Why the aitch does the saddle hurt my butt so much on the trainer? My best guess is that the bike is in a steady position, making it more like a torture implement. When you're on the road the bike is moving side to side, as are you, so you're not relentlessly gouging your backside so much.

Does this sound right? Does it hurt less on rollers?

Just curious. I used to ride outside in the winter, but this year I can't be bothered (too much time getting ready, don't feel like dealing with the cold air, etc.). So this is my first winter of serious trainer riding, but I just can't get comfortable in the saddle.

Any suggestions?

i've noticed the same thing, but my pain is also mainly caused by my trainer not being level so i lean on one side of my butt more than the other.

Just got off the trainer and mine is sore too. New bike but have ridden a couple hundred miles already and no soreness. On the trainer, the bones are sore. One thought I had was different clothes. Maybe, in my case, the extra clothing in the winter helps. Might hurt more in the summer.

Good question. Curious to know if there is a reason and ultimately a solution.

You don't have as much pressure on your hands and feet when on the trainer. Try standing up periodically.

^^^Yup!

During intervals, no butt pain...During rest periods, butt pain....I stand to relive the pressure and pain...

Yes, you hurt more on the trainer than outside because you don't move around in the saddle as much as you do when you're outside. It's a very similar thing as riding on the back of the tandem. I try to sit still on the tandem so it is easier for Rowan to handle, and there is a lot more sitbone pain on the tandem than on a single bicycle.

Solution on the trainer ...
-- take a break and get off the trainer once every hour.
-- during the break, do some stretching. I especially have to stretch the lower back and hamstrings.
-- while on the trainer I spend some time riding on the drops, some time riding on the top of the handlebars, and some time sitting bolt upright.

Solution on the tandem ...
-- we stand and stretch about every 15 minutes.
-- get off the tandem more frequently than we do on our singles.
-- during the break off the tandem, do some stretching. I especially have to stretch the lower back and hamstrings.


They aren't perfect solutions, but they help. As does just getting on and riding more and toughening up the butt.

Amen on that. I enjoy stoking with my friend, but it is sometimes a major pain in the taint.

I hate to even go here, but I change the height of the front wheel every 45 minutes or so. Works for me.

This is exactly why it hurts so much. The fixed position is the culprit. The best thing I found was switching to the Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll. The rear wheel assembly is mounted on thick rubber bushings giving a very comfortable and natural feel. Although I still vastly prefer being outside, this trainer has increased my indoor saddle time 100%.

there is a certain forward-back motion that you can observe on free-motion rollers as well. they feel just like the road, and I only need to stand at about the same frequency as on the road.

it's very slight, but it's there.

Stand up every hour? Jeebus, I can only ever do about 45 minutes on the trainer, and that's torture enough, both physically and mentally.

I think I need to stand up every ten minutes!

Well, don't laugh, but what I'm doing now is squirming around on the saddle, like. My intention is to effect an approximation of the interaction between derriere and saddle that you get out on the road. It seems to help.

Yes, it's "normal."

Just stand up every now and then, and vary your position as suggested above, that should solve the problem.

Normal. It has been enough of a factor for me over the years that at one point I thought I had Prostate cancer and/or was done riding a bike for good.

Saddle choice. There are saddles I adore on the road that will destroy me on a trainer. I have found one that works for both. Every time. Never fail. Not only that but I recently had a good fit done and now find I can spend ~2 hours in the saddle on the trainer. I hate it but it is not my butt that gives out.

This. I stand for a little bit about every 15 minutes.

Stand every now and then, and, when it is too uncomfortable, get off the bike for a bit.

Softer saddle?

No.

Was thinking the same thing...was noticing my butt was sore tonight and then I saw this thread. I have the old saddle from my allez elite that I could mount on, but I'm worried about screwing up my fit that I had done as I'm not he best with the tools yet.

Make sure the bike is level or maybe even a bit nose up. I had this issue on the trainer but raised the front some and no more soreness. I'm too cheap to by a climbing block and was just using a phone book. It was apparently not think enough so I added some 2x4s under and now all is fine.

I think it's because you end up sitting harder on a trainer since you don't need to use your arms and legs as shock absorbers. The torque characteristics are different as well because of the lower inertia; you end up pedaling more fully though the pedal stroke, which means your body floats less under your leg force and you end up sitting harder in the saddle.

In any case, it is real. I fix it by standing up every 10-15 minutes.

I am new to using a trainer and immediately noticed the diff on my keester due to the lack of movement and diff weight distribution vs out on the road. I too find standing once in a while helps but then i have been doing only 45 min stretches (an hour long tv show minus ads) so it really hasnt been much of an issue.
One thing I am very grateful for is that my seat fits me very well and while it weighs as much as some of your entire bikes plus the sofa in your living room, I appreciate it even more inside.

I'd say yes.

I've been using e-motion rollers for over a year now and I can tell you it's night and day difference for me compared to a stationary trainer when it comes to saddle comfort. I can't speak to how traditional rollers compare. I guess the e-motions might be more comfortable because they float based on the surges in your pedal strokes. I'd also think the side to side rocking on any roller would be an improvement over the static position on a trainer. The other nice thing about the e-motions is that they are very easy to get out of the saddle, which helps mitigate saddle pain. You can do the same on a trainer, but to me it just doesn't feel right when you can't rock the bike.

In fairness, I have never spent any significant time on stationaryh trainers, so maybe I wasn't doing it right, but they feel like pure torture to me. The e-motion rollers feel just like riding on the road, but still with the bordom of riding inside.