Road Cycling - Discomfort while riding

just recently got back into riding after about 10 years.

The biggest problem I am having is with pain from the seat.

It's like the bones on the end of my hips get really sore, for a few days after a ride, and would start hurting like 10 min into the ride.


I got a better saddle and that seems to help

was just wondering what amount of pain is normal, and what other steps I can take, like seat position/angle/height

it's hard to get into a ride when you butt gets so sore that it's all you can think about.
and forget about riding the next day cause it is still sore

First let me say, Welcome to the Forums!

The pain and discomfort you are experiencing is normal and will subside as you bike more. How long it lasts will be determined by how much riding you do.

It would also help if you wore padded shorts. That padding can make the difference in riding or not riding. There is a company called ANDIAMO that makes padded underwear to wear with regular Jeans or shorts. I mention this because some people become selfconscious about wearing regular biking shorts.

Don't become discouraged by this initial misery; it WILL go away.

Hi Bender_Unit_22

Your problem is very common. You have to give it a couple of weeks to get over soreness. If you ride one day and the next day you ride you should be uncomfortable for maybe the first couple of miles but everyone is different. I went through several seats before getting a brooks b17 saddle which works well for me. You should get an idea of the distance between your seat bones. If you are like most men you will find that the distance between them is usually more than the racing seats provide for. Make sure your seat is level with maybe a very and I mean very slight angle down wards. Use a builders level to level your seat if you have one. As you ride more you will find yourself going to harder seats as they are more comfortable for distances. I find suspended leather saddles the best (Brooks) as they mold themselves to you rather than you molding your seat to them. They are heavy and not trendy looking so most riders do not use them.

Hope this helps but there are many riders in here that know alot more about this than I do.

Ride Safe....Dudley

Seat discomfort is a fact of life for new and returning cyclists. Initially keep your rides on the very short side, maybe no more than 5 miles the first 3-4, then ease up as you feel like it. You can probably easily do much more, but I think the key is keep it short so your seat doesn't get too sore. That way you can ride every day or every other day if you don't get your seat too sore. That's the ticket. Short, frequent rides. Within a week or two your seat will have accustomed itself to the saddle again.
FWIW,
Raymond

I would suggest that you not get one of
those Gel comfort saddles, eventually the Gel
breaks down and you have to buy another.
As stated previously its gonna take time.
There are some really good anatomic saddles with
cutouts, depressions, more pliable plastic (or whatever
they use for a base) that are good as well as
gel padded saddles (like Selle Italia Gel Flite).
I'd check with the LBS, see what they have, as
riders are always exchanging saddles.
Raymond is spot on about keeping the saddle
level. Another trick is angle the nose of the saddle
by about 1/4 inch (which side depends on you, you'll
figure that one out soon), so it isn't parallel with the
top tube. Ladies, this doesn't apply to you for obvious
reasons.
Good luck and Don't give up!
Marty

Originally posted by Bender_Unit_22
just recently got back into riding after about 10 years.

The biggest problem I am having is with pain from the seat.

It's like the bones on the end of my hips get really sore, for a few days after a ride, and would start hurting like 10 min into the ride.


I got a better saddle and that seems to help

was just wondering what amount of pain is normal, and what other steps I can take, like seat position/angle/height

it's hard to get into a ride when you butt gets so sore that it's all you can think about.
and forget about riding the next day cause it is still sore



Well, you seem to be getting more than normal. You might want to go to your LBS and see if you can find a saddle that fits you better. As a warning, softer is not necessarily better. The fit is important and depending on you anatomy, hard and narrow might be best. The ischeal processes of your pelvis (sit bones) should support your weight. If the saddle is too wide, it will chafe and cause your hips to swing out and if the saddle is too narrow, your softer parts will support your weight. Still, if I put in high mileage in high humidity, I get saddle sores.

thanks for all the input

I started out going on 20 mile rides, and it would start to bother me like 5-10 min into the ride.

I talked to the guy a the performance shop near me and got a saddle he suggested.
this one here (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.html?SKU=12867)

I've only gone on one ride with the new saddle, about the same 20 miles.

The pain didn't start right away like before so it was an improvement, but it did still make the bones sore for a couple days.

it gets really frustrating, made me wanna give up on cycling and sell my bike.

Dont give up. Its like a person starts hiking and buys some new boots. Their feet are not tough enough for the ordeal and they get bruised and blistered.
That doesnt mean walking is difficult, just that you need to ease into a new activity.

I would recomend limiting your rides to 1/2 hr jaunts for a week or 2.
Make sure your whole position works for you. Dont ride to low down or stretched out, just get comfortable. Try tucking your hips forward to get better contact with your sit-bones.

For a more comfort-based fitting guide, see
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm