Sitz Bones "parts"

[Miranda]

I have read many things on here about our sitz bones. I've searched, and think I remember reading something about different "parts" of our sitz bones?

I'm not sure if I'm still hitting my saddle with the right "part" of my sitz bones?

By this I mean, if you look at a diagram of pelvic bones, where our girly bits are, there is a bell shaped curve. I know the sitz bones in this one dimentional pic are are the base of each low point of the curve.

If I am feeling this correctly on my new saddles I'm trying, I think I am still only hitting somewhere just on this inside of this curve... versus the exact tip of the sitz bones? It's pretty close. Maybe it's my riding angle, vs sitting straight up in a chair pressure sensation? btw... I did vary positions between hoods, drops, and slide the saddle forward some too... also riding without chamois for the test spin to not mask the pressure, beside my trunk junk fat

Prior to this I have been riding my pubic bone I figured out with the help of TE. What I feel is definately an improvement from THAT. I honestly don't know what true sitz bones pressure on a bike is suppose to feel like? Pretty sad. Maybe I am indeed on it? Thx for any help!

[mayanorange]

Miranda- If it feels like you're on the insides of the bell and feels like they're being pulled apart, you're saddle's too narrow. You need the entire sitbones to be supported. Have you measured them versus the saddle width?

[Tuckervill]

If you really want to feel them, sit down on a curb or your front stoop, with your knees up by your chest. Wiggle your tush around a little. Sit there long enough on the concrete and you'll feel them just fine!

That's what you should be sitting on. I think someone said you can measure the width of them by putting a playdough pancake there on the stoop before you sit down, then get up carefully and measure the distance between them. if they're wider than that saddle, the saddle is too narrow.

Karen

[Miranda]

Thx for the help thus far...

Well, crud...

I think all 5 of the saddles are too narrow. I ordered: Specialized Ruby & Jett 155mm, Terry's Butterfly, Zero, Falcon.

I did measure myself pre-buy per TE instructions in some Pilsbury pie crust dough on a step stool. Got measured at 2 lbs, one in Bontrager's color seat thingy, and Specialized butt-o-meter. I was 140mm dead center sitz bones in the Specialized seat. They said I could go with a 143 or 155, but encouraged the 143. I thought better of the 143 as the saddle sides slope slightly, and narrows it (and as I read on TE).

Once there was a thread about who we liked on TE and why. I didn't reply as I could not say one person. My answer would be all. No one has ever made me feel dumb or ashmed with anything. So, here's some sorta gross-ish info and where I think the saddles hit...

I got in the buff in front of the full length mirror and did my best impression of the circus flexy girl bending over. The red pressure marks I saw were parallel across from about where a lady gets a 3rd degree (all the way thru) tear repair towards the back of the vaginal opening if you had a really big baby. My 'little' darlings were both pushing 10 pounds. Glad the docs don't charge by the stitch. Anyrate... that is just barely inside that bell shaped curve I believe. When I pressed on the bones from the red marks backwards, I think the proper spot is slightly behind it.

I did order and send back a Titanico without riding it (not off TE). It was wide, but the color was defective. They didn't want to take it back (even after seeing the defect in pics emailed of how it arrived). When I insisited that I was not happy with trying to break in a defective saddle, that man had a little tantrum and told me to take my business elsewhere. I really wanted to tell him some other things, but I held my tounge in fear of not getting my money back.

So, guess I'll go back through some wide sitz bones threads and look again. Sorry for the rambling... I'm just getting depressed about the saddle hunt *sigh*.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My opinion is that if your sit bones are 140mm apart, then a 143mm saddle is still going to be too narrow- your bones would still be on the saddle frame edges.
Would you consider an unpadded Brooks leather saddle? Or did you already try one and find it not suitable?
I have VERY wide sitbones and the Brooks B68 is the only saddle wide enough for me (210mm). It's very comfortable for me, even on long rides of over 50 miles. The Brooks B17 is 170mm in back.
http://www.wallbike.com/brooks/standardsaddles.html#b68

P.S. I would *not* recommend the Brooks "S" models however. Supposed to be for women, many women (including myself) find them way too short in length.

