Fifty Plus (50+) - Saddle or shorts?

I already put 500 miles on my bike and I’m pretty sure my butt is well broken-in to the saddle because I start my rides with no pain (I’m riding 5 times a week) and do OK for the first hour. After the first hour I start building up pain and it gets really annoying at 1.5 hour to the point that I lose motivation. My longest rides so far were 2 hours and I feel I could go longer IF my butt wouldn’t be hurting.
The pain is in the zone where the saddle goes wider what makes me think that the position and level of the seat is pretty close to good.

My bike is a kestrel evoke (road)
The saddle that came with the bike is a Fizik Pave.
My shorts are Zoic "Mountain Bike" shorts. Not too much padding…

Any ideas?

Thanks

Same situation for me - I ride a Selle Italia "Future," and a variety of shorts. After an hour, I'm ready to get off. Let me know if you find a solution.

So your shorts with more padding don't make a big difference...

Ride, ride, ride, ride.... time takes care of all. A saddle will make a difference, but suggesting one is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Each person is different. Trial and error is the best way to find a decent saddle. Most any shorts should be okay as long as you wash them after each ride.
The saddle is a good reason to have lots of cycling buddies. A friend might let you try one of his/her old saddles without having to buy one first. I like the Koobi AU or SI, I also like the San Marco Rolls and Regal. Do a search on saddles and see the variety of opinions.

I remember it took me several months before I was comfy on a saddle for over 2 hours. I still have problems every now and then. I noticed if I ride the tandem, my butt is sore the next day and doesn't really like touching a saddle. I discovered I don't move as much on a tandem, so movement is the key to keeping the butt happy for me.

I ride a solo, and I ride a Tandem. On the solo, I don't spend much time on the saddle, unless we are on the road, but choice of saddle will always be a problem. I have found that the "Razorblade" type of Selle Italia Flite saddle is very comfortable until 6 hours have passed. Have tried this saddle on the Tandem and it did not work. On the "T" I sit down more, and the thin saddle is painfull. A wider one is necessary, and I use a Selle Italia "Trans am" on this. Both saddles however have the cutout for the pelvic bone.

how do you like your evoke? i've got a 200 sci and it rides really great.

i also had problems with the original seat (fizik nisene), it started hurting as soon as i sat on it.
changed a couple of times until i got the selle italia flite ti which i am very happy with.
good luck in your search for the right seat.

You might try fooling with the set up a little. moving the seat forward or backward just an inch or so can make a difference. I tried my all the way forward and all the way back to see which was best. Only about 1 1/2 inch total adjustment and it made a huge difference in comfort level when the seat in all the way forward.
Pay attention to where your sit bones hit the saddle if they both don't hit the saddle at the same time try a wider seat if it is too wide you will get rubs where you don't need rubs.

Glad to have seen this thread. I too feel sore after 1.5 hours and it is the single thing which causes me to wish a ride to end. I just bought a new seat from eBay but so far nothing particular improved. Hearing that it just may be something to be endured until I get more used to it was great news.

I did buy some specific bike pants by Pearl Izumi and they improved things a lot. I noted a lot of differences in the quality of the pads while I was shopping. I suggest to other newbies that they inspect the pants carefully and not just buy the first or the cheapest thing you find.

Pave is a firm saddle. You'll get used to it or get a softer one...

Keep those shorts clean or you will feel some real pain. "Saddle sores" is a nice way to put it.

Brooks

Try some saddles, and get some good shorts.
Everybody seems to like the Arione.

Brooks

OK, qmsdc15, I'll try one. I've ordered and received a B-17 (in :rolleyes: Honey...), and will try it out tomorrow unless it pours rain. I'll let you know what it does (or doesn't do) for my booty! I hope all the Brooks evangelists are right and that I find eternal booty bliss from my new saddle. I plan to start with the saddle exactly horizontal and adjust from there. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

"any other suggestions?" Yes, if all else fails get a 'bent. You won't hurt any more.

The saddle that came with the bike is a Fizik Pave.
My shorts are Zoic "Mountain Bike" shorts. Not too much padding.
Get a decent saddle and lycra shorts or bibs and the problem should be solved.

"any other suggestions?" Yes, if all else fails get a 'bent. You won't hurt any more.

What is a 'bent?

Brooks B17. The most comfortable saddle I've ever had.

Fizik ALIENTE seat makes a BIG difference. Cycling shorts with good chamious also make a difference. Also, there are lubricants such as chammy butt'r etc that make a big difference. It depends on what you want to spend to a degree- there is a reason the top of the line shorts cost as much as they do-Assos is pretty much the king of the short scene at the upper end.

