Topic: Custom Seat Foam... Recommendations??

[sirdaft1]

What are the best foam/padding options that you DIY guys have used on a custom seat? I want something no thicker than the pic below and hopefully something that allows me to do more than a short ride around the block.

[luap]

Caroet padding works good

[jamesb]

if you wanted to go thinner gel pad is good, but expensive

[Xnavylfr]

Pick you up some of those kneeling pads for garden work or exersize mats. They are about 1" to 1-1/2" thick but they work great for seat pads. You can even glue them together with contact cement for more pad.



Xnavylfr(CHUCK)

[flybox1]

my seat guy used auto seat resto foam,(dark gray) that could be shaped with an electric knife,  then i had him cover it with 2" of some really squishy foam stuff, which compressed when he stretched and secured the custom cover.
my @$$ is happy.

my suggestion would be to buy a few layers of different densities (maybe a 3
" heavy duty layer, and a 2" softer top layer) stack them, and give it the old seat-o-yer-pants test, knowing that the uncovered foam will be compressed when covered.

[Tugboat]

Yoga mat.

[bjbuchanan]

I second the yoga mat. I'm just trying to decide two or three ply for my seat im cookin up

[Duanob]

Yoga mat.

  That's one way to get a hot chick to sit on your bike.

[corey607]

I've been weighing my options on this same subject. I was thinking of going to the junk yard with a utility knife. I like the garden pad idea, I might have to use it.

[Tugboat]

I would recommend at least three plys. When you cinch it all down it will be shorter than you think, and your ass will thank you for the extra padding.

[RAFster122s]

The high density firm foam (dark gray) can be bought at upholstery shops. As mentioned,  it can be rough cut to shape using an electric carving knife and shaped and smoothed with a sanding disc in a portable angle grinder with a sanding disc. A layer of compressible smoothing foam is applied over the base foam to make the cover look better.

[sirdaft1]

Yoga mat.

  That's one way to get a hot chick to sit on your bike.

Make it a Lululemon brand yoga mat and I'm sure they'd flock without a doubt lol

And I'm interested in the gel pad option as I've tried a number of different generic foam pads and I haven't been too impressed. I may try to layer something firmer as the base and add a slightly softer layer on top.

[bollingball]

Gel pad insert +++1111111

[malcolmgb]

Yoga mat.

If you have a childrens play place in your area call in and see if they sell the old play mats off, I bought a one for $1, the large interlocking type.

[bollingball]

I lived in a chair 2 years in the early 70s while in the Army. No one knows long term sitting confort better than someone in a chair. They did not have gel pads back then or I would have had one put in my seat.
http://www.walgreens.com/search/results.jsp?Ntt=+wheelchair+gel+cushion&ext=gooNB-Home_Medical_Broad_wheelchair_gel_cushion&sst=53aa905f-543c-0b49-dbfa-000060aa0154
There are tons of different kinds of these. Cut out the foam insert gel pad install cover.
Ken

[sirdaft1]

I lived in a chair 2 years in the early 70s while in the Army. No one knows long term sitting confort better than someone in a chair. They did not have gel pads back then or I would have had one put in my seat.
http://www.walgreens.com/search/results.jsp?Ntt=+wheelchair+gel+cushion&ext=gooNB-Home_Medical_Broad_wheelchair_gel_cushion&sst=53aa905f-543c-0b49-dbfa-000060aa0154
There are tons of different kinds of these. Cut out the foam insert gel pad install cover.
Ken

You my friend just won the award. I'm gonna try this route... looks like exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the link!

[bjbuchanan]

I would recommend at least three plys. When you cinch it all down it will be shorter than you think, and your ass will thank you for the extra padding.

lol my ass takes quite a pounding

(god how bad i wanna say thats what she said)

[Retro Rocket]

I would recommend at least three plys. When you cinch it all down it will be shorter than you think, and your ass will thank you for the extra padding.

lol my ass takes quite a pounding

Thats not a revelation shared very often here....