Streetmachine GT - seat dimensions

[TPMB12]

I've been trying to find out the sizes of the seat pad for the old model streetmachine GT with the rigid seat. I thought I had the biggest seat (large) but I spotted something on the hpv website that said there was an xl sized seat. Also ventisit sell seats bigger than my existing foam pad.

My current foam pad is 90cm long by 29cm at shoulders, 25.5cm at the narrow point and 30cm at the widest part where your buttocks go. However ventisit start at 90cm long and go up to 100cm long for the HPV Streetmachine apparently. It makes me wonder if I should get a bigger seat from novosport or similar. My current seat works but I think it's a little small because the curve does not fit my back. But it should fit up to 6'7" (2" taller than me).

I'm just curious if anyone knows the seat size options that the old smgt had. Or had a link to that information. Unfortunately the hpv website doesn't have that information.

[Kim]

FWIW, many years ago I emailed Ventisit for advice:

I have a HPV Streetmachine GT recumbent - the older model with the solid
(not bodylink) seat, size M.  Can you recommend a pad size that will
fit?  I assume slightly larger than the seat itself is better?

The seat is 87cm long, 28-24-28cm wide.

Thanks for your interest in our product.
Most likely you need 91x28 that is to my knowledge the one for the older Streetmachine.
We also have them in 86x28 and 88x28, but we never sold one of these for the Streetmachine.

I ordered the 91x28, and it's a pretty good fit (slight overlap at the ends is desirable here).  To the point where I ordered the same one again some years later for the Baron (onto which I have bodged an identical old-style HPV seat, because it was a better fit for me than the Optima one).

[TPMB12]

I measured the foam pad and it's within a centimetre to the ventisit pad for the new bodylink seat. The ventisit one is 91cm x 31/25/28cm my pad measured 90cm x 30/25.5/29 or 28.5cm.

The pad they recommend on their website for streetmachine older model was like your size, just a length and width. It's not got the kind of hour glass shape. That my seat and foam pad has.

I guess if I buy the pad that matches my current pad then it'll be OK. I just wish I could find the website I once found that had the old SMGT seat sizes listed. I found it looking for something else which wasn't on that site but I remember seeing seat measurements. I remember things I don't register when I see them but because I didn't register the information at the time I don't recall the source. If that makes sense.

I'd quite like to make sure I've got the largest seat size. If I haven't then I might look at getting one. I need the largest size they did on the older model but if I've got second biggest then I'll have to replace it. The seat is OK but I think it's too small for me.

[Kim]

The pad they recommend on their website for streetmachine older model was like your size, just a length and width. It's not got the kind of hour glass shape. That my seat and foam pad has.

I was worried about that at the time, but it's not a problem in practice.  There's a little bit of overhang in the middle, but not enough to look stupid or anything.  It possibly helps that I have quite a curvy spine, so tend to compress the pad less in the middle.

For reference my measurements were of the surface of the seat, with the pad removed.

[andytheflyer]

I recall speaking to Ventisit 2 or 3 years ago when I was considering buying a pad for my Performer Amigo.  The guy I spoke to was very helpful, and suggested a size which was intended to be about 30mm smaller all round than the pan size - because he said that they spread out when in use. I didn't buy one at the time because I gave the pad I had a bit more time, and it's proved to be fine for my winter riding on that bike.

The Ventisit (style?) pad on my SAKI looks to be about 30mm too small all round, it looks to be too small, but in use it definitely spreads out a bit so you certainly don't feel that the pad is too small.  You don't want them hanging over the edge in use.

If that helps......

[Kim]

TBH, based on mis-aligning the velcro after shaking the pad out (to remove water or bits of tree) a couple of times, I think the only thing that it's really important to avoid is your body making contact with the edge of the seat directly.  As long as there's enough pad to avoid that (how much will depend on the curve of the seat), it doesn't really matter if it's slightly smaller or slightly bigger.

I find that mine squish down slightly asymmetrically due to putting a foot down to stop.