Sore Seat

[rainebo]

I have started riding after not being on a bike since my late teens and I am having a real bad time with pain.... I have read all of the posts regarding saddles to try to see if I just need to break my butt in or what. The area I am having pain is the bottom of my pelvic cage on each side of my crotch. I was thinking those were my "sit" bones but after this last weekends ride, I was sitting on a curb and was thinking about the tip of using paper to measure the "sit" bones and could feel my "sit" bones and that is not where I am having the pain! I'm training for a very long ride from Idaho to San Diego on a tandem and need to get this pain thing resolved! Suggestions?

[pedalfaster]

Hard to say with out seeing you on the bike, but it sounds like you are "rolling" too far forward on the saddle. Check your position on the bike and make sure that you are able to truely "perch" on those sit-bones.

It could also be that your saddle is too wide in the front.

Don't be surprised if you find you need a different saddle on the tandem than on your single bike. Try searching the saddle forum for other saddles to try.

I can ride the same saddle, single or tandem, but find that shorts that are comfy on the single irritate me on the "big bike".

Weird, huh?

[cyclingnewbie]

Make sure your sit bones are actually on the saddle. I spent a Saturday test riding bikes and the narrow road bike saddles nearly did me in. I was sore for days, not on the sit bone, but in between, because my weight was on soft tissue on every saddle because they were all too narrow. I have never been that miserable from my longest ride!! Measure your sit bones and take the tape measure with to the bike store and be sure to get a saddle that fits your butt! And pedalfaster is also right about not rolling too far forward, because then your weight is again on the soft tissue and you'll get sore.

[emily_in_nc]

The other thing you might need if you don't already have it is a saddle with a cut-out down the middle. I am not a happy camper without one. I rode many, many miles on my Terry Butterfly saddle, then test-rode a bike with a non-cutout saddle and was in pain within five miles! You might also just need to give it more time. Whenever I start back up cycling after a long layoff, I get soft tissue pain in the areas you describe. It's like it just needs to toughen up. It does, but it can take a few weeks to be completely pain free. Now I'm touch as nails and rarely get any soreness at all, even up to a full century ride. I ride a leather/ti-rail Terry Butterfly on my three road bikes and love it!

Emily in NC

[DeniseGoldberg]

I'd recommend trying some different saddles - and keep in mind that the saddle that works for one person won't necessarily work for another. For example, emily_in_nc swears by a Terry Butterfly saddle, but I lasted all of 5 minutes using one, couldn't stand it! My saddle of choice is a Fizik Vitesse, which is a relatively narrow saddle with no cut-out. Guess we're all different! When I finally found the Vitesse - that was the 4th saddle that I tried. I went through 2 different Terry saddles, and one Specialized saddle, none of which worked for me.

So - keep trying, don't give up!

[Pedal Wench]

I'd recommend trying some different saddles - and keep in mind that the saddle that works for one person won't necessarily work for another. For example, emily_in_nc swears by a Terry Butterfly saddle, but I lasted all of 5 minutes using one, couldn't stand it! My saddle of choice is a Fizik Vitesse, which is a relatively narrow saddle with no cut-out. Guess we're all different! When I finally found the Vitesse - that was the 4th saddle that I tried. I went through 2 different Terry saddles, and one Specialized saddle, none of which worked for me.

So - keep trying, don't give up!

We are all VERY different. I started on the Fizik Vitesse, loved it for rides under 50, hated it on rides over 50 miles. Soft-tissue issues. I tried 4 Terry saddles, including the Butterfly Tri, one Selle Italia saddle-from-hell, and I'm thinking I'm happy with a Specialized - it's a men's saddle, but it's the 155mm wideload size. The exact opposite progression from Denise. Everyone is different.

[rainebo]

Thanks ladies! The seat I have is a Schwin with a cut out but I think I'll try some different positioning and see how that works. I love this forum!! It amazes me how many people are in the group!

[AutumnBreez]

I don't know if you were fitted properly or not, but make sure that the seat is not so high that you have to lean forward too much to reach properly on positions 3 to 6. I had this problem and the fact it was a mens saddle that did not support my sit bones. Boy, this last week when I got the new saddle (Terry Tri gel butterfly) did I finally sit on those sitbones, much more durable then that of the soft tissue region.
R*E*L*I*E*F !
Also the change of the height was also a factor. That is why I mention this. Between the wrong height and improper saddle had me thinking that I may never achieve my dreams of riding long distance of more then an hour ride, so no charity races for me I had thought. Now there is hope! Yay!!! I am so delighted!

[LBTC]

ahhh
I know the feeling! owwwwwwch!

I have just purchased the saddleco flow on ebay. I can't wait for it to get here and see if a whole new design will help!!

I'll keep you posted!

Namaste,
~T~

[han-grrl]

I taught a two hour spin class yesterday. I used one of those gel seat covers because my little sore is still in recovery mode. it helped for about 1.5 hours. the last half hour was a little rough...

[rainebo]

I still haven't bought a new seat but did find a LBS that will work with me. After we took a couple of long rides in FEB, the weather got terrible so we haven't been out much. Thanks for your replies... I really want to do this ride in June without being in misery so I better get busy and find the right one! Will let you know...

[LBTC]

Hi, Rainebo....I get the same pain, only on the road bike, and it's horrible!! I have a new saddle on order, but until that one gets here I don't want to stop riding.... On Saturday I adjusted my saddle a bit further forward and pointed the nose a bit further down. It really was a big improvement. I was probably 1 1/2 hours into the ride before I noticed it was hurting again. oh, I also slathered on some salve I have that has arnica in it....kind of makes things numb. heh. Anyway, there's no residual soreness in my cha cha area, thank goodness, so tonight the 1 hour ride before kickboxing class should be okay.

I also have a new handelbar on order. I hope that helps my body positioning!!

Good luck, keep trying stuff, you'll get it!!

Namaste,
~T~