Author Topic: Ventisit  (Read 11598 times)

Ventisit
« on: 20 June, 2011, 06:10:34 pm »
For the first time in three years I took the recumbent out on Sunday for a quick 40km spin. To a pub.

Anyway,  a few things became salient as regards modification. One was the seat. I'd forgotten how damn sweaty my back gets from the lack of ventilation from the hard shell seat.
The foam I have on there at the moment is the worse kind, cheap closed-cell stuff. It was actually better with the basic open-cell upholstery foam that I used on PBP days.

So I kept having thoughts about Ventisit. It's expensive, but if it works, then it has to be a good thing.

I have an idea that Mr Forrest uses it. Can anybody else offer an opinion?

Thanks.
Garry Broad

Kim

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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #1 on: 20 June, 2011, 06:34:11 pm »
Also extremely interested.  I'm using the closed-cell foam, which is fine when it's cold and wet, and pretty awful most of the rest of the time...

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #2 on: 20 June, 2011, 07:26:36 pm »
Ventisit are great.  You'll still get sweaty, but I don't notice it the way I did with the crappy other foam I used to have.
Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #3 on: 20 June, 2011, 07:33:20 pm »
I use a ventisit pad on the Fujin. It does keep my back quite a bit fresher than even the net seat on the trike and is most certainly nicer than denser pads or the same inner mat with a denser cover. Probably the next best thing to riding an upright. The downside: It will slightly roughen up sport shirts with a shiny, dense surface.

I'm also happy to use the pad under my upper body for naps while doing audax. Much more comfy than for instance concrete or tiled floors.

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #4 on: 20 June, 2011, 07:48:21 pm »
I have one on my Challenge Hurricane.  It is remarkable in terms of comfort and ventilation.   Probably the thing I like most about my bent.

Kim

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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #5 on: 20 June, 2011, 07:58:46 pm »
I have one on my Challenge Hurricane.  It is remarkable in terms of comfort and ventilation.   Probably the thing I like most about my bent.

* Kim sticks her fingers in her ears and goes "lalalalala"

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #6 on: 20 June, 2011, 07:59:39 pm »
I've not used anything other than ventisit on my bent, and I've had no particular desire to try anything else. My earlier comments below. Used it more since and I've never had a sweaty back problem.

The seat cover is something called Ventisit.  I've been very impressed by this stuff.  It is some kind of very open plastic mesh, like some type of overdense fishing net with some physical structure to it.  It's entirely plastic rather than fabric, so any water will just pour through rather than be absorbed.  I expected to get a wet back on warm days, but the seat has not been as sweaty in hot weather as I expected.  Not utterly dry, but nowhere near wet and certainly actively evaporating some sweat from the back when on it.

I vaguely remember a rumor on the internet somewhere that you can find the raw material from some sort of fishing suppliers if you try hard enough, and assemble yourself, with obvious cost saving. Don't know any more than that though (you could try searching BROL).

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #7 on: 20 June, 2011, 08:13:18 pm »
I vaguely remember a rumor on the internet somewhere that you can find the raw material from some sort of fishing suppliers if you try hard enough, and assemble yourself, with obvious cost saving. Don't know any more than that though (you could try searching BROL).

Thanks for the quick responses!
I think I'll have to give it a go.

I did wonder about a homebrew effort. It looks as though it's some kind of polyester mesh, not as thick as this, but
similar, But by the time you've messed about, you might as well just go and buy some and be done.
Garry Broad

Arellcat

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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #8 on: 20 June, 2011, 08:17:14 pm »
The raw material is from Germany and called ACS 10, and is often used as a baselayer to allow mattresses to breathe.  Check out EMP Industrial's website for the mattressy application, and their recumbent bicycle mesh page for a 80x210cm piece.

I have a comfort-thickness Ventisit pad on my Windcheetah.  It's very airy, certainly, but benefits from a secondary foam layer between it and the seat for a bit more shock absorption.  I also find the Ventisit's woven cover a bit abrasive on the skin where my elbows rub while riding - but on just about all bikes that won't be a problem.

HPVelotechnik's 'Airflow' seat cushion uses a single layer of ACS 10, atop two different densities of thin foam, and wrapped in a wicking cover.  My Ventisit pad is three layers I think.
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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #9 on: 20 June, 2011, 08:38:05 pm »
I have one on my Challenge Hurricane.  It is remarkable in terms of comfort and ventilation.   Probably the thing I like most about my bent.

* Kim sticks her fingers in her ears and goes "lalalalala"

Would you like me to bring it over for you to play with when I get back form Windyland?   

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #10 on: 21 June, 2011, 12:51:38 pm »
HPVelotechnik's 'Airflow' seat cushion uses a single layer of ACS 10, atop two different densities of thin foam, and wrapped in a wicking cover.  My Ventisit pad is three layers I think.

The airflow cushion's pretty good, tho' the one downside is that the wicking/softer top layer (foam or otherwise) holds a fair bit of water if you've left it in the rain without a cover over it.

ruggtomcat

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #11 on: 21 June, 2011, 10:05:28 pm »
Well. Worth. it.

arallsopp

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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #12 on: 22 June, 2011, 12:22:24 pm »
I have a ventisit on the Furai, and I'm actually not much of a fan.

