Saddle Sore Help!

Greetings, I have perused the saddle threads and have not quite found my problem, or perhaps, solution. I had a saddle that worked great except for the soft tissue area - my private parts screamed if I rode 40+ miles. I switched to a Terry Race Liberator which completely solved that problem and is perfect for my sit bones (it's 10.5 L x 5.8 W) BUT, a new problem was created and the longer I ride the worse it is getting - pain, saddle sores and chafing on the inner thigh - where the legs meet the groin. I use bag balm but, while it helps, it is no cure. As much as I otherwise like this saddle, I think I need to change before I do a 300 mile ride in mid-July because by day 2 of long event riding, my groin does not want to get back in that saddle.

Fizik's Vitesse seems like a possible solution, but without the cut-out I am concerned my first problem would return. I looked at the Selle SM Glamour, but from what I've read, chafing would probably not be solved. Thoughts? Suggestions? Another Terry I should try??? Please help!

Are you wearing shorts with chamois? You never mentioned.

Yes. I usually wear PI's and they have never been a source of this problem with other saddles so I tend to believe it's the saddle.

I was experiencing the same as you. Same shorts even. I researched what the "long distance" riders where using (cuz someday I wanna be a long distance rider) and this one kept popping up. I found my perfect saddle. The Selle An-atomica.http://www.selleanatomica.com/

I also found that wearing bibs with a thinner chamois is the way to go for me. I had 4 pairs of PI's and have been getting rid of them slowly. The cool thing about this saddle is its adjustability. My hubby rides on one also and has his set much different from mine. We like them. Good luck.

Brenda

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Originally Posted by motochick

I was experiencing the same as you. Same shorts even. I researched what the "long distance" riders where using (cuz someday I wanna be a long distance rider) and this one kept popping up. I found my perfect saddle. The Selle An-atomica.http://www.selleanatomica.com/

I also found that wearing bibs with a thinner chamois is the way to go for me. I had 4 pairs of PI's and have been getting rid of them slowly. The cool thing about this saddle is its adjustability. My hubby rides on one also and has his set much different from mine. We like them. Good luck.

Brenda

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Thanks for the link! That's what I want to be, too, a long-distance rider. :)

++1 for Selle An Atomicas! I have them on both my bikes now (one red, one gloden brown). I had the same issue as you with a Terry saddle. I think it was too wide in the nose, which caused a blood blister after long rides.

I'm also finding a thinner chamois is best with them, but nothing I wear doesn't work. My worst problem is with sliding around if the fabric is too slippery/shiny. Today I rode to the beach in street shorts over my bathing suit, and it was still good! These saddles are so well designed, and they look great.

The Liberator is very pear-shaped. It could be you need a more T-shaped saddle. I'm happy with my T-shaped Specialized Lithia, which comes in three different widths; the 143 should be comparable in width to the Liberator.

I was having both problems you described, and have a Vitesse HP now (since about the middle of last summer), and so far it is by far the best. The nose is narrow enough that I have absolutely no chafing where you describe. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep it on my road bike (although I am toying with the idea of the tri version). I was having a lot of soft tissue trouble in the drops and aero bars, and tilted it down in front (which helped some) - but I had a fitting 2 weekends ago, raising the seat and the bars, flattening the saddle, and shortening the stem, and it is much better now. The whole bike is more comfortable now. I was reaching too far.

I thought I would like the cutout, but it didn't help much on the Terry models, and the Serfas Terrazzo on my touring bike is no more comfortable than the Vitesse, even with the cutout. I actually liked the WTB Silverado a lot, but the thigh chafing was a little bit of problem. All the WTB saddles have a channel, rather than a cutout, which I liked a lot. Just enough to ease the pressure.

You may like the Vitesse - like I said, it doesn't "disappear" for me, but it's as close as it comes. And I love the way it looks (after all, isn't the most important thing how fast your bike looks??:D). Anyway, it's small, light, fast looking, not overly padded, but has padding in the right places. For me, it's just been a matter of getting my bike fitted, and getting the saddle flat. Now that I'm not squirming to keep from sliding forward, everything is better.

I've never tried the An-Atomica - actually, it looks like a torture device to me, but a lot of people like it. Sounds like it's worth a try.

By the way - the Vitesse (and the Terry Xero X) helped me to find those pesky seams in my PI shorts! Not terrible, but I'm aware of them. My Nikes are great (even though the chamois is quite wide), my Descentes are great. I have to break down and try my tri shorts again (last year it didn't go so well :()

+1 on the Fizik Vitesse. I had the one with the Ti rails back when I had my MTB. Loved it! It fit my sit bones awesome without being too small and it really let me work my bike into turns and such. It was just wide enough that I could grab the nose between my thighs when standing and if I needed to grunt up a hill I could uh, no delicate way to put this but I climbed with my saddle pretty much in my butt because put my legs in a nice, powerful position. I'm actually shopping for one right now.

