barnanimal

Quick background: Purchased my Felt Z100 in July, have ridden about 700 miles on it since over about 25 rides. I completed my first century ride this past weekend. I plan on getting stronger through the winter using an indoor bike trainer and Trainer Road.

My question is, how long (if ever) does the pain of sitting down go away. I usually feel fine for the first 20 miles or so, afterward I get increasingly uncomfortable. I do have decent bib shorts which I wear.

Part of it is my bike fit, which I know because I develop a knee pain after extended periods of time. I'm also way heavier than I should be, I usually am about 185-190 but am currently around 215. I know getting down to my normal weight will likely solve a lot of it. I'm also getting the bike refit this week which I hope will alleviate some of the issues.

I started my indoor training and the soreness just becomes unbearable after 45 min or so. Will this just go away with more frequent riding (more than the 1-2 rides a week I have been doing)? For you veteran cyclists, does it ever go away?

Mark Stone

Heck yes it goes away. Looks to me like you may need to try different saddles and see what works. If I have the right saddle (which I do now), I can ride up to around three hours or so just in street clothing with little discomfort. Longer than that (for me anyway) requires cycling shorts. It's something ya learn through time and experience: What saddle works, what seat height/adjustment works, what handlebar style/height works, what type of tires, etc. Eventually you understand how the whole picture fits together, and then it feels like your riding down the street in your easy chair. But for you right now, try different shapes and brands of saddles - - -

rumrunn6

not all saddles created equal. after trying several for many years the Brooks regular B17 leather saddle made all the difference. what have you got to lose? $80? so what?

on the path

More leg strength will put more of your weight on the pedals and less of it on the saddle. Keep riding..

FBinNY 

yes it goes away.

part is just getting used to it, part can be saddle break-in (some do, some don't), but if things don't improve, it's time to stop wishing for imp[rovement and look for specific causes. It can be a question of saddle fit, and it's shape vs. yours. Sometimes a bit of firm padding helps spread the load away from specific contact points. Or it can be position and/or riding style.

snidely

Yes, it goes away. Sounds like you should be there by now, though. Might be time to start experimenting with different saddles.

rms13

You need a correct fitting saddle. Shorts with chamois pad will help a lot too for longer rides.

rpenmanparker 

Two most likely causes of continuing discomfort at the saddle contact point are the bike fit and the saddle suitability. The quality of your chamois makes little if any difference. Folks were comfy on the saddle long before technical seat pads in shorts were introduced. Bike fit is obvious, and you are planning already to address that. Saddle suitability has many variables including width, cutout or no, flat or curved from front to back, flat or curved from side to side, padding quantity and stiffness, and I'm sure several more. You need to get together with a shop or mail order service that supports free saddle try outs providing you finally buy one from them. You should not have continuing discomfort on the saddle after your posterior muscles are toned from moderately frequent riding. Your mileage certainly qualifies you for having accomplished that. You need to get on with a corrective action plan.

IntelXE

I think a new saddle would help. I used to adjust my saddle like crazy until I figured out it wasn't the right one. Got a new saddle and no pain after 90 minutes on the trainer. Milimeter adjustments can make a big difference in comfort. Knee pain is usually caused by a low saddle in my experience.

scopinusa

All these suggestions are spot-on. I have ridden the B17 and B17 narrow since the early 70's. Well made for a lifetime and are comfortable in the extreme. A few years ago I went through a "what 's new" segment after my B17N was stolen. Tried many saddles, expensive to cheap. Road 'em several hundred miles each to be fair. Nothing compares to the leather sprung (no plastic platform/foam) saddle for me; until, I received a C15 from Brooks. This saddle is just as sublime as the B series! It's built to last a lifetime. I now use it on one of my two road bikes (the other has a replacement B17 N and the B17 is on my mountain bike. Now I'm set for life (and maybe someone else since I'm getting on in years..Ha!) All our butts need broken-in, so any saddle will feel bad until everyday (or nearly so) ridding cures the problem. There are lots of saddle manufacturers and after searching you may find one or more to your liking. I have found that all riders I personally know have stopped searching after purchasing a Brooks saddle.

prorobo

Your sit bones likely don't agree with your saddle width. When you get fit, sit on an ass-o-meter to check the measurement of your sit bones. You will more than likely find out you need something different than what you have. I did two 25 mile rides on my new bike's saddle before I needed to swap it out to the saddle from my old bike (which is wider) because I couldn't even pedal down my street in the stock saddle. Also, you might benefit from a saddle which is more padded as well.

goenrdoug

This has been my experience. I'm in a similar position to you (weight wise), but have been riding since January. I'm at about 3200 miles right now. As I've ridden and my legs, lungs and body have gotten stronger, I'm supporting more of my weight on the pedals than I used to -- and this results in less weight on my sit bones by default.

You may also want to check the tilt of your saddle. It ought to be LEVEL (use a large hard-cover book or something that can rest on top of the saddle and place a carpenter's level on top of that. Is it level?) A little tilt forward or back may be your preference, but start with dead level and work from there over time.

