Ride Report/Saddle Question

[pooks]

So, I did my first long-ish ride with the Camelbak Rogue this morning, and here's the report:

I love it.

I'm not sure I could tolerate warm water out of it, because it does have a plastic taste that's pretty strong when warm, but for some reason the flavor doesn't bother me when it's cold. I haven't figured out why, yet.

Which leads to -- in no time at ALL the water in the tube warms up. So my first drink is the nasty warm water. I learned to either spit out the first mouthful, or hold the tube out and "milk" out a little water before drinking. The cold water is great.

This is so superior to bottles for me. I can't drink from a bottle without stopping because of where my bottle holder is. So I end up thinking, "Hmm, kind of thirsty but don't want to stop yet," then, "Hmm, I'm getting pretty thirsty, but don't want to stop yet," and sometimes even, "I'm dying for water but I do not want to stop," which leads to stopping, drinking.

Once I stop, I immediately feel heat and fatigue I didn't feel until I stopped, and then have to start up again.

Today, as soon as I had a twinge of thirst I grabbed a sip. I ended up not drinking all that much (probably not as much as from a bottle) but was never thirsty because the water was always available.

So the Camelback is my new best friend, and I'm not even aware of it on my back -- and I hate backpacks. It's small, but the Rogue holds the equivalent of 3 bottles of water.

The other issue -- I haven't had any problems with my saddle (Velo Plush) but now I'm thinking that as I spend more time on it, I may. My tail bone has been sore today, and it never has before. I also was aware of getting sore when riding, until I shifted my position.

Question: When you're seated properly on the saddle, is the nose of the saddle supposed to be between your thighs? When my saddle was bothering me, I shifted myself farther back on the saddle so I was sitting on the very back of it, which made me up a little higher so that I actually felt the nose between the top of my thighs rather than on my girly bits. Is that the way it's supposed to be? Or does it sound like I need an adjustment?

[eclectic]

No comment on the on seat problem

But re the warm water in the tube on the camelback.
What I do is after I drink I blow into the tube forcing the water back up. Then when I need a drink it is cool water again,

Or when I forget it is a blast of warm water again

But not near as bad as an entire water bottle of warm water

[mimitabby]

your actual tailbone hurts? as in the coccyx at the end of your spine?
if your saddle fits you correctly your tail bone should never contact your
saddle, only your sitting bones, which are underneath your buttocks, one on
each side (put your hands under your butt you should feel those bones coming through ... i'm boney, maybe that's not true for everyone)

so if your tailbone is hurting something is really wrong.
and on a long ride i notice that the point of my saddle is not always DEAD CENTER between my thighs.

[KnottedYet]

Without seeing you on your bike, it's hard to know what's going on.

I agree with Mimitabby, that it sounds like something is not right.

Is the saddle too plush, and it's squishing up into your tailbone? Are you sitting too far forward? (is the seat moved too far back on the rails for the position you ride in?)

The nose should not be on your girly bits. Nothing should be on your girly bits! And yes, you should be sitting on the back, wider part of the seat. Each of your sit bones will be happiest if they are centered in each "cheek" of the wide part of your seat.

I find that when I am happily riding along I really am not aware of the nose of my seat. I just use it to help me control the bike, I don't "sit" on it.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The nose should not be on your girly bits. Nothing should be on your girly bits! And yes, you should be sitting on the back, wider part of the seat. Each of your sit bones will be happiest if they are centered in each "cheek" of the wide part of your seat.

How can "nothing" be on your girly bits if you are sitting on a saddle? Are you talking about a saddle with some giant cut out? I sit mostly on my sit bones at the rear wider part of my saddle, but my vulva area is certainly on the middle flat part of my saddle. Maybe my pubicbone/clitoral area does not touch much, cause it is higher up...is that what you mean by "girly bits"? I include the vulva area in my "girly bits" definition.

[KnottedYet]

I meant not weightbearing on the girly bits. Sorry I didn't make that more clear.

