Difficulties with wearing a device? discussion

The topic pops up frequently, and we touched on it recently in another thread (which I can’t locate right now), but here is a note for those of you who cycle regularly. Bikers replace saddles constantly as they hunt for one that fits well and keeps their backside or genitals from going numb during longer rides. A while back, I found the at a nearby bike shop, and over the past few years, I’ve really valued its thoughtful design. It has a distinct look because it is open in the middle with a split shape, and the front nose drops down like an eagle’s beak. These two features made me wonder if wearing a device while cycling would work. I finally tried it out yesterday. The verdict? Yes, but with some caveats. Just so you know, I ride as a road cyclist, but I usually sit on my hoods or stand up on the handlebars rather than leaning forward into the drops (if you catch my drift). I wore standard lycra shorts without anything underneath and put on plenty of Gold Bond lotion around the ring. After clipping in, I sat upright and noticed that I had to shift the cage a bit more sideways compared to wearing tight jeans, but once I started moving, it felt fine. In fact, after the first few miles, I forgot all about having it on and kept pedaling at a good speed. Since this was my first ride of the season, I stayed warm-up pace and stuck to relatively flat roads (or what we call flat here in central Connecticut). Somewhere along the way, I stopped for water and moved the cage to the other side of my seam. I felt a couple of slight tugs which seemed like hairs getting caught. About 10 or 12 miles out, I noticed things had shifted slightly (it gets warm in those shorts), but stopping briefly to readjust everything back into place fixed it. I completed the 15-mile ride without any chafing, redness, pinching, or other issues. To recap, this was a shorter trip for me with no steep hills. My average speed was around 13-14 mph, and nothing unusual happened. The lotion held up well. Also worth noting: I wear the A272, which has a flat cuff ring profile, so I am not entirely sure what difference a round ring would make, but I suspect it might reduce friction. I am uncertain about attempting a 50-mile ride yet, though I plan to do a longer one soon just to see how things hold up. However, for those of you who usually cycle on more upright bikes along bike paths, the TRK could be the right saddle choice.