saddle "issue"

[dreadpirate]

Fiz'ik you say. Hrm. I'll see about borrowing one. Thanks for that.

The Jett is pretty supportive of my sit bones, when I am sitting up. I noticed the first time I sat on it that it is exactly where my sit bones are.

My coach also suggested a gel pad - which is an interesting suggestion. I'll feel like a total grandma, but if it works in the interim, I'd rather ride than not ride.

I notice that the spin bike saddles are less of a problem, for whatever reason. I also note that after Tuesday's spin class, the lump is decreasing in size. Better it takes care of itself than I have to do something about it, right?

[ehirsch83]

Ahh Gel Pads! Louis Garneau makes a gel pad chamois that is heaven! I have LG bibs that have the gel chamois and I hate wearing anything else(but I often have to, since I normally ride in my kit).

Try a Fi'zik, I have the Vitesse HP and I really like it, I used to ride with a Fi'zik men's aliante sport(until it got stolen). I am a huge fan of Fi'ziks. But... I do still get cysts in the nether regions! I get mine when I am riding in the drops a lot(same as you getting them from being in aero), but when I bought my new saddle(the vitesse) I also tried a Specialized Jett, and I could not stand how the saddle felt. I took it out for a short hour spin and ended up trading saddles with my ex and riding the rest of the way back in his.
The Vitesse I tried on the trainer(we stuck it on the new bike while I was doing my fitting) and I fell in love with it.

So definitaly give it a try, and don't be afraid to try the men's saddles also! I feel that I am just as happy with the women's as I was with the mans.

[sundial]

A cyclist friend who rides on the aerobars for long distances swears by the Koobi saddle. Maybe this is another option?

[dreadpirate]

good options - I'll take those into account.

In the interim, I've found a gel saddle cover that I've put over it (by Royal Gel)

It's a cheap option to a full-on new saddle, which I'll look into later

I can't believe that they make a gel cover that fits a racing saddle - very slim, fits exactly on the Jett - but they do.

It does make the saddle look like a total grandma saddle, but it's helping. The lump is not getting bigger. Used to be after a long ride I'd get home and the thing would have grown - not so much with the gel cover.

does anybody like the anatomica?

[CycleTherapy]

Dreadpirate,

I actually ordered a Selle Anatomica....but ended up returning it. I received the saddle and was in a bit of shock when I realized how heavy it was. At the time, the site that I ordered it from did not detail the saddles' weight. When I returned it, I suggested that they may want to put that information in their product description, which they have now done. So, if weight is not an issue I'd say try it out. I had heard alot of positive reviews about the comfort.

[dreadpirate]

OK. So. I'm putting this out here because I think it should be OK for women to talk about stuff even when it's weird.

Last week I saw my GP. When I said (helpfully) "I think it might be a Bartholin's cyst" he said yeah, sure, that's it - barely touched it, prescribed me antibiotics Just In Case. I went with it because it matched everything I had read and heard up to that point, but I thought the guy was being a bit stand off-ish.

That said, I just got back from seeing an actual gynecologist nurse practitioner today. And she said, No Way is that a Bartholin's cyst, it's way the heck up over there. She said, it's a sebaceous cyst - the kind that only plastic surgery can get rid of. It's because of where your pelvis is - which means it's a saddle issue (which I already knew).

So - it just goes to show that just because somebody is a doc doesn't mean they know jack about ladyparts. Go see a ladypart doc for ladypart issues. Silly me!

I'm still not sold on the plastic surgery issue - I'd like to resolve this with a saddle - because my thought is if I stay with the same saddle (and have the lump removed), it'll just come back, or I'll have another issue, or something.

In the meantime, the gel cover is working (as a band-aid).

[KnottedYet]

DreadPirateRoberts - I'm wondering if you'd be better off with a more "T" shaped saddle so you avoid the friction that kicks off a sebaceous cyst.

Unfortunately, the only saddle I know of that's T shaped is the Brooks B66, B67, B68, B72, and B18. (Cuz I have wide ol' sitbones, and these are the T shaped saddles that fit me. It's all about me, y'know!)

The An-Atomica is a more pear-shaped saddle.

I'm sure if you post in the "Favorite Saddles" area, and give your sitbones measurements and saddle needs, someone will be using the saddle that will suit you.

Meanwhile, are you taking the antibiotics? Are you considering surgery to get the cyst out of the picture? (ask the gyn ARNP what she thinks) I'm doing women's pelvic health, and I'm amazed at what the male docs just throw their hands up in the air over. Dude, those guys are sooooooo easily embarrassed! We got a woman in for "pelvic pain" who actually had a hip joint dysfunction!!! She just needed regular physical therapy. TG she had a doc who could refer to some female practitioners who aren't shy....

<me? shy? never! >
Edit: well, at least not at work.

[dreadpirate]

I did the Colorado Relay last weekend, injured my ITBand. The week before that, I laid off my training so that I could try and kill an impending headcold. So I've done less cycling than usual in two weeks.

Here is the report: after two weeks of little or no riding, or just riding the spin bike = LUMP GONE except for the nerve that started it all.

How very interesting.