She said when she scooted back on the seat she felt the nose more on the tops of the thighs rather than pressing into the girly bits. When I sat on my saddle and tried to duplicate what she described, I found that if I slid forward I ended up with the nose taking most of my weight and most of my weighbearing on my clitoris/pubic bone (with some on the tip of my coccyx). That's not the most comfortable place for me to weightbear. If I slid back to where I usually sit, I felt what she described, the weight (not necessarily contact, but actual weight) came off the girly bits and transferred to the sit bones and the wider part of the saddle, which is a much better place to weightbear in my humble opinion.

My clitoris really isn't able to bear 150 lbs. Unless it's someone very special...

[Kitsune06]

...THAT said...

Re: camelbak coolness: Eclectic's got it, as far as blowing the water back into the reservoir. Sometimes that makes me swallow air, though, so to each her own. There are insulation sleeves available, though they might be a hassle.

re: the coccyx: I'm willing to bet it has to do with the gel factor of the saddle, unless you happen to have a prominant tailbone. I'd try a firmer saddle, and angle the nose down by a couple degrees until you find a sweet spot where your sit-bones rest on the padding, but all your weight is borne there. I had no idea how to sit on a saddle 'proper' until reading the Brooks thread... and those saddles will teach you FAST. I'd be inclined to agree with MizKnot. Such parts are not load-bearing structural features.

[mimitabby]

My clitoris really isn't able to bear 150 lbs. Unless it's someone very special...

God, Leave it to you, knotted! and we're going down THAT trail again

[pooks]

LOL! What revealing responses!

I don't mean I'm actually feeling too much weight/pressure on the girly bits, but I was aware that when my "seat" started hurting, I readjusted myself farther back on the saddle and it all felt fine. What I wasn't sure of is whether that meant I was finally on the seat properly, or I'd just shifted my weight so it felt better (whether it was "correct" or not).

I don't think it's a gel seat -- I'm not getting stuff squishing. I believe the seat is padded but not at all squishy, so I haven't had problems with gel moving around or filling in or whatever.

I need to get measured/fitted/observed by someone who knows what they're doing, I imagine, although I was observed by a guy at REI who adjusted my handlebars but didnt' see any probs with the seat.

Blowing in the tube sounds like the right idea. I'll give that a try!

[Kano]

My clitoris really isn't able to bear 150 lbs. Unless it's someone very special...

(I think your bits need to rethink their attitude if you're not special enough for them! )

Karen in Boise

[KnottedYet]

I was aware that when my "seat" started hurting, I readjusted myself farther back on the saddle and it all felt fine. What I wasn't sure of is whether that meant I was finally on the seat properly, or I'd just shifted my weight so it felt better (whether it was "correct" or not).

If shifting your weight back onto the seat more felt better, that's probably the "correct" position for you.

The next step would be adjusting the position of the seat on the bike so that you automatically go to your most comfortable spot on the seat and are situated so you can pedal and use the handlebars comfortably.

There are a ton of good links for fitting, plus some great books. Someone recommended Andy Pruitt's "Complete Medical Guide for Cyclists" which I bought and love. (thanks whoever posted that!) Your LBS will be able to see you on the bike, and seeing you on the bike is what we really need.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

(I think your bits need to rethink their attitude if you're not special enough for them! )

Karen in Boise

Too funny!!!!!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I don't think it's a gel seat -- I'm not getting stuff squishing. I believe the seat is padded but not at all squishy, so I haven't had problems with gel moving around or filling in or whatever.

It's not the gell shifting around that might be a problem with gel seats- it's just the basic fact that they are pads that push back at you when your parts push down on them- the same thing that might occur with many types of padded seats. For many people (like me), padded seats are torture. Others like them.

[KnottedYet]

Lisa, is that a B17 or B17S on your Riv? I'm thinking of getting a B17S for my Waterford and keeping my B67 on the commutermobile. (the B17S might just fit me)

Ooops, sorry! thread hijack!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Quick reply: It's a B17S. Note: I have "pear" shaped woman hips, not really narrow boy-ish hips like some of my petite women friends. Still, the B17S seems slim to me but fits me very well.