Commuting - man... how long does this seat take to get used to?

I was riding a cushy seated mountain bike pretty regularly for a month... just recently switched to a road bike, and the seat is killing me...

like... I ride to school and back, and it's 3 or 4 days before I feel like getting back on the bike again...

also, I've noticed that I take a lot of breaks from pedaling when riding... not to rest my legs... to get my bum off of that seat for a few...


how long do the tiny seats take to get used to?

You might need to try different seats. The one that came with my Specialized was pretty painful. After 6 months i finally replaced it. Most lbs' will let you test different saddles.

I was on a tiny seat for roughly three hours a day over the summer, and noticed a considerable lessening of pain after a month or so. Like you, I was used to cushy mountain bike seats. Though come to think of it, ever since my old mountain bike's seat was stolen and I had it replaced with a cheapo one, I never could get very comfortable on the mountain bike. Even for 4-5 mile rides, whereas it took usually 15 miles to feel discomfort at all on my road bike.

I was riding a cushy seated mountain bike pretty regularly for a month... just recently switched to a road bike, and the seat is killing me...

Could be you're set up improperly. Each persons style and fit is a little different.

Have you heard of the Brooks religion? I am a convert.

never if you use one of these. Inexpensive and no pain no numbness I have 2 of them and have thousands of miles on em and no complaints.

http://ergotheseat.com/

... thanks for the advice, guys... now I'm considering getting a new seat...

... so... what do people recommend? I ride a $500 road bike... so losing a tiny bit of speed isn't going to hurt me... I'm not trying to win a race, just get in better shape on my ride to school.

my commute is 8 miles each way, and I don't (and unless my financial situation changes, won't) wear bike clothes

90% of the time I'm riding in a drop position... the wind around here is horrible (was lucky enough to get 15 mph in the face both riding to and from school today)

I'd be willing to spend up to $75 on a nice saddle... I try to buy things right (or close to right) the first time, rather than upgrading every few months =P

so... recommendations? comfort's the main concern... speed is a secondary concern, but is still there


*edit*
I should add... current saddle is a Selle Italia XO XP with extra padding... came stock with my bike... maybe I should just tough it out for a few more weeks and see if I get used to it?

I'll 2nd the Brooks opinion. For that $ you can even upgrade the std b-17 and get a b-17 Champion Special. Thats whats on my bike ... 22 mile round trip commute 4-5 days a week. I never even think about the saddle on rides under 50 miles

... thanks for the advice, guys... now I'm considering getting a new seat...

... so... what do people recommend? I ride a $500 road bike... so losing a tiny bit of speed isn't going to hurt me... I'm not trying to win a race, just get in better shape on my ride to school.

my commute is 8 miles each way, and I don't (and unless my financial situation changes, won't) wear bike clothes

90% of the time I'm riding in a drop position... the wind around here is horrible (was lucky enough to get 15 mph in the face both riding to and from school today)

I'd be willing to spend up to $75 on a nice saddle... I try to buy things right (or close to right) the first time, rather than upgrading every few months =P

so... recommendations? comfort's the main concern... speed is a secondary concern, but is still there


*edit*
I should add... current saddle is a Selle Italia XO XP with extra padding... came stock with my bike... maybe I should just tough it out for a few more weeks and see if I get used to it?

Most knowledgeable LBS people will tell you that a seat, like a bike, should fit pretty well right away. It shouldn't be dreadfully painful at first because you really won't grow into it. If you do have a seat that fits pretty well you'll may get a little sore after a long ride but that will get better with more time on it. I've done centuries where I'm on the seat pedaling for 6-7 hours and the tiny road saddle doesn't hurt.

Having said that one seat to have a look at is the Terry Fly (women's version is the Butterfly). They're known for comfort. Like anything else though each person is different...just because it's comfortable for me doesn't mean it'll be comfortable for you. I've heard that the Selle Italia San Marcos is supposed to be comfortable.

I think my next saddle will be a Brooks. I hear nothing but good things about those. The leather Brooks saddles don't fit the "it should feel right from the beginning" adage though as they actually have to break in.

I am in the same boat as you, only the offending seat (OW MY PROSTATE!) was a Selle Royal Viper that came with a Giant OCR-3, and the solution was a Brooks B17 from Harris Cyclery. They offer a kick ass return policy, so if you ride it for a while and don't like it... then you can return it no problem. My Brooks B17 was $75 shipped.

never if you use one of these. Inexpensive and no pain no numbness I have 2 of them and have thousands of miles on em and no complaints.

http://ergotheseat.com/

Ngateguy,

Which model do you have? Also when you're pedaling all-out while seated, does the seat give you enough support to push against? Or is it mostly for upright cruising?

