A cycling Docs. advice on butt problems
 

I found this on another forum and since everyone here has had "butt problems"...
It's an interesting read, and advice at the end. Be sure to check out what he has to say about different kind of saddles.

http://www.liquicell.com/assets/pdf/...Kortebein).pdf

I don't care what kind of initials they got after their name, I ain't goin' out in public with no drawers on :eek:

An intertesting read, though.

A little suspicious, though -- the company that produces Liquicell has 'medical endorsement' on their own? 'Expert' advice reduced to shill for a product.

No, I'm not naive, I know it happens daily; all the more reason not to get off my center about it.

Very old references.

The saddle height leg extension is too straight at 15-20º. The usual recommendation is 25-35º.

Brooks B17

Btw, your butt muscles get tired and stop supporting you.
Then your bones mash your nerves into the saddle.

Mongo says strong butt good.

"Everyone here has butt problems " . . . .
Not true.
Been riding since the early 1970s . . . never a butt problem, even on double cenbturies.

Release your inhibitions- It is the only way to ride. It does save a lot of pain once you have dared to try it. You have to have the proper cycling attire though but it does work.

Not true.

Note :

"Make sure your seat height, and seat tilt are adjusted
appropriately. The seat height should be positioned so that the knee is slightly

bent (15-20 degrees) when the pedal is at the bottom of the stroke."

Most often recommended is 25 to 30 degrees as indicated previously. I had to go to like 15 to solve a knee problem (pain at the front of the knee) that developed a while back. My hips don't rock at all. Matter of fact, raising the seat until you hips rock and then lowering it until the rocking stops might be the best overall.

Al

+1
I have no idea what the angle of bend in my knees might be, but I use this method when dialing in a new bike. I may go a bit lower for flat riding, but for hills I go as high as possible without rocking.

Nor would I. Neither would I negate the benefits of bike shorts by wearing underwear under them. Think of the pad as the underwear. YMMV.

I used to have butt problems until I started riding a recumbent bicycle. It's different and avoids that issue.

I would have a lot more issues on a recumbent. I can ride any of my bikes comfortably for more than 8 hours on either a B17 or a WTB saddle. But, I can sit in any car seat (or even a recliner) for 8 hours comfortably.

But have you actually ridden one, or are you just speaking from untested assumptions? Riding a high-performance bent is nothing like sitting in a chair. By means of illustration: I rode the Rocky Mountain 1200k (my first and so far only 1200) back in 2008 on a 'bent. On the last day, every df rider I saw was standing on the pedals to get the pressure off, shaking his/her hands to get feeling and circulation back, stretching to relieve neck, back and shoulder pain, etc. I just kept on pedaling. At the finish, my legs were tired, and my left achilles a bit sore, and that's it. No other aches, pains or complaints. My finishing time was 79:50 - almost exactly "middle of the pack", which is right where I was on shorter brevets on my df. I must admit tho', that I've had further achilles problems in the last year that have put me back on a df for now. We'll see how that goes.

SP
Bend, OR

No butt problems for me previously on upright bikes and certainly not in recent years on recumbents.

Wow!! You must be one in a million. I wish I knew your secret.

Many thanks, Phil.

Only sat on one. And yes, I could tell I would have more problems than on my Bike Friday, Surlys, or other uprights. Any wider seat will give me more issues than the saddles that I currently use. I don't get back pains or issues with wrist/hands etc. In fact, my back tends to be even better from riding (and carrying a backpack while commuting).

Jogging, road and mtn. biking (with backpack) are all back strengtheners for me as well. The only time they bother my back is if I haven't done them for a while, then I have to build up again.

I have never appreciated comparing recumbents to the more traditional bikes. I ride bikes because I think it's fun to ride bikes. Even if recumbents were superior, I would not be interested. They also don't do dirt very well and they don't seem to be players in road racing. Can you imagine watching some 200 recumbents battling it out in the Tour de France? Carnage?

Nobody ever mentions unicycles. Now there's an upright riding position with no hand pressure. Met one on the trail last week. They do dirt. I have no interest in those either.

When I rode no more than a few times/year, I seemed to need a wider/softer saddle. Had all kinds of issues with them. But after I retired, the more and longer I rode, the even less comfortable they became. My present mtn bike saddle is 5.2" wide, very long/narrow and weighs about 200 grams. No padding and no cut-out. Most comfortable thing I've ever ridden.

I've adapted and the saddle is very good.

Al

I am fortunate to have not had issues with saddle sores. I have had issues with saddles (like my men's Terry Ti Tri), but that was not saddle sores.

Lucille, lycra bike shorts are made to be worn without underwear. You will be the same as all other cyclists. Think of it as similar to a swimming suit. You dont wear underwear then either.

+1

A fitter had me in the lower angle range and I developed issues in the back of one knee. New fitter lowered the saddle, putting my angle in the low thirties, and the problem has gradually gone away.

Don't hear abutt butt pains on Dutch style bikes. Why????

A back of the knee issue is generally a saddle too high and/or too far back. My knee issue was front of knee and I got relief by going to about 15-20 degrees and going back a little. The info is on the web.

I might add that I only cured about 85 to 90% of the problem with saddle adjustment. It appears I was also suffering a muscle imbalance as well. Adding leg lifts to my exercises to strengthen the quads which don't get exercised enough compared to the hamstrings seems to have gotten me to 100%

Al

Can you imagine watching some 200 recumbents battling it out in the Tour de France? Carnage?

Yeah. That would be cool!