Saddle "Bruising"

[Kuota Rider]

I have an issue which I'm hoping others have experienced. If I ride 60 to 80 miles over a weekend, by the second day the "soft tissue"....ok....the lips that sit on my seat are extremely tender. It is not an internal thing, it is an external thing. They almost feel like they are bruised. It lasts a couple of days, (as long as I don't ride again) then goes away. There are no physical signs of bruising, but this is the best term I could come up with to describe the sensation. I ride on a Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow. It has the center split and is amply padded. My butt feels fine. And the "taint" area is also fine. Man...this not easy to describe with out going into measurements and great detail. But I guess it is 1" to 1 1/2" starting from the top. Ok..enough detail. I have tried a Selle SMP seat. It definately alleviated that problem, but created other ones. Mostly because it was like sitting on a brick. Ok well you ladies get the idea. I'll take any help anyone has to offer.
Thanks in advance.

[sarahspins]

The cutout on the lady gelflow actually "pinched" me.. not good! It took me a few rides to figure out that was happening.. I didn't realize right away.

You might try another in the SI line, like the SLR - it has a bigger cutout. Unfortunately it didn't fix things for me.. the SMP did, but if you're not happy with that one, I'd try the SLR.

[TrekTheKaty]

Finding a good saddle is FRUSTRATING! A center split and too much padding can actually cause problems for some. Make sure your seat is wide enough for your sit bones. 60 miles is about where I discovered I needed a different saddle and better shorts.

Chamois butter and standing up to rest are cheap options.

[Kuota Rider]

The other "problem" I have, is that I am not extremely narrow in the pelvis region. So I don't ride comfortably on a narrow seat. The SI is 160mm. I think I could go a little narrower, but less than 145mm might be too narrow. Maybe if I rode more, my butt wouldn't be so wide.
Thanks!

[Biciclista]

well, join the club I ride a Brooks saddle for this reason. My sit bones are not narrow either. A lot of saddles seem like torture devices to me.

[OakLeaf]

Maybe if I rode more, my butt wouldn't be so wide.
Thanks!

OK if you're joking, but you do know that there's no relationship between the external hip measurement vs. the distance between your sit bones, right. Your skeleton doesn't change much.

But pinching in the cut-out sounds like a good guess, if there's no chafing.

[Lakerider]

I had the same problem until I got an "Easy Seat". It's open in the middle so there's no pressure at all in that area. The "Easy Seat" takes a bit of getting used to, but I love it. The width and angle can be adjusted. Each side rocks gently back and forth independently with the motion of your legs.
[ATTACH]

[KnottedYet]

If I ride 60 to 80 miles over a weekend, by the second day the "soft tissue"....ok....the lips that sit on my seat are extremely tender. It is not an internal thing, it is an external thing. They almost feel like they are bruised. It lasts a couple of days, (as long as I don't ride again) then goes away. There are no physical signs of bruising, but this is the best term I could come up with to describe the sensation.

Pudendal nerve entrapment.

Saddle too narrow or too padded for you.

If you want to try a saddle for 6 months for free, try the Brooks B67 or B68 (not the "s" or short versions with short noses for skirt clearance) saddles from Wallingford Bicycle Parts. www.wallbike.com Many of us ride on the B67 and B68 saddles, as they accommodate wider sit bones and they are "T" shaped. 210mm wide, though the outer cm is taken up by the cantle plate and not really where you sit anyway. No padding. The leather softens a bit to your shape after about 100-200 miles, though I haven't found I needed to really break-in any of my Brooks saddles. They felt great from the start.

[Kuota Rider]

First of all...to Oak Leaf...I was indeed joking. While more riding will not change the width of my pelvis bones, it will certainly change the width of my overall butt. My 160mm seat is good under my sit bones. I could even go a little narrower.
To Lake Rider: While that seat looks interesting, I don't think it would look good asthetically on my Kuota Kebel. I realize it is built for comfort, and probably would be very comfortable, I just don't think it is the right seat for me. I would prefer a more traditional shaped seat. BTW...how heavy is that seat?

And last but certainly not least to Knotted Yet: I don't believe it is a nerve issue. It is definately more of a pressure issue. I guess that could cause a nerve issue. But I wouldn't think that would feel like bruising. Then again, I don't always know much.

I still think I am going to have to fork over the $229. for the Selle SMP. I know that they have a couple of different models ranging from 145 to 160mm. I just have to find the cash under a rock or something

Thanks again.

[KnottedYet]

And last but certainly not least to Knotted Yet: I don't believe it is a nerve issue. It is definately more of a pressure issue. I guess that could cause a nerve issue. But I wouldn't think that would feel like bruising. Then again, I don't always know much.

Your symptoms sound exactly like my patients with pundendal nerve problems (usually caused by pressure), so that's where my thoughts went. Good luck! Somewhere out there is the saddle that will work, and when you find it buy 2 or 3... cuz you know the manufacturers will change them or discontinue them!

[Crankin]

I've had this problem on and off; I have found success with the Terry Falcon saddle.
It looks perfect on my Kuota Kebel, too. I was so desperate that I did try a Brooks saddle, which did nothing but hurt my butt. After 6 months, I sold it to a grateful person on this list.
I have the Falcon on my Jamis Coda, too.