Extreme newbie saddle issues...mainly for the ladies!!

[LauraR]

Hi all

This is my first post as a new member to the forum

I'm a complete novice when it comes to cycling and only just got back on a bike a few months ago at the age of 31, having not ridden since I was a child. My OH is a keen cyclist and after seeing his progression over the past few years, it made me want to get myself a bike and improve my fitness (as I was literally doing zero exercise). Needless to say, I am having to start at the very beginning...

I got myself a hybrid bike (Giant, Escape 1 W) through cyclescheme about a month ago and have been going out twice a week. I am currently doing between 10-12 miles per ride.

The first few miles are fine but then I start to find my saddle (standard saddle which came with my bike) uncomfortable, both front and back. My coccyx is painful to sit on, even more so the following day when I'm sitting at work but this is something I'm hoping will improve over time.

My main issue is with my 'lady bits'...after a few miles, I find myself constantly wriggling about, standing up, moving back & forth - I just can't find a position that I can ride comfortably in. OH has adjusted my saddle from flat to sloping down slightly at the front but that's not really made a difference. I dont know if I'm sitting too far forward because of my coccyx pain? Or I really do have the wrong type of seat? Is this something that all ladies have to put up with? Should I think about changing my seat already? I already wear padded pants, which help - but not enough!

Thanks for any advice...I'm sure I'll be back with many more questions in time

 

[Spinney]

Welcome to CycleChat!

With the lady bits, sometimes a saddle with a cutout helps. Padded shorts (no knickers underneath!) should also be helping you.

It IS something that you can sort out - you don't have to put up with it. I used to get sore lady bits, but having the bike fitted properly (lots of advice about this on the web, or someone else will come along and give some advice!), padded shorts etc all help. I can now do 100 miles (not very often!!) with only a little bit of tenderness down there. It also helps to stand on the pedals now and then, to give your bum a bit of a 'breather'!

 

[s7ephanie]

Hi all

This is my first post as a new member to the forum

I'm a complete novice when it comes to cycling and only just got back on a bike a few months ago at the age of 31, having not ridden since I was a child. My OH is a keen cyclist and after seeing his progression over the past few years, it made me want to get myself a bike and improve my fitness (as I was literally doing zero exercise). Needless to say, I am having to start at the very beginning...

I got myself a hybrid bike (Giant, Escape 1 W) through cyclescheme about a month ago and have been going out twice a week. I am currently doing between 10-12 miles per ride.

The first few miles are fine but then I start to find my saddle (standard saddle which came with my bike) uncomfortable, both front and back. My coccyx is painful to sit on, even more so the following day when I'm sitting at work but this is something I'm hoping will improve over time.

My main issue is with my 'lady bits'...after a few miles, I find myself constantly wriggling about, standing up, moving back & forth - I just can't find a position that I can ride comfortably in. OH has adjusted my saddle from flat to sloping down slightly at the front but that's not really made a difference. I dont know if I'm sitting too far forward because of my coccyx pain? Or I really do have the wrong type of seat? Is this something that all ladies have to put up with? Should I think about changing my seat already? I already wear padded pants, which help - but not enough!

Thanks for any advice...I'm sure I'll be back with many more questions in time

Sounds just like when i started, had loads of advice on here, i bought some cycling shorts and played with the saddle a bit moving and tilting, i still get numb bits but not so bad. welcome to the club xx

 

[LauraR]

Thanks for the quick replies!

My seat isnt the most comfortable but I was advised to try it for a couple of months to begin with to see if it would improve..I have and it hasnt so maybe its just time to bite the bullet and look for something else?

My padded pants are great but I do feel as though they have much more padding around the back so maybe I need to look for some with extra padding?

Only position we havent tried with the seat is moving it forward a bit so I might try that over the weekend.

So far I'm loving it (first time in my life I have actually enjoyed exercise!) and I dont want anything to put me off so I really want to get comfortable. I'll have a proper look re the bike fitting as well - just learning how to navigate the site today!!

