tourisme

Caloso nailed this early in the thread. Saddle pain is more often about bike fit than about the brand of saddle. If you're sitting n the nose of the saddle because your reach is too long, that's going to hurt.

Get some advice about whether your bike fits you properly. Then tinker with saddles.

gobicycling

You are an excellent candidate for bibs. Shorts fit best those with flat bellies.

55murray

Looks like you are on the right track. For hours of comfort you will need to let go of soft wide saddles. Just wide enough to fit, and minimal to no padding. Then you have to remember to do the thing where you get out of the saddle for a minute or so at a time to let the blood flow back, to allow your rear to condition up. Every 15 minutes or so at first. Really helps a lot, after a few long rides doing this you can really tell you are dialing in. One of the best tips I got from this entire forum.

tclune

I'm a clyde and for me discomfort in the seat is a matter of core conditioning more than anything else. When I start getting tired, I slump in the saddle a bit. It would be easy to mistake this for a bad fit, because the net effect is that I move forward on the seat. But the real culprit is that I am slouching because my core is tired. FWIW

Biker395 

That's legit. I think it is possible, because there are rest stops every 40-50 miles or so and you get a chance to get off the seat. We've also pretty much dialed in the saddle/fit and stand up when necessary.

That is exactly what I think. There are three contact points. Try to equalize the level of comfort/discomfort in each. Pressing harder on the pedals, in particular.

Other than those things, experiment with saddles until you find one you like. Just about everyone eventually finds one they can work with. I have different saddles on my bikes, and I find all of them reasonably comfortable, but I think I'm the exception.

dennis336

Nothing new to add ... my first reaction to the OP was a good bike fit and a saddle that works for you - I'm another big fan of the Brooks B17. After experimenting with a few other saddles, settled on that and never looked back. Also ... going back several years now, I had been finding with my first 'serious' road bike, as I got older and did longer rides, my shoulders and lower back would get very sore. The ride was feeling harsh. I sprung for a carbon bike and also got more conscious about not over-inflating my tires. Something like tire inflation can affect the harshness of your ride and be wearing on your body, too.

wphamilton

This is the best answer IMO. No matter what saddle, or any of the other suggestions (which may still be good suggestions), it's getting your body used to the time in the saddle. The only way to do that is to train it.

trad

Professional bike fitting before starting your saddle investment journey is spot on. Here are some things that work for me and that you might try before sinking lots of $s. Adjust saddle height (lowering a mm or two makes a big difference in reducing rocking), adjust saddle fore/aft (moving forward a bit helps sit bones stay in wider part of saddle), adjust saddle tilt (I like mine level). On cushioning (from chamois and/or saddle), I find less is better on long rides (less "squishing" and related rubbing). Bibs pulled up and that are fairly tight around sit bones help (less movement). I also stand up every 15 mins or so (for blood flow) and also pull the chamois slightly away from sit bone area skin every hr or so (chamois gets "stuck" a bit for me and occasional readjustment helps). When riding multiple days in hot/humid weather, I use a small bit of vaseline in sit bone area - keeps chamois from sticking in place).

MinnMan

If you are able, it helps to get out of the saddle now and again. You don't have to do it for long, though the more you do it, the longer you can sustain it. You also don't have to do it with any impressive show of power. Getting out of the saddle for a short time at least every couple of miles gives your sit bones a break.

zarbog

Second ride on the Brooks, getting off the saddle more often, usually coasting and got off the bike twice for a few minutes to walk around. Two hours and 45 minutes, 47km, 390 metres elevation. Truefully, the Brooks felt good from the get go, slippery but that helped with setting up the tilt and the height and for/aft position until I more or less stayed where I wanted to on the saddle.

Tried keeping the back staight, but by the end I know I was hunching my shoulders from fatigue. Legs and shoulders were more tired at end of the ride then my rear end. I could of gone a bit longer with no problem as I was still comfortable on my sit bones. Guess I will have to break down and do some core muscle strength exercise's.

I was using the liner shorts with the thinner pads this time, first ride I used the thicker ones. The thin pad ones always got hot and I sweated a lot down there, but they were fine for this ride, wonder if its the leather vs synthetic seats.

