how long to "wear in" a new bike? (aka Help the saddle is hurting my girly bits!)

Hello all,

I just got a new road bike a few days ago and wondered how long it would take to "wear in". Whether it's the saddle wearing in or my body (particularly sit bones) adjusting. Does this "wearing in" happen?

Basically, the saddle is hitting/mashing the girly bits in the front. I did some research on the forums but thought I should get more detail before making saddle adjustments or buying a new saddle.

I noticed this pain when I first rode the bike, so I asked the guy at the LBS if I should tilt the saddle down, and he said no (for various reasons that I forget). He did a fitting on me and said everything looked good. So I thought, ok, let me take a few days. But it has been a few days of pain!

If I sit further back on the saddle, there's less mashing of the girly bits, but requires more balancing of my sit bones on the back part of the saddle. It also feels better if I place my weight on the pedals, but I don't think that's right either. I've tried this both with the bike shorts and with normal shorts, same pain. Also, yesterday after riding a long time, I almost got a blister on my right hand.

Am I just positioned incorrectly? I'm used to a cushy mountain bike saddle, where I sit back, relax, and enjoy the slow ride, so maybe that's the problem.

Your sitbones will toughen up...

However, your girly bits up front are unlikely to... you can tilt the saddle down a little bit, but what that's going to cause is for you to slide forward, then you'll put more weight on your wrists and your wrists may hurt.

I don't know if it'll help a bit to slide your saddle forward on the rails since it sounds like you're sitting a bit forward on it? You do want your weight to rest on your sitbones, and not on your girlie bits.

A saddle with a cut out area in front is best for girlie bits - does your saddle have a cut out?

Blister on hand - are you holding too tight? where are you holding on the bike?

I guess if you post pictures of yourself riding the bike, some of us might try to comment on fit (which you should take with a grain of salt)

Your sit bones will get used to your saddle, but your girly parts never will. You need to adjust the bike fit or switch the saddle to get some comfort.

I don't think the lbs guy should have dismissed you like that. You can try tilting the saddle down just a bit, but you don't want to be sliding forward at all. You can also try moving it forward.

WRT the blister, are you wearing bike gloves?

Good luck.

thanks all... ok...

--Not wearing gloves; are you recommending I do so? I figured the blister was a result of me perhaps not sitting correctly. Or holding on tight to pull me up a bit from the girly pain.

--My saddle is the default one that comes with the Bianchi Dama She. It seems very weirdly shaped, long and thin with a bulb-shape at the back end. (my friend actually said it looks like a torture device). It seems to not have a cut-out, but I don't know what that is. Do you have a picture of a saddle that has a cut-out?

--Yes, I think that's what the LBS guy said -- if I tilt the saddle, more pressure will go to my wrists (which I don't want since I am already showing minor signs of tendonitis from computer work), and I"ll slide forward. So then I was like, ok, let's keep the saddle as is.

I'll try to post a picture, though that might take some time. The bike is http://www.bianchiusa.com/09-bicycle...ix-triple.html and the saddle is a Selle Royal Dardo Lady, whatever that means.

omgggg I want to wear a female version of a jock cup, lolsad. :(

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Originally Posted by aeiea

thanks all... ok...

--Not wearing gloves; are you recommending I do so? I figured the blister was a result of me perhaps not sitting correctly. Or holding on tight to pull me up a bit from the girly pain.

--My saddle is the default one that comes with the Bianchi Dama She. It seems very weirdly shaped, long and thin with a bulb-shape at the back end. (my friend actually said it looks like a torture device). It seems to not have a cut-out, but I don't know what that is. Do you have a picture of a saddle that has a cut-out?

--Yes, I think that's what the LBS guy said -- if I tilt the saddle, more pressure will go to my wrists (which I don't want since I am already showing minor signs of tendonitis from computer work), and I"ll slide forward. So then I was like, ok, let's keep the saddle as is.

I'll try to post a picture, though that might take some time. The bike is http://www.bianchiusa.com/09-bicycle...ix-triple.html and the saddle is a Selle Royal Dardo Lady, whatever that means.

omgggg I want to wear a female version of a jock cup, lolsad. :(

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Your saddle does not have a cutout. It is an unusual shape for a woman's saddle.

I've always had my saddle slightly tipped down without sliding forward, but "slightly" is the important part.

Before you replace your saddle, try sliding it forward; you shouldn't make really big changes all at once, so make only like 1/2 inch changes with a ride inbetween.

