busterbee

Max,
I bought a special coccyx cushion (actually two - one for home and one for work) that I use when I have pain in my tailbone after a long ride. I would highly recommend it. Here is the cushion that I bought:

https://www.youcantoocan.com/ac4store...Category_ID=51

Buster

tulip

How long are your rides? I don't think you should be having tailbone pain at all. Perhaps you could get someone to check the fit of your bike. Ouch.

Machka 

Tailbone pain? How is it possible to have tailbone pain when you ride?

Did you break your tailbone recently? When I cracked mine a few years ago, I couldn't ride (or sit at all) for the first couple weeks because it was so painful. After a couple weeks, I could ride, but mostly in the drops. And after about 4 or 5 weeks, I was fine again.


If you have not cracked your tailbone, I would STRONGLY suggest going to a good bicycle shop and getting them to check the fit of your bicycle for you. Something is definitely wrong!

I would also suggest checking your posture on the bicycle. You should not be slumped in the saddle like a sack of potatoes. You should perch lightly there. Lon Haldeman ( https://www.ultracycling.com/about/hof_haldeman.html ), "says that the saddle is something that you straddle, but don't sit on. Most of your weight should be transmitted as power to the pedals. As we fatigue and apply less force to the pedals, we put more weight on the saddle. Thus, conditioning is critical for comfort in the saddle." https://www.ultracycling.com/equipmen...f_contact.html

If you are using a gel saddle, you might want to reconsider and go with something more solid, like a Brooks. If you are using a gel saddle, it is possible your sitbones are sinking too far into the saddle and parts of you that should have no contact, or only very limited contact, with the saddle are contacting the saddle too much.

MattWolf

I'm not the OP, but one way is this: I have an extra lumbar, putting more pressure on my tailbone than other people when I sit (on anything). Luckily I'm using a Specialized saddle that punches out the area where tailbone support would be. I find having any extra support usually just puts more pressure on it -- it's better if there's nothing there at all.

Glad the OP could find a solution for their pain!

Machka 

Ah I see! For me, I have to have my saddles curved up in the back so that they provide some extra support or else my entire back aches when I ride. I tried a Ldy Selle Italia, a very flat saddle and had back pain the entire time I rode it.

late

Hi,
here's an old fashioned approach. Take a Brooks Flyer or B67, and use a leather softening oil or preparation (like for baseball gloves) on the underside of the area where it hurts. Just that area, not elsewhere. Either way, good luck.

cyccommute 

Having broken my tailbone five times now, I can tell you that the pain is always there. After a long hard ride, my tailbone will ache for hours. It doesn't hurt much on the bike but when I get off it hurts pretty bad. Sitting on the ground after a long day of touring is truly painful.

I think the pain is caused by the muscles that attach to the base of the spine in that area pulling on the bone which is weaken by the fracture.

lilHinault

Yeah same here, I had an accident that seemed to result in a fracture of the center of the pelvis, and taking up riding again, I find that I often have tailbone pain, although gradually that area is toughening up and accomodating. I think it's stress on the ligaments, tendons, whatever, that attach the muscles to either side of the central bone. A wide seat can help, a too-narrow seat can "wedge" in there and be hard on the area. And it won't hurt on the bike, it's when I get done with a long ride and then sit down, ow! But it's gradually getting better, I think the bone etc will strengthen in response to the new stress, and gradually especially after breaking in the two brooks saddles I'm getting for my bikes, I'll be a genuine hard-azz again lol!