Saddle Discomfort and Lady Bits

[equus123]

Hi all,

I don't intend to get graphic with this discussion but I'm curious if anybody shares the same problem that I do....

I've never had a saddle that's been super comfortable but the Terry Butterfly that I've had the past 2+ years has been pretty good for me. I can't use a saddle without a cutout because it causes an immense amount of pain and I've recently come to realize that it's because I have very large labia majora. So the necessity of having a cutout is imperative because of the larger amount of soft tissue than the average female.

What really sucks about it is that the majority of women don't have this problem and it already stinks to be a female cyclist - having to sit on all of our parts! Men are so lucky because they can move it out of the way. I really feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place because there's nothing I can do with *mine* but sit....and deal with it.....

Does anybody else have this? I ask because I thought that I was just odd in that I would never find a comfy saddle but then I came to realize *why*. Forgive me for crossing the line but most days, it looks like I have little balls because they actually do hang down from my body a little. aaaahhhhhh

[mimitabby]

hey you SAID you weren't going to get graphic.

The beauty of a saddle like my brooks B67 is you CAN kind of move it all to the side a bit.

[alimey]

Try the SMP saddle. It has a huge cutout - esp. the high end models. Many women say the women's model is too bulky (at the back & at the nose) - but they seem to like the men's versions.

Another alternative is the Specialized Jett - has a fairly large hole - but more importantly it's a firm saddle so you sit quite high on it (which reduces undercarriage pressure).

Finally I see there is a new model of Selle Italia saddle due for 08 (very nice, white & pink) which seems to have a big hole. I am very happy w/ the Jett - but I might just try the Selle Italia in search of saddle nirvana.

Best of luck w/ your graphic bits!

[Pax]

Have you tried the Terry Falcon X? The cut out is larger and shaped in such a way that it's very easy on the Lady Bits.

[Thorn]

If you can tolerate it, try the Selle SMP Strike. It has the widest cutout I ever found. The problem is the wide cutout comes with the cost of a wide nose (and the lady strike supports wide sitbones, too). RoadRaven has a thread on it that is relatively recent.

When I first sat on the saddle, DH made a comment to the fact that the look on my face was pure glee. Woohoo, a saddle meant to just...uh...err...get out of the way where you don't want it.

I've been eyeballing Topeak's Allay line, but it doesn't look like it is really in production yet.

I wonder sometimes how many women who stop cycling do so because they can't find a saddle that works.

[velogirl]

Equus, you are not unusual. I've met many women over the years who have more soft tissue than "normal." A combination of tight-fitting shorts, minimal chamois, and a cut-out seems to work best for this condition.

And not to drift too far, but I competed at a duathlon in November and a woman who was also racing came up to me (without knowing who I am or that I'm a cycling coach) and told me her life/athletic history, including about her labia-reduction surgery. yes, you read that right. she is an elite endurance athlete (RAAM, FC508, etc) and suffered from so much saddle discomfort that she had some soft tissue removed. the result wasn't flawless and she actually suffered some nerve damage.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

A slightly more upright riding position might take some pressure off that intimate area and put more weight back onto your butt and sit bones.

[OakLeaf]

I'm built like you, too. I'm pretty much okay with my Terry Liberator Ti Race, but it isn't completely ideal for me. I'd be interested to try something different, but I'm not unhappy enough to go through the expense and hassle. Yet.

Lots and lots of Chamois Butt'r, minimalist chamois (spin shorts work better than road shorts for me), and keeping the hair trimmed really short.

[ridingmimsy]

Hi - I also have this problem - after having two kids, the girly bits are not as tucked in as they used to be. I am on a Dolce elite from Specialized. And am using the saddle it came with. I always get cut up on one side of the bits. I was wearing shorts that were too big (they were old). I just got two new pairs and am gonna buy that Terry Falcon X next. So thanks for the ideas!

[greenme]

(New to posting but have learnt much lurking.)

Just wondering how much comfort should I expect when trying new saddles and or positions. I recently tried The Comfort Seat which has no horn and it was way worse than the seat that came with my bike.