I'm having sort of the same problem also, only I tilted my saddle back so I would sit more on my butt, and less pressure on the girly parts. But I have to keep sliding back because I end up too far forward. I need a saddle fitting for sure.

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Originally Posted by Sadie

I'm having sort of the same problem also, only I tilted my saddle back so I would sit more on my butt, and less pressure on the girly parts. But I have to keep sliding back because I end up too far forward. I need a saddle fitting for sure.

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I have a women's specific road bike and the bike shop swapped out the saddle that came with it for another that was more narrow because I was getting saddle sores. I really like the Specialized Jett Saddle 130 mm. In fact, I bought another one for my Bike Friday, a folding bike. You may need to try another saddle if the one you have continues to give you problems.

First, congrats on your new, beautiful bike!

I agree with MDHillSlug about trying to move it forward a tad, maybe. But you might also go to the bike shop and try riding around on other saddles. (Even if it means trying out a different bike). Saddles vary widely, and so do our bodies; what works great for me might not for you. But it's likely you'll find a saddle you love that will fit well.

Good luck and contrats again!

ps. Gloves! Yay for gloves! They really do help.

Gloves are essential for when you are riding 25 mph and somehow fall and wind up skidding on your palms on asphalt. It's instinctual to put your hands out to break your fall, but it's not like falling while walking or even running. At higher speed, you can do horrible damage to your hands and wrists and nerves there, not to mention losing a lot of skin. PLEASE wear gloves- they are very important for safety.

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

Gloves are essential for when you are riding 25 mph and somehow fall and wind up skidding on your palms on asphalt. It's instinctual to put your hands out to break your fall, but it's not like falling while walking or even running. At higher speed, you can do horrible damage to your hands and wrists and nerves there, not to mention losing a lot of skin. PLEASE wear gloves- they are very important for safety.

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+1 - but 15 mph is plenty fast to lose a whole lot of skin. Even if "all" you have is road rash and no permanent damage, losing all the skin off the palms of your hands can keep you from working or doing just about anything for a couple of weeks. The guy who built the frame for my race bike did just that - didn't put his gloves on for just a "little" commute across campus, wound up with both hands in bandages for way too long.


Re: your saddle - search this forum for saddle fitting. You can do a couple of tests at home to figure out how wide a saddle you need and whether you need a cut-out or not (not everyone does, and for those who don't, a cut-out can actually cause problems). There's still quite a bit of trial and error involved in finding your perfect saddle, but you can narrow your search considerably by knowing those two things.

Another thing that can cause you to slide forward on your saddle is having a "pear-shaped" saddle (gradual transition from butt to nose) when you need a more "T-shaped" one (sharp transition). That was my experience anyhow - as I pedaled, my thighs would pull my butt forward to the narrower part of the saddle, because when my legs are extended, I don't have that much space between my thighs. :rolleyes:

My son ended up in ER (my 28 year old son) after a slow mo fall onto his hand off his bike. Nothing heals slower than a palm. He won't ride a bike without gloves, and he's a tough guy.

please get gloves

and as for your saddle, please get it fitted. what helped with MINE was to turn the saddle ever so slightly UP in the front, which keeps me on my sit bones. But if your saddle isn't really supporting you correctly anyway; that might not help.
Good luck; there are lots of better saddles; i ride a brooks.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Another thing that can cause you to slide forward on your saddle is having a "pear-shaped" saddle (gradual transition from butt to nose) when you need a more "T-shaped" one (sharp transition). That was my experience anyhow - as I pedaled, my thighs would pull my butt forward to the narrower part of the saddle, because when my legs are extended, I don't have that much space between my thighs. :rolleyes:

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Ditto this, I had the same problem. And even though I've got a bigger lower body than upper body, until I started biking, I had no idea that my pelvis is actually quite narrow and my sit bones are close together. I need a narrow saddle which is totally counter-intuitive based on my shape. You just never know until you take some measurements!

In addition to the advice given here, there is one more potential issue to think about. If you are finding yourself sitting on the front of your saddle more than back on your sit bones, it may be that your reach to the bars is too long and you instinctively scoot forward to compensate. Soooo many different things come into play when it comes to comfort on a road bike...if one tweak doesn't work, don't give up. You should not have to live with pain (at least, not that kind of pain!). :)

If you think you'd benefit from trying a different saddle, ask the folks you ride with. Before I bought my saddle, I tried several other riders' old saddles. I didn't end up getting any of them, but it did help me figure out what I was looking for in a saddle.

