Do I need more t-shaped??

[jenniferh]

I currently ride a Specialized lithia gel in a 155mm. I had the butt-o-meter fit and that's the size it said. I also feel like my sit bones are nicely supported. I have no girly bit squish problems, but there is something going on and I need help.

For 10-20mi rides I am super comfy. Longer 50-60mi rides and I experience chaffing on the inner thigh at the bikini line towards the back. I feel lit mostly when I am sitting in the normal position on on the saddle. When I scoot really far back on the saddle the chaffing stops, but then the pressure on where my legs meet my pelvis gets uncomfortable.

So does that mean I need a saddle that is more t-shaped? I'm not sure what saddles I should be looking at? Any suggestions?

[jenniferh]

Which measurements did I forget?

[OakLeaf]

There aren't too many saddles more T-shaped than Spec'.

Brooks and Selle-Anatomica tensioned leather saddles are a possibility. Wallingford Bike has a very generous trial policy on Brooks saddles, if you think you might want to try one.

The saddle I've been coveting but have never seen IRL to verify that it's truly more T-shaped than my Jett is the Selle Italia Turbomatic.

I'm not exactly sure of what you're describing though, specifically the part about scooting back.

[jenniferh]

When I start feeling the burn of chaffing I will scoot back about an inch or more on my saddle so my butt kind of hangs off the end. It makes pedaling feel a little weird so I don't stay that way for long, but it makes the top of my inner thigh be on top of the saddle and stops the rub for a bit.

[KnottedYet]

I experience chaffing on the inner thigh at the bikini line towards the back.

Pretty much the classic sign of a saddle with too gradual a transition zone from nose to sits for the particular angle of your hip joints.

A more T-shaped saddle would probably help. Look for a narrower nose, that might help.

Width at the sit-bones doesn't cause chafing (since nothing is moving there) but wider saddles sometimes have correspondingly wider noses and so more gradual transitions.

Transitions are where things move.

Transitions chafe.

[KnottedYet]

So when someone chafes on a larger saddle, it is because the nose is also wide. Right?

Either the nose is too wide (creating a too-gradual transition) or the saddle is too pear shaped (creating a too-gradual transition) for a person's hip joint orientation.

Super mushy saddles can bulge out into the path of the thigh as well (creating yet another too-gradual transition).

Or all of the above.

It's all about the parts of the saddle in FRONT of the sit bones getting in the way of the thigh during hip extension.

And it's different for everyone. One person's saddle of misery is another person's favorite. It's all anatomy! Every tushie is unique... :p

[jusdooit]

Thank you for these posts. I have been experincing issues and thought it was because of the transition area being too wide. Now I know that's the problem, just need a solution.

[malkin]

Transitions chafe.

Brilliant!