They stop hurting???

If you find the right seat. It took a while, but I finally got one.

Hello Yen,
May I suggest that you have hit the nail on the head in your own words. Riding so infrequently is sure to bring out some discomfort, no matter what saddle you have. When I bought my Specailized Elite, it came with a $35 Specialized Milano, which is pretty similar to your saddle. I found that it was good for about 40 miles, then it got hot. before that, I used a variety of gel asddles in different widths, all produced hot spots and sore ischials (sitbones).

Bottom line (no pun): There is a fleshy pad that surrounds the ischials that is about the size of a fifty-cent piece. It does toughen over a short period of time. Not calouse tough, but it tends to thicken a little. That whole area has to be on top of the seat portion of the saddle to support you. And, you have to ride enough to achieve some butt-break-in.

This is doubly important if you have a saddle that is not leather, because a leather saddle breaks-in in it's own way at the same time your butt does it's thing in that direction. Thus, a two way street, so to speak. Synthetic, or gel saddles, don't break-in, ever. The gel has to go somewhere when you compress it. Usually, it goes to the sides of the pressure point and tries to squish back up - into you. So, it's all up to your butt, which is why they can be very uncomfortable after more than a few miles.

This is not a Brooks Hi-Jack, but the old school bike makers equipped their bikes with Brooks, Ideale or other leather saddles because they work the best. No matter whether you ride short or long, there is a model that will work. Leather doesn't re-direct itself when you compress it. It goes down where you go down, and only lets you form it so far, til you reach the maximum shape of your body. Then, it stops, with a perfect custom shape just for you.

Proper fit of the bike and rider is more important than the saddle itself. You can spend $$$ on saddles and none of them will work if the bike is not the right size and set up properly.

You had mentioned once before, that you sit fairly upright. The more upright you sit, the wider seat you will need. No physiologist here, but I've read that the more bent over you are on the bike, the narrower the area of contact between the sit bones and the saddle. If it is possible to lower the bars just a bit, allowing you to sit less upright, perhaps it might help. If you must sit very upright, might need a wider saddle to support the sit bones. Also, if seat height is too high, you may "rock" on the saddle, which would cause problems. I usually start with seat adjusted so leg is just about straight with the heel on the pedal while at the lowest position, and go from there until I find what works for me. Sounds like you have a good LBS working with you on this, let us know how it goes. Sometimes it just takes a while to get a saddle adjusted to the best position.

Yen- I believe that you could make some adjustments which make you more comfortable.
The choice of saddle is important but that is only one factor.
I have Terry Liberators Gellissimo on my Treck Hybrid 7700 and Treck Madone. That saddle is about as good as it gets provided you have the height and tilt right. Play around with the saddle height. Go a bit higher if in doubt.

Very important is to get off the saddle frequently for circulation. You cannot expect to sit on any saddle for 100 miles and be comfortable unless you keep this in mind.
Hybrid bikers often put more weight on the saddle than road bikers would. I tilted my handle bar stem down so that my weight is balanced equally between saddle and hands. I also set my saddle flat so I can move back and forth a bit. I use aerobars. They allow you to get most of the weight off the saddle for longer time.
You will have more fun biking if you keep your cadence up over 80 RPM.

Fiddle around with saddle position . . . . lower nose of saddle *slightly*; if that does not work: move saddle forward on the rails *slightly*.
Seems like you've got more of your weight on saddle . . . if this does not help, lower your stem *slightly*. Do adjustments in small increments, but *not* simultaneously. Evnetually you'll hit the right combination.
Last choice . . . another saddle.

You can measure the distance between your sit bones in the privacy of your own home--just feel around back there, find the points, and measure the distance.

For me, it's important to have plenty of room on the saddle so that the bones are seated on the top and not sliding over the edges. It sometimes seems like they can slide further apart on a long ride if the saddle isn't quite wide enough.

I tried a bunch of wrong saddles before ending up comfy. Hang in there.

I was hopeful when I saw the Serfas that you have pictured, but when I rode it, I knew IMMEDIATELY that no amount of adjustment or getting used to would make it right. It was painful, like trying to wear shoes two sizes too small.

