Saddle too wide?

[Ritamarie]

I've seen many, many discussions here and elsewhere about saddles being too narrow, but has anyone had an experience with a saddle being too wide?

I have a Fizik Vitesse on my road bike and love it. It's not nearly as wide as the Terry Rosie I put on my Cross Check, but I thought with a more upright position (I have straight bars on the CC) I would want a wider saddle. I got my Cross Check on November 1st and started having a problem with my right hip by about December 1. I rode the Cross Check all winter and have noticed that on each down stroke the upper inside of my thigh comes in contact with the wide part of the saddle. hmmmm....

I've stayed off the CC for the past few weeks, have done lots of stretching and am back on my road bike. The hip problem seems to be resolving. A 63 mile road ride yesterday and no pain whatsoever today. hmmmm...

I love that comfy Rosie saddle, but maybe it's too wide for me? I could also have something else set up not quite right with the CC, but I am suspecting the saddle.

Ideas?

[KnottedYet]

Terry saddles are unfortunately on the pear-side of the Pear-T continuum.

It could be that you are hitting the transition from the sit to the nose. Action of the hip joint occurs in that vital transition, and if a saddle is too pear shaped for the angle of your femur you will have trouble. (the ishial tuberosities are what "sit" on the saddle. The saddle could be 3 feet wide and you should still be comfortable as the tuberosities are out of the zone of femoral motion)

It could also be that the saddle is set too far forward for where your body wants to place the ischial tuberosities relative to the pedals, and you are smacking into the sit of the saddle.

If you have had chafing in the crease of the bottom of your butt (where your butt meets the leg, or the "panty line" zone) I'd lean toward the idea that the Terry is too pear shaped for your particular hip angle.

If you haven't noticed chafing, and you otherwise love the saddle, I'd try moving it backwards a scootch.

Depending on the angle of your pubic rami, you may or may not need a wider saddle for the more upright position. If all else fails, put the Fizik on the Cross Check and see how it goes.

[Ritamarie]

If you have had chafing in the crease of the bottom of your butt (where your butt meets the leg, or the "panty line" zone) I'd lean toward the idea that the Terry is too pear shaped for your particular hip angle.

Wow, good info... just what I needed to know. I did indeed have some chafing at that spot on one particularly long ride on the CC, which was odd because I never get chafing. It only happened the one time, but I don't usually do long rides on the CC.

I'm going to stay off the CC for awhile to see if I heal up completely. Then I'll give it a try with the Fizik.

Thanks Knotted!

[zoom-zoom]

I had this very issue with a SI Lady Gel Flow. Replaced it with a more narrow and t-shaped Specialized Jett and all the issues are gone.

[Ritamarie]

Knotted,

On my last ride on the CC, I was paying attention to this and could swear I could feel a "click" near the bottom of each stroke on the inside of my upper thigh (not an audible click, but I could feel the click if that makes sense). Could this be the ishial tuberosities hitting with each stroke?

[KnottedYet]

Knotted,

On my last ride on the CC, I was paying attention to this and could swear I could feel a "click" near the bottom of each stroke on the inside of my upper thigh (not an audible click, but I could feel the click if that makes sense). Could this be the ishial tuberosities hitting with each stroke?

No, the ischial tuberosities of the pelvis are planted on the saddle. They aren't hitting anything and nothing hits them. They really are removed from the action.

The click you felt was likely the hip joint itself being pried outwards a bit as your inner thigh collided with the transition zone of the saddle at the bottom of the stroke, or the hip joint compensating for something funky being forced onto it by the interaction of your thighs and the saddle.

Somewhere around here is a thread about hip stabilization exercises, with some links to a great video. If your hip is clicking you may need to firm up the "rotator cuff" of the hip so nothing gives when it isn't supposed to. If saddle changes and basic exercises for the hip rotators and stabilizers don't help, I'd highly recommend finding a sports med physical therapist who can treat your hip and assess you on the bike.

Edit To Add: take a peek at the free video linked in this thread: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=36364&highlight=stabilization

[Ritamarie]

Thanks Knotted and Zoom, great info. I compared my Fizik to the Rosie today. Both of my bikes were hanging upside down from the ceiling when I looked at them so I didn't get a good measurement, but it looked like the Rosie is a good 1-1/2 to 2 inches wider at the transition from the sit to the nose. Wow! I did a tough 26 mile hill ride today on my road bike (with the Fizik) and had no problems.

I was so upset since my dad started with hip problems at about my age and eventually had a hip replacement. I thought I was heading down the same path. But it just didn't make sense that it went from nothing to pretty severe pain and stiffness very quickly.

Just amazing how fit affects so much.