teresal
05-09-2011, 12:28 PM
For the last two years I’ve struggled to achieve a pain-free ride on my road bike. After 20 miles the pain normally starts to set in – so I’ve ridden the last 30 or 40 miles in pain, trying to stand out of the saddle as much as possible! Not good, I can tell you!
Anyway, I'm finally pleased to say that after 6 saddles, 8 shorts and various chamois creams later, I’ve eventually found the right combination that suits me. The frustrating thing about the whole situation is that I think it was all down to the fact my riding position was too aggressive. This meant my handle-bars were approx 4.5 cm lower than my saddle, resulting in leaning forward too much and putting the extra pressure on the front soft tissue area. Now my stem has been flipped over and my stance is only about 2.5cm lower. This coupled with the ‘Fizik Ladies Vesta’ saddle (this has a channel down the middle with no seams which helps to alleviate pressure) and good quality chamois cream (I've just started using ‘Hoo Ha Ride Glide’) – I’ve been enjoying pain-free rides with various shorts! Aggressive positions are great if you’re a racer but I’m not! I like the speed of my road bike but in truth I enjoy a moderate average pace of 15-16mph during a sportive or rides with friends and my family. If I want to feel a little more "aggressive" and get some speed up, I simply use the drops instead.
Ladies tend to suffer more when trying to find the right seating position, simply due to the fact that we sit on our ‘bits’ and in general, men don’t! Everyone is different down below and your best combination is bound to be different to mine; however, I wish someone had told me a couple of years ago to double-check my riding position properly with an expert. So, if you are still struggling with pain, find a good cycle shop and ask them to arrange for you to set up your bike on their turbo-trainer and check your riding position. Then you can make the necessary tweaks to get the best position to suit you… This can help to eradicate neck pain, wrist pain and of course the old saddle sore!
Good luck!
Anyway, I'm finally pleased to say that after 6 saddles, 8 shorts and various chamois creams later, I’ve eventually found the right combination that suits me. The frustrating thing about the whole situation is that I think it was all down to the fact my riding position was too aggressive. This meant my handle-bars were approx 4.5 cm lower than my saddle, resulting in leaning forward too much and putting the extra pressure on the front soft tissue area. Now my stem has been flipped over and my stance is only about 2.5cm lower. This coupled with the ‘Fizik Ladies Vesta’ saddle (this has a channel down the middle with no seams which helps to alleviate pressure) and good quality chamois cream (I've just started using ‘Hoo Ha Ride Glide’) – I’ve been enjoying pain-free rides with various shorts! Aggressive positions are great if you’re a racer but I’m not! I like the speed of my road bike but in truth I enjoy a moderate average pace of 15-16mph during a sportive or rides with friends and my family. If I want to feel a little more "aggressive" and get some speed up, I simply use the drops instead.
Ladies tend to suffer more when trying to find the right seating position, simply due to the fact that we sit on our ‘bits’ and in general, men don’t! Everyone is different down below and your best combination is bound to be different to mine; however, I wish someone had told me a couple of years ago to double-check my riding position properly with an expert. So, if you are still struggling with pain, find a good cycle shop and ask them to arrange for you to set up your bike on their turbo-trainer and check your riding position. Then you can make the necessary tweaks to get the best position to suit you… This can help to eradicate neck pain, wrist pain and of course the old saddle sore!
Good luck!