Commuting - Newbie-- My butt hurts like crazy!

Hello! I am new to this whole cycling thing (have biked since I got my Drivers Liscence 4 years ago...:D )

I am having one difficulty thus far. My butt hurts like crazy! Is this just a first-time-in-a-long-time kinda thing? I bought a scwinn ergo gel seat thing, and it did help, but I am wondering if I need more? or if I should just suck it up, and itll go away in time. I ride back and forth to school, about 15 min a day...) I do have a larger-than-average rear end, and am about 15-25 pounds overweight (that is to say, that is about how much weight I desire to loose).

Thats about the only question I have so far...

Thanks all!
ltcol266845

Glad to hear you're on a bike. Keep riding.

I'm going to tell you something counterintuitive, and you're probably not going to believe me, but here it goes: all other things being equal, soft saddles are more uncomfortable than hard ones. You need less padding, not more. The reason is that you sink into a soft saddle, and more of you is in contact with the saddle. More contact equals more rubbing, more rubbing equals more chafing and pain. Soft saddles feel great when you're sitting in the store or squeezing them with your hand, but not when you're actually pedalling on them mile after mile. The best saddle for you will be shaped so that your sit bones and nothing else put pressure on the saddle. Sure, other parts of your body will touch the saddle, but you won't feel much pressure on those parts. Even a good saddle will need to be adjusted to get feel good. The tilt of and the forward-back position of the saddle must be correct. You will feel it when you get it right. I had to adjust the saddle I'm now riding five or six times before it felt right. The nose of the saddle will not poke up into your tender parts, you won't be sliding forward or back, you won't be uncomfortably behind or ahead of the pedals.

In addition to a good saddle, good riding posture will help you to be comfortable. Practice distributing your weight so that your legs, arms and shoulders (notice and didn't say wrists), and butt are each doing their part to support your weight. If your handlebars aren't level with your seat raise them, if possible, until they're both at the same height. Concentrate on your posture when you're riding, especially on long straights where turns and traffic aren't bothering you. When you get it right it isn't as if you're sitting on the bike, you're more astride the bike. Like riding a horse.

Give it a couple of weeks. You're putting pressure on places that aren't used to it. My wife started commuting this summer and had the same complaint that you do. Now she's fine. Enjoy the ride!

Give it a few months, you'll be okay. If you do longer rides on weekends it'll hurt a bit more the first few times but you'll adapt much sooner.

Yeah butts take a while to toughen up. Just give it time and tough it out, in 6 months you won't even think about it.

A week of 15 min rides will get your butt in shape.
A harder saddle will be more comfortable in the long run than a squishy one.
Make sure your basic riding position is good. Set the saddle height and layback correctly.

Sweet! Thanks for the advice guys! Now that you mention it, I dont hink by handle bars are level with my seat... I will have to try it though...

A week of 15 min rides will get your butt in shape.
A harder saddle will be more comfortable in the long run than a squishy one.
Make sure your basic riding position is good. Set the saddle height and layback correctly.

Nice job summing it all up. Exactly my thoughts, but allow me to add congrats on the decision to ride your bike to school! I really should only take a week or two at most to get used to it, as long as your position on the bike is natural.

I bought a more ergo-friendly seat (center partial cut-out) and have almost no probs now. One thing to remember is to get off the seat every 10-15 minutes for a minute or so to keep the circulation going. (good for the legs too)

You guys are wusses. I ride without a seat at all! I just stand for the whole ride.

heh, just kidding. ;)

Seriously, I had some saddle-sore when I first started riding. It went away in a few days. Now I can sit for hours without it hurting, though I try not to go that long.

You guys are wusses. I ride without a seat at all! I just stand for the whole ride.
At my old university, I knew a guy who actually did that. I'm guessing his saddle was stolen and he just never bothered replacing it.

What the folks here are saying about the "squishy cushy" saddles is all correct. Do a little test: you know that strange and sensitive bit of skin on the "inside" of your elbow? take your "cushy" mousepad (mine even has the same texture as many of those saddles...), and rub that back and forth at 40-50 cycles/min on the skin on the inside of the elbow for 15 minutes... this may not be completely analagous to the saddle situation, but you'll wonder why these saddles and saddle covers are even sold in stores.

