How long should I expect saddle soreness?

[Jiffer]

My husband is an avid cyclist. He sucked me into getting a tandem road bike last Fall. We got a Burley Ravazza. And now I'm anxiously waiting for my new Cannondale single to come in. My first single, if you don't count the generic 10 speed I had in high school!

We road a few good rides last Fall, including one 52 mile ride. Then we took a long break and just started getting back into it last week. We've gone on four 10 to 20 mile rides with a 40 mile climbing ride planned for tomorrow. I'm still trying to get used to that saddle, feeling pretty sore and bruised so far, and I'm wondering how long it should take before the bruising stops (if ever!). I know there are a lot of things that play into this, which is why I'm asking. I'm wondering at what point should I realize that it's not going to go away unless I get a different saddle, different shorts or what? We had the bike fitted to us, yet because I'm the same height as my husband (5'9"), it's not a 100% fit. We'd have to buy a custom bike to get the perfect fit for us both. So, when I get my single, I'll know what it's "really" supposed to feel like.

My husband said if you ride often, it should only take a week or two for the majority of the discomfort to go away. What do you guys think? I'm also trying to decide what saddle to get for my new bike, which makes it difficult when I'm already sore to begin with! My husband loves his new Fizik saddle, with no cut out. I tried it breifly around the neighborhood and think I may want a women's version of the same thing.

Anyways, any thought are appreciated.

[mimitabby]

please look for the favorite saddle and hated saddle thrreads.

If you find a saddle that works for you it might take a week.. .but, if you're used to riding 5 miles at a time and you jump to 50, you're going to be sore
probably.

it's not that simple. But if all other parts of you are doing okay, you either need a different saddle (what is it?)
or you need to get it repositioned.
good luck

[Jiffer]

Thank you for your reply. My saddle is a Sella Italia Lady Trans Am.

We decided not to go for that 40 mile ride this morning, or any ride for that matter. My husband decided I probably needed a longer break to allow my "parts" to heal! :) We went for three back to back rides this week and took a break yesterday, but decided it wasn't enough of a break. Plus, he's exhausted from a ton or riding he did in addition to what he did with me and he has a race tomorrow.

He put his Fizik saddle, which he loves, on the back of the tandem and we rode around the neighborhood for a bit to see if it seemed better for me. I could definitely see how having the cutout would be a good thing, yet it wasn't a very fair comparison since I'm so sore already. He didn't bother repositioning it. I just need to heal and ride more and see if my issues go away. We're doing a mellow ride with the kids on Mother's Day. We'll see how that goes.