Also, if you're hopping on the bike, getting settled and then powering away in that same position for the entire ride, you'll want to throw in some random position changes here and there -- so blood can flow, different muscles can be used for a few seconds, etc. Imagine sitting down in your office chair and then not changing positions, crossing your legs or ANYTHING for the next X hours. You'd be in pain by the end of the day. Well, same holds true on the bike. Stand up once in a while and push a bigger gear for 20 seconds. Ride on the tops for a minute if you're not near any traffic or other reasons you might need to be hovering on the brakes... Doing this can also help with hand pain.

Great work out there and good luck!

StanSeven

I've found about any saddle works when you are properly fitted. Sometimes it's just a slight adjustment in the fore/aft or maybe tilting the nose up or down. But like already said more leg strength helps most. You don't sit on the saddle but use it to support your legs on the pedals.

rpenmanparker 

I agree that fit is paramount, but a saddle that is too narrow will never be comfortable. Supporting more of your weight on your legs is helpful, but once again, an uncomfortable saddle will get you sooner or later. You would have to ride standing up to avoid that.

FLvector

I'm a believer that saddle fit is just as important as the bike fit. Our sit bones vary in width, so you need to find a saddle that matches and supports the sit bones. You can either have them measured or do it yourself. It's not difficult. Saddles are available in a variety of widths and many shops will let you try before you buy. The bike fit should also help in your comfort on the bike. Hopefully you find a good fitter who can also assist you with the choice of the right saddle. You should be able to ride for several hours without discomfort, so hope you get there soon. Let us know how it goes.

StanSeven

I was too quick with my reply. Yes, a saddle too narrow will be uncomfortable regardless of fit.

Clem von Jones

If you want advice about where to start looking for a comfortable saddle I'd suggest the Vader VD-104 on ebay for less than $10 delivered. It's about 145mm wide and I like them set up with the nose 5mm or so lower than the back. You can't go wrong with this saddle deal IMO, and no I don't sell 'em. Yeah it has a dorky name but so what, nobody will see it under your arse. This saddle made me realize it isn't rocket science to build a comfortable perch, nor is comfort even remotely related to cost. I have several and none of them squeak or have any annoying attribute other than trivial appearance and actually they look almost like Selle Italia SLRs if you blur your vision a little. I can ride all day on these saddles without discomfort. I'm evangelical about the Vader VD-104!

Aside from saddle choice butt pain could be caused by having your bars too high which places too much weight on your arse, having inadequate reach to the bars, or having the saddle too far forward or too far back. You absolutely should be able to ride for hours and hours without any significant pain. That would be normal with a correct fit and decent saddle.

Machka 

Some tips:

-- make sure the saddle is wide enough for your sitbones. You need to sit on your sitbones, not on any other parts down there. But don't go too wide because that will cause extra friction.

-- don't use soft gel saddles. A harder saddle is better because you can support yourself on your sitbones rather than sinking into the gel and creating all sorts of friction.

-- don't be afraid to adjust your saddle ... tilt, fore/aft, the direction it points, etc.

-- make sure the bicycle fit is correct.

-- get a good pair of cycling shorts. And don't ride in your underwear. I know you're wearing bibs, but it's possible you may want to experiment with other shorts etc.

-- develop a strong core so that you can sit properly on a saddle, with good posture. You should not be putting your full weight on the saddle ... your feet can take a little bit of the weight.

-- keep riding. The better your fitness, the greater the chances you'll be comfortable on a saddle.


[HR][/HR]
The two least comfortable saddle situations are riding a trainer and riding as stoker on a tandem. In both situations, you don't get up and move around as much as you do on your single bicycle.

In your case, you're only comfortable on your bicycle for the first 20 miles ... not long. I'm not surprised that you can only manage 45 min on the trainer. If you get your setup, saddle, etc. right so that you can manage a century without pain, you might be able to last longer on the trainer. But I wouldn't count on being comfortable for more than 2 hours at a time.

Joe Minton

Barnanimal:

What hurts, your 'sit' bones or crotch. If it's your crotch, the front part or middle? Do you have numbness and/or pain at the base of your penis? Where you hurt is important because the fix may differ.

Joe

seypat

I have nothing to add except that the pain is rough! I hope you get it solved.

Caliper

Can you post a pic of your current bike setup and a pic of you on the bike? After 25 rides, you shouldn't be experiencing saddle soreness in the first 20 miles of a ride for sure.

RogueRadio

Lite209

Try these. I tried 3 different saddles, with no avail until I got one of these. Never turned back. No pain, no problems riding. Nonstop Ciclismo is a shop out in California that will ship you one to Demo for free for 2 weeks to see if you like it. Give it a shot.

A lot has to do with fit also, make sure you are riding the right size bike. I was riding a bike that was too large for me, and no matter what I was uncomfortable. Once I got the right size bike (63cm, down to a 58cm), I can ride for hours no issue, especially with the Selle SMP saddle

coasting 

sounds like a saddle issue. you have given this one enough time.

rpenmanparker 

Nobody knows how that goes more than me.

berner

I'm particularly sensitive to saddle tilt. Minute differences in the nose of the saddle being up or down makes a big difference in pain or negligible discomfort. And many, many miles in whatever saddle makes a difference also. Ride with a allen key in your pocket to mess with the saddle and document what you're doing so as to get back to a previous setting. Eventually, you may find a pattern that will provide important clues.