Measuring sit bones--is my yoga mat defective?

[Ana]

I am having the worst time trying to measure my sit bones. I have tried the paper/yoga mat but my sit bones don't make a deep enough impression to measure. I even made my own butt-o-meter with a ziplock baggie, water and flour but it's still very unclear where my sitbones are. I can feel them with my fingers when I'm sitting but they won't make impressions on anything.

I've done the butt-o-meter at the shop but it's far away and inconvenient for me so I know my sit bones can be measured.

Does anyone have any other tips?

I'm trying out the old Jett model (with seams) in 130 which is my previous Specialized saddle size. There is no soft tissue pain but a lot of weight put on my sit bones, even with my most heavily padded shorts. The pain is not as bad as the Terry Butterfly I tried a while back (I had to stop riding after 20 minutes my sit bones hurt so badly).

[VeloVT]

Hmmm... I enlisted my boyfriend as an assistant and bent over while he measured.

[Ana]

Hmmm... I enlisted my boyfriend as an assistant and bent over while he measured.

Single woman here so no possibility of enlisting non-embarrassing help

[Zen]

Here ya go.

[OakLeaf]

Try a thicker mat, or folding the one you have in fourths. It's got to be able to compress enough to leave dents in the paper.

Set it on a hard surface - a flat stepstool, a hard chair, or an uncarpeted stair.

Before you take the impression, sit on the stool or whatever surface you plan to use without the mat, and wiggle your spine and pelvis around until you can feel your sitbones pressing against the surface. Then use that body knowledge to stick your sitbones out when you do take the impression.

HTH.

[sundial]

For a do it at home job, I had the best luck sitting on a counter stool with paper--it was about the right height to get a good impression.

[Ana]

Here ya go.

Thanks for the thread link but I've already done a search for "sit bone measurement", etc and browsed all the threads

I think I might be doing something wrong?

Try a thicker mat, or folding the one you have in fourths. It's got to be able to compress enough to leave dents in the paper.

Set it on a hard surface - a flat stepstool, a hard chair, or an uncarpeted stair.

Before you take the impression, sit on the stool or whatever surface you plan to use without the mat, and wiggle your spine and pelvis around until you can feel your sitbones pressing against the surface. Then use that body knowledge to stick your sitbones out when you do take the impression.

HTH.

Oakleaf--I tried sitting my homemade butt-o-meter on the yoga mat (which was on a hard surface) and on the hard surface alone. I will try folding my yoga mat, though

Unfortunately, I do not have a stepstool The chair I use at home is a ball chair

Trying to ride on this Jett saddle is killing my sit bones

[sundial]

Ok, what about putting paper on top of the potty lid and giving it a whirl? One TE'er used Playdoh to get an impression.

[alpinerabbit]

Trying to ride on this Jett saddle is killing my sit bones

There is no soft tissue pain but a lot of weight put on my sit bones, even with my most heavily padded shorts.

yeah but(t)....


that's where your weight is supposed to be. So the width will be alright, maybe wrong thickness of padding (watch out, more padding does not necessarily = more comfort); and maybe you just need to give your sitbones time to HTFU?

If all else fails, there are always SMP saddles. They cradle your entire pelvic bone ridge (don't know the exact anatomical term) from sit bones forward. I was just musing about mine and I find they give comfort because they offer more than one good angle to sit.

[sundial]

I'm trying out the old Jett model (with seams) in 130 which is my previous Specialized saddle size. There is no soft tissue pain but a lot of weight put on my sit bones, even with my most heavily padded shorts. The pain is not as bad as the Terry Butterfly I tried a while back (I had to stop riding after 20 minutes my sit bones hurt so badly).

Several TE'ers have complained about the Jett being too hard. I love my Specialized Avatar saddle. I noticed you said 130mm. Many people average 145mm so is there a chance you could borrow one in that width and give it a whirl? Just to see? As for the Terry saddle, many of her saddles come in a pear shape. Even though it may be the right width, it may be the wrong shape for you. I always had pain on the inside of my sit bones with her saddles. I guess the saddle sloped too much and I need a flatter type saddle--hence the Avatar.