laserspeed

I am having some pain where my inner thigh meets my butt cheek (both sides) and would like to know if this is normal, safe, and will go away with more riding for new cyclists. I'm trying to dial in my bike's 'settings' and want to make sure this pain is not an indication of some poor configuration. For the record I'm starting with a pretty standard setup such as a 30 degree knee bend (from straight) when the pedal is furthest away, knee over pedal axis, level saddle, etc. The saddle has a little bit of padding but is not overly plush by any means.

VegasTriker

Just how wide is your seat? I refurbish bikes for use by older kids and usually dump the very wide seats with the springs under them in favor of narrow ones knowing that too wide a seat can chafe their thighs and make long rides unbearable. They are fine for short trips but not when you are going to ride 25 to 50 miles. When I was much younger and had to lay off cycling during the coldest, wettest months, part of getting back into shape seemed to be enduring a little butt hurt. It did seem to go away with piling on the miles except for very long rides. These days I ride a recumbent and it is not ever an issue.

laserspeed

I measured the saddle to be 137 mm at its widest however there is curvature there so it is not exactly 137 mm of flat surface (I measured the bottom surface where the rails are so the 137 mm width is pretty accurate). I don't think the problem is chafing since the pain feels more like being bruised rather than from friction though I think this might be a good area to explore. I (very) roughly measured my sit bone width to be 120 mm (I'll try again when I can get some card board or am at my LBS) so in theory the width should be just about perfect but maybe the curvature is making my bottom unhappy. It's encouraging to hear that your pain did go away after you got your behind back in condition and am hoping this is the case!

demoncyclist

If it is chafing, try some cream before putting on your cycling shorts. I use Butt Butt'r, but there are many suitable products. If it is muscle pain, it will get better the more you ride.

J.C. Koto

If you are just getting back into cycling it's normal to have pain in that region.

You say something like a "bruising" pain -- is it right where the saddle is supporting your weight, on the inner sit-bone perineal region? If so you'll just need some time to acclimate to the saddle. I get pain there after a ride if I've been off the bike for more than a month or so.

berner

Saddle comfort and fit can be very subtle. It took half a dozen saddles before I found one that was comfortable. The one I use is comfortable on my long rides of 50 or 60 miles. The one that came before it was not comfortable but to a casual look seemed identical. The difference between them can only be seen by tracing their outlines, superimposed over each other, on a sheet of paper. The good one is only slightly narrower by several mm just in front of the sit bones. Furthermore, my position has been migrating lower over the last 4 years. The handle bar is now 11 mm lower than the saddle which means slight discomfort in the drops so that a slightly different saddle may be better. Since a lower position means being just a bit more stretched out, a longer stem may be indicated. These are fit issues to be explored in the near future. Best fit is a moving target as mileage increases.

cyclist2000

Adjusting the saddle tilt can help quite a bit. Change the angle slightly then ride for a few miles, you will know whether it is better or not.

Dudelsack 

BenPS

little micro-adjustments to saddle tilt and how far forward/back your saddle is can help where the pressure is on your butt, but this is pretty common for new riders. Or even old riders who haven't been on the bike for a while. Try to do shorter, more frequent rides, and your butt will get used to it. Also, chamois butt'r is your friend

fietsbob

Mine is OK. get off and sight see more often , you are not sentenced to ride the bike Non Stop .

bikebreak

It is counter intuitive, but try tilting the nose up just a bit.

Also, the seat will get softer as you break in your legs. When your legs get stronger you can push harder on the pedals, which takes weight off your backside.

delcrossv

Butt pain? What butt pain?

TrojanHorse

You've substituted butt pain for eye pain.

rydabent

delcrossv

Exactly!!!!

delcrossv

Most only get to see it from the back.

RPK79

They don't turn around to give you "the look" after they pass you?

delcrossv

fify.

And no, I don't. Just trying to be polite.

Dudelsack 

I started out the winter training on my bike. It was fine for shorter work-outs, but sessions that hit 90 minutes and more were getting uncomfortable.

So I dragged my bent down and put it up on the trainer. Problem solved.

And everyone knows that benders get all the babes.

BlazingPedals

Nobody gets to view lowracers from the side! This view is more common:



But, to stay on-topic, OP just needs to toughen up his sitz bone area. Hours in the saddle are just as important as miles on the legs (for our upright brothers, at least.)

cplager

You're absolutely right. No, really, you are. But it seems kind of, well, mean for us comfortable folk to sit here (with big smiles on our face) telling the poor DF rider he just needs to suck it up and ride more. But we've done our part, shown him the true path, and now he can decide for himself what to do.

TrojanHorse

I reckon they get it back on the hills. Or when they get in a paceline. Can you get much of a draft advantage if you get a couple guys in line?

I'll have to try one of those out some day so I can either sneer about them from experience or go full-curmugeon and buy one.

delcrossv

Some draft if they're both at the same hight, In my experience the lighter ones are pretty good on the hills, very fast on rollers.

Try a fast one when you do (e.g. M5, Zockra, Carbent etc.)- there's a lot of Townie equivalents in the 'bent world.

cplager

And remember, it's not the bike that really matters climbing the hill, but rather the engine. It is true that there are bikes (and this is probably more true of many 'bents) that are more likely to slow you down, but it doesn't matter what bike you put me on, it's going to suck going up hills.

laserspeed

User name is vorticity, rides a recumbent, mention of a P-38 in sig... do we have an aerodynamicist in the house?



Thanks for the advice fellas! I can take the pain but I just want to make sure it isn't a precursor to perineum problems .

delcrossv

I think if it just hurts, you need more saddle time. if your 'associated parts' go numb then things may be more serious. Keep riding, take breaks and see if things don't improve.