I wore a cycling jersy under a jacket and when I got home I noticed the jersy had rode up over my waist so some bare belly was showing. Bibs might just be the answer until I get skinny again.

Thanks for all the advice. I feel great having gone just that much further on my ride. If I stayed up on the escarpment I could of rode longer, but going down the escarpment then climbing back up is energy draining at this point, but it lets me ride all that way on a rail trail.

Lemond1985

Congrats! Yeah, just mix it up and you'll be fine. On a long ride I have an endlessly repeating list of things that bother me for a few minutes, then pass. Feet hurt for a while, then my hands, then my neck for a while, then my back, then a one knee. All you can do is stand up for a a while, shake it off, and try to ignore it. As long as it's not just one thing that hurts, it's normal, and will pass.

gobicycling

Bibs might be the answer, period. Many wear bibs as a first choice, not as a second choice to shorts.

bluezurich

In my 33 years of road cycling, I think I only used shorts for the first two years, after that, weight high or low, it's been bibs and I cannot imagine riding in shorts except for mtb ever again.

Kotts

Saddle height is all about muscle engagement. For weight distribution, you need to look at saddle fore/aft adjustment. Too far forward, and too much of the weight is on your hands. Too far back, too much is on your sit bones. Somewhere in between is the "Goldilocks Zone".

KOPS (Knee Over Pedal Spindle) is a reasonable starting point, but not the be-all-and-end-all. A better test is to get on a trainer and ride, then see if you can pick up your hands without straining, shifting your hips forward a lot, or increasing cadence significantly.

base2 

Good point on fore/aft adjustment as well. Additionally fore/aft relates to pressure behind the knee cap & which leg muscles are engaged or favored. Good stuff.

zarbog

Spent just over 4 hours in the saddle today, 5 km to the rail trail on pavement, and 5 more at the return ride. Managed 69.5 km. It is all cinder and forest trail, no hard gravel.Their is a 20 km section that is a steady 1 to 3 % grade climb. I stop at the top of the climb and get off the bike for a few minutes. Probably stopped to stand over the bike for a drink a dozen times. Shoulders and hands were pretty fatigued, and reading Kotts post, think I will slide the seat back a fraction or so. I have it a bit forward to make sure I was sitting on the wide part.

My goal is to make it from my town, Hamilton, to the town of Brantford and back via this old rail trail. Todays ride was about 3/4 of the way, but that is my current limit. Black flies are out and they keep you moving ha ha. Very pleased with the B17. No problems from that area. I do think I can go a bit higher in the seat , knee pain is at the right leg front lower part of the knee cap.

I still can not ride with no hands.

xroadcharlie

I don't know how you guys do it! I usually don't go more then 2 hours in my car. And as a recreational bike rider I like walking sometimes after an hour anyway. I feel so refreshed after that, even though my bike is still comfortable.

zarbog

I was baffled as too how some folks managed to ride such long distances. There are so many areas of interest surrounding most communities that are accessible by bike, but are just too far away for most riders to get there. Number one limiting factor, for myself, was discomfort and then actual pain that prevented me from staying in the saddle and thus being able to explore where I wanted to go.

Once the issues that cause discomfort are corrected, then the only limiting factor is physical condition. At my ripe old age I have started doing Planks and push-ups, who would have thought. All in the quest for riding distance. Perseverence is paying off, I can now stand up when required to climb short steep hills, impossible last year. I have raised the seat about a half inch, titled the bars down, then back up a bit, slid the seat back a smidge, all since my last post. Knee pain seems to have gone, I rode no hands for half a block the other day. It is all coming together. I can see being able to ride in the drops more, as my fat belly starts to shrink.

xroad, it sounds like you get bored by the ride more than anything else ?

zarbog

This is my last update, thought I would share it


Just over 5 hours to complete this 55 mile loop from my driveway to the next city. It is 90% rail trail and was a personal challenge to myself that I hoped to accomplish by summers end. Can't believe I managed it already. I was pretty beat at the end but still managed to do the final climb home.

OldTryGuy

KUDOS to you !!!