Originally Posted by Machka

Some tips:

-- Make sure the bicycle is set up correctly for her.

-- Make sure the saddle is wide enough for her, but not too wide.

-- Make sure the saddle is not too soft (gel saddles can be a problem).

-- She will be more comfortable if she develops a strong core.

-- Developing a strong core will help her sit on her sitbones, rather than putting pressure anywhere else.

-- Tucking the pelvis under helps. Sit up straight on a hard chair and suck your abs in. You'll notice that the front part of your "sitting area" lifts up. That's good. That's what you want when you're sitting on a bicycle. But that's hard to maintain if you don't have a strong core.

-- The right pair of cycling shorts can help. For me, those are cycling shorts with very thin, smooth padding. The newer styles of shorts with all the lumpy padding in them are terrible ... very uncomfortable ... too much pressure in all the wrong spots.

-- Move and stretch - stand up on the bicycle now and then. If the ride is long, get off the bicycle and walk around and stretch once every couple hours.


I've logged over 140,000 km in the past 20+ years, including four 1200K randonnees and all sorts of shorter (but long) rides leading up to those, and I rarely have any sitting area issues of any sort.