FujiKid

Hey guys,

I just bought a new road bike a few days ago and have only gotten about 25 miles on it so far so it's fairly new.
Anyways, it's SO amazing to ride but I'm so un comfortable at the same time.

I get this pain in my privates (between where the crack starts and scrotnum begins).
Sorry if this is too personal, but I have NO idea what I should do.

I talked to the guy at the shop about possibly buying a new softer saddle, but he said I just have to "break in" my saddle.
I sucks because I'm even wearing cycling shorts along with briefs underneath them when I ride.

Should I get another saddle or wait?

Thanks guys!

ballistic

I hated my stock saddle. I eventually swapped it for a Specialized Toupe Expert and it's been so much better. Stock saddles are commonly uncomfortable.

hairnet

you might need something a little wider and/or harder if you find yourself resting on your soft tissue instead of your sit bones. or learn to sit on a bike saddle. It took me five saddles to find one that works

Tex81

Cycling shorts are made to be worn with nothing under them. The seams in your brief's will certainly cause you some irritation, though I don't expect it's the problem you're currently having. Before investing in a new saddle, I would give it a couple of weeks and certainly more mileage than 25 miles to see if you adapt to your current saddle. I was told this by many people, both at the bike shop and seasoned riders. I'm still new to road bikes myself though, so this is the best advice I could personally give you.

Good luck!

mmmdonuts

First, don't wear briefs or anything else under your cycling shorts.

New (read modern) saddles don't really break in. It's your backside that does. You have to get through the sit bone soreness which should go away after the first handful of rides.

Your perineum (taint) should not hurt nor should you get numb in that area or in your privates. This means the saddle doesn't fit you or it needs to be moved and/or angled correctly. The shop should have helped you with this.

Saddle fit is very personal. Some people can ride any saddle and some need to try many different ones before finding comfort.

If you current shop isn't helping try another.

bianchi10

Dont wear anything under your shorts. Your salesman at your bike shop is an idiot and you should walk in and kick him in the balls. Its obviously a matter of adjusting your saddle correctly. Yes there is a matter of simply getting used to sitting on a saddle but parineal (where your describing) pain is not an issue of getting used to sitting on a saddle. You need to play with your saddle by making minor adjustments to get it in the correct spot. Because you have no experience yet, you dont really know what to be looking for though. Best option you have is to take your him in and ask them for help on setting your saddle up correctly. When I bought my first bike they told me I could bring it in and thy woukd help me do minor adjustments but thy also have a pro fitting which is much more helpful. I did both. Cycling is fun but having pain when you ride takes away from being able to enjoy yourself. Hope that helps

javal

Theres such a big variety of saddles, the chance of you getting it right with a stock one is pretty slim. Butts are way too different from each other. A hard one doesnt mean its uncomfortable. On the contrary. Width and length might be key factors. And adjustments like saddle angle (should be pretty straight) and amount of drop down to the bar. And height of the saddle. Finding a comfort seat is very much about testing, testing & testing again. Once you get your numbers right, you know it...or your butt will.

ColinL

I would try the following:

Experiment with tilting the nose of the saddle down slightly from where it is now. If you have a basic seatpost, no more than 1-2 'notches'.

Keep riding, but don't ride more than 60-90 min at a time. This feeling isn't unique and it will go away as you get some saddle fitness, but you don't want to overdo it with some 4-5 hour sessions. Ease into it.

After you've done all that, then try different saddles. I recommend a local shop with a flexible return/exchange policy and large inventory of saddles.

roadwarrior

I am going to guess that the reason that part of your body is resting so hard on the saddle is that it's not wide enough to accomodate your sit bones. Your sit bones should be on top of the back of the saddle, not on a sloping part or outside.
I hate it when I read how shops communicate with riders. People need to be trained on how to set up and fit a bike.
Generally a shop has a saddle fit pad which is foam and we can then measure between the points where your sit bones indent the pad. Then we go find a saddle with the correct width and shape.
Last, and this has already been said, we go commando with bike shorts.

Hunt-man

https://bontrager.com/model/08802

Not the lightest but I find it to be comfy.