Bikes are sold with the expectation that you will change the saddle... just like pedals, saddle preferences are very individual. So the stock saddles are really cheap - yours retails for $35-40. So at least you don't have to feel like you're chucking away a gold mine. (But it does come as a surprise to have to budget for pedals and saddle... I'm lucky that the Bianchi stock saddle worked fine for me until about 50 miles, so I didn't need to look for a saddle for quite awhile).

Unfortunately this is a real trial and error experience. If the saddle company doesn't have a return policy (i.e. Bontrager) the lbs may. Also, is there more than the lbs you purchased from nearby? I'd be hesitant to go back to where I had been dismissed.
I was having a similar problem and went for a fitting yesterday. The lbs guy made several adjustments. They included moving the seat forward, tilting the nose down a tiny bit and a shorter stem. A question he asked was did the pressure get worse when in the drops or on the hoods than upright on the bars? If so it may be more of a distance problem than a saddle problem. Have yet to ride any distance with the changes, but I'm hopeful.

Different saddles can completely change the way you sit on the bike. I'm experiencing this right now even with a saddle that's pretty similar to my old one. So IMO there's not a lot of point to a detailed fitting until you find a saddle that's at least close enough to live with for a while.

Thanks for the advice all! I made a few adjustments based on your recommendations and it's better. Not perfect, but better.

One thing, though, is that someone passed by on his bike and said my bike seat seems pretty low. I told him that's the highest it could go where my toes could still reach the ground (I'm short and my legs are short). He seemed doubtful. Could seat height be affecting my hurty parts?

I really want to be able to stop and have at least my toes touch the ground. If I raise the seat higher, I think I'd get nervous.

Eventually, you'll want to raise your seat because riding with a low seat causes all sorts of problem--particularly knees, although I can see how the girlie bits might also be taking alot more weight that need be.

You might really want to consider getting a professional bike fit. You won't be able to touch the ground with your toes while seated--that's not a proper fit. But you won't learn how to ride a bike properly if you don't get your toes off the ground!

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Originally Posted by tulip

Eventually, you'll want to raise your seat because riding with a low seat causes all sorts of problem--particularly knees, although I can see how the girlie bits might also be taking alot more weight that need be.

You might really want to consider getting a professional bike fit. You won't be able to touch the ground with your toes while seated--that's not a proper fit. But you won't learn how to ride a bike properly if you don't get your toes off the ground!

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I had it fit at the LBS when I got the bike (he spent about 20 minutes and said it looked like a good fit after minor adjustments), and the guy there said I could get more custom fit done -- but I figured I wanted some time with the bike first before I pull out the wallet.

Question -- so my toes shouldn't be able to touch the ground when I'm on the seat? They currently barely touch the ground, but I feel safer when coming to stops (which I will be doing a lot due to work commute). I brake, lean to one side (so that most of my foot is on the ground), and push off when it's green.

I worry that the process of getting off the seat (so I'm straddling that pole between the seat and the handlebars) takes more energy for stopping/starting (and I will be stopping a lot on the 18 mile commute through regular LA streets) than just being able to reach the ground and leaning to one side. However, I don't want to cause other problems, especially knee problems! I really just don't know what most people have when it comes to road bikes -- are most people really unable to touch the ground with their toes when they're seated?

On any bike... proper saddle height is when you're sitting in the saddle, your leg should be fully extended with a very slight bend to it (knees not locked) when your foot is on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke...

So basically, no, you shouldn't be able to reach the ground at all when you're up in the saddle... If your seat is too low, you're doing waaaay too much work to keep moving, and you probably are stressing your knees... If my saddle's too low, I definitely feel it in my knees.

Try inching your saddle up like 1/4 of an inch to 1/2 an inch at a time... Till you get it up to the proper height.

It really isn't a problem starting & stopping and not being able to reach the ground... all of us do it & a lot of us do it while using clipped in pedals, mountain bikers do it... you just naturally just lean your bike and stop. and as you get more familiar with biking... you may be doing more track stands or just pausing instead of actually putting your feet down when you stop.


One thing that I do sometimes when stopping in traffic... is if there's a curb, I'll rest my foot on that instead of leaning the bike.