For me it would be a toss up between the Brooks B17 or my old school Selle Italia Turbos. The Turbos are just damn comfortable. Nashbar seems to have gotten hold of some NOS Turbos (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=114&subcategory=1082&brand=&sku=12577&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

Both my Turbos are more than 20 yrs old

Ngateguy,

Which model do you have? Also when you're pedaling all-out while seated, does the seat give you enough support to push against? Or is it mostly for upright cruising?

I bought the Endurance first for the STP, and they gave me a Classic to try out when it first came out, I had given them an endorsement. I had first heard about them from a gal at R&E Cycles (they don't even carry them) and I tried one out on a trainer at the Bike Expo. I did a 40 mile ride on it the first time and by the time I was done I had figured out the ins and outs of riding with one. It is a very versitile seat you have the pushing power you need when you break out and it also is very comfortable for cruising. The thing I noticed the most was the total lack of pain or numbness. Now that I have had one for 2 years now I can attest to its durability. I have one on my comuter and started using one on my MTB last summer. I have also started to see more and more of them on the Cascade rides I saw several a couple of weeks agon on the Kitsap Color Classic.

...Classic...and I tried one. I did a 40 mile ride on it the first time and by the time I was done I had figured out the ins and outs of riding with one. It is a very versitile seat you have the pushing power you need when you break out and it also is very comfortable for cruising.

After sitting on the bike with hands on the drops. Then measuring the distance of the sit-bones at about 3.5" (In the garage! Good thing the neighbors didn't see that!).

For the MaxFlite seat, under cruising power, I'm guessing there's not much "sit-bone" activity while cruising. Most of the contact seems to be near the nose of the seat with weight is on the sensitve areas (for a woman).

Instead of the seat...I'm thinking that the handle bars are too low? Yet the reach is comfortable.

I ride on a $15 saddle that gives no problems. It is fairly firm, wide enough at the back to fit my sit-bones, and narrow at the front so it doesnt rub the inside of my thighs. Make sure you dont have it sloping down at the front, because that will allow you to slide forward so you are sitting on the narrow part rather than the part that fits your sit-bones.

Adding similar thread http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=70214

I switched to a brooks B17N about 6 weeks ago and it is fantastic, highly recommended.

my commute is 8 miles each way, and I don't (and unless my financial situation changes, won't) wear bike clothes


I switched from a mountain to a road bike recently, and I find the new bike is really uncomfortable in jeans or other street clothes. So bike clothes might be worthwhile to look into.
They don't have to be expensive -- I normally wear a pair of "padded skins" liners (about $20), which give some padding and prevent chafing, and then some gym shorts over them (also $20, if you don't already have a pair). It's much more comfortable than street clothes, and probably cheaper than a new seat.

There is nothing more personal than finding the seat that is right for you, and how you ride.

But, trial and error (mostly error) has taught me some general rules that I think hold true for most riders.

-the part of the saddle that you are sitting on must be as wide as what you are putting on the saddle. There may be some 130 pound guys who sit on something three inches wide. But, the top surface of my saddles average close to six inches wide, because what I put on the saddle is kinda wide.

-a saddle must be firm enough that your weight is on your pelvic bones (your sit bones) not on your privates and crotch region. My favorite saddles have high, firm support platforms at the outer edges, and then are cut away or recessed in the center (such as the Specialized Body Geometry saddles).

-soft, plush cushy saddles feel great at the store, but are awful after thirty minutes. The "sit bones" sink down into the soft foam, leaving most of the weight on your crotch and privates.

-your pelvis needs to be upright in order for your weight to remain on your sitbones. Some young, flexible riders can use a bar that is three inches lower than the saddle, and still keep their pelvis upright. They do this by sitting straight up to the "beltline" and above the "beltline", their back arches sharply forward toward the bars.

-Most people do not have that sort of back flexibility. My stems and bars are set a bit higher than the saddle. That allows my pelvis to be upright, and puts my weight on my "sit bones". No more pain in my hands, wrists, arms, and necks. As a bonus, I can see more of the world than just the pavement in front of my bike.

-After you get your bars up to proper height (only people who are paid to race, pretend that they are paid to race, or who enjoy bragging about "how much they suffer" for biking truly MUST have their bars lower than the saddle), experiment with a variety of saddles to find the one that is the most comfortable for you.

-Trying a bunch saddle designs over the years led me to discover that saddles that follow the Specialized BG design, that are about six inches wide, and have firm padding, are the one that work best for me. Each time I go to a bike store, I look through their box of "throw-away" or "trade-in" saddles. I now have a lifetime supply of BG saddles, and most of them cost just the $10 or $15 throw-away box price.