Need a noseless saddle...help!

[emily_in_nc]

I would invest in a recumbent bike before I'd:

1) Ride an upright bike with a noseless saddle. Have heard nothing but bad things about them re. control, stability, and safety.

2) Give up cycling.

Recumbents are cool! Something else to think about if all the excellent suggestions from the ladies of TE above do not work!

[zoom-zoom]

Another suggestion is to consider your core strength. When my core is strong my on-bike posture is better and my pelvis is rotated upwards so that my girl bits are not under any pressure. When my core is weak I tend to end up with my pelvis rotated anteriorly and end up with ouchies. Plus having strong core muscles generally helps keep the PC muscle strong, which also helps with incontinence.

[Beachmouse]

Your responses have been quite helpful, I should have posted in my original, I have a Trek Domane which comes with a stock bontrager wsd saddle (but without a cut out), I always wear padded shorts when I ride. The specialist told me that a womans urethra is very short to sitting on the pelvis can irritate this lady part, especially in cyclists (or so he said) which can lead to bladder problems and kidney issues. I'm just not sure if I should go noseless or cut out. It's kind of a painful problem (meaning kidneys just ache) and i'm finding tons of info on mens issues with saddles but not many on womens. Saddles are so expensive and rarely returnable from my inquiries. I was just wondering if having a seat with no nose, would simply solve the problem. It's not a pain nor numbness issue, have neither problem when I ride. Was just throwing it out there since so many of you having been doing this for so long and your wealth of knowledge is so helpful. I've asked at 3 bike shops (all of which are staffed by generally young guys) and they just kind of look at me like i'm crazy and really have no idea what i'm talking about and turn around and suggest a Terry Butterfly, which i'm finding an amusing answer since it's the one all three stores came back with.

[OakLeaf]

It may even be that you don't need a channel or cut-out, and that if your sitbones are supported, your "parts" will be lifted off the saddle. That's the principle behind Knott's cut-out test.

Not only is the Butterfly overly padded for me, all Terry saddles are too wedge (pear) shaped for me. What happens with me, apparently with a minority of people on a saddle too wedge-shaped, is that the pedaling motion forces me forward along the transition area until my parts are sitting on the nose. So no matter how wide the rear of the saddle or how generous the cut-out, if it's too wedge-shaped, my sitbones won't be on it, and my soft tissues will get ground to hamburger meat.

Besides the return policies Muirenn mentioned, Wallingford Bikes offers a 6-month trial on Brooks saddles (you might be surprised), and you could google Selle Italia for a local shop who has one of their test kits. Last I looked, not all SI saddles were included in their test kit (they have a very extensive line), but if there's one of their saddles that's the right shape and size for you, that could be a way to test it also.

[Sky King]

We also offer a six month return policy at Bike Touring News

Width, cut out, tilt, core strength, kegels - all sorts of great ideas to keep you on the bike.

[Eden]

Maybe I'm getting it a bit wrong... but kidney pain without noticeable urethra irritation (at least as a precursor) sounds fishy to blame it on the bike saddle? That there's been no saddle pain/pressure and no UTI like symptoms from saddle pressure makes me wonder.

[tulip]

Maybe I'm getting it a bit wrong... but kidney pain without noticeable urethra irritation (at least as a precursor) sounds fishy to blame it on the bike saddle? That there's been no saddle pain/pressure and no UTI like symptoms from saddle pressure makes me wonder.

I wondered the same thing. Also make sure you are staying hydrated. It is possible that you began riding but didn't increase your water intake. Something else to think about!

[ny biker]

That stock Bontrager saddle is one of the more hated saddles on this forum. Though many people love the Bontrager Evoke and Inform.

The stock Bontrager saddle is not the same one that used to come on their road bikes. It's the Affinity 1, sold individually as the Affinity R, which is the most padded version of the three Affinity saddles. I found it to be too padded but I gave it to a friend who preferred it to the Affinity RL (which is less padded). I think the mid-width version is the stock saddle but I'm not sure; it would be the 144mm width if I'm right. If there's no pain, then the width is probably okay.

[emily_in_nc]

I would try a saddle with a cut out way before a noseless saddle! I get urethral irritation/chafing with saddles without cutouts, including a WTB Speed She saddle with a channel that I was hoping would work, but it made me sting when I peed or was showering after a ride. For me, the Terry Butterfly works well, and no more irritated urethra.

I had the same problem when I moved down here and started riding a beach cruiser with a cushy saddle. My urethra and clitoris were very irritated after riding the saddle for awhile and actually hurt. I bought a cheapie saddle (no name brand) with a cut out (the best I could do here as the selection is extremely limited), and altho my sitbones had to get used to a harder saddle all over again, the pain/irritation "in the middle" of my lady parts went away immediately.

But I do agree with Eden -- kidney pain without urethral irritation or bladder infection sounds strange to me as well and may not be saddle-related.

[Cyclingfun]

Thank goodness I've found this forum and can read and share about personal things that make good sense and are spot-on relevant! I was really worried that saddle problems were going to be the undoing of all my ambitions with cycling (quite lowly ambitions, I should quickly add, but important to me all the same). I recently bought an Adamo Road saddle and, so far, my soft bits are fine and I can well and truly feel my sit-bones taking the strain. A bit limited by the weather to really give the new saddle an extended trial but am hopeful. I hope the Adamo has enough nose, with regard to the steering comments - I've never really thought about the connection between steering and the saddle but I will now!

[Celeste1013]

That stock Bontrager saddle is one of the more hated saddles on this forum. Though many people love the Bontrager Evoke and Inform.

The Terry Butterfly works for some people, but others find it too bulky. (Like me, it causes compression in the lady bits due to having too much padding).

Specialized has a 30 day return policy. (Definitely my favorite). Start with the Jett, the Ruby, or the Oura. Jett has the most padding.

Performance and Nashbar have great policies. As does Competitive Cyclist. Very generous, but would have to look them all up. I know CC's is now indefinite.

It's worth looking into that Bontrager Inform and Evoke. They have channels instead of actual cutouts; for some people, the cutout itself actually causes chafing, but they need something to relieve pressure.

Back to the original advice. Measure your sitbones, then it will be easier to start with some good recommendations.

Hi there, new biker, trying to absorb as much information as I can. How does one measure one's sitbones?