Sore girlie parts

[LBTC]

All the girls have covered positioning well - give those a try for sure. You probably already know about the correct body position, but I'll post just in case you or someone else reading doesn't know this one....

Be sure that your pelvis is quite vertical, keeping your weight on your sit bones, and that you bend over at the waist and keep your core engaged. It took me a long time to figure this one out, and I'm still poor at it when I'm fatigued. Mainly this is because in all my stretching, yoga, and other exercises, I learned very well to always bend at the hip, not the waist. When you do that on a bike saddle, the weight rests (not-so) nicely on the soft tissue. Ouch!

So it's likely a combination of any or all of the positioning and saddle comments.

If you've got the will to work on your own, you might do better to buy a trainer and set up your own bike in your house. Works for me.

H&B
~T~

[chixride]

thanks everyone for all the advice. i am tall so i keep my saddle higher - it helps with my knees. the instructors have checked my position and all seems to be ok. i think the trainer is the way to go. i was planning on buying one.

[velogirl]

chixride, don't give up on spin class. at one point I was teaching 14 spin classes a week (on those terrible saddles) and I didn't have discomfort.

fitting a spin bike is different than fitting your road bike. the saddle on a spin bike is firm and wide and meant to support your sit bones (not your soft tissue). many roadies think they should lower their bar to match their road geometry, but this isn't the case and can cause some severe saddle discomfort. spin bikes are designed to put the rider in a more upright riding position. try this and I bet you'll find the saddle isn't uncomfortable anymore.

some spinners find a gel saddle cover eases discomfort. some gyms have them available to use. if your gym doesn't, you can likely purchase one at your local bike shop.

if you're serious about spinning, check with the gym about ordering a spare seatpost on which you can install your own saddle. then you can just swap the seatpost in and out each time you participate in class.

[Flybye]

In addition to saddle adjustment, astro glide, the lubricant, helps with rubbing, although I would be willing to bet is is more a matter of saddle adjustment than anything.