Sore Seat

[rainebo]

I have started riding after not being on a bike since my late teens and I am having a real bad time with pain.... I have read all of the posts regarding saddles to try to see if I just need to break my butt in or what. The area I am having pain is the bottom of my pelvic cage on each side of my crotch. I was thinking those were my "sit" bones but after this last weekends ride, I was sitting on a curb and was thinking about the tip of using paper to measure the "sit" bones and could feel my "sit" bones and that is not where I am having the pain! I'm training for a very long ride from Idaho to San Diego on a tandem and need to get this pain thing resolved! Suggestions?

[pedalfaster]

Hard to say with out seeing you on the bike, but it sounds like you are "rolling" too far forward on the saddle. Check your position on the bike and make sure that you are able to truely "perch" on those sit-bones.

It could also be that your saddle is too wide in the front.

Don't be surprised if you find you need a different saddle on the tandem than on your single bike. Try searching the saddle forum for other saddles to try.

I can ride the same saddle, single or tandem, but find that shorts that are comfy on the single irritate me on the "big bike".

Weird, huh?

[cyclingnewbie]

Make sure your sit bones are actually on the saddle. I spent a Saturday test riding bikes and the narrow road bike saddles nearly did me in. I was sore for days, not on the sit bone, but in between, because my weight was on soft tissue on every saddle because they were all too narrow. I have never been that miserable from my longest ride!! Measure your sit bones and take the tape measure with to the bike store and be sure to get a saddle that fits your butt! And pedalfaster is also right about not rolling too far forward, because then your weight is again on the soft tissue and you'll get sore.

[emily_in_nc]

The other thing you might need if you don't already have it is a saddle with a cut-out down the middle. I am not a happy camper without one. I rode many, many miles on my Terry Butterfly saddle, then test-rode a bike with a non-cutout saddle and was in pain within five miles! You might also just need to give it more time. Whenever I start back up cycling after a long layoff, I get soft tissue pain in the areas you describe. It's like it just needs to toughen up. It does, but it can take a few weeks to be completely pain free. Now I'm touch as nails and rarely get any soreness at all, even up to a full century ride. I ride a leather/ti-rail Terry Butterfly on my three road bikes and love it!

Emily in NC

[DeniseGoldberg]

I'd recommend trying some different saddles - and keep in mind that the saddle that works for one person won't necessarily work for another. For example, emily_in_nc swears by a Terry Butterfly saddle, but I lasted all of 5 minutes using one, couldn't stand it! My saddle of choice is a Fizik Vitesse, which is a relatively narrow saddle with no cut-out. Guess we're all different! When I finally found the Vitesse - that was the 4th saddle that I tried. I went through 2 different Terry saddles, and one Specialized saddle, none of which worked for me.

So - keep trying, don't give up!

[rainebo]

Thanks ladies! The seat I have is a Schwin with a cut out but I think I'll try some different positioning and see how that works. I love this forum!! It amazes me how many people are in the group!

[Pedal Wench]

I'd recommend trying some different saddles - and keep in mind that the saddle that works for one person won't necessarily work for another. For example, emily_in_nc swears by a Terry Butterfly saddle, but I lasted all of 5 minutes using one, couldn't stand it! My saddle of choice is a Fizik Vitesse, which is a relatively narrow saddle with no cut-out. Guess we're all different! When I finally found the Vitesse - that was the 4th saddle that I tried. I went through 2 different Terry saddles, and one Specialized saddle, none of which worked for me.

So - keep trying, don't give up!

We are all VERY different. I started on the Fizik Vitesse, loved it for rides under 50, hated it on rides over 50 miles. Soft-tissue issues. I tried 4 Terry saddles, including the Butterfly Tri, one Selle Italia saddle-from-hell, and I'm thinking I'm happy with a Specialized - it's a men's saddle, but it's the 155mm wideload size. The exact opposite progression from Denise. Everyone is different.

[AutumnBreez]

ouch stop it already...my crotch!

How far back on the seat should my butt be? when hands are resting on shift bar?
I experienced the same, but I noticed the second day was not as bad as the first day.

This is definetly not my sit bones hurting.

[Biking Chick]

[QUOTE=AutumnBreez]ouch stop it already...my crotch![QUOTE]

From the date of the last posting I see that I am almost a month *late* in replying but wondering if Rainboe was able to solve her saddle problem.

In reading the posts about uncomfortable saddles, I noticed that there were a couple of comments about 'more pain in the front than in the back'. If you are experiencing pain or numbness in the front area the culprit is probably that the nose of the saddle is tipped up. Moving the nose of the saddle down even a fraction of an inch makes a world of difference!

Sorry to be coming in so late on this

[han-grrl]

ow ow ow ow
saddle sores

ow ow (did i say ow!)

For some reason i have started getting them. I have been riding my bike on the trainer all winter, and the last month i keep getting saddle sores. no changes. the best i can figure is 1) i have lost weight and my shorts just don't fit so good any more (darn, i have to go shopping, oh well )
or 2) i have really tight hips flexors and hamstrings and perhaps my seat position has changed because of it.

If anyone has any experience, with *suddenly* developing sores...help! (and ow!)

Clenching butt cheeks

Han

[joyrider]

Also wanted to mention that I bought my new seat (Serfas Rx) at REI - where they have a 100% satisfaction guaranteed policy - so you can take it back! I hear that a lot of LBS's don't take seats back, which can run you into a lot of money, experimenting with seat after seat after seat. But my goal was to pay for only one seat - the one I wanted!

[KKWise628]

Hi to all. I also tried out the Serfas Rx yesterday, wow what a nice saddle.
I am on my third short ride of the season. The first two left me sore and sitting in a hot bath before bed. But, buy ride three yesterday (in very strong wind), I was feeling pretty good down there. So, to rid yourself of the soreness, try to get in a few mini rides just to toughen up your rear and let it know what is expected of it!!

[han-grrl]

So i am sitting on my cold bean bag after doing my training ride. My saddle sore is slowly getting better, but well, you know

Cold BUM!!!

[mtnbikenmama]

was that I went to a really cool bike shop (Cambria Bike Outfitters) and they let me pick out the saddles, and they put them on and I tried them out, they were really patient and helpful. I ended up choosing a WTB Power V which is I think a DH seet but it fit my butt perfectly. I had tried Terry , Specialized famale specific (instrument of torture) and a lot of others this is what worked for me, find a good bike shop who will work with you. And like the others have stated play around with how the seat sits. Also on the saddle sores it can be a seat thing, but it can also be a bacteria thing. Or residual detergent in the chamois (sp?) so that's something you have to expirament with.

good luck,

donna

[AutumnBreez]

I don't know if you were fitted properly or not, but make sure that the seat is not so high that you have to lean forward too much to reach properly on positions 3 to 6. I had this problem and the fact it was a mens saddle that did not support my sit bones. Boy, this last week when I got the new saddle (Terry Tri gel butterfly) did I finally sit on those sitbones, much more durable then that of the soft tissue region.
R*E*L*I*E*F !
Also the change of the height was also a factor. That is why I mention this. Between the wrong height and improper saddle had me thinking that I may never achieve my dreams of riding long distance of more then an hour ride, so no charity races for me I had thought. Now there is hope! Yay!!! I am so delighted!