I had chafing issues similar to yours. The Aspide Glamour solved it completely. And as long as I keep my sitz bones on the saddle in the right spot, I don't get any numbness, either.

Couple other things I do to prevent chafing:
I avoid overly padded shorts, which tend to bunch up and provide material for chafing.

I load up on chamois butter; I use a home made mix in a base of Vaseline. Yep, it's a bit messy, but on longer rides totally worth it.

Thanks for all the responses so far. The Selle An-Atomica seems to have a lot of fans, though I have to agree that it does resemble a medieval torture devise. I am wondering if it might be too wide for me though (and thus, not solve my problem) as my current seat is 147 mm wide and it fits the sit bones great?

I may take a look at the Fizik, perhaps give it a trial run, but I just think no cut-out will not work well for me. Any other thoughts on the Selle SM Aspide Glamour? It has a fan here, and it won Bicycling Mag's Editor's Choice award a few years ago, but I have come across several negative responses in other forums particularly on the chafing issue.

I have another long ride coming up this weekend and right now I can't imagine getting back in that saddle since I am still sore from the 150 miles this past weekend. For a hopeful temporary fix I may run down to the LBS and pick up the Specialized Jett to slap on for this weekend, but many negative comments about the Jett and your sit bones likely means that I will be returning it w/in the 30 days while trying to find the "right" solution.

There is a version of the Aspide Glamour with a cut-out, the Arrowhead. There are actually two versions, one is wider in the back than the other.

A friend had the Tri version (padded nose) of the Aspide Glamour and it did not work for her.

Competitive Cyclist offers a deal where you can rent something like 10 of their most popular saddles to try out. Unfortunately, they are all men's saddles. We need a site that would do that with women's saddles!

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Originally Posted by ilima

There is a version of the Aspide Glamour with a cut-out, the Arrowhead. There are actually two versions, one is wider in the back than the other.

A friend had the Tri version (padded nose) of the Aspide Glamour and it did not work for her.

Competitive Cyclist offers a deal where you can rent something like 10 of their most popular saddles to try out. Unfortunately, they are all men's saddles. We need a site that would do that with women's saddles!

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that would be so awesome. i wonder if TE could be convinced...

I was having exactly the same problem. Now I use a combo of the Lithia (130), the Shebeest short with the century stretch chamois, and 'homemade' chamois cream (à la Keith Bontrager). All three go together to literally save my hide, but I think the new saddle made the biggest difference.

I had to take pretty extreme measures because I'd so abruptly increased my saddle time, and couldn't take time off. But the big race is this weekend, and after that I'm looking forward to maybe going on some rides without the 'cream', and maybe with a thinner chamois. Can't wait!

I'd LOVE that, and would definitely take that option. It would be a great chance to try out some saddles that I can't find around here, and save me the potential hastle of trying to return a 'lightly used' saddle after trying it out.

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Originally Posted by Norsegoddess

Thanks for all the responses so far. The Selle An-Atomica seems to have a lot of fans, though I have to agree that it does resemble a medieval torture devise. I am wondering if it might be too wide for me though (and thus, not solve my problem) as my current seat is 147 mm wide and it fits the sit bones great?

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The saddle is kind of flexible, so I don't think it will be too wide. Another great thing about it is it comes with a detailed manual about how it should be adjusted, including how to determine height, fore/aft, tilt, rotation and tension.

As for it looking like a torture device....well, I guess what you're visualizing is an actual possiblity. Someone on this forum had one close up on her (ouch). Mine have been awesome, so when I look at them, I see nothing but miles of comfort.

Just a quick note to remind folks that Wallingford Bicycle Parts gives you six months to try saddles. www.wallbike.com

I went to a local Specialized bike shop and sat on their butt-o-meter - I came in at about 150. The bike shop guy thought this put me in between a 143 and 155 and for the type of riding I do, thought the 143 would work best. Took home a 143 Jett and tried it. Not! It only worked when I was in the drops. On the hoods, my sit bones rolled off the edge - not comfy at all. Took it back and exchanged it for the 155 Jett. Seemed to do ok on a short 1 hour spin. The next day I did a 60-mile group ride. Quite hard on the sit bones, but ... no chafing! No saddle sores and no pain to the soft tissue either. I mostly noticed the saddle's presence the first few minutes after getting back on the bike, or when I would scoot my butt back, otherwise, it really was not noticeable. I think I will still try the Glamour Aspide and/or Selle An-Atomica just to see if one of those provides total comfort, but the Jett may be the one for me.