Saddle Sores - Sorry maybe TMI

[emily_in_nc]

I don't know whether I need a wider seat or a more narrow seat. The LBS thought maybe I need a men's seat. I'm 5'4" and weigh 125. I have no hips to speak of. I am starting to get a butt since I've been riding. The LBS told me I have more of a male body type than female and thought since I was narrow through the hips that maybe I should try a male saddle.

I feel your pain, though I have a problem with a persistent saddle sore in the area in the crease of my inner thigh. Anything down there that hurts badly is not right or normal. I once rode over 3000 miles a year without significant saddle issues.

I've just discovered that despite having small hips (34"), weighing 102-103, and wearing a size 2 petite, I actually don't have the "narrow sit bones" that I thought I had! My saddle sore started a YEAR AGO on a narrow saddle. I changed to a different narrow saddle. It never went away even when I didn't ride for three months in a row. I went to a dermatologist and got a cortisone injection right in the sore, which took all the pain away; however, after my second ride this spring, it came right back, angry and swollen as ever!

So yesterday I finally sat on my yoga mat in underwear and was finally able to see the problem -- my sit bones are actually wider than I thought. Maybe average for a female (about 130mm c-to-c), but a lot wider than I realized. If you go to a Specialized dealer, they can sit you on the "Butt-o-meter" (memory foam seat) so you can find out the same thing.

Based on my measurements, I now realize my narrow saddles are too narrow for me; as a result, my sit bones are hanging off the sloping sides and putting way too much pressure on the inside of the bones and soft tissue in the crease of my thigh.

So...while I don't think you can know (yet) what width saddle you need, it sounds like you need a much better cutout for your lady bits! The saddle I'm taking off my mountain bike has an amazing diamond-shape cutout, so comfy, never a bit of genital discomfort, but the saddle width is relatively narrow (140mm). If you figure out your sit bone width and want to try it, I'm going to be putting it up for sale here over the weekend (w/pictures, etc.). It's a Selle San Marco Atola Gelaround like this. I'm not posting here to sell it, though, just to make a couple of points:

1. Don't assume because you're thin and/or have narrow hips that you have narrow, male-width sitbones.

2. With the clitoral issues you're having, it sounds like you need a much better cutout. Your clitoris should not even be touching the saddle if it is painful. I personally get very raw if I ride a saddle without a cutout for anything longer than short rides, and skinny, stiff cutouts are just as bad as no cutout at all. The diamond-shape cutout of the Atola is perfect for me in that area (just wish the saddle were wider in the rear!)

Good luck!
Emily

[OakLeaf]

It definitely sounds like you need a different saddle! The one you're riding is pretty narrow, and typically if someone's putting her weight on her genitalia rather than on her sit bones, it's because her saddle's too narrow.

Here's what I did: I sat on a piece of paper on my Pilates mat to make a butt print. (Sit on a low step-stool, or on a hard chair with your feet on a stool, to approximate a riding position.) While the indentations were fresh, I circled them so I'd have a permanent record of where my sitbones are. Then you can take that print and lay it over any saddle and see whether it's wide enough to support you.

Then there's pear shaped vs. T-shaped saddles, and the shape of the cut-out to consider. Just like trying on clothes, there's no substitute for trying on saddles. Many LBS's and many saddle makers will let you return a saddle that doesn't work for you.

I have to say this: your coach may be very good at teaching you to get stronger and faster, but he obviously knows nothing about saddles if he thinks he can look at one and say "it's a good seat" and therefore it ought to work for you. If he hasn't measured your sitbones, the Q-angle of your femurs, and the dimensions of your soft tissues he has no idea what saddles might work for you and what ones wouldn't.

[seeker]

Thanks ladies. I see your point about the cutout, however I am putting all my pressure on the nose of the seat, not over the cutout. That is why I thought tilting the seat back would help. When I had the seat level, my bits were right at the tip of the seat. We tilted it back slightly and now my bits are almost to the cutout but not quite. I wanted the LBS to tilt it back some more and they wouldn't do it. They don't think that will solve my problem. But they don't have a clitoris either. And yes I do move around a lot because I'm trying to shift my weight to the back of the seat.

I have tried shifting things around but I can't seem to keep my labia from separating. I know I'm not seated properly but I'm not sure what to do. I can't sit on a folding chair or a wooden bench without sitting on a pillow. If I sit directly on the hard chair, I'm sitting right on my sit bones. I don't have much padding there. I actually keep a pillow in my car because I can't handle the church pew. So I know if I were sitting on the saddle properly, I'd probably feel it in my sit bones. But I don't. It's all up front.

I'll see if I can get a picture but that might be a problem. DH is not supportive of my biking. And I'm not sure he can even operate the camera. I'll have to work on him.

If you have any more suggestions, please give them to me. As I mentioned in my first post, my tri coach has seen me on the bike. He thought I was seated properly. He didn't understand my discomfort and I was finally able to talk him into tipping my seat back. The LBS have seen me on my seat numerous times and they also feel I'm seated correctly so I don't know what the heck to do. I was hoping a simple saddle change would fix the problem.

emily, I may get in front of the mirror and see if I can measure the distance from sit bone to sit bone.

