Oh my aching arse...

[sundial]

Oooooooowwwwwch. I'm sorry you are suffering so much in the saddle. Ack!

OK, in reviewing some of the info you've shared, I can make a few suggestions based on my riding experiences.

1. Bike fit--Thou shalt not reach too far for the handlebars. Are you having pain in your shoulders? Neck? Back? If you are reaching too far forward, that will put pressure on your girlie parts, too. You might want to try a shorter stem either with an adjustable stem or a regular stem. I found that a 80mm stem did the trick for me.

2. Saddle--Thou shalt not go numb in the saddle. If I remember correctly, the Dolce saddle does not have cut-outs, just a padded nose? Have you considered trying one of the Specialized mtb saddles like the Ariel or Lithia in the correct width? A Specialized dealer has a butt-o-meter to measure the distance of your sitbones and can recommend some of the saddles that are available in 3 different widths. Or consider maybe a Brooks or Selle An Atomica? Also, your saddle may need to be adjusted so that the nose is pointed down just a little. And check the seatpost--it may be raised too high also.

3. Shorts--Thou shalt not use the wrong short. Maybe you are one of those that needs a thinner chamois. Some of the PI's have thicker chamois and I have found that it sometimes bunches up during a long ride. I now order PIs in a smaller size. I also use Terry shorts because the chamois is thinner and has 4 way flex.

Hope these suggestions help. I know my fit was trial and error and I've got it dialed in late in the cycling season. Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

[mtbdarby]

Sundial, good points. Here's my answers as I sit here with shooting pains from my crotch

1. No pain in the neck, back or shoulders. I had a shorter stem put on at the beginning of the season. I have a trek 2100 wsd and I have short arms. That has never been a problem.

2. I've never gone numb - just pain since the century. The dolce does have a cutout and I have it on all 3 of my bikes so I wouldn't think that is a primary issue. And I did do the butt-o-meter at the lbs to make sure it was the right fit .

3. The PI's did right by me on my century so I wouldn't think a metric would be a problem although a slightly thinner chamois would be nice.

SK - I changed the fore but it caused very sore thighs with every ride so I put it back. I think because I was so uncomfortable on Sunday I shifted around a lot which probably made things worse. And no - no undies here. I LOVE riding commando .

I think I need to shoot for the fit I had for my century. I'm pretty sure the problem is coming from the last bike "fitting" from Wheel and Sprocket in Appleton.

[sundial]

Mtdarby, maybe the shape of the saddle is wrong for you. I think the Dolce has more of a pear shape, right? It looks to be a full-figured saddle compared to the Avatar, Alias and such. I am actually riding a mens saddle, the Alias, and I have nary a pain in the inner thigh/pantyline area.

[DebW]

What about the tilt of the saddle? Try loosen the bolt holding the saddle and tip the nose down a bit.

[Torrilin]

I don't know of a place in Madison that does "professional fit". I haven't been to Yellow Jersey or Machinery Row tho, so they may. Budget Bikes doesn't claim to do fitting, but when I've gone in with a specific fit problem, I've had mechanics help me out, and so far the suggested fixes have worked. They're not willing to change many things at once, which I view as a good thing. Willy Street Bikes tends to ignore customers. When you can *find* help, the help is helpful. REI might be worth a try, since there's a saleswoman there who has a fair bit of clue.

When I have trouble, I try to take a few days off the bike. Or even *sigh* a week mostly off. Letting things heal really helps me judge how an adjustment worked.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Are you able to raise your handlebars a bit? That would place your posture a little further back onto your sitbones and off your front bits.
Maybe this happened because when he raised your saddle higher that made you bend down lower to reach the bars- thus putting more pressure on your front girly parts.

Do try a thinner chamois as well- the more stuff and "upholstery" you put between your bits and the saddle front, the less room you'll have, and the more pressure pushing back against you there will be.

[Xrayted]

Dar - I agree with Deb W on tipping the saddle down a bit if you are going to leave your seatpost and handlebars at that height. Also, try a thinner chamois for the very reason Lisa mentioned. It made all the diff with me. No more sore bits. Also, PI isn't exactly the best short on the market, they just price them that way. They actually gear their market towards beginners. Sugoi and others are infinitely better than the PI's. Usually, once you try another brand, you realize what you are missing. Everyone sells PI's though so they are just easier to find. I've pretty much abandoned mine and may just give them away soon. Try a tri chamois and see if you like it. Good luck!

[SadieKate]

Also, PI isn't exactly the best short on the market, they just price them that way. They actually gear their market towards beginners. Sugoi and others are infinitely better than the PI's. Usually, once you try another brand, you realize what you are missing. Everyone sells PI's though so they are just easier to find. I've pretty much abandoned mine and may just give them away soon. Try a tri chamois and see if you like it. Good luck!

So a $120 PI microsensor short is geared toward a beginner?

http://www.pearlizumi.com/product.ph...duct_id=759506

I'm not a fan of PIs either but I sense that Dar's saddle and shorts combo is fine. All the pain started after her bike fit. Dar, if you paid for this fitting you should be able to go back and give them some pain, if you know what I mean.