I'm thinking of giving the Airhawk seating pad a go but I see they do two types, budget and premium.
I've managed to find a premium one to look at (sit on!) but can't find a budget.
Anyone know what the difference is (apart from the cost )...the premium is almost twice the price of the budget...

__________________
greencat

The difference is in the quality of materials, otherwise they are the same. The premium is neoprene and the budget is polymer. Obviously the premium will last longer.

I used one for a 5000 mile trip to Eastern Europe last year and it was excellent.

__________________
2008 KTM 990 Adventure S

Hi, Airhawk say that the budget one cannot be repaired. I used a budget one for a 4000 mile Europe trip a couple of uears ago and it is still going strong.

Mike.

I have just bought an airhawk seat direct from the USA. It was cheaper than buying in the uk even after customs.

Mine is the budget seat and it came with a repiar kit so I guess it can be repaired.

Not sure how good it is yet as I have only just got it but it feels very nice on the bike.

I will be taking it camping to the HU weekend tomo as it will also make a nice pillow!

Jane

I like the look of these but not the cost. Also if they are so good i wondered why the Long way down crew are not using them this time, unless they forgot how good they were ?

Do they make a big difference ? if so i may have to raid the piggy bank

This is good marketing.
Lettuce and pickles are extra....

I cant understand why they are mega expensive. A load of people will not go anywhere with out theres but i have seen a few people using a system like those blow up mats. It is a small 6 inch by 6 inch mat with a wee blow up pipe on the end. A few guys i saw had a wee bag made up for it blow it up and away they goo. Maybe not as good as the hawk but a hell of alot cheaper. havent got one myself but tried a gel pad found it awful, very unstable and uncomfy.

I found this while searching the web. Self inflating sleeping mat pillow. Its on ebay for £3.75 plus £3.50 postage. It looks like a mini thermarest.

I think for the price i will give one ago and see how it performs. Unless someone has tried already ?

I will order one up and take it for a ride, I will have to look at strapping it to my saddle but i guess a compression strap would do it unless I try to make a pocket to zip it into.

I guess if it doesnt work it will still make a great cushion for snack breaks.

Give me a while and i will report back on my findings.

I had a 'premium' version AirHawk cushion, which unfortunately started leaking air from a split along heat-sealed forward seam on Tuesday, August-20 ['07] ... just three weeks after the 2-year guarantee expired! At the time I was riding up to the top of Mt Evans, Colorado.

Afterwards I popped into the southern suburb of Englewood in Denver City to see if a rubber type factory/manufacturer could fix it.

"No can do" was the response.

I then bought a bicycle tyre puncture repair kit in an attempt to fix the leak. But I couldn't remedy the problem this way either.



But I couldn't ever live without an AirHawk, especially on long-haul trips, as I really rate these cushions.

Fortunately though, for travelling the farthest to a Bike Meet the following week, I was ceremoniously handed the prize of a brand new AirHawk by the Meet's organiser. What a stroke of luck .. Of all prizes that I could have received, this particular item was, of course, just what I needed.

And to think too that the new replacement AirHawk that I ordered on-line - through eBay.com - just a few days beforehand and arranged to be forwarded onto my motel in Deadwood, South Dakota (the Meet's rendezvous point) .. well, just didn't show-up!

It was all a hellofa coincidence. I really did get lucky during the summer, from time-to-time .. didn't I?
:confused1:

__________________
Right Way Round ...