Thanks.

[aicabsolut]

Hard bumps sounds to me like the typical saddle sore cysts. That you're also chafing on the sit bones and you feel like things are being pinched indicates that these shorts do not fit you, that the material is irritating, and the seams are probably getting in the wrong places.

If they feel at all loose in the chamois, they do not fit right. Go with a smaller size.

You may need to see a dermatologist about the cysts. In the meantime, I find that a combination of hydrocortisone cream and neosporin post-ride helps a lot, and keep using the chamois cream when you ride (in different shorts). My derm gave me a prescription for antibiotics to take the next time I have a saddle sore developing. She says it should clear up before it gets all huge and gross. We'll see if that works. Some people have had luck getting theirs injected with cortisone. Severe ones may require surgical removal.

I also say be careful of shaving there if you're getting any chafing.

[VeloVT]

I ride a saddle without a cutout. I had many more problems with chafing, bruising, pinching, pressure WITH a cutout than I have since I started riding saddles without cutouts (I've had good luck with a few different Fizik saddles). We are all different, and I know many if not most people swear by cutouts, but they aren't right for everyone... Just something to consider, you shouldn't necessarily take it for granted that you will be most comfortable on a women's saddle or a saddle with a cutout.

Good luck!!! Sounds like your saddle is no fun right now!

[Kano]

Recently, I went into my LBS, convinced I needed to try a narrower saddle with a different shaped cut out.

Bike Guy John came out of the service department, and asked how he could help. So, I explained my situation. He asked if I'd bought the bike along. Nope, I hadn't -- I can put a saddle on my bike, didn't figure there was any need.

I want to see you on the bike before I'll sell you a saddle, he said. "I think it's a reach issue." I thanked him and said I'd be back in a couple of days with the bike.

I have the same saddle and I'm much happier on it now. I have a shorter stem that's been angled up a bit more, and my saddle is farther back, down a bit lower, and angled a bit differently. No charge for the hour of his time or the parts.

Except that I bought some socks, and dragged DH in to figure out his wheel problem the other day.

We may still change the saddle, after I put more miles on it with this set up, but it's MUCH better than it was!

Maybe someone else needs to look at you on your bike, along with the possibility of a different saddle?

Karen in Boise

[MsBelle]

Have you tried the Pearl Izumi shorts with the chamois? And, yes, when they start feeling a little loose time to size down. Also, never ever wear underwear with them of any kind. Have you been doing that?

I bought my bike a few weeks ago, had a cheapo pair of shorts that I quickly discarded!! Bought a top of the line short which is so much kinder to my hiney.....but I get horrible saddle sores. At the advise of a cycling friend I bought some Butt Butter, this did help, but did not eliminate the problem.

Saturday I rode a little over 25 miles and was fine, however last night I rode 15 miles and now I'm covered front to back with saddle sores. Could it be my shorts are not the proper fit and they move around too much? When I got them, they fit fine, but now that I've been riding I'm starting to loose weight and inches so they are a little loser. HELP

[seeker]

I'm using Pearl Izumi with the chamois. And I don't wear underwear at all. Even when I'm not wearing bike shorts. I'm pretty much a bra-less, panty-less gal.

Ok, I'll do the cut-out test when I get back from the gym.

Thanks.

[KnottedYet]

your sit-bone width (6 1/4 inches) and saddle width (7 1/4 to 8 inches) is in good company on this board. Quite a few of us have tried several saddles in these ranges. After you do the cut-out test, let us know what you think you might be looking for and we can give you some ideas of places to start.

Knot-on-a-210mm-width-no-padding-narrow-nose-T-shaped-no-cut-out-suspended-saddle.

[Trek420]

My road and commuter are both Sella Italia. My commuter-mobile has no cut out, road does. I like both. Previously I tried, loved, wore to shreds Terry saddles, Avocet OS2 MTB* gel saddles... When you find the saddle you love get a few. My LBS says both of my current "love at first sit" saddles are no longer produced.

He has a few stored for me in a climate controlled vault in Switzerland Right Chris?

Then there's the ever illusive saddle-chamois-shorts symbiotic relationship. That saddle you love can become the saddle you love to hate with the wrong shorts. But let's start on your saddle and fit.

Trek-doesn't know how wide her sit bones are just knows the saddles she likes-420

*no reason not to use a MTB-specific saddle on a road bike if it's the one that fits you best. It's under your azz, who sees the logo?

[seeker]

Ok, when I lean forward just until my elbows touch my knees, I'm completely smooched. If I keep leaning forward, soft tissue is against the seat but not as smooched.

I noticed today that I'm not as smooched if I'm completely down in the drops. But I can't sustain that position for more than 5 minutes or so, especially if I'm working hard. If I'm up on the hoods, I'm much more smooched.

Still working on a pic. I have an @ss for a DH. This is not a new quality in him. It's his baseline personality.