FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Easy! Complete the returns form on the back of the packing slip you received with your order, and send it back to us with your item(s) for a refund, credit or exchange. You can find all the details, download a new form, and generate a USPS mailing label from our Returns page, here.

Yes, the Gift Certificate code can be used on as many orders as desired until the value is used up. Please bear in mind that the Gift Certificate code can only be used once per day because the available balance is updated nightly.

Yes, Gift Certificates do expire and must be used within 12 months from the date of purchase. If your Gift Certificate has expired before you used the balance, reach out to Customer Support.

Yes, Gift Certificates can be spent on shipping, taxes, gift wrap and products.

Keeping track of the Gift Certificate and claim code is the recipient's responsibility. However, if you have lost your code or forgotten the balance remaining on your Gift Certificate, give us a call and we'll see if we can look it up for you. We can usually find them if we know who originally purchased the Gift Certificate or by looking up the recipient's address.

Once a Gift certificate is spent, we can't reload it. But you can always buy additional ones.

The system asks you to confirm your consent by texting "YES" in reply. If there are any other characters in your reply, the system does not recognize the confirmation. This is so that the confirmation is completely unambiguous, and is a legal requirement.

Responses such as "Yeah", "OK", "Yes OK", will not be recognized.

If you have not yet given consent for us to send SMS/texts to you, or you have unsubscribed, we are unable to send any text message to you. In these cases, the system parses any incoming text from you for one of the specific messages indicating consent. If it does not find a match, it replies automatically with the "NO RECOGNIZED KEYWORD" response.

See FAQs above and below for details about keywords that will be recognized.

We send our SMS subscribers around 4 to 6 text messages each month. You may receive one or two more if your activity on our website or purchase history triggers automated messages. Also you may receive one or two additional messages in your birthday month.

You can stop receiving SMS messages from us at any time by replying STOP to our SMS sending number: +1 (844) 285-0129.

The following keywords are recognized automatically when you include them in a text to our SMS sending number: +1 (844) 285-0129.

• JOIN, YES, Y – request text messages from us, Terry Cycling, or confirm your consent.
• STOP, STOP ALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT– Unsubscribe from text messages.
• START, UNSTOP – resubscribe after previously unsubscribing.
• HELP, INFO – generates an autoreply with customer service email address and a link to this page.

We are not able to respond to individual text messages in a timely way. The best options for reaching customer service are phone or email:

800-289-8379 or customerservice@terrycycling.com.

This may be caused by the rails rubbing in the seatpost clamp. Remove the saddle from the bike, lube the rails and also the seat post clamp cradle nut/bolt. The squeak may also come from the rails rubbing where they join the saddle base. This can be helped by removing the saddle, turning it upside down, and applying silicone lubricant to the rails so it can run into the holes that hold the rails. Please don't use a petroleum-based lubricant; it can damage the leather and the glue.

Our saddles are best cared for by washing with water and a good bar soap. Wipe it with a damp cloth and air dry it. Don't use any treatments or chemicals other than water and a bar soap. Many cleaners use petroleum that will cause the glue that holds the leather to the foam to soften and loosen. They can also cause the foam to expand and distort. Note -- if you own a Brooks saddle, DO NOT clean it with water and soap. Instead, use Brooks Proofide as recommended by the manufacturer.

Ride it for 30 days. If you don't like it, return it to the place where you bought it for a refund or exchange, whichever you choose.

This is a tough question to answer as there are so many variables - weight of rider, riding style, care given to equipment, climate in which equipment is used, where the saddle is mounted on the rail, if the rider wears cycling shorts or ? while riding and a host of other things. 

With all that said, 5,000 miles is a reasonable amount of miles to expect from a saddle. 10,000-15,000 miles is at the high end of the scale. 15,000-20,000 is looking for rail or base failure. (All of these expectations can be severely reduced by an abusive riding style, extremes in temperature and one or more of the other things listed above.) 

A saddle that is "broken in" should feel "softer" than a new saddle. The base hasn't been "seated" onto the rails; the foam hasn't contoured to the rider's sitting position; the leather is still stiff. 