What is a 'bent?

A "bent" is a recumbent which allows you to have amore comfortable seat.

OK, qmsdc15, I'll try one. I've ordered and received a B-17 (in :rolleyes: Honey...), and will try it out tomorrow unless it pours rain. I'll let you know what it does (or doesn't do) for my booty! I hope all the Brooks evangelists are right and that I find eternal booty bliss from my new saddle. I plan to start with the saddle exactly horizontal and adjust from there. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

If you do have trouble breaking it in as per Brooks' instructions then have a look at my post in "touring".
Try it horizontal but then lift the nose a few milimetres. This should position you so that you do not feel that you are slipping forward and your "sit" bones are positioned on the widest part of the saddle. It may be helpful to have the bars at the same height as the saddle after making sure that the saddle is at the correct height. A rough measurement for top tube distance required between saddle and bars is, with arm at 90o place elbow against nose of saddle . Your fingertips should touch the bars. It is the whole combination of these factors which brings comfort.

...Try it horizontal but then lift the nose a few milimetres. This should position you so that you do not feel that you are slipping forward...

I think you're right. I rode my new B-17 today with a completely horizontal top (measured it with a level!). I felt like I was slipping off the front. I must say that the initial ride (despite the percieved tilt) left my tush less sore than the Selle. I'll try dialing in the height, tilt, and front-back adjustments over the next few days.

...Any ideas?
Thanks

1. Try getting out of the saddle more often. Stand up for small rises even if you don't need to.

2. Take a break after 1 hour of riding. Give your butt a rest before continuing.

3. Use some kind of chamois creme in your shorts, or put some vaseline in the "sit bone" area.

4. Go faster. More pressure on the pedals = less pressure on the seat! My butt hurts more when I go slower.

After the second day on the B-17: Slight nose up profile helped lots. I'm still dialing it in, though. Using the "when your elbow is against the tip of the saddle, your fingers should just touch the handlebars" method, I'm still about 3/4" too far back. I'll move the saddle forward tomorrow and try again.

The "go faster to reduce pressure on the butt" method only works when I'm fitness riding. Sometimes I just want to enjoy the scenery or smell the roses.

Following the advice on this thread, I went out and measured my seat adjustment. It wasn't even close. For example, it has a signficant nose down attitude.

I guess I'm paying the price for being on a bike loaned to me rather than buying at the LBS where the bike would have been fitted properly to me. Well, I can't complain of the price, anyway. Boards like this are quite valuable to a noob like me.

After the second day on the B-17: Slight nose up profile helped lots. I'm still dialing it in, though. Using the "when your elbow is against the tip of the saddle, your fingers should just touch the handlebars" method, I'm still about 3/4" too far back. I'll move the saddle forward tomorrow and try again.


Two bikes I ride frequently and just gone into the garage to check them out using this method. The Solo with the Flight Saddle- yep- it is correct. The Tandem? I am 2" short. Both ride perfectly so what is the difference. Difference in length of the saddle. The Tandem has a saddle that is wider, and has a very short nose, so this is not a method that works for me. What I have found though is that When the saddles gets uncomfortable, I tend to sit further back into the saddle. This means that the backside is firmly supported on the wide part of the saddle. By pushing the saddle further forward on the seat post, I would naturally be using this part of the saddle, but then my knees would be too far forward in relation to the pedals, and this affects my riding. I used to ride nose up, and this also has the affect of pushing the backside further back on the saddle. But then I have a pelvic bone problem.

Not that I have made a study of them, but all butts are different. but that is why the seat stem has adjustment. Try the variations possible, nose up or down or flat, forward and back on the post, and even the height may have an effect.

I moved the Brooks forward today - some improvement. While making the move, I altered the tilt slightly - SHEESH! The Brooks is the pickiest saddle for "tilt" I've ever ridden. It's either perfect or painful - no in-between.. Tomorrow I'll adjust the tilt again and see how she flies. So far: Better than the Selle but only just.

I want to thank the experts on this thread for a great helping hand. I adjusted my bike accordiing to the instructions here. I just got back from a nice two hour ride experiencing no pain at all. Now I can ride to the limits of my lungs and legs rather than the tolerance of pressure pain.

I dropped the saddle height of my B-17 by about 3/8" today and now the tilt is wrong again! I'll keep readjusting in hopes of getting it right.