dannybear

Hey everyone,

I just got a specialized hardrock sport today and i rode it for about 2 hours today and i like it but i'm having some saddle problems. My butt hurts but its not like a serious discomfort--like I just feel like theres some pressure even now where the saddle is while riding. My questions are will I get adjusted to this where I won't even realize it anymore? Should I wait a little longer and keep trying the standard saddle before I go and try to replace it? And do you guys recommend to maybe just try a gel cushion seat cover and if so which one?

Also read some article about how a bad saddle not fit properly for you can affect prostate and well i wouldn't want that so basically just asking is if this feeling of some pain is normal or not for now and how long should i give it before i start seeing relief or come to a conclusion that the saddle is actually a bad fit.

Thanks in advance

pyroguy_3

Wait a little bit. Your butt takes a little time to "break-in". Even after not biking as much this winter, my ass has been sore for the past week. It does get better, and if it doesn't, go into your shop and see if they have a fitting service to determine the width of saddle that is best suited for you. It's very quick, and should be free unless your lbs is kinda sketchy.

edit: sorry, just saw another part of your post. It depends on how much you ride, if you only ride a couple hours on the weekend it's going to hurt a lot. If you ride more, it SHOULD feel better, assuming you have the correct fit/ positioning. My I've been back on my commuter for about 3 weeks, 45min ride each way and my butt is still hurting. After adjusting the positioning and stuff to no avail, I can pretty much say it's the saddle, so I got a new one designed more for road. Don't give up on it too fast. It may just be a matter of getting the correct positioning, too.

Siu Blue Wind

Don't use the gel cushion whatever you do. With your weight on the saddle the gel will get pushed up and into your tender spots, putting even more pressure on there.

It feels nice on the sitbones but will hurt your tender bits.

pyroguy_3

+1

Although, it depends on the saddle. I've run a padded saddle, gel I don't know, on my mtb for a couple years and have never had problems with it. The exact same saddle on my road bike kills me though. I just bought a new road saddle that feels hard, but from what I've read and heard, if it fits well it shouldn't really matter.

dannybear

Thanks guys, I'll give it I guess 2-3 weeks of riding to see if I adjust to it.. the problem is, getting over that 2 week bump

Chris_F

Another thing to try is adjusting the seat location. I would wait until you have more miles on the bike but if the pain still doesn't go away then make sure your saddle is flat and try sliding it forward on the rails a bit.

imcrushingyerhd

Get a seat with a channel down it. The design is for this problem. It also does relieve a lot of stress.

ProFail

Get cycling shorts. /Thread

BigBlueToe

Mild discomfort may be normal, but your butt shouldn't hurt. Of course it's very normal for your butt to hurt until you get things sorted out.

Start with padded shorts.

Then try tweaking your saddle position a little. Change the angle by small degrees forwards and backwards. See if anything feels better. Slide it forwards and backwards a tiny bit at a time.

You may need to try another saddle. I have a bunch of them I've tried that haven't worked, but I've been able to arrive at saddles for both my mountain and road bikes that feel good. I can ride for hours and not get sore. You can sell the rejects on Ebay.

See if you can find a bike shop that will let you try some saddles before buying.

dannybear

On day 2 of bike riding, the saddle already seems to feel slightly better, I did adjust the height a bit but not too much. I dont' do too many miles, roughly each time I ride is about 4 miles but I'm starting to feel the burn in my knees which is good so I'll slowly build those muscles for longer miles. My other question now is how thick my tires are, so much friction goes against them that even when I catch some speed I lose it almost immediatly to the friction (of course the problem is using a mountain bike for riding on the roads). I'm not going to invest anymore into tires or anything yet for atleast next summer until I see I'm committed to the sport. Just asking if you guys can recommend some slick tires so I'll keep in mind for when I am ready to replace them; I live in the NYC area in case that helps to know the types of roads we have. The reason I got a mountain bike is because at some point I would live to do easy trails. Will the tires make a significant different also, in my opinion they have to, my tires are like 3 inches fat so physics alone should explain that. Thanx for all the replies everyone.

dannybear

Sorry, but what is a channel down? Thanx

ProFail

He means a cut out to reduce perennial pressure. Basically, you'll save your babies.


Fig. 1, Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow

Siu Blue Wind

I believe that ^^^ is a cut out.

THIS is a channel.

ProFail

FRICK!

Siu Blue Wind

So I'm even with ya now, ProFail!!

heckler

i have done slicks on light trails. the pros of having slicks on the road outweigh the cons of them on the trail imo

Chris_F

1st, if your knees are burning you may be pushing to hard a gear. Try shifting down a little and pedaling faster. You should be pedaling rather quickly, about the same pace at which you'd run or jog. Also, check your tire pressure and brake adjustment. If your tires are too soft or your brakes are rubbing that could cause you to lose speed.

dannybear

Thanx, I'll look at the tire pressure and the brake pads to see if they're touching the tires. I did feel the tire saged down a bit but then again assumed all was right since I just got it built from a shop. I think the knees burning thing is just being out of shape lol, having work behind a computer doens't help

DogBonz

Yup... this was a hard learned lesson for me. Pad your butt, not the seat (pardon me... saddle). Get a good pair of shorts, and you will fix 90% of the discomfort.