Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.Chop61
05-22-11, 08:01 AM
ok, this is purely anecdotal, but this has given me fits for about a year and I thought it might help someone else.
Last year I felt a really bad twinge in my lower back while riding to work. It got steadily worse, then throw in some severe-make-you-cry-like-a-baby sciatica leg pain. My doctor was sure I had a herniated disk, so off to the MRI machine I went. Nope, nothing there, seems I have the spine of a 30 year old (I'm pushing 50) So, off for a CAT scan, where they found an inflamed SI joint. The neurosurgeon put me on Celebrex, and mercifully, the pain was under control.
But it's been bugging me about a year now. All my bikes have Brooks Saddles, and it occurs to me that while I love them, the lack of padding does not dampen road vibration, so I swallowed my saddle snobbery and bought a specialized sport touring saddle, a Dolce. Not a lot of padding, but some, and put it on my LHT, which I'm using for commuting right now. The difference has been amazing. I am off the Celebrex, and I'm riding pain free. I'm making the switch on my other bikes as well.
Now it's entirely possible that I have just healed. The doctor said this would take 6-9 months, but I could have trouble with it for the rest of my life. The thing is, when I ride on a brooks, there's some irritation afterwards, and not with the Specialized. BTW, I did try a brooks with springs, didn't help. I did a search for this topic, Didn't find anything saddle related, so I thought I'd just pass this on. Still getting used to the padding. Thanks for reading.
Last year I felt a really bad twinge in my lower back while riding to work. It got steadily worse, then throw in some severe-make-you-cry-like-a-baby sciatica leg pain. My doctor was sure I had a herniated disk, so off to the MRI machine I went. Nope, nothing there, seems I have the spine of a 30 year old (I'm pushing 50) So, off for a CAT scan, where they found an inflamed SI joint. The neurosurgeon put me on Celebrex, and mercifully, the pain was under control.
But it's been bugging me about a year now. All my bikes have Brooks Saddles, and it occurs to me that while I love them, the lack of padding does not dampen road vibration, so I swallowed my saddle snobbery and bought a specialized sport touring saddle, a Dolce. Not a lot of padding, but some, and put it on my LHT, which I'm using for commuting right now. The difference has been amazing. I am off the Celebrex, and I'm riding pain free. I'm making the switch on my other bikes as well.
Now it's entirely possible that I have just healed. The doctor said this would take 6-9 months, but I could have trouble with it for the rest of my life. The thing is, when I ride on a brooks, there's some irritation afterwards, and not with the Specialized. BTW, I did try a brooks with springs, didn't help. I did a search for this topic, Didn't find anything saddle related, so I thought I'd just pass this on. Still getting used to the padding. Thanks for reading.