brandonsdad02

So for a while now I have been having a problem with my butt hurting after about 5 miles or so into my ride. I thought that I needed baggies, so I got some. Still my butt hurts. I have tried several different seats and still my butt hurts or my feet will start to fall asleep. I currently have a bontrager seat. It has the center cut out and the wings or what ever you call in on the back. I got it last year. I didnt remember my butt hurting this much last year but maybe it did. Any tips on what I can do or somewhere I can get a nice comfy seat?

ZeCanon

have you been fit to your bike? Bad fit can be the cause of butt soreness, even of the most perfect seat.

Saddles are very personal, they have to fit your backside. What works for me may not work for you. I would go to the spare bin at your local bike shop and try a bunch of the $5 seats they have.

brandonsdad02

No I haven't been fit..They can do that?? How much would that cost. I really want to ride as much as I can this year, its just hard when my butt hurts so soon into a ride.

the1amradio

A couple bucks if anything, usually. Sounds like you might want to aim the nose down a little bit if you're legs are falling asleep/tingling. This was happening to me and angling the nose down helped a lot with that part. The long nose I was using also stopped crunching on my taint. I have since gotten a shorter saddle and got it fitted. Every now and then I hit it just right and get a bit of pain in the butt-bone since it's a bit narrower, but I am never sore after a ride anymore.

ZeCanon

Just take your bike to your shop and ask them to fit you, it shouldn't be took expensive. They can make recommendations for saddles as well, much better than we can over the internet.

or, if you can't get to your lbs, post a picture here of you sitting on your bike. Take the photo from the side, with the pedals at 12 and 6 positions, and the normal riding stance you have. If there are any horrible problems we can see them and make suggestions. If you're worried about posting photos on the internet, just cut out your head or something.

But bike shop is still the best option.

busted knuckles

I was just in a bike shop on Monday, they had this pad that you sat on, it gave an imprint of your sit bones to help find the proper starting point for a seat.

the1amradio

I think that is only for Specialized saddles, but I could be wrong.

markhr

Specialized have the sit-o-meter thing but it applies to everyone trying to buy a new saddle. That is, work out what width saddle you need then try out, on your bike, various different models in that width.

the1amradio

I haven't used one, but I thought it just measured you up and spit out a Specialized saddle model for you to buy.

brandonsdad02

I called the LBS today and he told me that he just sells the bikes. he subs out the fitting part. He told me to go to a physical thearipist first then to a frame builder. I was like WTH...I just want a different seat. He did also tell me today that the seat I have is for a womans bike. Nice of him to tell me now. But aways, the whole sit on a pad thing sounds nice. I have to see if any of the bike shops in Des Moines, IA have anything like that. Or does anyone know?

brandonsdad02

Oh yes, another note, I dunno if this will make much of a difference, but I was hit by a car while riding my bike when I was 15 and broke my tail bone. I have the seat level with the ground. The nose isn't down at all and its not up either.

markhr

https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCDea...29&language=US

rankin116

Wow. You need to find a different shop to give your money to.

the1amradio

I'll say. I don't think that a previously broken tailbone will be much of an issue. Did it heal up? I like my mountain seat pointed just a bit down because it make me lean forward a bit instead of sitting upright. It also puts the pressure onto a part of my butt that is meant to take more pressure. I think it mostly just changes how you are positioned on the bike though.

Ps. I'm a newb to this game; just try adjusting it this way and that way and see what is most comfortable for you. I always take some tools on the trail in case I need one. Especially with a new saddle, I'll be making tiny adjustments all day.

brandonsdad02

ALright, THANK YOU guys so much for all your feed back. Yes the tail bone did heal up, but it has been sore for a number of years when the seasons change. I think I will start with a nice soft mens seat and go from there.

markhr

Soft seats will cause more discomfort, not less. The padding deforms around the hip bones and then presses into soft tissue causing pain, numbness, erectile discfunction, etc.

Get the most comfortable saddle with the MINIMUM of padding that you have actually tried out before you bought it.

Chris_F

Wow, that may be perhaps the world's worst LBS. Basic bike fitting is something every LBS should do for you for free when you buy a bike or for a couple bucks if you didn't buy from them. If they can't even do that then they're no better than WalMart or any internet retailer.

Soreness can often be fixed by adjusting the bike. I'm not a fit expert but my buddy, an ex LBS bike mechanic and sales guy, can fit a bike pretty well. He said a general rule of thumb: if the wrists or hands hurt move the seat backwards, if the butt hurts move the seat forwards. It's worth a shot. Heck, it's free! Free is good.

brandonsdad02

Yes, he is quite the character. He is hard to talk to, you ask him a question and he will answer it, but then goes back to the shop. He won't stay and help you find things. So a soft seat is bad?

the1amradio

Yep, like he said, the padding will deform and cause pressure points. Most comfortable saddle I ever had was a road saddle that I think was basically 1/3" foam over plastic and a thin bit of leather over it all. No name, but it came on my road bike.