ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] ZES Saddle report
[endurance] ZES Saddle report
WarholNW (WarholNW@ccmail.apldbio.com)
Fri, 13 Oct 95 13:10:27 PDT
I have completed two 50 mile rides with my new ZES (Zonteli) True
Rider saddle. The results so far are very positive. The white hairs
on his back from the Crosby I was using are going away, and no new
ones are coming up. His back has shown absolutely no signs of pain or
discomfort during or after both rides.
I have resolved the only two problems I had with the saddle. The
first is the terrible biothane stirrup leathers that come with the
saddle. They are hard to adjust, they use a huge metal buckle for
adjustment (just like a seat belt in a car), the buckle slipped on me
during the first ride, and the buckle digs into your legs. Not great.
The resolution is to use Australian leathers with the single buckle at
the bottom. They fit perfectly, and look like they were designed for
this saddle. I had a pair from my old Aussie saddle, and stuck them
on. End of problem. I talked to Boyd Zonteli about this, and he is
looking into the possibility of using them in the future.
The second problem is finding a saddle pad that works. The ZES saddle
is a little like a SR, in that it really does not have a full flap
that rests against the horse. It uses a small leather pad that slips
on the billets. The saddle also has a pad-like material on the bottom
of the saddle rather than the traditional leather, sort of like an
orthoflex. I tried a bunch of pads, all of which slipped around. The
big Toklat endurance model woolback and coolback pads are just to
thick. I used a thinner Toklat Medallion pad that I modified by
adding a bunch of velcro, but that was not the answer. Once again, I
talked to the ZES guys who admitted they had a problem, but they had
an answer. They had the people at Skito design a special pad for the
ZES, complete with woolback and the equalizer inserts. I tried a
prototype, liked it, bought it, and used in the second ride. It was
perfect. It did not budge, stays on the saddle, and does not cover up
a lot of his back with extra material. I like the idea of the
equalizer pad anyway, and this pad is not to thick. Very nice.
(although expensive- $120)
Nick