Saddle Sores - Sorry maybe TMI

[Kano]

(and how does the saddle you have now feel if you ride in unpadded shorts?)

This is a good question Knotted!

My little tale kind of asks the reverse: what happens if you do ride in padded shorts? -- on the possibility that newrider hasn't discovered the joys of padding yet!

I'm riding a 143 Specialized Ariel saddle comortably in the right shorts, and the other day, went on a 3.5 mile ride in "street shorts" and standard issue underwear. What the heck, it's only the post office and back, right?

HAH!

My butt, where I sit, is fine. Creases at the groin are still unhappy from the elastic in my undies, which was covered with fabric, and other parts, well, they got the seam of the shorts, and there's still grumbling, days later. (no serious damage, it was only 3.5 miles, after all!)

When I started riding, I didn't want to be out where the world could see me in them, but those lycra shorts we who get bikes to help us with the battle of the butt like to avoid are VITAL to our riding pleasure! Newrider, if you're not wearing padded shorts yet, find some -- and my suggestion is to make sure the pad doesn't have a seam that hits any creases! For a while, you might be happier doing what I did at first: padded shorts with others on top of them. I've seen several people here say they prefer skorts with the padding inside. (yeah, they're expensive, but the money is well-spent!)

Karen in Boise

[newridder]

i used a specialized initially but it was too painful. i am now using a terry butterfly cut out, but the cut out does not seem to be as long as the one shown by another rider. i will try to get measurements tomorrow. i am very new at this and not sure i know how to measure the butt on the saddle. thanks for responding

[newridder]

Kano, thanks i may try the pads on pads. i could not ride without padded shorts. i ride in canari. but a friend told me today about pants that are pricey but well padded. i can't remember the name but the trademark looks like a scorpion. the pants are supposed to keep the body at a certain temperature and are supposedly very well padded. i enjoy riding but when the pain becomes so unbearable i stop riding. i stop shortly after starting and can't seem to become a "rider." i sincerely welcome your thoughts.

[OakLeaf]

i am very new at this and not sure i know how to measure the butt on the saddle. thanks for responding

Search for "butt-o-meter" or "measuring sit bones" and "cut-out test" on this board, it's been discussed a lot, including earlier in this thread.

At the bike shop, Trek and Specialized dealers have a gel-filled pad that you sit on, the gel changes color in response to your body heat and pressure. At home, sit on something that will take the impression of your sit bones (a piece of paper, a yoga mat, or both) on top of a hard, flat surface like a straight chair or an uncarpeted stair. Measure both the center-to-center distance and the outside-to-outside distance between your sit bones.

While you're on the hard, flat surface, bending forward as though you're in riding position (elbows on knees or farther), pay attention to whether the position is squishing your soft tissues. If so, you probably want a saddle with a cut-out.

When you shop for a saddle, look for ones that are somewhat wider than your sit bones - at least 1 cm on either side, to allow for a little wiggle factor and also to account for the curvature of the saddle.

The shorts you're talking about are Castelli. I'd get the saddle sorted first, personally.

[Kano]

Kano, thanks i may try the pads on pads. .

Oh, Newrider, I didn't mean padded shorts on top of padded shorts -- I had regular shorts on top of the padded ones, so no one would see me in lycra!

Some of the problem is a new-to-riding bottom, at least for a while, I think. And if the seat's not right, well...

I haven't decided today if I need to go see my bike guy again about mine or not. After yesterday's ride on what had to be boulder-seal, I'm feeling much like either my saddle position is still wrong, or my saddle is just wrong. On the other hand, my ride Saturday did NOT leave me feeling battered. Or maybe it did, just nowhere near as badly, since the roads were much smoother!

Karen in Boise

[JaneE]

I've been having the same issues as Seeker and have been back and forth to my LBS several times over the past week searching for saddle-nirvana.

DH and I are in the process of gearing up for some touring/camping this summer and as we've gone on longer rides my current saddle's shortcomings have become painfully obvious. Up to two hours on the bike and all was (fairly) well. More than two hours and the squirming, discomfort and constant shifting around would get discouraging. I'm a little freaked out at the possibility of not being able to find a saddle that's comfortable for long days of touring but our favorite bike-tech has repeatedly assured me that the right saddle for me is out there somwhere. I'm going to hold him to his word.

I did sit on their Bontrager "***-o-meter" in the shop so we started with at least that basic information. So far I've tested (and returned) a Specialized Lithia and a basic Dolce. Right now there's a Jett on my road bike and after about 25 miles on it this morning I'm actually feeling a little hopeful. I'm going to scootch it forward another quarter of an inch and test it again but the "up-front" pain I've been having with the other saddles seems to be relieved to a large degree.

