Seating position on a saddle

[Etincelle]

I got a new bike and a new saddle.. I got a fix on my bike... I feel good on my bike (position) except for the saddle... I have a lot of pain.. not the sitbones.. but the soft tissues... I am not sure if it's the saddle (Italia Gel Ldy) or my position (the way that I am sitting)...

I have a feeling that I do not know how to sit anymore on the saddle...

Any advices??

[Squirrel 2]

Ditch the saddle! Pain in the soft-tissue area is unacceptable under any circumstances, it will only get worse & can lead to serious problems. If you are having pain in that area, sounds like you are putting weight on soft tissue instead of on your sit bones. Not sure why that would be, it could be any number of things.

Some things to check -- put your bike on a trainer so you can take your hands off the handlebars. Sit on it leaning forward in a riding position, then slide one hand under your butt to find your sit bones. The leaning forward is important so those bones will stick out. Are they on the saddle? If they are hanging off the edge, the saddle is too narrow. If there is lots of plush, extra saddle area, the saddle is too wide. Still on the trainer, look between your legs. Is the distance between each leg & the nose of the saddle the same, or is there more of a gap between one leg than the other? If so, you are sitting crooked. Which would be why you can't find where you should sit. You need a saddle that is wide enough to support your sit bones, but not too wide to chafe you. Now check the cut-out. Lean forward & try to get one hand under & through the cut-out. What happens? Is the cut-out closing in with the pressure of your weight? If so, it could be collapsing & pinching the soft-tissue (ouch!). Does it feel hard & firm? Does it have any sharp edges? All these things might be hurting you as the area up front is very delicate.

Try some other designs, but try & learn what it is about this saddle that bothers you so you can eliminate other potential butt hazzards. There are lots of them out there. Don't be afraid to try men's saddles, saddles without gel & saddles without cut-outs. And figure the LBS has no idea what will work for you--they are great with guys, because that's most of their experience & most of their customer base, but with women they tend to throw up their hands.

Also, think about your riding position. Are you bent forward a lot? Maybe a tri saddle, which has a wider, softer nose (no cut-out, just all gel up front) would work for you. The butt support on these can be very firm.

Just keep in mind that what feels comfy & cushy in the store might squish down & start to bother you on longer rides, if you do longer rides. What you are looking for in the store is something that will give you good support, and has nothing obvious to cause you pain & discomfort.

Good luck.

[slinkedog]

All those things that Squirrel said are great advice. The only thing I would add is to make sure you're sitting far enough back on your saddle. If you're too far forward, the soft tissues will be squished. A Selle Italia Ldy should have a cutout, right? I had terry Butterfly Tri Gel Ti and it has a cutout too. The cutout thing didn't work for me, but some people love it. You may just have to try a bunch of saddles before you find the right one for you.

[RoadRaven]

Something else to consider, as well well as width and style of saddle, is the angle it is attached.

When you reach back, like Squirrel suggested, to see where your sit-bones are, think to yourself whether if you drop the nose of the seat a millimetre or two or three, would you sit bones then make contact?

Often the nose of saddles are too high, which of course will squish our soft bits...

Good luck in experimenting. You will know when its right - you should be able to ride 1/2 - 1 hour without discomfort.

Some women will get of the bike at this point and walk around.

I don't, but my bits do start to feel a little numb if I haven't done much or any standing, so you will still need to stand and/or wriggle about but thats not so much the saddle as just being in one place for a long time - any part of the body gets suceptible to pins and needles/numbness without movement.