FWIW, I'm a dude (and have been told that I'm NOT small by any means) and I ride with my saddle adjusted somewhat up. No pain whatsoever. And, I've run two saddles, an unknown big huge cushy one with springs, and a moderately padded Bell saddle with a built-in blinky at the same position.

Anyway, this thread is giving me tons of ideas... maybe I WON'T do an Xtracycle...