Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - my bike is a pain in the saddle. advice?

so, i finally got my 2010 se lager. i dig it so far, except for one thing: my bum hurts. this is the first time ive been on a bike in like 5 years, and im commuting 20 miles round trip to work. im thinking my discomfort will go away, but im not sure. im thinking about getting a new saddle, but the one i have looks too damned good with the bike. any advice? also, im in chicago which is notoriously hilly (yes that is a joke) and im running 48/17 SS. do you al think that maybe going steeper would be bad for my legs this early in the game? i was thinking 52/16, is that too steep for a noob?

Your knees will hate you if you go with 52/16.

Try to adjust angle first, and if that doesn't work; new saddle.

get fitted
the biggest thing most dont do. spend the money, go to a good bike shop and spend the hour being fitted.

so, i finally got my 2010 se lager. i dig it so far, except for one thing: my bum hurts. this is the first time ive been on a bike in like 5 years, and im commuting 20 miles round trip to work. im thinking my discomfort will go away, but im not sure. im thinking about getting a new saddle, but the one i have looks too damned good with the bike. any advice? also, im in chicago which is notoriously hilly (yes that is a joke) and im running 48/17 SS. do you al think that maybe going steeper would be bad for my legs this early in the game? i was thinking 52/16, is that too steep for a noob?

Well, you've definitely got your priorities right for advice from this forum.

yup... give your butt a couple of weeks to acclimate. Any saddle is gonna hurt if you haven't ridden in 5 years. You need to build up the calcium on yer sit bones.

You need to build up the calcium on yer sit bones.

Let's make sure he actually is sitting on his sit bones

ok, so a buddy of mine fitted the bike for me. He is a mechanic a a lbs so I trust that he did it right. Tejano: that was sarcasm. I like the aesthetics of the bike, but my omfort is more important. I'm gonna play around with the angle when I get back from vacation. A lot of my riding is on a ommuter trail so 8 of my 10 mile one way is nonstop. Still think tha gearing would be too high?

nope
go to somewhere that specialized in fits. been to classes, does it as a service to real racers, tri guys etc etc. It costs 75 or so, but it helps. i had 3 fits before i spent hte money, instantly felt better to ride

When I first started commuting my bum area hurt too. Just relax. Ride on one cheek then the other and in a week it'll feel second nature and your area will be acclimated.

Let's make sure he actually is sitting on his sit bones

+1. OP, where does it hurt? If it's over your sit bones, that's fine, it'll fade. If it is elsewhere, you need to attend to positioning and fit and, if all else fails, a new saddle.

bike shorts. they help a ton.

play with the angle and height of the seat.

yeah I'm on the sit bones. I'm heading on vacation and the wife says I can't take the bike so now my bum bones can get a rest for the weekend. I'll be back on the saddle next week. Thanks for the advice.

I didn't ride for like 2 months, just had my first decent rides yesterday and today and my sit bones ache...

yeah I'm on the sit bones. I'm heading on vacation and the wife says I can't take the bike so now my bum bones can get a rest for the weekend. I'll be back on the saddle next week. Thanks for the advice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDKxUt9UkmU

glad you're back:D

When bike manufacturers are cutting corners to keep a bike's price low, the saddle is one of the areas where they really skimp. Most saddles on entry level bikes are the cheapest saddles available.

For owners, the saddle is THE most common and often the first upgrade.

horses for courses. Because there are different genders, body types, body weights, riding styles, riding genres, budgets, etc... there are different saddles. Finding a saddle that you like (much less one you LOVE) will be a long journey. Find a bike shop that has a loaner program and try and keep trying new ones. Your butt will tell you when you got it right.

I also have a SE lager.
In my opinion the seat is fine.
I would agree with a previous poster re the pain/discomfort being due to not cycling for a few years than some problem with the seat. When I have had a break for a while usually the pain resolves in a few days.
A lot of people really rate professional fits buts I`ve never felt the need for one.
Hope the discomfort goes soon.
All the best
Rob

I agree that your butt will require a "break-in" period to get used to being on a saddle again. This is about 2 weeks of regular riding.

Even regular cyclists deal with this. I had a teammate who crashed last year and had to take a few weeks off the bike. Her tissue where she sits went back to normal during that time. So, she was sore all over again for the first 2 weeks back on the bike.

I suggest (as others have) to give it 2 weeks of riding, then see if you still have pain. Also, as a starting point, use a level and level the saddle. From there you may feel the need to raise or lower it slightly.