for me it was a change of bikes. My hands, feet, and butt/back would be beat after as little as 10 miles, 100+ miles and I was junk. Even with a good saddle and a sorted out fit. I switched from an aluminum nashbar bike to a specialized roubaix with a romin evo comp gel saddle. I've only put a couple of training rides of 52 and 65 on the new bike, but it is awesome. no butt/back pain. Feet feel great. minimal hand numbness/weakness. The extra deep gearing also helps me to stay fresh and keep my cadence higher which in my experience helps my butt.