and enter races that range from 300-3,000 miles. I was pretty sure that I would take their recommendations seriously.

Eager to learn I was surprised to find out that many ultra cyclists recommended the Selle Anatomica saddle. It is a leather saddle made in the U.S.A. (California) with a unique cut/slit right down the middle of nearly the entire saddle. The leather allegedly conforms to your individual bottom. Further, it has a tension adjustment that allows you as a rider to set the firmness or give of the saddle. I thought that is crazy but sounded cool and worth a try. I was finally sold when I read the comments from other Ultra Cyclists that this saddle feels like a hammock for your butt. So naturally I bought one!

After speaking with a very nice woman over at Selle Anatomica regarding their saddles, and what my riding/race plans were she instantly became very excited and explained to me how many of the RAAM and RAW racers all use their saddle. In fact they have a 2016 sponsored team all in these saddles. I knew I was on to something. She helped me finalize my order and even shipped it to me overnight so I could try it on 129 mile ride to Globe AZ from Gilbert AZ last Saturday. My saddle was ordered Thursday. Arrived Friday. Tested Saturday.

She swore to me that even the first ride would be comfortable and that it only became more and more comfortable with use. Trusting her reassurance I absolutely took it for a spin on a 129 mile bicycle ride with about 7K in elevation gain. What a great test ride, right?

I admit I was a bit nervous to remove my other saddle and place this one in its stead after having paid for one of the best bike fits I had ever received. I didn’t want to screw it up. I took picture after picture and measurement upon measurement to make sure I would put this new saddle in the exact spot as my old saddle. It was trickier than I thought but likely because I spent more time than necessary making sure everything was exact.

I rode it down the street a few times to make some small and fine tuned adjustments in seat angle and forward/rearward position. Finally I felt like I had it in the right place. It was in fact a hammock feeling for my butt. Definitely a different feel than I had ever been accustomed too. It was almost weird. Strange. Sort of just odd. I had my doubts.

The next morning I met up with some good friends at 3am for our ride out to Globe AZ. It was windy, wet roads from the rain storm which ended only a couple of minutes prior, and did I mention windy and cold? Needles to say the first couple of dark, wet, and cold hours were horrible. I didn’t care for much of anything of this training/test ride for the first several hours. I had anticipated warmer and definitely less wet weather. I was under dressed and borderline miserable.

Finally we made it into Superior and the sun was peaking through the clouds just a bit. The climbing became more intense and then I began to warm up. It didn’t take long to feel comfortable again and then the happiness crept back into the ride. The scenery is pretty cool through that route and the roads are fun to climb and descend. Then I noticed that I had not really felt any negativity in my bottom area. In fact I had been pretty comfortable on the saddle.

In the sunlight my friends could see the classy and classic leather look of the saddle and all started commenting on it. Lets be honest, the old classic leather look is still pretty cool. But more importantly, I was comfortable. Was it the most comfortable saddle my butt had ever sat in? I’m not sure. It definitely wasn’t the worst. I wasn’t sure how an old leather looking saddle would feel, and it certainly felt better than I thought it would. But I can’t say its the best thing I have ever sat on. HOWEVER, it was only the first ride and they supposedly get better and better.

Our ride continued on into Globe AZ. Just before entering Miami and Globe there are a few wonderful descents. I have my compact crank on right now so I spin out fairly quickly as I pedal downhill. Yet, in my last 8 months or so of cycling I have been trying out the more aggressive aero position on the bike where you sit on your down tube with your chest up against your handle bars tucked in as tight and as low as possible. This has been working out very well for me. I feel more and more stable on in this position and my speed gets increasingly faster. My friends can’t often even keep in the draft when I tuck in tight on the down tube. These descents are super fun!

Once we arrived in Globe we refilled water bottles, grabbed a snack, and used the restroom at a Circle K gas station. That seems to be our pattern. My saddle was looking pretty good and my rear end didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. That was a positive sign. I figured at this point the saddle was a definite maybe for my RAW race in 5 weeks.

By the time we came back into Gilbert and had significant miles and climbing under our belts I was even more convinced the saddle was a good thing. I can recommend this saddle. However, I have a couple of other saddles to try out as well… more to come on the other recommended saddles by the Ultra Cycling community.

-Ben

Arizona bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know were injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States.

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire united states. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the country. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.

Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches the police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the united states every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

• your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
• the applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
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• the process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
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You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of bike accident attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. there is never an obligation for a complimentary consultation with Mr. dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and can assist in representation in all 50 states.