Embarassing Saddle Issues...

[alexis_the_tiny]

Sounds like you have some guys who are doing your bike fit, hopefully they are knowledgable, so the setup should be correct.

How much air are you, or they, putting in your tires? I love my Specialized Ruby saddle and have had no issue until today. I just had my bike tuned and the shop put on new tires. I forgot to tell them I run 100 PSI in my tires. I don't know what they pumped them to but by the end of 30 miles I was miserable, my sit bones were killing me, and I was hating my saddle, plus, I was feeling every bump in the road. We stopped at REI, where they have a pump on hand, and I took the air down to 100 PSI. I couldn't believe the difference. The last 32 miles of the ride were heaven.

The manufacturer of my tires recommends 100 PSI for a 100 lb rider. If you're a lightweight you may need less air than the guys recommend. Experiment with what feel good to you.

Kathi, that's interesting. I currently pump my tires to 100 or 110 PSI. I weigh somewhere in the range of 94 to 97lbs. But if I were to lower my tires pressure, wouldn't it put me at higher risk for flats?

I had the same problem again this morning and realized that I felt a little dry there and the fleece was really rubbing and chafing while I pedaled. Maybe I should throw in a dab of KY jelly there in addition to a new saddle...

[Kathi]

Kathi, that's interesting. I currently pump my tires to 100 or 110 PSI. I weigh somewhere in the range of 94 to 97lbs. But if I were to lower my tires pressure, wouldn't it put me at higher risk for flats?

I had the same problem again this morning and realized that I felt a little dry there and the fleece was really rubbing and chafing while I pedaled. Maybe I should throw in a dab of KY jelly there in addition to a new saddle...

Nope, you don't have enough weight and too much air will toss you around more. Actually, I thought the same thing as you, but I tried it and couldn't believe the difference. I've been running 100 psi about 4 yrs without issue even on city streets. I also do this on my mtn bike, have ridden 30-35 psi with no problems. I weigh 105 so you might be able to go lower. Experiment and see.

Handlebar height can also contribute to this problem. My very well thought of male bike fitter missed the fact that I have short arms. No matter what saddle I tried I was miserable without tilting the nose down. Consulted a different fitter and it turned out my handlebars were 4cm too low for me.

[Kathi]

Nope, you don't have enough weight and too much air will toss you around more. Actually, I thought the same thing as you, but I tried it and couldn't believe the difference. I've been running 100 psi about 4 yrs without issue even on city streets. I also do this on my mtn bike, have ridden 30-35 psi with no problems. I weigh 105 so you might be able to go lower. Experiment and see.

Handlebar height can also contribute to this problem. My very well thought of male bike fitter missed the fact that I have short arms. No matter what saddle I tried I was miserable without tilting the nose down. Consulted a different fitter and it turned out my handlebars were 4cm too low for me.

I just checked the package for my tires, Michelin Pro3 race and it for a rider below 110 lbs the recommened bar is 6 or a psi of 87. Hmmm, guess I'll try going lower, too.

[alexis_the_tiny]

Kathi, wow, I'm going to have to try that. If anything, it'll save the useless 'ladies friendly' floor pump the bike shop sold my dad from being violently dismantled and thrown out.

[marni]

oh goodie, let's teach another pump to fly. DH who is a more casual rider boght me the latest greatest floor pump which sucks, literally, and is nearly impossible to use since it is not now, nor was it ever a "ladie friendly" pump but might work for Arnold (I'll be back) the gubernator of CA.

marni

[Biciclista]

yeah i weigh more like 130 and I keep my tires at about 90 lbs. I have not had a lot of problems with flats.

[XMcShiftersonX]

You may start to lose in performance though, don't you think? I'm 110 pounds and have my tires pumped to 120 PSI before every ride. Any less and I notice the drag and increase in effort, which will lead to other discomforts, at least on the long distance rides I do.

I also have to disagree with some of the opinions of earlier - I don't think the Chamois is just to protect against sores resulting from seams, but also to add some cushion against a hard surface. No matter how comfortable a saddle you get, sitting on it for 2-8 hours can cause problems. In addition to building that area up over time and getting used to it simply by spending time on the saddle, I wear Assos shorts, which have the best Chamois ever created. I wouldn't say it's a fashion statement, it actually serves a purpose. I can't last on any seat for even a short 20 mile ride without a pad, I've tried and the pressure hurts too much. Of course proper fitting of a saddle is important too. That, along with a good Chamois cream like DZ Nuts, seems to take care of the pains, for me.

As far as floor pumps goes, we just got the best one ever invented, in addition to being an art piece, it actually works, and really easily! Check out the Lezyne pumps: http://www.lezyne.com/products/floor...r-drive-4.html (this is the one we have)