Hybrid Bicycles - Started riding again and have bad saddle soreness

About 3 weeks ago I bought a new Trek 8.4 and started riding for the first time since college (about 13 years) In the first 3 weeks I put close to 100 miles on, mostly doing short 6-8 miles trips daily. This past weekend I decided to up it and did a 15 mile ride on saturday and a 10 mile ride on sunday. Well now 5 days later my azz is still sore and I have not been on the bike since.

I had already changed out the seat to one slightly more comfortable than the stock seat; and I just ordered a pair of bike shorts (did not have them for last weekend) Is there anything I should be changing on the setup or doing differently on longer rides to prevent the soreness, or is this just something that comes with starting to ride again?

Here is a pic of the current seat setup.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c112/showcat27/photo.jpg

When your sitting on something that hard for that long your ass takes a pounding.............:roflmao2:

......I have found that the harder the saddle the more comfortable it is.

Oh and nice whip, welcome to the forums.

I just started riding again recently, and kind of had the same problem. But it went away after a couple days. Make sure your seat is properly adjusted, not just height-wise, but tilt-forward/back. It's hard to tell from the pic, but it looks like your saddle is tilted forward, and generally you want it pretty level.

I'm my case it was just learning to get comfortable on my bike and making sure everything was setup right. And even then, I rode my longest yet and my butt hurt like a SOB.....when I got home I found my seat had come loose somehow. So check that as well.

It looks like your saddle might be tilted down too much in the front, it should be level. It should be adjusted so you are comfortably applying most of your weight to your sit bones on the meatiest part of the saddle. Otherwise, keep riding and your ass will get used to it.

I adjusted the seat back to level today and went for a 8 mile ride. I think I might tilt it up a bit more, but its hard to say b/c I am still sore from last weekend and after 5 miles I wound up standing for most of the ride to get back home.

I'm just starting out too, and having the same problem, I have around 80 miles on my new Sirrus and wondering how long do I have to deal with the pain before trying a new saddle?

Congrats on making the decision to ride, and on the nice bike choice! :thumb: You have put on a good amount of miles in the last two weeks, and though 15 miles doesn't sound like a lot for experienced riders, the 25 miles you did in two days can be quite a lot for a new rider. Especially their behinds. The soft tissue can become bruised, and it takes some time for the pain to ease. I would lay off riding for a bit until the pain and tenderness subside somewhat. Many people get saddle sore on their first rides of the season, even on well-used saddles that are normally fine for them. It can take a bit of riding to build up some calluses, or desensitivity in that area.

You also have a new saddle, which takes time to break in. Were you fitted to the bike with this new saddle, having the position adjusted fore and aft, the tilt, and height? It can be something as little as the tilt being off,and your sit bones not hitting the right spot, to make you sore. The position and size of the saddle need to be just right. They come in widths to match your sit bones, so if your sit bones aren't hitting the right spot on the saddle you're going to get sore. Or it could be the saddle itself, if it's too soft (as in too much gel) it will make you more sore on longer rides because the soft tissue gets more pressure. Everyone's backside is different, so what one person swears by in a saddle another person doesn't like. There are numerous threads on here about "what's the best saddle", but take them with a grain of salt. For example, you wouldn't want a road saddle on your 8.5, as your body position is different and therefore so is your backside's position. The road bike saddle would create pressure points in the wrong spot. So it's important to have the right kind of saddle for the type of bike you ride.

And those bike shorts you bought should also help, provided you got padded ones with a good chamois. At this point I would give my backside a chance to heal, then ride with your new shorts, perhaps slowly increasing your mileage as comfort allows.

Properly adjusting your seat has a lot to do with it, and bike shorts certainly help. But it is also something you have to get through and that will go away after a while. When I started commuting to work, with regular clothes, it seriously hurt all week when I started out. Now, I no longer even think about it. I have to go 50+ km on the almost non-padded saddle that is on my hybrid bike for it to get sore. And even then, it is only a soreness that builds up when riding, but goes way the moment I get off the bike.