[Flur]

It seems that if your sit bones are 140mm apart you should be fine on a 155. Did you try those already and they didn't work for you? (I couldn't tell from your previous post if you'd tried them or if you had them on order). I don't know why a store would push a 143 for you; that's clearly too small.

Also, when you ride are you in a more upright position, or are you more folded over? I ride more folded over, especially in the drops (my seat is about 3 inches higher than my bars), and I find that I do feel more pressure on the inside of my sit bones, but I know my saddle is wide enough b/c both sit bones are dead on it with space all the way around - I can feel them pretty well and I've checked, numerous times. I had trouble at first and thought that my saddle was too narrow, but I stuck with it and let my pelvic muscles strengthen and now I'm pain free.

[mayanorange]

I agree with these guys- I have 145ish sitbones and need 155-160 in my saddle width.

There's new data out on Bontrager's site and in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise that shows we don't actually sit on our sitbones on the saddle as much as is lore. But I still think the whole pelvis width needs support and from where you say you are raw- it's either to narrow or too much curve right to left.

Discussion of the bontrager info here: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=25618

[Miranda]

My opinion is that if your sit bones are 140mm apart, then a 143mm saddle is still going to be too narrow- your bones would still be on the saddle frame edges.
Would you consider an unpadded Brooks leather saddle? Or did you already try one and find it not suitable?
I have VERY wide sitbones and the Brooks B68 is the only saddle wide enough for me (210mm). It's very comfortable for me, even on long rides of over 50 miles. The Brooks B17 is 170mm in back.
http://www.wallbike.com/brooks/standardsaddles.html#b68

P.S. I would *not* recommend the Brooks "S" models however. Supposed to be for women, many women (including myself) find them way too short in length.

No, I have not tried a Brooks, yet. Thx for that link. I have read much about them here on TE. It seems like for ladies wider, it's one of the few options. I like that the B68 comes in silver rivets. I wish the other did. But, at this point, that is the least of my concern. If my rear end can spend more time on the saddle, then who cares as it won't be seen sitting idle without a rider.

[amy]

Maybe you all can help me. I don't feel "pulled apart" on my saddle but I keep finding myself rolling forward towards my public bone on a long ride, leaving me quite sore. Someone once had told me that I would be able to maintain a better position when my core was stronger... hmmm.. I've now done quite a few miles, and I teach yoga and have a pretty solid core. And I'm still sore. Is it seat position or seat size, you think?

On a side note, I had my bike built for me with extensive measurements and trainer rides... as I'm a 6 foot tall woman with a long inseam and narrow shoulders. But the seat was added almost as an afterthought by the LBS.

[Flur]

Maybe you all can help me. I don't feel "pulled apart" on my saddle but I keep finding myself rolling forward towards my public bone on a long ride, leaving me quite sore. Someone once had told me that I would be able to maintain a better position when my core was stronger... hmmm.. I've now done quite a few miles, and I teach yoga and have a pretty solid core. And I'm still sore. Is it seat position or seat size, you think?

On a side note, I had my bike built for me with extensive measurements and trainer rides... as I'm a 6 foot tall woman with a long inseam and narrow shoulders. But the seat was added almost as an afterthought by the LBS.

Does your seat have a cutout?

[mayanorange]

I had a long response typed out, but the kitten just deleted it!

From what I read today (see the Bontrager thread), we actually do put significant weight on the pubic rami- sometimes more there than on the ischial tuberosities. Especially in the drops, you should be able to tip the pelvis forward onto the rami and be supported. My current saddle unfortunately also tries to support a lot at the pubic symphysis (and thus girly bits), so I'm still hunting for one that has the right shape up front. I'm trying the Lithia tonight on the trainer and have a SMP TRK on order, but if those don't work, maybe I'll try out the new Bontrager.

For those non-anatomists:

[Miranda]

It seems that if your sit bones are 140mm apart you should be fine on a 155. Did you try those already and they didn't work for you? (I couldn't tell from your previous post if you'd tried them or if you had them on order). I don't know why a store would push a 143 for you; that's clearly too small.

