Jett 130 and Zero and sit bone LUMP

[maillotpois]

I'm trying the Jett 130. Today was my first ride. I think it's going to be good, but I have a really strange problem that I fear no saddle will solve.

I loved my Terry Zero Y until this year, when somehow it gave me a really bad "issue" in my left sit bone, starting after my 400k. It's almost like there's a big lump right on the bone. I can feel it with my hand. Starting this year, I had felt that the Zero might be a bit wide and it was almost like it was cutting off circulation down my left leg. Mind you I did a 600k and what, 6 double centuries on that saddle over the last couple of years and never had a problem til this year. (Maybe my pelvis readjusted itself in the 6 months I was off the bike last year?)

So on a MTB trip in Oregon I bought a Specialized Alias 130 out of desperation (new bike and the stock saddle didn't have a cutout which I now know is essential for me). I loved it! The Alias is a great saddle. And when I saw they made the women's (Jett) in a 130 I decided to give it a try. I notice the Alias/Jett don't "flare out" at the side the way the Zero does. Even the Zero is a fairly narrow saddle, it is effectively wider because of the flare at the end/sides.

But has anyone had a LUMP on your sit bones?? Is it possible to get a bone spur on your butt??? Could it be some sort of inflammation where the hamstring attaches to the bone there?



I will go to my doctor (who already thinks I am a freak), but before I did, I wanted to throw those questions out there.

[Eden]

A hard lump? I've gotten a swelling on my butt before - it was kind of big to call it a lump - like the size of 1/2 an orange..... I could feel it and see it easily. I think when it happened to me it was from my saddle being a little tweaked to one side and/or a very crowned road. It happened to my husband once too on a day we did a very, very windy ride - his was on both sides and I think it was from rocking back and forth battling the wind all day.

[maillotpois]

Well, it is definitely smaller than that - and it is very deep in there, so you can't see it.

How long did it last?

[Eden]

For both of us the swelling went away after a few days. Sure was funny to look at. I'd call it more of a soft lump though - squishy like a sprained ankle.

[Starfish]

Sorry, Sarah, no experience with anything like that. All I know is that I have always had a very sensitive tush...my hip joints click and grind, and my massage therapist is constantly working on all my insertion points and stuff.

I know I've had hard lumps here and there when a lymph node has been aggravated and clogged up, and with good massage and so forth it goes away.

No help here, sorry. Sounds awful!

[maillotpois]

Thanks, guys.

What was really weird today was I saw down hard at the wrong angle on that lump once, and got a shooting pain in my butt/leg just as though I had hit my funny bone! So now I have a funny bone in my butt!!!

[Grog]

Is that like a bunion... on your sit bone?

[Dianyla]

What was really weird today was I saw down hard at the wrong angle on that lump once, and got a shooting pain in my butt/leg just as though I had hit my funny bone! So now I have a funny bone in my butt!!!

Could be muscular, could be a swollen lymph node, could be a benign fatty tumor (lipoma)... lots of stuff. Whatever the lump is, it sounds like it's aggravating your sciatic nerve. Sciatica caused by impingement on the nerve from muscular tightness is known as piriformis syndrome. Some things for you to look into...

[maillotpois]

Hmm. Interesting - thanks!

[Pedal Wench]

No solution for the lump, but a thought on your old saddle (although I loved my Jetts!) Saddles do wear out. The cushioning shifts and the shell gets brittle. So, you might want to go back to your original favorite.

[KnottedYet]

Well, I've "seen" (felt, actually) a lump at the insertion (aka sit bone) of the hamstring on a couple patients. Both were athletes, one was an endurance runner.

They were considered high hamstring strains, most likely due to an imbalance of effort between the medial and lateral hamstrings.

Both these patients were women (seems to be more a girl thing) and both were solved by treating the FEET and working on general leg stabilization exercises. Overpronation caused the hammies to fire up funny in an attempt to stabilize the leg/pelvis.

If you already wear orthotics, you might want to call your orthotist and see if your orthotics need to be adjusted.

Otherwise, ask your doc what she/he thinks. Maybe a medial wedge on the underside of your regular insoles would help. The doc would be able determine that.

[maillotpois]

Wow, Knot. Thanks!

I do pronate, and used to have orthotics when I ran (before I wised up). Maybe I should try to find them and put them in my cycling shoes....

Could that impinge the sciatic nerve as Dianayla suggested, leading to that "funny bone" business I felt?

[KnottedYet]

If the hammies are strained, they could be kicking off all kinds of compensatory tightness and other exciting goodies. (including referred pain)

A few piriformis stretches could be good, as could some gentle hamstring stretches.

Since a cyclist weightbears on the forefoot, and most orthotics are designed for hindfoot correction first, your running orthotics might not be adequate. But they certainly couldn't hurt to try in the bike shoes! If they don't seem to help with the pain (the lump will take a while) ask your orthotist to check you for a forefoot medial wedge for biking. (make sure to check BOTH feet to see if they need medial wedges!)

[SadieKate]

From Andy Pruitt: Pain and swelling directly on the sitbones are indicative of ischial bursitis (an inflamation of a bursal sac located in the gluteal region).

I'll keep reading . . . back in a bit.

More: And ischial bursitis can be caused by a hard saddle, a poor quality chamois, or riding too many miles too soon.

Back to reading . . . .

For ischial bursitis, apply ice, take NSAIDs, and rest off the ike. Cortisone may provide quick relief. Too keep it from recurring, wear 2 pairs of shorts for more padding. Youmay want to cut a roudn hole in the liner of the inner pair to reduce pressue on the area.

Choosing a new saddle with different shape and different amounts of padding may also solve the problem.

Back to reading . . . .

[maillotpois]

Okay - Thanks, Knot, I may PM you for more info.

One thing that may or may not be relevant: since I started riding again this year after my "break", I have been standing a LOT more on the bike. I'm not sure if it's compensating for having lost muscle strength while being off the bike or what, but I've gotten sort of accustomed to it and am out of the saddle a lot more, especially for climbing. So maybe that's aggravated or highlighted some sort of weakness/imbalance.