I'm fascinated by the Selle SMP Strike. If this Jett doesn't work out that will be one that I'll definitely want to try!

Guess I don't really have much to offer other than support (it's definitely a process...no short-cuts) and commiseration. When I was younger any old saddle seemed to be just fine. Now (a few decades and a few kids later...) things obviously have slipped and slid a little and need more tender support and consideration.

Hang in there!

Jane

[Tabby]

Hi, I'm new here and glad I found this exchange. I am new to mtb, since April, and experiencing saddle discomfort as discussed here. After my first 2 rides I mentioned it to a couple ladies who are mentoring me, they say to give it a bit of time til I have some miles in, move the seat a bit and see how I feel then, but toward the end of my rides (6-8 miles) it is just relief to get off the bike. I hope to find a fix, because I love riding and don't believe it should be this uncomfortable. I will begin working with some of the suggestions here and hope they help. But it's true ... this is a TMI topic, yet one that needs discussed and only another woman who has had or is having the problem can help with. The LBS guys just don't get it!!

PJ

[cmac77354]

Hi, I'm the original poster of this thread. Just thought I'd fill everyone in on what finally solved my problem. Even though I had bought top of the line shorts with super padding, the seams were what was causing my discomfort. After several washing and lots of Chamois Butt rubbed into the padding everything softened up and I wasn't irritated anymore. Make no mistake, there were days I thought I'd never get back on my bike because the discomfort was so bad....I was determined and suffered through it anyway. Good luck to all of you that are having the same problem. And many many thanks to all the wonderful advice I received.

[seeker]

I just wanted to give an update and thank all the women who have given me so much helpful information. You saved my hoo-hoo from destruction.

I bought the Selle SMP Strike TRK Lady Saddle. OMG! It is so much better. It finally arrived this week. I rode on the trainer for an hour and there was not one bit of pressure on the front. I felt some discomfort in other areas but I think that's because I've never put any pressure on my sit bones. It's all been up front. I think I just need some road time to get used to the different feeling.

I also gave up on my LBS. I went to a bike store about 40 miles from home. It is not too far from my drive to work so I loaded up the bike and took it over there. The shop is a one-man operation and the owner is fantastic. He spent an hour and a half with me yesterday. He understood the exact location of my pain. He moved my seat back, moved my handlebars forward, moved the clips on my shoes. He also said I need smaller handlebars. Even though my bike is female specific, I can't reach my breaks when I'm down in the drops. He says I have small hands. So he's going to shop around for some handlebars. He said I'm still too far forward on the bike but he said we'll work on that when I change the handlebars.

I fell down last week. It was one of those slam on the brakes, not get unclipped quick enough and fall over situations.. Oh well. Anyway, unbeknownest to me, my derailleur was bent. He fixed it for me. He also lubed my chain and said it was too small. That's why I grind in the small gears. (I had taken my bike into my LBS and asked about the grinding. They said that happens when you use the small gears.) So he ordered me a new chain. He checked my breaks, took my rear wheel off and checked everything back there.

It was amazing. He was very thoughtful. He'd sit and watch me pedal. Move something. Have me pedal somemore, move something. He went over my bike from one end to the other. I bought my bike at my LBS and I've taken it in 4 different times in the last 6 months and they've not spent a total of one and a half hours with me. I bought all my accessories from my LBS. I've spent a lot of money there and I've not had the kind of attention I received my this man. And no, he wasn't flirting. He is simply a professional.

And this guy only charged me $60.00 for the entire service. I told him I owed him more than $60.00. He told me he wasn't worried about it because he knew I'd be coming back to his store and spending money. And he's right!

I never thought I'd get this saddle situation straightened out. I asked around about the Selle SMP Strike and no one had heard of it. Even my new bike man had never seen anything quite like it. Had it not been for the ladies on this site, I never would have known about it. Thank you so much for your time and patience.

[sgtiger]

Yay! You found YOUR saddle. The sit-bone soreness will fade as your saddle breaks in and your tooshie gets used to having weight put there as opposed to where the weight was before. It, also, sounds like you found an uber cool LBS. I'd keep him. Heck, I'd probably propose to him.

[KnottedYet]

When you find your saddle, buy a couple extra!!!

(I'm not kidding! Saddles change, so buy extras of the one you like before it gets superseded by something else!) (well, unless it's a Brooks... then you're stuck with the same models for a century or so )