Feminine discomforts

[TrekTheKaty]

Just to add--if your seat is too narrow, your weight is on your "girl parts" and not on your sit bones. I did this recently on a friend's bike--OUCH. Combine that with the Rosie Road's explanation and I ended up standing on the pedals all the way home

[Andrea]

What exactly hurts? Feel free to use words like "vagina" or "labia" to describe. If could be a fit, shorts, or saddle issue.

[Ann G]

For me it's mostly been chafing of the inner labia. As I said in the original post, trying that sample of chamois butt'r helped. I bought the bike from a shop where the owner is REALLY into proper bike fit, where he has equipment to set things up and makes adjustments involving a millimeter here, a millimeter there, etc. However, I wonder whether the angle of the seat might be an issue. Maybe it's slightly too high in the front or something. Thanks for all of the responses. This has been very helpful.

[maryellen]

+1 for chamois butt'r and i'm extravagant w it. worth every penny.

[jodz1984]

hi, i just wear knicks, but i was having an issue with pain there, and i was thinking the angle of the seat was wrong and stuff like that but i had a proper bike fitting from the owner of the shop that has represented the country, so been into cycling forever, so i figured that wasn't the problem. but i got a new pair of knicks and it feels much better, and they aren't even women specific ones either, i bought them because they were the matching set for my LBS jersery. when i wear my female specific knicks which was the first ones i had i can feel the difference after about 15kms with them.

[GmaJill]

what type if any underwear is worn with riding pants or shorts....sorry new rider not sure.. thanks for helping me with this.

[kermit]

Commando under cycling shorts. Any type of panties IMO will chafe. Not pretty.

[Groundhog]

For me it's mostly been chafing of the inner labia. As I said in the original post, trying that sample of chamois butt'r helped. I bought the bike from a shop where the owner is REALLY into proper bike fit, where he has equipment to set things up and makes adjustments involving a millimeter here, a millimeter there, etc. However, I wonder whether the angle of the seat might be an issue. Maybe it's slightly too high in the front or something. Thanks for all of the responses. This has been very helpful.

I'm a n00b - not an expert - but I've read that men like the tip of the saddle pointing up, and women like it pointing down. My DH keeps telling me to point my saddle up, but it definitely feels better down.

So I guess I'm saying that if you think you have proper fit/size otherwise, just nudge the front tip of the seat down a bit. Always easy to put it back if it doesn't help.

[Biciclista]

sometimes tipping the saddle down puts excessive force on your hands.
My saddle is tipped up just the tiniest bit.