how long to "wear in" a new bike? (aka Help the saddle is hurting my girly bits!)

[Sadie]

I'm having sort of the same problem also, only I tilted my saddle back so I would sit more on my butt, and less pressure on the girly parts. But I have to keep sliding back because I end up too far forward. I need a saddle fitting for sure.

[kmehrzad]

I'm having sort of the same problem also, only I tilted my saddle back so I would sit more on my butt, and less pressure on the girly parts. But I have to keep sliding back because I end up too far forward. I need a saddle fitting for sure.

I have a women's specific road bike and the bike shop swapped out the saddle that came with it for another that was more narrow because I was getting saddle sores. I really like the Specialized Jett Saddle 130 mm. In fact, I bought another one for my Bike Friday, a folding bike. You may need to try another saddle if the one you have continues to give you problems.

[Aquila]

First, congrats on your new, beautiful bike!

I agree with MDHillSlug about trying to move it forward a tad, maybe. But you might also go to the bike shop and try riding around on other saddles. (Even if it means trying out a different bike). Saddles vary widely, and so do our bodies; what works great for me might not for you. But it's likely you'll find a saddle you love that will fit well.

Good luck and contrats again!

ps. Gloves! Yay for gloves! They really do help.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Gloves are essential for when you are riding 25 mph and somehow fall and wind up skidding on your palms on asphalt. It's instinctual to put your hands out to break your fall, but it's not like falling while walking or even running. At higher speed, you can do horrible damage to your hands and wrists and nerves there, not to mention losing a lot of skin. PLEASE wear gloves- they are very important for safety.

[OakLeaf]

Gloves are essential for when you are riding 25 mph and somehow fall and wind up skidding on your palms on asphalt. It's instinctual to put your hands out to break your fall, but it's not like falling while walking or even running. At higher speed, you can do horrible damage to your hands and wrists and nerves there, not to mention losing a lot of skin. PLEASE wear gloves- they are very important for safety.

+1 - but 15 mph is plenty fast to lose a whole lot of skin. Even if "all" you have is road rash and no permanent damage, losing all the skin off the palms of your hands can keep you from working or doing just about anything for a couple of weeks. The guy who built the frame for my race bike did just that - didn't put his gloves on for just a "little" commute across campus, wound up with both hands in bandages for way too long.


Re: your saddle - search this forum for saddle fitting. You can do a couple of tests at home to figure out how wide a saddle you need and whether you need a cut-out or not (not everyone does, and for those who don't, a cut-out can actually cause problems). There's still quite a bit of trial and error involved in finding your perfect saddle, but you can narrow your search considerably by knowing those two things.

Another thing that can cause you to slide forward on your saddle is having a "pear-shaped" saddle (gradual transition from butt to nose) when you need a more "T-shaped" one (sharp transition). That was my experience anyhow - as I pedaled, my thighs would pull my butt forward to the narrower part of the saddle, because when my legs are extended, I don't have that much space between my thighs.

[Biciclista]

My son ended up in ER (my 28 year old son) after a slow mo fall onto his hand off his bike. Nothing heals slower than a palm. He won't ride a bike without gloves, and he's a tough guy.

please get gloves

and as for your saddle, please get it fitted. what helped with MINE was to turn the saddle ever so slightly UP in the front, which keeps me on my sit bones. But if your saddle isn't really supporting you correctly anyway; that might not help.
Good luck; there are lots of better saddles; i ride a brooks.

[GLC1968]

Another thing that can cause you to slide forward on your saddle is having a "pear-shaped" saddle (gradual transition from butt to nose) when you need a more "T-shaped" one (sharp transition). That was my experience anyhow - as I pedaled, my thighs would pull my butt forward to the narrower part of the saddle, because when my legs are extended, I don't have that much space between my thighs.

Ditto this, I had the same problem. And even though I've got a bigger lower body than upper body, until I started biking, I had no idea that my pelvis is actually quite narrow and my sit bones are close together. I need a narrow saddle which is totally counter-intuitive based on my shape. You just never know until you take some measurements!

In addition to the advice given here, there is one more potential issue to think about. If you are finding yourself sitting on the front of your saddle more than back on your sit bones, it may be that your reach to the bars is too long and you instinctively scoot forward to compensate. Soooo many different things come into play when it comes to comfort on a road bike...if one tweak doesn't work, don't give up. You should not have to live with pain (at least, not that kind of pain!).

[lo123]

If you think you'd benefit from trying a different saddle, ask the folks you ride with. Before I bought my saddle, I tried several other riders' old saddles. I didn't end up getting any of them, but it did help me figure out what I was looking for in a saddle.