The saddle can continue to be ridden for many more miles if:
* the cover isn't torn
* the edges of the leather cover aren't showing signs of wear through
* the foam under the leather doesn't have any "soft" spots indicating foam breakdown
* the edges around the soft tissue area aren't breaking down

The only other thing that might happen is a rail breaking due to a stress riser caused by the seat post cradle. That is something that you can't predict as it won't show up until the rail breaks. Some brands of seat post cradles break rails more quickly than others -- Syncros, early Control Techs and American Classics all used "straight cut" sharp edge seat cradles that create stress risers. These stress risers can be reduced by rounding the edge of the cradle with a file where the rail exits the cradle -- top/bottom and front/rear.

You can make several adjustments to make sure your saddle is adjusted properly.

Set the height of the saddle so there is a slight bend in the knee of the leg that is at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If the saddle is too high, your pelvis will rock from side to side; too low, and you wont get the best use of your leg power. Your knees can take a beating from an improper saddle height as well.

The saddle should be level when viewed from the side and it shouldn't appear to be nose up or nose down. If the nose is tipped up, you'll feel add pressure! Tipped down, and you'll be forever sliding forward and bearing a lot of unnecessary weight on your arms.

The fore/aft saddle position should be set so that when a plumb line is dropped from the front of the knee of the forward most leg (with the crank arms in a horizontal position), it intersects the pedal spindle. This will give you the most power in your stroke.

Your bike fit is as important as your saddle set up. If the bike doesn't fit properly, you may never find a truly comfortable saddle. The most common complaint we hear is that the nose of the saddle still places an undue amount of pressure on the rider, even if the saddle is adjusted properly as discussed above. If the riders reach to the handlebars is too far, the pelvis can tip forward enough to put pressure on sensitive bits. By shortening/raising the handlebar to bring the rider into a more upright position, the pelvis will rotate back enough to move the riders weight onto other areas.

If you've done all of the above, it still doesn't mean the saddle will be comfortable. (What?!?!) No kidding -- that old expression "one woman's trash is another woman's treasure" applies to saddles too. It might take some experimenting to find the perfect saddle. Rules are meant to be broken, so don't feel bound to any of the starting points above or to a saddle that everyone else thinks is great. Its your comfort, after all!

We use "Goop" on some saddle covers but it requires clamping the leather with clamps until it dries - usually about 12 - 16 hours. The problem with "Goop" is that the finished product isn't very clean - it is actually "goopy".

The other glue we use is a "Lokweld H20" glue that is applied to the loose leather then left to dry for a day. Once the glue is dry, we fold the leather around the saddle base and clamp with light clamps for several hours. This gluing method leaves a better finished product but it takes more time and fuss.

Comply with the torque values indicated by the seat post manufacturers and, nonetheless, avoid exceeding 8 Nm for carbon rails and 15 Nm for metal rails.

None of the materials have a rider weight limit! They will all work extremely well used in a normal course of riding.

Most riders have problems with bending or breaking a rail:
a) when impacting the saddle during landing after becoming airborne! The earth won't move or give so the saddle must.

This usually happens during aggressive MTB riding when the bike gets airborne, the riders foot slips off the pedal, the rider loses balance and the rider impacts the seat when the bike hits the ground.

Bent rails can even happen when road bikers "jump" a pot hole..curb..railroad tracks..and don't time the jump correctly impacting the saddle.

b) Stress riser caused by the seat post cradle: the sharp edge of the seat post cradle creates a stress riser which will eventually cause the rail to break.

As with most things that can bend or break (stems handlebars/rims/seat rails), the riders riding technique or riding circumstance when it bends or breaks has more to do with durability than the product material.

The advantages of Titanium are it is lighter and it flexes more than other materials. The advantages of Cr/Mo and/or Manganese are they are lighter and flex more than steel.