This is actually kinda a pet peeve of mine... I'll ride on a multi use path or a bike path, and probably 80-90% of the women I pass have their seats too low... little girls included. Quite often you'll see a guy riding with his wife or gf - his seat is at the proper height, hers is too low and she's strugglign to keep up... I'd say probably about 40-50% of guys will have their seats too low.

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Originally Posted by Catriona

So basically, no, you shouldn't be able to reach the ground at all when you're up in the saddle... If your seat is too low, you're doing waaaay too much work to keep moving, and you probably are stressing your knees... If my saddle's too low, I definitely feel it in my knees.

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Thanks so much for this. So basically, if there's no curb to stand on and I can't track stand, do I need to hop off the seat and straddle the frame when I come to a stop, or can I avoid doing this?

Basically, I read somewhere that people should have 1-2 inches of clearance between the straddled frame (wish I knew the actual term) and their ... sensitive area (is crotch the right word?)... but i am right on top of it. I guess this has been the other deterrent for me getting off my seat. I got the smallest frame available though, so I am a bit worried.

Ugh... but as you mentioned, there are other ways to stop (I've been mountain biking it for awhile before I got my road bike so I can apply some of those tricks, but I guess my seat was too low there too) ... I just don't know which method is the safest and least energy consuming -- both elements I'm most concerned about when it comes to commuting in LA traffic.

Basically I don't want to fall from stopping and get hit by an LA driver. I see what they do in their cars... text message... apply makeup... scream at their agents... etc.

Top tube clearance is important on a MTB because you could be putting your feet down suddenly on very uneven surfaces. On the road, if there's a pothole on one side, you can pull up, or put your other foot down. And for obvious reasons it's more important for men than for women. Basically, for a woman, if there's any clearance at all between the top tube and your pubic bone, you're perfectly safe, and lots of riders don't even have that. If you don't have clearance, but the bike fits you otherwise, just learn to lean it a little bit more.

Putting your right foot on the curb is a common habit, but it's a pretty unsafe practice when you're in an urban area. You're way too far to the right. Also, if you have a fear of falling, you're much more likely to fall when you're perched like that.

Even with proper saddle height, you should be able to stay on the saddle when coming to a stop, and lean to one side and still get a toe down. I often do this while keeping the foot of the dominant leg on the pedal ready to push off from.

(don't try with clippless pedals/road biking shoes, as you will damage the cleats and possibly slip - in that case, get off the saddle and get a heel down).

If you feel unsteady with only a toe down, apply the brakes while stopped. This will prevent the bike from feeling like it will get away from you, and will allow you to put a little more weight on that upward facing pedal without actually moving forward. This in turn will in turn help you with balance and with pushing off once it's time to go.

I don't advocate stopping on a curb to get the whole foot down, because you won't always have a curb. Ultimately you need to get used to stopping anywhere at a moment's notice. Anyway, once you get used to stopping without a curb, stopping by putting a foot on a curb will likely feel really awkward (at least it does for me).

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Top tube clearance is important on a MTB because you could be putting your feet down suddenly on very uneven surfaces. On the road, if there's a pothole on one side, you can pull up, or put your other foot down. And for obvious reasons it's more important for men than for women. Basically, for a woman, if there's any clearance at all between the top tube and your pubic bone, you're perfectly safe, and lots of riders don't even have that. If you don't have clearance, but the bike fits you otherwise, just learn to lean it a little bit more.

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I disagree. Aeiea--when you straddle your bike with both feet on the ground, there is no clearance between you and the top tube? If there is no clearance, that bike shop sold you a bike that's too big. Yes, you can learn to adapt like Oakleaf and other suggest, but I'd be pretty peeved at the bike shop.

Getting yourself off the seat at lights does not take any more energy. You do need to get comfortable with handling the bike, though. It will take practice and some time. Gradually raise your seat while getting used to taking your bum off the saddle at stops and leaning the bike. You can leave one foot on the pedal, by the way.

Good for you for commuting by bike in LA! I don't think of LA as a bike-friendly place (but I've only been there once so what do I know).

Yes, you need a bit more clearance at the top tube. A lot of us are shorter; we are standing pretty close to the top tube; but really, you should be able to stand comfortably flat footed over that top tube.
THe only time it's a good idea to be able to put your feet both down from the saddle is when you are learning to ride a bike!

good luck

I just barely have clearance over most of my bikes. I can stand comfortably over them in bike shoes, but it's still touching or less than an inch. (obviously I have a lot more clearance over my mountain bike). I'm 5'1.

