update on saddle issue

[suzbyrd]

recently I posted about problems I was having with saddle sores.
I went this past weekend and got fitted by someone at a cycle shop that knew what they were doing. Turns out my seat was way too low and I was not even beginning to get all the power I should out of my legs (this was a secondary issue). Well, after almost 2 hours of fitting and measuring and trying out different things, I felt a lot better leaving that shop. Maybe I wasn't crazy after all! I tried another saddle--a Terry butterfly--and hated it. I decided to stay with the saddle I had on to begin with--a Contour women's cutout.
Went on a ride with my husband today and felt GREAT for about 15 miles, but ended up pretty raw at the finish (34 miles today!). Hurt the worst in the middle, but also was raw in the groin area on the right side (the problem to begin with). Ok, so the guys in the bike shop suggested I should buy expensive riding shorts b/c I shouldn't skimp on cheaper ones as the padding wasn't adequate. The shorts I had on today are over a year old and could be wearing thin in the padding area. What do you all think? New shorts? New saddle? Just give it up b/c I'm going to be sore no matter what?

[7rider]

Shorts could help. So could a new saddle.
I'd recommend first taking some time off the bike to let the body parts heal. If they're raw, no piece of equipment, no matter how good, is going to feel good. And when you do get back on the bike, start out slowly....15 miles and see how it goes. Like in the beginning of the season, you have to "build up the callouses" - so to speak - before you're comfortable doing a 30+ mile ride.
Good luck.

[Veronica]

Things I would think about...

Is the pad covering the area of chafing? Is there a seam where the chafing is occurring? Is there too much pad and that is causing irritation in the middle? If it's only on one side, is the saddle straight? Is one leg longer than other?

I spend a lot of time on my bike and I'm very particular about my shorts and saddle. To me that is just money well spent. I could tell you to get the same shorts and saddle, but because we're all different... you may end up hating them.

V.

[mimitabby]

Boy, I just don't get it. I just rode 30 miles on Friday, on hills and flats
I wore not my best pair of shorts; maybe my 3rd best, it was hot enough that i got quite wet from sweating and I had no abrasions and very very minor sit bone soreness.

I ride on a barely broken in Brooks b67 and I cannot understand why the saddles so many women have on their bikes are abrading and hurting them.

You sit on a chair all day (well, most of us do) the pain in your butt after a 4 hour bike ride really shouldn't be more than an order of magnitude worse than that, and only because you can't move around as much on the bike.

If you are still having these issues, I'd say the saddles they are offering you are not for you (I hated the terry butterfly too) and you should try something else.

After 2 hours in the LBS, they should have done a bit better with you; good luck!

[CyclChyk]

Isn't the saddle you have about 5.1 inches wide?? If it is, I for one can say that I would NEVER be able to use that seat without intense pain as saddles I have the best success with are at least 6'' wide............ anything smaller and I am rubbed raw and rashed out and all kinds of other painful issues my hubby refuses to discuss with me........

[mimitabby]

after being irritated and annoyed with me for insisting on having a "heavy leather saddle" on my bikes my husband has now put one on all of his bikes
too.

It took 5 years for him to come around...