Also, when you ride are you in a more upright position, or are you more folded over? I ride more folded over, especially in the drops (my seat is about 3 inches higher than my bars), and I find that I do feel more pressure on the inside of my sit bones, but I know my saddle is wide enough b/c both sit bones are dead on it with space all the way around - I can feel them pretty well and I've checked, numerous times. I had trouble at first and thought that my saddle was too narrow, but I stuck with it and let my pelvic muscles strengthen and now I'm pain free.

Hmm, that is a thought. Maybe I will take one I like the best out of the lot on a further ride in chamois shorts. Yep, these saddles I ordered and rode a mini test marathon around my subdivision today. So, not much distance, but trying to determine "are my sitz bones on this saddle for starters, or not?". My seat and bars are about level. On the hoods, the position is semi-aero I guess, and drops areo. My road bike is a compact version, so slightly more upright. Gosh, what bone part I was on, it's sore tonight. My body must not be even. The left side is normally more sore than the right. Maybe that's a mechanical thing with my pedal stroke to work out with a fitter later.

[Miranda]

I agree with these guys- I have 145ish sitbones and need 155-160 in my saddle width.

There's new data out on Bontrager's site and in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise that shows we don't actually sit on our sitbones on the saddle as much as is lore. But I still think the whole pelvis width needs support and from where you say you are raw- it's either to narrow or too much curve right to left.

Discussion of the bontrager info here: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=25618

This was a saddle I was asking about recently also. My lbs did not have it yet last I checked. Just the sit tool. Thx for the link. What always kills me in the lbs when I tell them my sitz bones are not on the saddle is the sales rep insistance that a 155+ saddle is soooooo wide... like omg, lady, NO ONE needs that big! Where do these folks come from? Twiggy land? Ribs you can count on me, yes. But I didn't push out 10# kids being a Twiggy in the lower half. The bones down there are way wider on my pearish body.

I had a long response typed out, but the kitten just deleted it!

From what I read today (see the Bontrager thread), we actually do put significant weight on the pubic rami- sometimes more there than on the ischial tuberosities. Especially in the drops, you should be able to tip the pelvis forward onto the rami and be supported. My current saddle unfortunately also tries to support a lot at the pubic symphysis (and thus girly bits), so I'm still hunting for one that has the right shape up front. I'm trying the Lithia tonight on the trainer and have a SMP TRK on order, but if those don't work, maybe I'll try out the new Bontrager.

For those non-anatomists:

God Bless you for finding this in google. I kept doing searches and didn't find this good of a diagram. Inferior pubic ramus... if that is part of the downward sloping bone to the sitz... that's where I think my pressure rests. Seems like Knott once posted a name for that inner line of the bell curve "ishchial something something". I know when one rolls forward to more aero, like hoods to drops, you will be hedging towards the inside of the bell curve. I tried to pick some flater toped saddles, vs sloped. Maybe the slight slope is hitting wrong. I think it's close, but not quite. btw... the cat kicked me out too earlier, thus how I ended up coming back later... thx for persistance in posting.

[Miranda]

Maybe you all can help me. I don't feel "pulled apart" on my saddle but I keep finding myself rolling forward towards my public bone on a long ride, leaving me quite sore. Someone once had told me that I would be able to maintain a better position when my core was stronger... hmmm.. I've now done quite a few miles, and I teach yoga and have a pretty solid core. And I'm still sore. Is it seat position or seat size, you think?

On a side note, I had my bike built for me with extensive measurements and trainer rides... as I'm a 6 foot tall woman with a long inseam and narrow shoulders. But the seat was added almost as an afterthought by the LBS.

I would hope with a cust built ride the shop would help work out this issue for you. My problem improved somewhat with fitting changes even without the saddle switch. My core was strong, and I had that happen too. I also practice other things to relieve crotch pressure... stand periodically while riding, dismount for a longer water break, alternate positions (hoods, drops). I'm just not sure I'm width/shape wise to my bones yet. Hope you get some relief.

[OakLeaf]

I don't feel "pulled apart" on my saddle but I keep finding myself rolling forward towards my public bone on a long ride, leaving me quite sore.

My guess is either shape or tilt, maybe both. If it's level, try tilting it down a touch. If it's pear-shaped, try a T-shaped saddle.

And, personally I never felt "pulled apart" on a too-narrow saddle, just chafed and blistered miserably.