I've found that about 2 weeks of riding gets my butt to conform to the requirements of riding. Thats pretty much 5 solid rides (20 mi) during each week. After which the pain is gone.
If you let a bunch of days lapse between rides - like 3 or 4 days - then you'll be starting from square one again :(
Just the way it goes...
There is no amount of padding or saddle design that will alleviate that 'adjustment' period, sorry.
Nothing you can wear, nothing you can do position-wise.
The 2nd thru 4th days of riding are the worst, and if you stretch out the time between rides you'll be doomed to relive 'Groundhog Day' of butt ache over and over again.
Actually, most riders will find that large amounts of padding only prolong the agony and in fact will cause serious numbing 'down there'. Bunching of padding and fabric only add to the agony.
I loathe being the 'messenger' of this, but the upside is if you tough it through and get some miles under your keester in a regular way, it'll get better fairly quickly.
BTW, on cycling goals, I always try to take small bites - a solid 40 miler before a metric century (60 mi) before a full bore 100... that leaves a lot to look forward to :)

How do I measure that? I don't think my computer measures cadence. I'm sure it doesn't mean counting while looking at my watch :) so there must be another way.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to share suggestions. My bike is ready for pick-up this morning, and I'm not sure if I'll take it right over to the other LBS who sold me the Specialized (and said to take it back if it doesn't work out, after talking me out of the more expensive Terry Liberator), or to give it more time. I'd like to try a few things before giving up on it.... on the other hand if it turns out to be the wrong saddle then I'd rather try another one sooner rather than later.

BROOKS B17-S The "S" is the womens or short version.

Pardon me while I interrupt this thread with this regularly scheduled message

RECUMBENT!!

You may now go back to what you were doing.

Out of curiosity, why do you suggest the B17? I'm considering the B67 'S' because of the statement about it at Wallbike.com (bold text mine to highlight the part relevant to me):

IMO a B-17S has suficient leather flex, especially after it conforms to your anatomy, to negate the necessity/advantage of a much heavier "sprung" saddle considering the front suspension will "take the edge the edge off" of road irregularities/bumps.

If you have a solid/rigid front fork, the B-67S would be warranted. If you have a supsension front fork, the additional weight and flex of the B-67S springs would be excessive in relation to minimal/no appreciable comfort advantage/gain.

If the OP dislikes hills on on his DF bike, He'll truly HATE them on a bent. Bents are among the worst climbing bike designs ever. They're heavy, and you can't stand up on the pedals. Switching to a bent just replaces one pain in the arse with another. :p

Yen, if you do get a B-67, I would replace the suspension seat post with a rigid one. There would be a lot of bounce and flex in a B-67/suspension post combo.

I just got back from the bike shop where I was planning to exchange my saddle for the Terry Liberator. Once again, they talked me out of it, saying that I really need more time in the saddle more days of the week, not just long rides a couple of days on the weekend. I totally agree, so I left with the same saddle I went in with. The guy did point to a cycle in the shop with a Brooks saddle on it, and said if I can tolerate feeling like I want to die for a few months while it breaks in and conforms to my body, then I will love it later. :)

NotAsFat and Tom: thanks for the tip on the seat post... the guy at the shop also suggested changing the post when (if) I get a Brooks. He made some other good suggestions that I will keep in mind down the road, so it was a good use of my time going over there. And they weren't open yet so I got a little ride in while we waited. :)

If I stop riding for a couple of months due to snow; it takes me a couple of weeks to "adjust" to a bicycle saddle again. I have been off from work this week and riding every day; since Saturday morning I've ridden 230 miles and my fanny feels just fine; so there is hope that you will eventually get "aquainted" with the saddle, if not try another type. The real lesson is to not stop riding durring the snowy season.

Another question...... can you recommend a good rigid seat post? Ones to avoid, ones to look for?

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30...ils&sku=ST4272

You can spend a lot more if you want to, but this one will hold your saddle in place just like an expensive one. You can get one in the correct size through any bike shop.

I can't speak for everyone, but, I do believe this and being able to vary your position a little on the saddle from time to time are the keys to being able ride longer with more comfort.

Caruso

I also find it beneficial to put my weight on the pedal and just lift off the seat about 1/2 inch when coasting. This gives the backside a little relief from the saddle:)

I use this seat post......very easy to adjust and it's "ovalized" interior adds rigidity. I like em....

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30...id=1290&type=T