Squishy cushy saddles are fine for low-speed short rides, like the dad tagging along after his kid. And they feel great in the store. That's why they sell 'em.

Anyway, the seat should probably be almost level front-to-back. Some people like it tilted slightly up or down, but the important word is "slightly". If it's tilted too far back, the nose will press against your "tender parts". If it's too far forward, your butt will feel fine but you'll be sliding forward, and wind up putting weight on your wrists, then your wrists will start hurting.

You can also slide it front-rear... conventional wisdom says your knee should be exactly over the front pedal when you have the pedals horizontal... but really it'll be a matter of personal taste. That gives you a starting point though.

Are you using bicycle shorts? The extra padding in the back goes a long way.

- Don

I'm going to tell you something counterintuitive, and you're probably not going to believe me, but here it goes: all other things being equal, soft saddles are more uncomfortable than hard ones.

I take issue with this statement, but agree with all else. My first purchase after buying my new Giant Rainier last season was a Trico gel cut-out seat. The seat that came with the Rainier was like sitting on a prickly rock. If you use shorts or a bib with a chamois, you should have no problems whatsoever with gel. With all the buzz about prostates and impotence, not to mention it's just damn uncomfortable, I'll take a soft saddle over a hard one any day. Now maybe they make different levels of softness for gel seats, but I've never been happier.

I like the San Marco Arrowhead Aspide Titanium. The rear lobes move with you when you pedal and the middle cutaway takes the pressure off the gooch. The ridges aren't sharp as knives like the Trans Am.

I think soft seats can actually be more comfortable but only:

1) to the "uninitiated"
2) on short rides

but if you fulfill those characteristics, a soft saddle may well feel better, but as you get used to it, that will change.

Are you using bicycle shorts? The extra padding in the back goes a long way.

- Don

Ill second that. While it doesnt completely make the hurt go away it definately helps a lot.

I wear padded chamois and wear regular shorts over them. Works great. I also noticed the chamois help keep me a lot cooler even with shorts over them.

Ill second that. While it doesnt completely make the hurt go away it definately helps a lot.

I wear padded chamois and wear regular shorts over them. Works great. I also noticed the chamois help keep me a lot cooler even with shorts over them.


Ive actually thought about doing that. Is there any good web-based resources that will help me adjust my bike properly? I dont know much of anything about seat postions etc.

Sure. Google for Sheldon Brown, he's got a huge website with decent seat alignment directions. His layout can be slightly confusing because info is sometimes spread across more than one page so I recommend reading most of his stuff.... and keep in mind too that he's one guy so not everything is gospel but most of his site is very helpful.

I'd say get rid of the gel unless it's a deep split design like the Serfas RX. Reason is the gel that is not pushed down by your "sit bones" will put pressure on someting else...your "stuff". That is exactly the opposite of what a good saddle should do.

Just get a nice well designed saddle, or use the stocker, and work on proper seat height/tilt/positioning.

For seat height, your knees should be slightly bent at max extension.

For tilt, ideally the saddle top should be running parralell with the ground, but you may have to angle down the nose a degree or two...Don't angle it too much or you will end up fatiguing your arms, since then you will have to hold yourself up.

For positioning, it should be positioned so your thighs can move freely while giving your butt a place to stay.

Keep in mind front/rear positionning and seat height are interelated, so you move the seat, the height can change as well. Also moving the seat front/back affects your reach to your handlebars as well.

The seat that I got is a Schwinn gel seat that does have a split all the way through... It seems as though my seat is now at the proper height, I just need to lower the angle a bit. I just went for a 30min ride and I kinda felt a little bit of pressure in my 'stuff' as you call it ;-). What type of seat (brands/model names) would you reccomend? I am in college right now, so my funds are limited...

With all the buzz about prostates and impotence, not to mention it's just damn uncomfortable, I'll take a soft saddle over a hard one any day. Now maybe they make different levels of softness for gel seats, but I've never been happier.

Not to take away from anyone else's experience, but I just don't put much stock in the whole impotence thing. I been back on the bike fairly heavy for the past five years and I've got a 19 month old kid and another one due in september. Seems to me, the bike is making me more potent, if you will.

With regards to the posters question, the more your ride, the less your bum will hurt. Give it a week or two.