Quote Originally Posted by cyclingmom01 View Post
Good morning Ladies, I'm new to cycling. Have been a marathon runner for years and am struggling with PF, hence here I am on a bike. I must say that I absolutely love it. I logged 500 miles my very first month and am struggling with one issue. My perineum is tender after riding. I'm not chaffing, although I do feel a little burning when I urinate initally after my ride.I am trying to make a conscious effort to sit on the seat correctly. I have not been able to have an orgasm since I started riding. I have a doctor's appt in a little over a week, but am wonder WTF have I done? I am 42 y/o and have never struggled with this before. I've read about women getting vaginal nerve damage. Is this temporary? The joke with DH is that I'm going to apply for a handicap parking sticker, but it really is bothering me.
Also, how do I go about getting measured for a new saddle and how do I know what will work for me. The LBS is all guys and I would feel a bit uncomfortable talking to them about this issue.
Does your saddle have a cutout? I ride a saddle with a cutout to avoid the issues you mention. I have burning pain with urination after riding if I do not have a cutout, or if the cutout is too narrow (Terry Damselfly - ouch!) I am very happy with the Selle San Marco Atola Gelaround. It has a very soft, diamond-shape cutout, and I never have any genital irritation or nerve issues with it. I hope that your problems will go away when you get a better saddle. I wouldn't ride another mile on whatever saddle you are riding now -- that does not sound good!

As for getting measured, I have read here that shops that sell Specialized saddles have a "butt-o-meter" you can sit on that can show your sitbones distance, but I just measured mine to the best of my ability manually. I laid on my back, pulled my legs back over my head, and just felt where my bones were down there. I determined that they were quite narrow (not too surprising since I have 34" hips), so I needed a narrower saddle than what I was riding. If your bones are wider, you might find a Terry Butterfly comfortable -- a lot of women really love that saddle.

Also - make sure to buy your saddle from an LBS or online retailer that allows a trial period to make sure it's going to work for you, and if not, you can return it and try another one.

Good luck and welcome to the wonderful (but sometimes vexing!) world of cycling!

Emily