saddle numbness

[albe]

Hi,
I got a new 'FIZIK' saddle a couple of months ago, to start with it was great and I loved it and had no problems with his. However lately, during my rides and even once I'm home and showered my saddle is causing me numbness down there as well as being quite uncomfortable during the ride... Any suggestions etc?

[alpha_omega]

Hi,
I got a new 'FIZIK' saddle a couple of months ago, to start with it was great and I loved it and had no problems with his. However lately, during my rides and even once I'm home and showered my saddle is causing me numbness down there as well as being quite uncomfortable during the ride... Any suggestions etc?

I'd be interested to know some more information before dispensing any advice.

Is this a new issue? Or did it happen with the previous saddle as well? Did you recheck the fit after installing? What width is your new saddle?

It sounds like you might be one of the people in this world who benefits from a cutout in their saddle. However, it could also be just as simple as a fit adjustment issue or an improper width of the saddle in regards to your hipbones.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

HI Albe,
You are not giving us much information to go on.

How long have you been riding bikes? How long are your typical rides? Are you young? Are you athletic? What kind of bike are you riding? Is this a new bike that puts you in a new riding postion from your old bike? Where is this numbness- on your behind or more towards the front? Knowing all that would be helpful to anyone trying to give helpful advice.

and Welcome to TE!

[Biciclista]

you know, sometimes bike parts (like handlebars and seats) can slip and move out of the optimal position. You might check that if this is a saddle that previously was comfortable.

[albe]

I'd be interested to know some more information before dispensing any advice.

Is this a new issue? Or did it happen with the previous saddle as well? Did you recheck the fit after installing? What width is your new saddle?

It sounds like you might be one of the people in this world who benefits from a cutout in their saddle. However, it could also be just as simple as a fit adjustment issue or an improper width of the saddle in regards to your hipbones.

It is a new saddle and for the first month or so of it being fitted to my bike I loved it. My first saddle was to big and to spongy so have been in the process of trying a couple of different ones. I had my sitbones measured and from the what they said the measurement was this should be the right size. Also the last few rides i've done i've actually been cut if you know what i mean and man it kills when I hop in the shower. I feel like when I"m on the bike i am constantly moving to re-adjust my self on the saddle. Could anyof these problems be stemming from my nicks?

[albe]

HI Albe,
You are not giving us much information to go on.

How long have you been riding bikes? How long are your typical rides? Are you young? Are you athletic? What kind of bike are you riding? Is this a new bike that puts you in a new riding postion from your old bike? Where is this numbness- on your behind or more towards the front? Knowing all that would be helpful to anyone trying to give helpful advice.

and Welcome to TE!

Hi, thanks so much for your help and woops your right i didn't really allaborate very well.. I am 23 have been riding for about 12 months now and most days ride between 40-50km. I am athletic, definately not overweight. I ride a 2008 Trek Madone WSD and have been riding my trek since May last 2008. I was re-fitted on my bike about 2 months ago when I got my new seat. I loved the new seat to start with but lately it just does not agree with me. Numbness is at the front and I am also gettin broken skin in front that puts my in absolute agony.. I find that I am continuously moving and re-adjusting my self on my seat during a ride to find a more comfortable position that does not hurt. The guy I ride with says that he thinks because the roads we ride on are quite bad (very bumpy, potholes everywhere etc) that I wont find a seat that doesn't hurt riding at home. I disagre though surely not everone goes through what I am.. Could it perhaps be a combination of my seat and nicks?

Thanks so much for any help :-)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If your weight is mostly back on your two sit bones when you ride, it shouldn't be making your front tender parts raw. Are you riding with most of your weight falling on your frontal 'girl parts' area?

[albe]

If your weight is mostly back on your two sit bones when you ride, it shouldn't be making your front tender parts raw. Are you riding with most of your weight falling on your frontal 'girl parts' area?

I was thinking during this mornings ride and yes I do feel like I'm sitting right on those 'frontal girl parts'..
I had my handle bars dropped when I was re-fitted to the bike with the new seat but up until recent there has not been a problem so i'm finding it hard to understand why now?..
I'm racing in a few weeks and am worried this 'problem' is going to make things very difficult.. I don't think i'll be gettin on the bike tomorrow morning

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ok, so when they put the new seat on they also lowered the bars- this might tend to make you tip more onto your front pubic area. Perhaps you are riding more now in preparation for your race, and that's why the pain is showing up more now than before?
I cant imagine trying to train and race with such rawness as you describe....actually cut and stinging in the shower? Yikes.

I'd say you should go back to the person who fit you right away and get re-fit with the goal to take pressure off the front pubic area. Don't be embarrassed when you do this- a good bike fitter deals with this problem all the time- with both men and women.
Another tip in the mean time is to try to ride your bike while distributing your weight more evenly between your saddle, your feet, and your hands. Don't ride like you are just sitting on a chair...ride like you are a part of your wonderful bike machine- walking/running inside your bike. I know that sounds nutty but this mental trick can help and might get your body weight a bit better balanced while riding.

