Frank
Wookie
have you bought new bike shorts that fit recently? If you are using the same clothing from 30# heavier, perhaps the chamois is bunching up and causing the discomfort??
Please help..my backside hurts
- Thread starter YouRang87
- Start date
szymon
Active Member
Position on the bike is first thing 1-2 cm might not look like a big deal but it can be painless or painful riding, saddles are really a personal thing. I've tried many different saddles and I prefer very little padding and no cut outs. Over the winter I tried the arione vs, Antares vs and gobi, the gobi would have been ok if it had less padding and the vs's saddle's were like sitting on a knife. Saddles and shorts are one of those things that works for one person might not work for you.
YouRang87
Active Member
Yes all my pain is in my taint! I wasent sure if taint was a forum friendly word. Haha obviously at this point I'm going to try to get a proper fit but is there any common ways to fix a taint pain?? Like taint pain try this- butt pain try this? My butt pain is usually around 2 to 4. My taint pain had always been 6/7 now it's up to 8. There go the future yourangs....
FitmanNJ
Well-Known Member
Definitely, it's absolutely hideous to have to endure "8 out of 10" pain when riding. Our sport wouldn't be nearly what it is if everybody had the same issue. Even though I am a fitness trainer (thanks for the shout out, Fidodie), I can't say I have unique insights into saddles. But, I've struggled with some of the same issues over the years and have thought a lot about them, so here are a few ideas (other than the many other good ideas already suggested).
Bike saddle pain "generally" seems to fall into two categories for men (for women, it's often anterior pelvic pain due to their wider hip anatomy, which can sometimes be relieved by lowering the front of the saddle). The first is penile numbness, which results from compression of the pudendal nerves. Guys way back when used to try to tip their saddles downward to avoid the compression, sometimes resulting in their weight sliding forward down the saddle and overweighting of their hands (as you've noted). Enter the Selle SMP saddle and others with the cut-out or scooped-out mid-saddle to nose area. These seem to have had a good deal of success at relieving saddle problem #1 as the pudendal nerves are theoretically spared compression.
You haven't mentioned the numbness issue, though, and have mostly focused on the second common male saddle complaint: sit-bone sensitivity (if you search on the 'Net, you'll see references to the "ischial tuberosities"). I've found that these areas do seem to "toughen-up" over time and get less sensitive with frequent riding. You haven't found that to be the case for you, though. If I'm not mistaken, that 140mm width saddle is in the "average" range, i.e., there are saddles made both narrower and wider (I think Specialized makes 135mm and 155mm saddles?? Don't quote me on that, but the point is that they have wider and narrower models). I think I'd begin by seeing if one of these options helps provide some relief. If sliding down the nose of your current saddle seems to be an improvement (knowing that the saddle is narrower to the front), I might investigate a 135mm-ish saddle. Otherwise, go bigger and see what happens.
Hopefully, one of these different-width saddle will allow you to support your weight on your sit-bones in a way that doesn't cause pain. Beyond that, just trying different brands of saddles may help, but this can be frustrating as the process can appear never-ending (I know from personal experience). Since sit-bone sensitivity seems to be the issue, my guess is that the more thinly padded traditional saddles will not be the answer; yet many riders find that leather Brooks saddles (after properly broken-in), provide the ultimate in comfort for them -- and they have NO padding (but in "breaking-them in," they mold to your unique anatomy, broadening the contact area and reducing pinpoint pressure). During the "break-in" period, though, I'm told they're none too comfortable. I think the current models have a much shorter break-in period than the in the "old days," when it took close to a year of riding, in some cases, to get them to mold properly.
If all else fails, I recently saw a reference to a saddle (the "Infinity Seat") designed to provide support through the soft tissues of the butt, NOT the sit-bones. At this point, we'd have to still consider this an "unproven" design, but there are testimonials using prototypes which sing the benefits of what seems like a counter-intuitive approach. There are even some ultra-endurance cyclists expressing an interest in this saddle (for one, the third place finisher in the recent 2015 Ididarod Trail Invitational, that 350 mile race in Alaska). Financing for production of the Infinity Seat is still being raised through a Kickstarter campaign, so I don't think it's even available yet, but it appears to be "in production." You can read about it here: http://infinityseat.us/.
There's been a lot of great advice offered in this thread. I hope you can find a solution to the saddle pain soon as there's nothing that will improve your cycling experience more at this point!
That SMP has been a savor to some or an absolute, parden the pun, pain in the ass. Believers say that their is a finicky sweet spot to them, I personally never found it.
Most importantly heed what others have said, go see Jdog especially with that saddle as he pimps them like no other...
Most importantly heed what others have said, go see Jdog especially with that saddle as he pimps them like no other...
YouRang87
Active Member
I HAVE AN UPDATE....so first let me thank everyone for the responses and hopefully others in the future will learn from this thread. OKAY..so 90 percent of responses and other searches pointed towards fit. Lastnight a lightbulb went off in my head and I reliezed my cross bike I bought at halters and was fitted by Jason and the bike is comfortable. So I proceeded to take as many measurements as I could off both bikes. I tryed my best to keep all things equal, measureing seat height, drop, reach, etc. and found my fit is almost identical between the cross and the road which I'm having issues. What I did find was suprising... My reach on the painful road was just under 2 inches longer! So I went the route of ordering a new stem. I also am leaning towards the fact I might be one of the ones that doesn't work with the selle smp design. So I thought back to my most comfy seat ever, took some search and rescue but found it and ordered it as well. If curious selle royal lookin sport unisex. I am going to try this set up, I found my road drop was .5 inches more so I might raise it since I'm not riding the tour lol. I will try this and if it fails I will be in route to halters. Anyone have any questions I will be happy to awnser. Thanks friends!
bystickel
Member
Reach to the bar and/or a bar that's too low are the most likely causes of pressure on your taint, because it causes your pelvis to rotate forward. Severe curvature of your lower back can be another cause. Once you correct any reach/drop issues, the pressure will be off your taint abd back on your sit bones. At this point, you need to make sure that they're properly supported with the correct-width saddle, as folks mentioned. Everyone I know who has tried a wide saddle has found it more comfortable than their 'normal' saddle, but when you go wider than you actually need, you'll notice that extra width when you need to quickly get behind the saddle. That width can karate chop your thighs in rough terrain.
One other thing that folks don't mention much is hair. If you're a normal human being and have public hair, you may find that it gets pulled and irritates the skin. Chamois butter helps, and you can even trim, for less irritation and that sexy, manscaped appearance. Do whatever you need to get comfortable, because if you;re not happy on the bike, you won't be riding.
One other thing that folks don't mention much is hair. If you're a normal human being and have public hair, you may find that it gets pulled and irritates the skin. Chamois butter helps, and you can even trim, for less irritation and that sexy, manscaped appearance. Do whatever you need to get comfortable, because if you;re not happy on the bike, you won't be riding.
DigDug
Member
Thanks for posting this. I was having a similar issue to the OP (but not nearly as bad). I had been wearing something like boxer briefs. The last few rides I tried it without, and it seems to have made a pretty big difference.
