Road Cycling - Butt comfort- road vs. trainer..

Does anyone else here have this problem? On the road, my tush feels nice and comfortable.. I can go for hours and the rear end feels fine (My legs give out long before my cushion ;) ).

However, when I get on the trainer (same bike, same seat, just not going anywhere) my rear end gives out long before my legs do. Yesterday, for example, I lasted all of an hour and 10 minutes on the trainer, before my butt was screaming at me to get off (and I am talking the "sit portion" of my butt.. not the leg moving muscles ;) ). Its the strangest thing, as I have one more position on the trainer (sitting upright, no hands on the bars) than I do on the road, and yes, I have been using them all, trying to get some extra minutes in on those crummy, rainy days. Is it just a mental thing?

-BlueDevil

Nope..it's because you don't move on the bike the same way, and hard as we try, don't pedal the same way...it's not mental...

try standing up every few minutes..that helps a lot. Also stretches out your back.

Could it possibly be, because on the road there are more distractions such as sights, sounds, different terrain. Where as on the trainer your in one place and don't have as much to focus on so, you tend to notice your pain a bit more. I could be wrong, it's just a thought.

Yes. That's the main reason I sold mine. I could only last about 40mins.

I thought about this a lot when it was pissing me off.

We take for granted the amount the bike moves around on the road, even when you're sure you are pedalling in a dead straight line. My theory is that all those little movements that we're largely unaware of, continuosly shift the pressure over slightly different parts of the ass, therefore spreading the load. Think about it: when your weight is shifting, even minimally, from side to side, it's gunna shift the load around just enough. Well, that's my two-bit theory, anyway.

This is without even mentioning the huge relief that is standing up. I tried standing on the trainer, and it felt as though i was gunna bust my bike. It was also VERY, VERY, BOR-OR-OR-OR-RING!

Obviously, though, if you live in a crap climate, it's much better to do 30, 40, or even 20 mins on a trainer than nothing.

Happens to me, too. It has made me realize how much I do move about on the bike when out on the road - you move in corners, up and down hills, when braking, going over bumps etc. My solution was to buy some warmer clothes and lights so I could just get outside more.