Several kind folks on this forum have suggested I post here as someone may be able to assist me. The short version is that I have acquired a Trek Verve 1 WSD, 13" frame, hybrid bike.

This was selected after visiting 6 local bike shops.

The bike store and my husband have tried repeatedly to get the seat comfortable to no avail. It has been lowered, raised, tilted forward, tilted back and leveled.

Regardless of the position, I consistently feel as if I'm too close to the pedals and keep wanting to sit further back which places pressure on an already damaged tail bone. If I sit centered on the seat and the seat is tilted down in the front, I'm constantly slipping forward, making it difficult to pedal and putting pressure on my arthritic wrists. If the seat is tilted back, then the opposite problem occurs, and I'm holding the handle bars trying not to slip backwards, again making my wrists hurt. When the seat is level, I am again trying to sit further back on the seat to make my legs comfortable but hurting the tail bone.

As for the saddle height, I can just touch the ground with my toes. Any higher and I won't be able to reach the ground at all while on the saddle.

I think I'm looking for a way to move the seat backwards an inch or two. Is there any way to do this to my bike without breaking the bank? A set back seat post was suggested by the bike shop ... But not only am I unable to figure out which one would do what I'm asking, I can't figure out which one would work for my bike and ... what I have seen online seems to run $200 or more.

My husband is very handy, so a DIY solution would be really nice.

Thank you for any suggestions you are able to offer.

If moving the seat further back is, indeed what has to happen to achieve comport and if the current seat post does not allow that degree of adjustment, there are after market posts that do permit the seat to be further back. As one suggestion, https://www.jensonusa.com/Seatposts/E...-Seatpost-OE-1, one can clearly see the seat is further back than the centerline of the post. There are seat posts that permit an even larger range of adjustment. You will need to prowl some of the bike component web sites until you find one that looks as it will do what you want. They are out there.

I have used a Brompton saddle adapter pin https://www.foldabikes.com/CloseUp/bike/sapMain.html https://www.nycewheels.com/brompton-a...-adap-pin.html.

on top of a standard seat post , https://www.jensonusa.com/Seatposts/K...-Post-Seatpost

and a saddle clip, best one another Brompton product..

https://www.nycewheels.com/brompton-a...-adap-pin.html..

the clip rotated on top of the SAP, will allow the set back to be an adjustment,
combination of the clip location, on SAP, and the seat rails in the clip...

There are a number of things about your fit I'd need to check.

First, is the saddle the right height? Whether or not your feet can touch the ground while in the saddle is immaterial. Mine can, just, but many people's can't - when they come to a halt they step down from the saddle to put their feet on the ground. The way to determine correct saddle height is to sit is the saddle and place your stockinged or bare heel on the pedal in the six o'clock position. You should just be able to maintain contact with the pedal with your leg fully extended. Then, when you are wearing shoes and placing the ball of your foot on the pedal, your knee will be bent about 15 - 20 degrees at the bottom of the pedal stroke, which is as it should be.

If your saddle is at the right height and you still have this problem, I wonder if the problem is that this style of bike is forcing you into too upright a position for you to be comfortable. You refer to your tail bone; when I sit on a saddle my tail bone is nowhere near to being involved, the weight is borne by my sit bones, not my coccyx. Is there any scope for lowering the handlebar a little and allowing you to lean forward a little more?

Maybe your saddle is too narrow. I say this because you said that your tail bone is being pressured. If the saddle is wide enough that the sit bones are making contact then the tail bone should be held up and away from the saddle. So if you don't already have a wide saddle see if you can give one a try.

One other thing is that you should not be able to touch the ground with your feet while sitting on the saddle. Adjust the seat height like mentioned above.

Go to a shop that has a variety of saddles you can either borrow or try at the shop with the bike on a trainer.
Buy the saddle that feels the most comfortable...what you consider comfortable...not other riders...
Get your body properly fitted to the bike then give your body TIME to adjust to the proper fit...it takes time...you're idea of comfort is not valid until you have time on the saddle/bike...you're hoped for "comfort level" may not exist...again you have to allow your body to take the time to adapt.
Do not pay attention to others at this time...many have different and varied ideas and perceptions of comfort.
Make sure to tell the person fitting you and your bike/saddle if there are any physical problems, etc...past knee/back injuries, foot problems, etc...They have to be taken into consideration...also, if you don't, begin a daily stretching routine to stretch muscles, tendons and ligaments...this is important whether you are a rider or not...begin slow and steady.

Keep us informed and good luck...