Its a bit abrasive, and isn't really anchored very well. This is maybe compounded by the narrow and long carbon seat, but the whole thing has a tendency to slip around (you stay on the pad, but the pad moves side to side or shuffles front and back) and almost always squeezes down to a narrower shape than the seat itself. This means you end a long ride perched on the two densely packed edges, each of which is about 3cm inside the actual edge of the seat. With a bit of unattractive overhang, I'd have little red lines where my butt hits the sharp seat edge. As it is, I just get bruised cheeks ;)

I think the mounting approach is critical. The way mine came (2 years back now, and still haven't managed to re-examine for a better approach) denies the point of having it.
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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #13 on: 22 June, 2011, 02:16:18 pm »
It's all in how you attach your Ventisit, Andy.  I drilled a series of small holes in my seat, and zip tied it down.  Happiness.

The airflow cushion's pretty good, tho' the one downside is that the wicking/softer top layer (foam or otherwise) holds a fair bit of water if you've left it in the rain without a cover over it.

That's a bit of a design flaw, surely?
Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

arallsopp

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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #14 on: 22 June, 2011, 03:13:24 pm »
You're far more gung-ho than I. One day I'll man up and put a water bottle holder on the underside, ventisit mounting points on the top, and even a little hole to let the water out when it rains. At present, the water soaks through the bolt holes and gets carried around for days until my shorts wick it all out again :(
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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #15 on: 22 June, 2011, 03:19:36 pm »
Gung ho?  It's only a seat Andy, if you stuff it up you can buy another one.  Besides, I have a lot of time building r/c model aircraft amongst other stuff, so I'm fairly comfortable working with my hands.
Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #16 on: 22 June, 2011, 03:49:27 pm »
It's all in how you attach your Ventisit, Andy.  I drilled a series of small holes in my seat, and zip tied it down.  Happiness.

The airflow cushion's pretty good, tho' the one downside is that the wicking/softer top layer (foam or otherwise) holds a fair bit of water if you've left it in the rain without a cover over it.

That's a bit of a design flaw, surely?

Err....yup ! - tho' to be fair I manage not to get it wet too often..partly by getting the train when it's hissing down ;)  - and it's not that noticeable if it's getting wet whilst riding - just afterwards when I come to plonk my backside back on it..
That's why I was kinda wondering about getting a ventisit (or some ACS10 for a spot of diy). I've previously tried a ventisit-clad hurricane at London Recumbents and, felt a little less 'connected' with the seat than with the closed-cell foam, but a few years on of riding a 'bent and I might not notice it as much now.

>It's only a seat Andy, if you stuff it up you can buy another one.
Err..probably a relatively expensive one if it's carbon :p

How's yours secured, Andy ? - could you not put some adhesive velcro along the seat edges, and some stitch-on stuff on the edges of the seatpad ? - that's pretty non-destructive (if a PITA to do..)


Re: Ventisit
« Reply #17 on: 22 June, 2011, 03:52:13 pm »
There's not too much potential for screwing it up that badly.  Unless you're a bit of a Heath Robinson, that is.
Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

RichForrest

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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #18 on: 22 June, 2011, 03:52:22 pm »
It's the best pad I've used on my recumbents.
I don't have the cover on mine and have it secured very roughly with fishing line.

Rich

Wothill

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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #19 on: 22 June, 2011, 10:20:55 pm »
Another vote for Ventisit here. I had closed cell foam on my Grasshopper for years until my Seiran came with a ventisit and I found the difference was amazing both for comfort and for reducing the wet back issue. I have drilled holes in my carbon seat for zip ties - no problem. I also put new holes in my seat to move it slightly forwards - carbon seems to be very easy to drill but I would be careful to leave a good inch between holes if they are say 6mm for the seat securing bolts. 3mm holes for zip ties could go closer together no doubt.

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #20 on: 23 June, 2011, 07:06:13 pm »
My experience with a Ventisit cushion (on a Fujin over 3,000 km or so) wasn't great. I found it scratchy and uncomfortable. It was far worse than the standard foam cushion on the Nazca I had before that.

I suspect this may be because I'm thin, so my vertebrae protrude more. Certainly, many other users seem to report great comfort.

recumbentim

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Re: Ventisit
« Reply #21 on: 24 June, 2011, 03:47:35 am »
I found it too hard on the carbon seat.  But it was ok on the euromesh.

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #22 on: 24 June, 2011, 09:45:49 am »
My experience with a Ventisit cushion (on a Fujin over 3,000 km or so) wasn't great. I found it scratchy and uncomfortable. 
That is a problem that might be solved by modifying the seat: Login

Wothill

  • over the hills and far away
Re: Ventisit
« Reply #23 on: 29 June, 2011, 11:26:17 am »
My experience with a Ventisit cushion (on a Fujin over 3,000 km or so) wasn't great. I found it scratchy and uncomfortable. 
That is a problem that might be solved by modifying the seat: Login
I can't log in to your site, Jedrik. Is there a problem?

Re: Ventisit
« Reply #24 on: 29 June, 2011, 05:49:51 pm »
I can't log in to your site, Jedrik. Is there a problem?
Sorry for that.
This should  should work now:  Jedrik's Chaos: Final seat setup