Condensation on seat

[El Diablo]

Not sure which topic to put this under so sticking in general:

After work last evening, I went to the YMCA to work out around 5:15 pm. Parked in lot. Came back out around 7:15 to a wet seat. It had not rained, it was just condensation. A little wet film of moisture and I am in suit pants - ugh! Fortunately I did have a hand towel in my saddle bags.

My question to the masses here on the site does anyone have any tips for dealing with this problem? Does anyone lay anything across their seat in cool damp environments? :shocked:

Thanks in advance.

[patrick_777]

A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value - you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you - daft as a brush, but very very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.

More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc, etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.

In short - always know where your towel is.

[primal]

You know you pants will dry, right?

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by El Diablo

My question to the masses here on the site does anyone have any tips for dealing with this problem? Does anyone lay anything across their seat in cool damp environments? :

Mine always has a gel pad with a cloth top cover. Eliminates the problem you described but is more difficult to dry off after a surprise shower. No substitute for the towel; think bird droppings.

[alanmcorcoran]

I've ridden to places where I had to end up in a suit. I think it's a bad idea to ride in one. It's minimal protection for your skin if you go down (like, zero) plus, the wind, weather and other elements will ruin the suit. I typically don't even ride with a shirt with a collar (they have a tendency to become violently flappy at the most inopportune times.)

I have a tank bag and without being too clever, I can roll up a suit and pack a shirt, dress shoes, belt and a tie and the like with plenty of room. Then I change out of the Tour Masters when I get there (and back in when I leave.) It's extra time and hassle, but if the ride is more than a few minutes, I'm willing to make the sacrifice. I feel a lot more confident and relaxed when I'm bombing around in the Batman suit. There are overpants that will fit over the suit pants, but they would probably wrinkle things up.

The 24 hour fitness is the one place I don't take the bike. Don't like public locker rooms.

[GZ250]

There is a gap between the handle and the gas tank (on the top). I always fold a few tissue papers (get then from the gas stations) and insert there. Do not insert too much that it gets hard to take out. You can use then in any emergency or need. There they remain safe even from rain and you can replace now and than from gas stations. Alternatively I also used to have a small cloth/towel there but that when gets dirty is hard to replace or wash. Paper towels or tissues are handy and easy to replace.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by GZ250

There is a gap between the handle and the gas tank (on the top).

HANDLE ???? :??:

[GZ250]

Sorry for the wrong description :roll: . I hope people understand what I mean. The U shape space at the front of gas tank. :bow: am i right now.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by GZ250

The U shape space at the front of gas tank. :bow: am i right now.

It's not a matter of being "wrong". I just wasn't sure I understood what you meant; think I do now.

That might work for most folks but with my windshield, there tends to be a LOT of air pressure right about there and for me, I think they would disappear rather quickly. Good tip to try though.

[goneoutflying]

A bike cover might not be a bad idea. I'm not sure it will prevent condisation on the seat, but I guess that it couldn't hurt. :??:

However you might want to have saddle bags or some other kind of storage on the bike to put it in, I don't think one will fit in the tiny under seat compartment. :rawk: