How, exactly, do we develop bike butt?

[zoom-zoom]

I know that with time and consistenty miles every rider becomes more comfortable in the saddle (assuming their saddle is a good fit for their body), but how does this happen? I asked DH and he wasn't really sure how/why this happens. Is it simply a matter of nerves giving up complaining? Or do we develop calluses or bursas or something?

[nolemom]

Don't know the answer to this one but it does happen. As I have gotten comfortable riding 70+ miles on the bike for days in a row, I have noticed something odd. I can no longer sit comfortably in a movie theater or car for extended time. I think in my case it is due to the loss of padding on my backside.

[zoom-zoom]

Ooh, I hope I can lose some padding on my own backside...and frontside, and sideside!

[beccaB]

For us, we had to just keep riding through the discomfort. There is a distinction between discomfort and pain. During the end of a century ride the snack stops are welcomed because we need to give the butt a rest by that time.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If your weight is properly born by mostly your two sitbones, then they will adjust to the additional pressure after a couple weeks of steady riding. Sitbone soreness is expected at first, just like when you ride a horse for the first few times.

If, however, if the pain or numbness comes from your soft tissues or your 'girl parts', then those parts will NOT adjust well and riding through the pain can damage your nerves over time. If pain/burning etc continues in your soft parts or in the front area, then you need to change something.

[zoom-zoom]

If your weight is properly born by mostly your two sitbones, then they will adjust to the additional pressure after a couple weeks of steady riding. Sitbone soreness is expected at first, just like when you ride a horse for the first few times.

If, however, if the pain or numbness comes from your soft tissues or your 'girl parts', then those parts will NOT adjust well and riding through the pain can damage your nerves over time. If pain/burning etc continues in your soft parts or in the front area, then you need to change something.

DH could never understand why I loathed my clunky Schwinn mtn. bike, aside from the fact that it weighted a ton and was slow.

I kept telling him that no matter the seat/seat position my girl bits went numb and were in serious pain within a half mile. He thought I was pulling his leg.

Yesterday we did 30 miles on my new road bike (with new wider, firmer saddle than what came on the bike) and I had little more than mild discomfort. We probably need to tip my saddle back just a hair, since I had some issues with sliding forward, but other than that my butt was pretty happy and doesn't hurt today.

It's still a mystery how cyclists' butts adapt to riding. It's not like it's muscles that are being strengthened. The mechanism behind adapting to a bike saddle simply with riding over time still seems perplexing.

DH's theory is that as a cyclist gets stronger they put more of their weight on their legs and less on their rear-end...is that a logical theory?

I think the biggest issue with my mountain bike was that it was poorly fit (a teenage kid sold us the bike...reputable shop, but we should have had the kid's dad do the fitting). I should have had a size smaller. No saddle would help with that.

[Juliegoddess]

If your weight is properly born by mostly your two sitbones, then they will adjust to the additional pressure after a couple weeks of steady riding. Sitbone soreness is expected at first, just like when you ride a horse for the first few times.

If, however, if the pain or numbness comes from your soft tissues or your 'girl parts', then those parts will NOT adjust well and riding through the pain can damage your nerves over time. If pain/burning etc continues in your soft parts or in the front area, then you need to change something.

I'm terribly afraid of this! My saddle is not fitting me well at all, and I'm having numbness in my "girly-parts" that is actually affecting my sex life! I'm quite worried about permanent damage. I won't be able to get my new road bike until spring, and my saddle right now is the Terry Cite X. My sit bones sit well on it, but it crushes everything else in front. It's cut out for women, but that doesn't seem to make any difference at all...GH...