The Mesh Seat is Nice But...

[TheKid]

It doesn't hold a candle to 6" of foam under you butt. I'm making a new seat for the Streetfox. I cut some fiberglass from the boat, glassed the seam where the two pieces meet, glued some 1" polystyrene foam to the bottom and back, then covered the bottom, back and sides with spandex and epoxied over it. This seat will share the cushions I posted earlier with the Hauler. The polystyrene foam does exactly what my buddy said it would do - absorb shock. It's not nearly done yet, but enough to try it out, which I couldn't wait to do. I didn't even bolt it to the frame. I guess my 250 lbs. was enough to hold it in place. I rode around the block a few times. The street behind mine had some recent work done, and of course, the utility workers did a lousy job of patching. Perfect for testing the comfort of a seat. Unlike the mesh seat, which when riding on this same road had me bouncing almost out of the seat, this seat absorbed everything. I hardly noticed the bumps at all. Besides the 1" styrofoam, the cushion is made of 6" of high density closed cell foam used for furniture on the bottom, and 2" of the same foam for the back. Now all I have to do is make the mounts, finish epoxying and painting the seat, (Which at the moment is orange spandex with a flower pattern) and bolt 'er on.
This seat is much narrower than the mesh seat, and it's also lighter in weight. Mounting and dismounting is easier, and will be a blessing when the fairing is done.

[savarin]

Yep, plenty of foam under my broad butt is the way to go but mesh seats are definitely better in our humidity and heat. You actually get a chance of drying.

[TheKid]

That's why I'll be using the mesh seat in the summer. I made it easy to swap seats on both the tadpole and the delta by making the seat stays identical.

[savarin]

That's why I'll be using the mesh seat in the summer. I made it easy to swap seats on both the tadpole and the delta by making the seat stays identical.
An excellent idea

[trikeman]

I made a foam seat first for my DW, but I prefer the mesh seat for comfort. I only used about 3" of foam as I remember, but I like the way the mesh seat wraps around my body and holds me tight on those tight turns lol.

[TheKid]

Maybe I wrapped mine too tight. All I do is bounce up and down. It doesn't wrap around at all.

[trikeman]

To some degree it is also dependent on how wide you are and how wide the seat is. Mine is wide enough that my body seems to be able to nestle between the side posts for the most part.

[TheKid]

Mine too. I didn't want to be sitting on the rails, so it's plenty wide.

[savarin]

Mines plenty wide but the mesh will sag after a while.
I added a lump of ground sheet type mattress between the strings and the mesh to take the pain of sitting on a string out. But it still done beat a pile of soft foam:p

[trikeman]

Interestingly, mine is pretty comfortable even without the mesh. I suppose if you get lucky (as I did) and build a frame that fits you pretty well you almost don't need the mesh. Maybe I should go to the beach and fall on my backside into the sand, then take measurements for the best seat frame lol.

[gbbwolf]

Wife said if you fall too hard you wont get an accurate measurement in the sand anyways.
So just go to the playground with a rake smooth the sand out.
Then sit very softly.
Then measure.
Or better yet do it mythbuster's style.
Get yourself some ballistic gel and make a mold of your butt.

[savarin]

Wife said if you fall too hard you wont get an accurate measurement in the sand anyways.
So just go to the playground with a rake smooth the sand out.
Then sit very softly.
Then measure.
Or better yet do it mythbuster's style.
Get yourself some ballistic gel and make a mold of your butt.

I had a go of using a giant bin liner full of styro beads, sit on it leaning against the wall or similar, suck the air out with a vacuum cleaner and it sets up quite firm so measurements can be made.
It sorta worked but needs a couple of accomplices to help out and hold everything steady. I will have another go when I can find more beans and a stronger bag.

[TheKid]

Interestingly, mine is pretty comfortable even without the mesh.

How do you sit on the frame without the mesh? Did you build it Ricky Horwitz style using slings to support the mesh?

[trikeman]

How do you sit on the frame without the mesh? Did you build it Ricky Horwitz style using slings to support the mesh?

You just sit down on the frame. The side rails on my seat conform to the sides of my back and buttocks and the crosspieces also offer some support. I wouldn't recommend going over a lot of bumps that way, but it supports you pretty well.

[TheKid]

I made mine wide, so I fit BETWEEN the rails. I didn't want to be sitting on the hard steel, with only the mesh as a buffer.