shorts or saddle or both

[wanzar]

Its been awhile so you probably don't remember me. I'll give a quick update! I got a bike... that was a while ago, May actually. i ended up with a giant avail 2. Love her! I take her to work everyday. I just got home from over 20 mile ride, It wasn't suppose to be that far but I got lost and found a whole new route uphill both ways! Only me!

Short trips aren't good enough for me anymore every time I pull in the driveway I wish I went a little further. But when I do go on longer trips like today I'm in a lot of pain. And as the title suggest no one is guessing where it hurts!

The bike has the original saddle on it after quite of bit of tinkering its not bad I can spend easily a hour and a half on the bike with no issues. When I first got her, this is before I got cycling shorts, I couldn't ride 10 minutes without being in pain. Shorts made a huge difference. I wear sugoi neo something shorts. I don't really like them I think the padding is too soft, and the fabric sheer. But that was all that was available locally.

Anyway before I write a story without asking anything. I'm trying to figure out do I need both. I'll probably be getting another pair of shorts anyway but I think I would like ones with firmer padding. But I'm wondering if I need a new saddle too.

Since I know someone is going to ask it hurts up front, I ride pretty low seems like I got a lot of weight up front. I pretty sure the bike fits it doesn't hurt anywhere else.

Thanks for any replies.

[BeeLady]

If it hurts mainly up front you may try tipping the nose of your seat down a tiny bit, like 1/4 inch at first. Tipping the nose of your saddle down can change the way you pedal a bit and stress your knees, feet, etc., but lowering it bit may take the pressure off.

The other danger is overcompensating the pressure on your arms and wrists, keeping your self pushed back on your saddle. That is why you only want a very slight movement and watch to see how it affects your overall posture on the bike.

I still use the stock seat on my Bianchi and I have a leather saddle on my Dummy, tilting the nose down slightly on both helped.

[wanzar]

I've actually already tried that. I really didn't like it because I kept sliding forward which was really annoying. Thanks.

[tctrek]

You need to be sitting on your "sit bones". If you are having soft tissue damage, it sounds like you may be leaning too much on that area... could be you are stretched out too much and need to move your seat forward a little bit. Also, if your saddle is padded, you could possibly be sinking into the padding and making too much bodily contact with the saddle.

Some on the forum use seats with cutouts to help with this. I personally don't do well with cutouts. I prefer to go to a very minimally padded seat and a very minimal chamois in my shorts.

Sometimes heavier padding is not the answer. You want to get it so that most of your weight on the saddle is evenly distributed on your sit bones which somewhat "lifts" the soft tissue just enough that it doesn't get sore.

[cosuze]

I'm new to cycling and looking to get a bike of my own. I had my BF's but turns out it too long for me and I was way too stretched out- and hence pressure up front. I spent all day today going to bike shops around here and even on a wsd bike and seat adjusted to the correct height, after 10 minutes of test riding, I was uncomfortable. I could feel my sit bones- and I was sitting on them but I still have pressure up front on my pubic bone.

Is it a normal feeling to have pressure there? And if so, how much? I can't tell if the pressure is normal and something that a pair of shorts could help out with or if it's really not right?

[RolliePollie]

I just got home from over 20 mile ride, It wasn't suppose to be that far but I got lost and found a whole new route uphill both ways! Only me!

If your ride today was really hilly, and you're not accustomed to riding mostly hills, this may be why you are suddenly having this issue. When I first started riding, I sought out flat places to ride. All was well "down below." Then I did my first hilly ride and YOWZA! I didn't think I would be able to sit or walk (or pee) for days. I realized my saddle was not going to cut it and I started experimenting with chamois creams.

I think the advice so far is really good. You may need some saddle adjustments or you might want to try different saddles. I use chamois cream (baby lotion or even Astroglide) everywhere "down there." Even on super hilly rides, if things are slippery, it seems to keep the saddle-shorts-body interface happy.

Good luck and don't worry, your pain will subside!

[wanzar]

My ride that day was really hilly. I had to climb about 330 feet over the last 5 miles with a stiff headwind. There is nothing level out here. Sure the other day I was coming down a hill with a hard headwind in low gear huffing puffing and blowing.

I've been trying to measure my sit bones but what I am measuring can't be right. I getting measurements of 8 inches apart. I'm only petit, gheez my arse can't be that wide! I'm glad no one can see me while I sit on my bike poking my rear end trying to figure out if my sit bones are on the sit.