Our selection of cycling bottoms are designed to meet the many needs of our customers. What length short/knicker/tight do you need? How much cushion do you want in the chamois? Do you need compression (to keep the muscles warm to prevent muscle strain and fatigue on bigger ride days/weeks)? Do you prefer a fitted bottom or a looser styled bottom?

The chamois in your cycling shorts should be worn without underwear to provide excellent moisture management and eliminate seams and bunching. The chamois also provides cushion for added saddle comfort. The amount of cushion you need is your personal choice.

Cycling is a chillier sport than running, due to the wind chill factor. The better you layer the greater your comfort. 

Many cool weather rides get warmer as the day goes on. To accommodate these temperature changes, consider knee and arm warmers, a bolero, moisture wicking base layers, a beanie under your helmet, full finger/thermal gloves, wind vest or jacket, wool jersey, wool socks, toe or shoe covers, and knickers or tights. 

*Knee fibers should be protected in temps lower than 65 degrees!

Always wash your fine cycle wear in cold water and hang to dry inside-out. If you absolutely need them the next morning, squeeze the chamois with a towel to extract any excess moisture, and hang them near a heater (not touching), over an air conditioner or in an open window with good ventilation.

There are many benefits to a cycling specific jersey, including sun protection, a zipper for fluctuating temp needs, easy access storage, and visibility. They come in many great styles to go with cycling bottoms and they can be enhanced with accessories for weather fluctuations.

Note: Jersey pocket contents may include “ emergency data information (name, address, allergies, emergency contacts, and blood type), easy food options for fuel (bars, gels, bananas, etc), hydration powder packets (to add to water fill ups), lip balm, sun protection, cell phone, some emergency cash and a personal ID.

Like your jersey and shorts, cycling gloves are very important too. Your hands carry some of your weight and should have some padding for added comfort, they should provide sun protection, moisture wicking, they provide a protective layer from branches and other outdoor obstacles, and last but not least a soft zone to wipe moisture from your face. Full finger and thermal options are great as the temperature dips too.

To measure for a proper glove fit, wrap a flexible measuring tape around your palm (without your thumb) for your size:

It is so important to protect your eyes and enhance your vision on the bike. A good shatterproof lens, with UV protection, is a good start to protecting your eyes from branches, road dust and dirt, wind and rain, and most important Ultraviolet (UV) rays.

1. Choose a helmet that fits well. To measure your head for a helmet, use a tape measure around the largest part of the top of your head.
2. Pick a helmet that feels and looks good; so you'll want to wear it!
3. Position it on your head so that it is level and snug but not tight. Use the padding inserts and rear stabilizer to adjust it properly.
4. A good helmet will fit right, allow good air flow, manage sweat with a brow pad and meet safety standards.
5. Helmets made for the U.S. market must meet the US Consumer Product Safety Commission standard, so look for the CPSC sticker.
6. Helmet replacement guidelines include: after any impact, if the helmet doesn't fit properly, and any helmet made before 1990. Read this post for complete details: When to Replace Your Bike Helmet.

MIPS stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. It is designed to absorb energy from motion and jarring during impacts, to reduce the risk of concussion. 

KOROYD is a welded tube structure integrated into bicycle helmets, designed to absorb energy from direct impact, protecting the wearer from serious injury.

While many shoes will work for cycling, as you ride more and more you may want to consider a stiffer sole for arch support and pedal power. Find a shoe that fits your foot well without being too tight. If you decide to clip in, be sure your shoe works with your pedal.

Road shoes have a bottom which is smooth, stiff and transfers power efficiently. A more casual riding shoe will have a tread-style sole, which is easier for off-the-bike mobility.

It is important to have simple bike maintenance items with you on the road. A basic hex wrench set or a cycling multi-tool for easy fixes, spare tube(s), tire levers, and a tube patch kit are the bare minimum.

Once you have your kit assembled, take a basic bike maintenance class at your local bike shop¦ you will be glad you did!

Hydration is very important when you are doing any activities, and a good sports drink with electrolytes provides the best protection against dehydration. A good flavored beverage will make it easier to drink more too.