But do go get the fit adjusted- there are various things they can do to get your weight back onto your sit bones where it won't hurt so much. See if they will do a change without charging you for another fit session- tell them the last adjustments are causing pain.

[albe]

Ok, so when they put the new seat on they also lowered the bars- this might tend to make you tip more onto your front pubic area. Perhaps you are riding more now in preparation for your race, and that's why the pain is showing up more now than before?
I cant imagine trying to train and race with such rawness as you describe....actually cut and stinging in the shower? Yikes.

I'd say you should go back to the person who fit you right away and get re-fit with the goal to take pressure off the front pubic area. Don't be embarrassed when you do this- a good bike fitter deals with this problem all the time- with both men and women.
Another tip in the mean time is to try to ride your bike while distributing your weight more evenly between your saddle, your feet, and your hands. Don't ride like you are just sitting on a chair...ride like you are a part of your wonderful bike machine- walking/running inside your bike. I know that sounds nutty but this mental trick can help and might get your body weight a bit better balanced while riding.

But do go get the fit adjusted- there are various things they can do to get your weight back onto your sit bones where it won't hurt so much. See if they will do a change without charging you for another fit session- tell them the last adjustments are causing pain.

Thanks very much for your help I will talk to the guy who did the fit (although not an easy thing to talk to guys about) I still can't understand why its only been the last few weeks that this has been happening. It has been a couple of months since the re-fit and I thought if there was a problem it was have started much earlier..
I will also try ride my bike like you said like I am apart of it. I'm eager to try anything that may perhaps help And yes the shower part totally sux!!
Have a great day and again thanks!
One more question quickly.. do you rate chamois cream at all? Is there anygood ones out or will like a baby nappy rash/chafe cream do the trick to also perhaps help ?

[Biciclista]

i use chamois cream, it's great; but I think you need more than that judging from your description!

[crazycanuck]

Since you refer to Km's/nappies etc, you might be in the Southern Hemisphere???

If so, there's 3B action creme available in Aust/NZ..

Body glide is good too!

[albe]

Since you refer to Km's/nappies etc, you might be in the Southern Hemisphere???

If so, there's 3B action creme available in Aust/NZ..

Body glide is good too!

Hi!

Yes I certainly am. Good old QLD Australia..

[crazycanuck]

*waves* to Qld!

I'm sure you'll find good chamois cream over east!!! Pick up a copy of the Australian Cyclist mag & you may find some more info there? Also, try www.bicycles.net.au for local information.

Happy cycling! Don't melt..like us out west at the moment...

[pinkbikes]

Hi!

Yes I certainly am. Good old QLD Australia..

Hi albe

I am also in Qld. And I have also had the joy of rolling forward on my seat and rubbing the front bit raw. And for some reason on certain saddles or certain nicks, the side bit raw too! Hate that shower afterwards - it really stings!

Firstly, I can recommend Curash Cream (yep - the one from the baby aisle at the supermarket) to both heal up the nasty raw bit quick smart, and also as an "anti-chafe" cream. Comes in a nice handy little tube. The only down side is that it is white and sticky! But it fixes us as quick as it fixes nappy rash - and that's quick!

Secondly, I had a bike fitting for my nice new mountain bike at my "not quite so local bike shop" at Jindalee. The old guy who does the fittings there is a genius I reckon and set it up beautifully. Of all my bikes it is the only one that does not cause me any angst in the sore tush department, so I am thinking of going back to him to talk about seats for my roadie and my other mountain bike. So definitely go back and say the fit is causing pain and see what they can do.

One thing that he did look at was just a little "nose down" on the seat instead of setting it up dead horizontal (no more than 1degree though) to take the pressure off the pubic bone when you roll forward a bit. But too much means you slide down the seat and put too much weight on your arms so this is something for subtlety.

Thirdly, you shouldn't be at all embarassed talking to the fitting guy about soreness in the girl parts. They are so used to it and they study a fair bit about the geometry of the girl anatomy, so can be very helpful if you can be specific about where it hurts.

Fourthly, for what it is worth, the fitter I used is a huge advocate of PawPaw ointment as both a preventative and a cure for saddle soreness. You know the stuff that is made by Lucas in the red tub (and in a tube now)? Cures everything??? He likes that it is natural and seems to work well for the girls he trains out of the shop. I have tried it and it seems fine. And it certainly is not expensive!

Also, I take your point about the nicks. Have you a different pair you can try? I do have certain nicks that don't go well with my roadie seat so I can only wear them on my mountain bike. And other nicks that are ok on the roadie seat but absolutely crap on my other mountain bike seat. So it would be worth the experiment to try different nicks.

Hope it all works out
PB