My hands hurt during my first ride so I adjusted the seat height, position and angle. That eliminated the thumb pain but now my groin hurts. Ack. Does the pain in the soft tissue eventually go away? Is this just a temporary discomfort I will eventually adjust to? I don't want to tilt my saddle forward because that will put weight on my hands.

I'm female, if this info is at all relevant, so I appreciate any tips on how to stay comfortable on the saddle. I have a Jamis Coda and I'm using the stock saddle. And yes, I'm wearing padded shorts.

No, your balls will eventually die. Fix your saddle before your penis stops working. Granted you have several years most likely before that happens, but fix it now.

Try the horizontal saddle position

I got a new bike a couple months ago, and tried adjusting the seat. That made it hurt less, but it didn't go away until I got a different saddle. Sometimes they just don't feel right, no matter what you do.

OP says she is female. You know, no balls, no penis. At least, that's how they make them on our planet.

My saddle is horizontal, or at least it looks horizontal to me. I suppose I can use a level to make sure.

Bluefoxicy, I'm female so don't have balls. Not a tranny either, so not suffering from phantom-balls syndrome. The pain in the soft bits is real though. I'll keep on trucking and if the pain doesn't stop, I'll be on the market for a new saddle.

Oh ****. I didn't read that part!

My brain is on auto pilot. Not due to the sunburn, just 'cause it is!

Girls indeed do not have boy parts...

Some discomfort is inevitable, as your muscles grow accustomed to riding. It does take a while to get toughened up.
And while not a road bike, the hybrid Coda still demands some forward sit. So if you are moving things around to alleviate pain, then a closer look is in order.

Stock saddles are, well... stock. They are not fitted to you and your bones. They are generic. This is fine for green beans, perhaps, but you are lucky if generic saddles fit you.

When you sit on the bicycle saddle, you actually sit on your bones.... those little knobby protrusions on the bottom of your pelvis that I can't ever recall the name of. Padded shorts are only a minor aid and are hardly worth the money if the saddle isn't sized to support THOSE points in particular.

The saddle should not tilt forward, either. Generally, they should tilt slightly backward. Another consideration is the length of reach between saddle and bars. If you are cramped in the cockpit and cannot pivot properly on the seat, you can put pressure on the wrong places.

But by and large, the seat dimensions are your first place to start. So get measured, or learn to do it yourself, and get a saddle that correctly fits a woman's anatomy down there. Each of us are different in this regard and a 'custom' fit is important.

Of course, no one told you that you would have to plunk down more money on a seat when you bought the bike, right?
They hardly ever do. They expect you'll be back...

There is a hidden subforum for female riders only. You're very likely to get more focused help there than any other forums. Posts from guys who have really a rather faint idea how a woman feels on a bike won't help you much. We don't even read your posts carefully and start talking about balls and penises You need to PM one of the moderators or Siu Blue Wind to get access to that forum.

Adam

Did you buy a female specific bike? The reason I ask is because females have wider hips then men, and if you purchased a bike designed for men, it's very likely that the saddle is too narrow and you are straddling the saddle with your soft tissue instead of sitting on top of it with your 'sit bones'.

You might need a new saddle. I wouldn't 'tough the pain out' because that can lead to injury over time. If the pain is as bad as you say, then something is seriously wrong and you need to stop and make an adjustment, even if it costs you some money to do so.

If you've been riding all along, you should adjust to a new saddle after a couple rides. If not, then it's time to replace it. If you're just getting into regular riding, yes the pain should go away.

If the saddle wasn't giving you any problems before it might be more about your bike fit than the saddle. Its likely that you might end up getting a different saddle too if you ride alot. You can try adjusting things a bit more to see what feels good.

Ah, good to know. Thanks.

I forgot to add that I did get the WSD version of the Coda, and I assume the stock saddle is wider than the one on the men's. I bought the bike used and the previous owner didn't replace the saddle. Also, I do ride regularly on my other bike, a Crank Forward bike from RANS that has a more relaxed geometry. I'm breaking in this new (to me) bike just to get a feel of the more conventional bike geometry. So the verdict is that I feel like this is a quicker ride, especially on hills and when there's a headwind, but of course this isn't news to me. The groin pain and extra weight on the hands are some of the issues I don't face with the RANS bike though.

Thanks for the tips everyone. It seems that the verdict is to get fitted for a new saddle if the pain doesn't go away soon. I'll likely give this bike two weeks' worth of commuting to see if I feel any better. Otherwise, I'll get fitted for a new saddle, most likely not a noseless one from reading that thread.

You might need the handlebars raised higher (change stem length) in addition to a different saddle. This bike i going ot seem very aggressive after the other bike so that may be part of your problems.

Yes, good point. I can always swap out the stem for one with a higher rise.

Stock Saddle, just may not be right for you.. there are thousands of different saddles.

Many that have a Slot , dividing the nose of the saddle into 2 ,
others have made a Gel section thru the nose of the saddle..

Terry Bikes is owned by Ms Terry, and She has a number of Women's targeted, saddle designs..

Yes, you lose the saddle as a steering lever with nose-less saddles.

FWIW I am not female but as captain of tandem team 2024 I have to take care of my stokers fit and equipment needs because she is blind. I have had to get way more acquainted with female needs than I thought necessary or possible. Onwards... even the stock saddle on a bike like the Coda should not hurt. It may not feel like the ultimate in seating, but it shouldn't hurt. Before spending money on new stems and saddles carefully explore the parameters afforded by the present equipment. It is surprising how few do that. There is about 4"+ of fore/aft adjustment of the saddle. If it is too far backward you may be sitting on the narrow nose portion. I am discovering just how important it is to have the saddle forward enough. KOPS (knee over pedal spindle) is somewhat controversial but I think it is on the right track i.e. saddle adjustments should be made primarily to adjust knee or power output issues. Hand pain issues should be dealt with by handlebar height or reach (stem length). For $20.00 you can buy a stem extender that will raise your stem ~2". That should be more than enough. My SO is very partial to anatomic saddles. Horizontal or nose up doesn't bother her as long as the seat is cut out. All the way. Some anatomic saddles just have the center portion cut out. Others are split right up to the nose of the saddle.

H

As is my wife, hers has a cut out which seems to work for her very well.

Pain around your sit-bones is normal and will go away, but soft tissue pain should not be happening. This article (https://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2011/...e-saddles.html) might be helpful. Beyond that, asking in the women's forum is a good idea.

Huh, looks like BikeTutor costs money now. Pity, he had a good video on this. But this one is as good, he goes thru the information quickly. Watch it a few time and take notes. With your bike next to a wall you should be able to do the adjustments yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKQvKqFgJBE

What are you?

Have you been fitted for the bike?

Most people seem to put the saddle level, I have mine tilted forward slightly, not so much that I feel like I'm sliding forward, just enough so it doesn't feel like I'm sitting on my junk. Being a guy that's important to me. Maybe if you do the same that'll help you.

Sometimes it helps if you rotate your pelvis forward (think about sticking your butt out when you are setting on the saddle). Bonus points for most people this also helps engage the glutes Also said in this thread, saddles are very personal. I have a very large collection before my butt decided it liked Selee SMP saddles the best. Of course my butt has to pick the $250 saddles...