radius1972

I’m very skinny. 6 feet 2 inches, 150 pounds to be exact.

I’m going for longer rides of two to three hours. The biggest issue I have right now is that my neither regions get sore from sitting on the saddle. A lot of folks have told me, to man up and eventually the pain will go away. After several months of long riding, my rear end has gotten used to it somewhat, but a long ride will always leave me a little sore.

Quality shorts with good chamois have helped, so I want to invest in a bib under 200 bucks. I look at the Castelli Y-pro 3 and that pad doesn’t look thick enough. But I’ve had experience with some thicker chamois bunching up on me (i.e. Nike).

At this price, I can’t afford a hit-or-miss proposition. Any advice for someone with thin hips and without a whole lot of ‘natural’ padding is much appreciated.

Vinokurtov

Demarchi Contour Plus bibs. Terrific chamois, no bunching or chafing issues. Add some Queen Helene cream and I get off the bike 4-6 hours later feeling just fine where it matters.

trackstar10

giordana is supposed to be pretty good, and ive had a decent experience with castelli stuff as well.

CrimsonKarter21

My Giordana shorts chamois is awesome, I took the new shorts out for a ride today, I didn't even know I had a saddle. Too bad they're team shorts, and I don't have the matching jersey; I look like a ****er.

1955

Descente Aero.

Pico

Not Santini, compared to you I'm a heavy 6'4" 185 lbs heavy weight. I ordered an XL pair of Santini bibs and I'm not very happy with the fit. They have too much room around the waist, too short on the inseam, and the straps aren't long enough.

AnthonyG

I cant say that I share your body shape however my advise is to try on a size smaller than you are currently wearing. Lycra stretches and a tight fit is a good fit. It may feel a little tight around the "boys" at first but you get used to it and a good fitting decent brand is better than a poor fitting expensive brand. I've got some Cannondale brand bibs and knicks that are a tight fit and long in the leg so they may suit you.

Regards, Anthony

fastbub

I don't know if you are experiencing the same problem as me but I am pretty skinny too and the problem I have is that it is a fatless layer of skin and nerves under my sitbones so without the extra padding of wearing two shorts it would feel like somebody hit my sit bones with a hammer. This I found was a combination of my physical, a toupe saddle which offers plenty of flex but no cush, and medium quality bibs. I was wearing two pairs of shorts all last season, but now I just invested in an old Flite ti seat which actually has padding. Now I just wear one pair and my long training rides are pain free.

FrankBattle 

I guess I'm fat. Get some meat on your bones OP!!

RonH

Try Etxe Ondo bibs. My favorites.

DXchulo

When you say sore, do you mean you're having muscle pain or do you mean you get saddle sores?

Are you sure you're happy with your saddle? I'm not as skinny as you (5'7", 138), but I never get issues with a sore butt. I tend to have issues with saddle sores, but that's a whole different thing.

I have some shorts with a thin chamois and one pair of shorts with a thick one, and I actually prefer the thin chamois because they have less potential to get in the way and start a saddle sore.

Have you tried different saddles or a different position on the one you already have?

jimbud

Are you sure you shouldn't be looking for a different saddle?

mimis

This is mainly a saddle comfort matter.The best padded bib in the market won't make the difference if the saddle is hard (most of them -with a bling factor - are..), save the xtra cash for a pricey bib and get a thick padded saddle. Mine is comfy and lightweight (160gr),so no worries!

DXchulo

On longer rides a saddle with too much padding will just make him numb instead of sore. Not a good tradeoff. A thick chamois has the potential to do the same. "Hard" saddles can be comfortable if they're the right shape.

skinnyguy

You must be my evil twin, I stand 6 feet 0 inches and weigh 125lbs lol. i have yet to even ride my new bike because its winter up here. I better keep an eye on this thread it has some useful info.

radius1972

Thanks everyone. To clarify: I experience soreness in the region between the twins and the back door. It's separate from muscle pain. I'm not sure of the medical term for this area.

My saddle is a Bontrager Race Lux w/Hollow cromoly rails. It's a soft saddle. I actually ride a cross bike, but do a lot of pavement miles as I mostly ride in an urban area with bumpy streets.

I've had good results with a a pair of Sugoi RS Flex shorts and could just go for the bib version, but I know there are skinny guys out there with a lot more experience than I. I'm hoping to learn from others here. If I'm going to drop 150 bucks on a bib, then I want it to be as perfect as it can be.

DXchulo

This isn't a medical term, but most of us refer to that area as the taint.

I'd replace that saddle before you replace your shorts. You'll see a lot more improvement. Not to be mean, but most of those stock Bontrager saddles leave a lot to be desired.

radius1972

Hey DXchulo

Hmmmmmm . . . .

What saddle would you recommend?

Thanks

radius1972

Oh Please. I just looked at your blog. You've got chizeled cyclist's legs. Me? This is a picture of me stretching.

Okay, maybe that's not me, but the resemblence is uncanny.

:-)

DXchulo

That's probably the toughest question anyone can ask. It takes a lot of trial and error. I'll tell you my strategy, though.

First, if you have a local shop that carries Specialized stuff, they can actually measure you for a saddle based on the width of your sit bones. A lot of people here ride Specialized saddles and many are happy with them. Since they are so popular you can sell one on eBay if it doesn't work for you and you won't lose too much money.

Selle Italia SLRs are pretty popular and the same selling on eBay strategy applies. Same goes for the Fizik Arione and Aliante. Some people prefer Brooks saddles, but you have to break them in. Once they're broken in the resale value isn't going to be all that great if you find that Brooks doesn't work for you.

You may not want to spend much money on a saddle, but it will be worth it in the long run. Start experimenting with the tried and true. They've worked for many people, so they have a chance of working for you. If they don't work for you, chances are someone out there is looking to buy them.

BoSoxYacht

That area, AKA Gooch, is called the Perineum.

Are your handlebars real low? Check the tilt of your saddle before buying anything. You might need to tilt the nose down a hair.

Selle Italia saddles work well for me and I'm a portly, 6'2" 160# man.

RonH

The saddles on both my road bike and commuter bike have cutouts. Before getting this style saddle I too had problems "down there". I think the cutout relieves the pressure on the area in question.

NickExxon

First, I'm 5'11'' and weigh 146, so I'm somewhat in the same class of build you are. As DXchulo and others have said, it's more than likely a saddle issue. My theory was, as skinny as I am, a narrower and less padded saddle was going to put less pressure on the perineal area - therefore less numbness and/or soreness. My ultimate choice was a carbon Italia SLR, the most uncomfortable looking thing you could imagine. The SLR is a narrower (~ 130mm) width, which better accomodates folks with narrow hips. It does work for me. I no longer have any prolonged soreness in the "sit bones" area, although sure, after 3-5 hours of riding, its only natural you're going to experience some temporary soreness.

On the issue of bib shorts, be aware that if you look at anything of European sizing (especially of Italian manufacture such as Nalini), you may have problem with fit. In order to get a good fit in the hips & thighs, I had to drop down to a size 3 which made the bibs very tight because they are sized to fit someone in the 5'9" range (think wedgie). That being said, mine have stretched so as to be more comfortable but given your height, you may experience more difficulty with them.

My .02.

3Lph

eat a couple o' these


lotsa padding

botto 

Assos