I haven't had any problems with the lack of or minimal standover height, and haven't "racked" myself yet - I just find that with my body proportions, the best way to get a bike that fits me (long top tube, 73 degree seat angle), is to get the biggest frame that I can buy that fits. Smaller frames tend to have shorter top tubes, 75 degree seat angles, lots of toe overlap, and I end up hating them.

Now, one day if I go custom, I'll probably get a bike with more standover height... But till then, standover height is not that big a deal. If you look at rivendell's website, for whatever it's worth, they call standover height the distance up to your pubic bones and don't count all the fleshy pieces in between. and pretty much say if your pubic bones clear, that's fine. Obviously, lots of people disagree with that.

Yay, this has been super educational. I had absolutely no idea that flat-footed from the saddle is incorrect on a road bike until now. I will raise the seat and practice the toe stop. Glad to hear about the pubic bone vs the fleshy parts controversy; that's a good enough argument for me to not give up.

I stand comfortably over the top tube (there's a tiny bit of clearance but I haven't measured, probably less than half an inch). Basically if I bend my knees, my bike and I get intimate. :eek:

Besides biking, I think I'm just going to invest in some ballet classes and do more yoga. Looks like the lean-toe-stopping and dismounting are going to require more balance and flexibility so I can feel 100% comfortable.

Thanks everyone for helping me become comfortable with this and possibly saving me from many falls in front of angry LA drivers. I don't think I'd feel comfortable asking these questions with guys at the LBS (there's one female who works there but I never seem to catch her anymore).

Just checked a couple of my bikes - my smallest "road" bike that I commute on, I can barely clear flatfooted barefoot. I still touch the top tube, and I think that's a 43 cm surly frame. Obviously, with shoes on, I do better.

My litespeed, I don't clear barefoot. Stick me in shoes and I think I'd just barely touch the top tube.

If I was a guy, I might be in trouble.

Catriona, which bikes have you been riding barefoot? :cool::eek:

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

Catriona, which bikes have you been riding barefoot? :cool::eek:

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none :) but I thought I saw someone said you have to be barefoot flat footed.

But maybe I just saw flatfooted.

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

Catriona, which bikes have you been riding barefoot? :cool::eek:

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Co-ed naked cycling at the nearby nude beach?

Listened to the various advice of people here... adjusted the seat (mostly raised it), figured out how to balance myself when stopping and dismounting.

It worked!!!!

Girly bits no more pain.
Knee no more pain.
Fear of falling from stopping gone.

And of course I feel more confident playing around with the adjustments now.

Thanks everyone!

Yay! :)

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Originally Posted by aeiea

Listened to the various advice of people here... adjusted the seat (mostly raised it), figured out how to balance myself when stopping and dismounting.

It worked!!!!

Girly bits no more pain.
Knee no more pain.
Fear of falling from stopping gone.

And of course I feel more confident playing around with the adjustments now.

Thanks everyone!

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That's Awesome, Aeiea. You got over your seat level hangsups really quickly!


Now what I'm curious about is - how the heck could a bike shop guy have sold you a bianchi and done a quick fitting or whatever on you - and let you leave with too low of a seat? Did you tell him you wanted to be able to touch the ground or did he just set it up that was to begin with?

'cause I can see someone selling a walmart bike or a beach cruiser and not bothering to set the seat at the right height, but it sounds like you bought a fairly serious road bike...

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Originally Posted by Catriona

Now what I'm curious about is - how the heck could a bike shop guy have sold you a bianchi and done a quick fitting or whatever on you - and let you leave with too low of a seat? Did you tell him you wanted to be able to touch the ground or did he just set it up that was to begin with?

'cause I can see someone selling a walmart bike or a beach cruiser and not bothering to set the seat at the right height, but it sounds like you bought a fairly serious road bike...

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Yea, I'm curious too. I'm hoping he was just trying to have me feel comfortable. He did show me how to adjust the seat, but didn't tell me that most people are higher off the ground than I am.

He did something similar with pedal choice, saying "You'll probably want to get used to the bike first before going clipless".

He was super nice, especially compared to the attitudes I got at other LBSs, so I don't know what he was thinking. He's the owner of the store, had been in the business for awhile, and rode a few AIDS Lifecycles (and gives large discounts to people who go to lifecycle), so as a result I didn't question anything he had told me.

But now I'll go back to my usual "question everything" self :)