jppe

We've been doing some longer rides this month and I purposefully have used the bike with the saddle that has always been comfortable. It's the bike I've used on the centuries in the mountains have spent 7 hours in the saddle and never had an issue.

Now for some unexplained reason I'm developing some real tenderness under my left sit bone. It got so sore on Thursday's 100 mile ride I had to stop for a few minutes just to take a break. I've done lots of Centuries on this setup before and only stopped 1 or 2 times for quick fluid breaks and never had any comfort issues.

I thought all the extra pounds I've gained the past couple months would be additional cushion on my butt........I'm amazed how a saddle can work great for a while and then unexpectedly turn on you. I wonder how saddle companies do that**********

stapfam

It can be one of several things- Not being ridden on and frost getting in and separating the padding- The butt not liking the extra weight that has gone into the tender spot- The simple fact that it has taken a knock and been damaged or- And I agree with you entirely on this- The manufacturers have put a chip into the saddle and after just so many months or years of fitting just right- the factory press a button and change the Shape of the saddle.

CrossChain

jppe....I bought a Max Flite Gel almost two years ago largely on your recommendation. I really like the saddle and hope whenever it "goes off" under my behind won't be for a long time. I agree with Stapfam that the saddle, inorganic dead thing slow to change that it is, may not be the problem so much as your living, mysterious butt tissue which, inexplicably, can surprize you from time to time. Keep the faith until all rationality says time to change.

Could it be a shorts problem? Deep saddle sore?

BSLeVan

Could it be the extra pounds causing the discomfort? It might not take a whole lot of difference in weight to make the saddle feel differently. I had a similar experience this summer with my 70s Brooks Pro with small rivets. I don't ride the bike this is on very often anymore, but when I do the Brooks has always felt just fine. That is, until on ride this summer when it suddenly felt like I was sitting on a section of steel railway. A few weeks later it felt fine again.

stapfam

Before I had the prostate problem- I had a Flite Titanium saddle. It was comfortable but not after the op. Took a long time for the prostate to settle down but finished up with the Flite max gel- one beautiful saddle and very similar to my original Flite. Problem is that I have found the Original Flite after a few years of searching and it definitely no longer works. Tried it but My butt has changed permanently in the last 6 years.

solveg

I love this line.

BluesDawg

Are all the recumbent riders asleep?

I have resisted the temptation to point out that this never happens to me on my Brooks saddles.

big john

No, you haven't!

luv2cruz

My brother in law has ridden for years on a well broken in Brooks B-17. This past year, he went on a diet and exercise program, and lost about 25 lbs., from 180 down to 155. About the time he reached his lowest weight total, he started becoming uncomfortable on the bike. He changed angle and height, tried another saddle, even tried new pedals, but couldn't get it "just right" again.

He has since gained about 8 lbs. back, and seems to be getting his butt comfort back. We have wondered if the weight loss caused his Brooks not to fit as well, since it was broken in at the higher weight.

Who knows...shouldn't have changed his sit bones, tho....

BluesDawg

Up untill then I had.

lowracer1

I caught the post pretty quick. I didn't even want to bother to answer. Another buddy of mine however is compiling a log of all the upright pain and discomfort posts for his blog. I'll email him the link. I figure if you guys haven't figured out yet that recumbents contribute no pain to the ride, I'm not gonna worry about it. Its not my butt and I can't see yours from my house

dbg

So maybe I never quite got the seat adjusted right, but my experience on a recumbent seemed to give me a sore butt that felt like muscle compression soreness. If I rolled to one side (one cheek) for 10 seconds and then the other for 10 seconds, it would go away for another half hour or so.

lowracer1

I'm guessing you were on a model that either had a very upright seat, or you haven't used that particular muscle before in that riding position. All my recumbents are more reclined so the pressure points are spread out over a longer distance. support is from my neck all the way to the butt, although, my butt isn't really on the seat.

Hermes

As I understand the facts from previous posts, you were playing more golf at the end of the season. You then announce you are doing a series of centuries in December as base mileage - one per week. I am not surprised your butt is sore considering the sudden ramp up in saddle time. The other matter is the ratio of standing to sitting. I suspect the base mileage centuries were flat and you sat more than you usually do if there was more climbing. You probably needed to get out of the saddle more and stand on the flats to get more blood circulation to the sit bone area.