Get good bike shorts:
https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...8_20000_400020

Discover chamois butter and lube up before your rides.

Inertianinja

Definitely no need to he embarrassed. Know that many road bikes come stock with ultra-narrow 'throw away' saddles.
Try going with a wider saddle that is stiff (harder, more supportive) with a channel through the middle that will take the pressure off the Balzaranos

DropDeadFred

it takes awhile to get the taint right. It took weeks of riding to get the ol' leather taint...keep riding...HTFU

generalkdi

You should normally get all the pressure on your sit bones. Maybe you need to move a little back, and sit on the "larger" portion of the saddle. I never had this problem, so I may be wrong though.

branstone

I also recommend the chamois butter.. it helps eliminate the friction on the satchels and will stop them from burning

david58

I found that my saddle was too far back, and I was basically riding only on the nose of the saddle. Imagine the relief when I moved it forward so my sit bones could share the load.

So far, my "crappy" stock saddle has been fine, hoping my BMC saddle on my new bike will be fine as well. I don't want to go broke saddle experimenting.

Stealthammer

If you only have 25 miles on the bike, my bet is that the "fit" neds to be adjusted. When I build a new bike I expect to ride it 5-10 times, making subtle adjustments as I need to, before I have the fit nailed down. Try dropping the nose of the saddle and moving it forward or back a little at a time.

oldbobcat

Hey, I know that spot.

Personally, the last saddle I kept that came on a new bike was a Brooks Pro in 1973. I suggest finding a shop with a saddle demo program. WTB and Fizik dealers do this.

But before you go shopping verify that you're sitting in the saddle correctly. The saddle should be close to level and the pelvic bones should be firmly planted on the widest part of the saddle and taking most of the weight from the hips. Sitting forward of this pocket, with the perineum perched on the nose, is not fun and usually indicates fit issues.

Essex

Specialized BG (body geometry) dealers have a seat selection device which can help to fine tune the best seat.

https://www.specialized.com/bc/micros.../main.html?x=y

I used the device for my current carbon saddle and it's the best fitting seat I've had in a while. Before it was a bit of experimentation. Also, your butt and your brain needs to make adjustments because it's not normal to be sitting on something that is so narrow and gets bumped up and down.

CornUponCob

Don't be embarrassed to talk about stuff like that. . . it's just a part of cycling.

Shimagnolo

You do not want a softer saddle!
Cheap saddles, (designed for people who don't know any better), allow your sitbones to sink in, thereby allowing the padding to apply pressure to your soft parts.
Quality saddles are very firm, so your weight is supported by your sitbones, and *not* your soft parts.

ColinL

'soft' is relative. pushing in with your fingertip and squishing 1/2" or further-- yes, that's too soft for riding beyond 5-10 miles.

a full carbon saddle with no padding probably is too hard for most of BF, since in saddle threads I rarely see people talking about riding them.

bianchi10

butter works, but when your saddle is in the wrong position it aint gonna do much. He needs to figure out what position will work best for him. THEN chamois butter can come into play, which will in fact help against friction. BUT first, saddle position is what is needing the attention here.

WCSting

I have a really comfy saddle on my tri Bike, but when I built my road bike a few weeks back, I just couldn't use the saddle off my tri bike. It was way uncomfortable.

So I went to the LBS.

The sales guy was pretty insistent on me getting a firm saddle that made contact with my sit bones. He measured me and sold me a specialized romin. it was really uncomfortable for the first 2 minutes, but my first ride was a 60 miler, and at the end of it, I didn't even notice the saddle. There was no numbness either in the middle which I always get on long training rides on my tri saddle.

the moral - Get some good assistance from the right guy at a good LBS.

bianchi10

+10 THIS is your answer

VertigoFlyer

+1 on the above!!

I did the seat demo program at my LBS and ended up with a Fizik Arione that I LOVE! Butt grief sux and will kill a ride! Do what folks here have suggested and know you aren't the first nor will you be the last!

I refer to my Fizik Arione as the barely there saddle since I hardly notice it!!