I commute everyday to work and was just able to do my return trip before I needed to get that killer off my bike. Obviously my sit bones didn't match up with the design of the seat as every stroke felt like I was rolling my bones over a wooden surface. The bruise is just about gone now. I will be returning it. There was another hornless seat (I liked that part) which I will try but don't recall its name.

I guess my question is: Must I expect some sort of discomfort with any saddle I use and just aim to minimize it? Or is it possible to be totally comfortable, saddle-wise?

If it helps, my commute is about 7km one way and I do it in about 1/2 hour. (I'm in no hurry to get to work.)

[emily_in_nc]

I guess my question is: Must I expect some sort of discomfort with any saddle I use and just aim to minimize it? Or is it possible to be totally comfortable, saddle-wise?

It is possible to be totally comfortable on rides that are not long *for you*. I think that even the best matched saddle to your own anatomy is going to be a bit uncomfy on your longest ride(s) ever (for example, on a century, if you normally ride 20-50 miles, say; or on a 10 mile ride if you normally ride only 2-3 at a time), but you will "toughen up" over time.

A saddle that doesn't fit you right may only get worse over time rather than better, like one I recently sold. I didn't realize that it was just too narrow for my sit bones. I had a chronic saddle sore (I mean, it was there for a YEAR! ) that I could not get rid of even after several months away from cycling. That saddle would never have worked for me.

With a saddle that fits your anatomy, it will be better each time you ride. Starting out, you might get some soft-tissue pain after just a few miles, but if you ride consistently, you'll be able to ride further and further each time with no pain. I did a nine-day bike tour in 2004 in which I rode an average of 100K (63 miles) daily (no rest days!) on a Terry Butterfly saddle and had no unusual saddle problems. Sure, I suspect I was uncomfy at the end of the day and ready to get off the saddle, but nothing I can even recall now. So yes, a saddle CAN be comfortable! It can take awhile to find the one that is right for you, however.

Good luck!

Emily

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Another factor to keep in mind is that the more leaning forward (racing posture) you are on your bike, the less your weight will be on your sitbones (where it is comfortable to sit) and the more your weight will be on your sensitive soft front parts. Personally, I suspect much of this women's biking pain has more to do with how we sit as opposed to how 'bad' the saddle is.

And Rowboatgirl- are you leaning forward and down more when you climb hills? Maybe that's why there is more pressure then. Try going up hills in a lower easier gear, 'spinnning' up the hill and staying more relaxed with a slightly more upright posture.

One more thing- too many people "sit" on their bikes like it was a chair- with all their weight on their butt. It helps to think of yourself as "walking" on your bike, and to try to distribute your weight more evenly between your hands, butt, and FEET. When we put more weight on our feet and think of riding like walking, it alleviates pressure on the saddle parts. Think about it next time you are on your bike, and see if this mental adjustment doesn't make you feel more like you are floating on your bike instead of just sitting on it.

[ima_bleeder]

When we put more weight on our feet and think of riding like walking, it alleviates pressure on the saddle parts.

This definitely helps me quite a bit on longer rides. Even very slight inclines can give you a little extra resistance on the pedals, and I try to take advantage of that extra resistance by engaging my glutes and letting my butt float on top of the saddle a little. Combining that with occasionally standing up for shorter climbs has significantly increased the amount of time I'm able to be comfy "in the saddle".

[janellruby]

O.k. all you people that know what you are doing, i think i need advice. i just started biking on a beach cruiser a year ago, even got run over in november. bike is o.k., i've been riding it this summer to the american river about 30 miles out. I had a major embarassing problem the first time. I was out all day in longish cut-off jean shorts and a ( maxi-pad) I 'm serious here. not joking. never rode my bike that far before. when i got home, burning upon bathroom, has this ever happened to anyone before? so sorry, but we are all women here right?

[wildhawk]

I have a Giant Innova hybrid with shock post - the original saddle was very uncomfortable. And yes, I had the burning, etc. after my first 15 mile ride. We went back to our bike shop and each purchased a Rav-X gel cutout unisex seat (The women’s model was too narrow for me). It is very comfortable and my husband, who wasn’t having any issues with his old seat, said it was better and he did not even realize how uncomfortable his old seat was until he switched. I have not ridden in cycling shorts yet (saving up for them), but I ride with my workout slacks and shirt and have not had any more issues with saddle sores/burning.