Thanks again

 

[s7ephanie]

You can buy a special ladies saddle, i think its called a cut out or something. I'm going to buy one when i can afford it (its got the middle bit cut out)

 

[Saluki]

I have a Specialized BG (Body Geometry) Riva Saddle, ladies version. It was £25 from my LBS and I have been very happy with it.
The other thing you can do is go to your bike shop and see if they have a bum measuring dodah and then they can size you a saddle properly. The bum measurer measures your sit-bones as us girls have wider sit bones than the blokes do (which is why they ride on a saddle reminiscent of a razor blade).

Since being measured and getting that Spesh saddle my lady bits have been a whole lot happier.
+1 for the padded shorts too. They make a huge difference. I rode 16 miles the other week, on my MTB in regular shorts and I could barely walk the next morning. SoreBumsRus!

 

[BAtoo]

Hi all

This is my first post as a new member to the forum

I'm a complete novice when it comes to cycling and only just got back on a bike a few months ago at the age of 31, having not ridden since I was a child. My OH is a keen cyclist and after seeing his progression over the past few years, it made me want to get myself a bike and improve my fitness (as I was literally doing zero exercise). Needless to say, I am having to start at the very beginning...

I got myself a hybrid bike (Giant, Escape 1 W) through cyclescheme about a month ago and have been going out twice a week. I am currently doing between 10-12 miles per ride.

The first few miles are fine but then I start to find my saddle (standard saddle which came with my bike) uncomfortable, both front and back. My coccyx is painful to sit on, even more so the following day when I'm sitting at work but this is something I'm hoping will improve over time.

My main issue is with my 'lady bits'...after a few miles, I find myself constantly wriggling about, standing up, moving back & forth - I just can't find a position that I can ride comfortably in. OH has adjusted my saddle from flat to sloping down slightly at the front but that's not really made a difference. I dont know if I'm sitting too far forward because of my coccyx pain? Or I really do have the wrong type of seat? Is this something that all ladies have to put up with? Should I think about changing my seat already? I already wear padded pants, which help - but not enough!

Thanks for any advice...I'm sure I'll be back with many more questions in time

Welcome to the forum from another newbie.

I'm a chap but also had nether region pain when I started riding a bit more earlier this year. Apparently its all about where you sit on the saddle - your weight should be on your seat bones not your bum muscles (and definately not your lady bits!) so saddle width is supposed to relate to the distance between your seat bones.
There are some saddle fitting centers around but I jut got SWMBO to measure the width of my seat bone and bought a saddle of the advised width in the body geometry range and all is OK now!

There's some info here - http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/news/BodyGeometryFit/15472 & I'm sure elswhere on the net.

Good luck!

 

[vickster]

You can buy a special ladies saddle, i think its called a cut out or something. I'm going to buy one when i can afford it (its got the middle bit cut out)

I have one of these. Selle Italia diva. £60 from wiggle. Raved about in all reviews. Also, lose the undies if wearing padded shorts.

 

[spooks]

I have one of these. Selle Italia diva. £60 from wiggle. Raved about in all reviews. Also, lose the undies if wearing padded shorts.

I have one of the Selle Italia Diva gel flow saddles and it's definitely pretty good. Not cheap though.

 

[vickster]

I guess at £60 if it lasts 3 years and 5000 miles it's not bad value It's just the shame the white one has the pink trim (I went for black as not so obvious)

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Welcome @LauraR !
All the above advice is excellent (as usual ) may I add sometimes the saddle is just too hard (one of my bikes came fitted with an anvil type !) or too backwards, make slight adjustments to experiment.
A few hundred miles on the bike will also improve the situation

 

[LauraR]

Thanks everyone for the great advice & suggestions!!

I'm going to start by losing the undies at the weekend and have a look at those suggested seats!!

OH isn't too pleased with the prices quoted but ill work on that one lol.

I think I do sit far too far forward as when I move myself back & sit up straighter things do improve - I just can't stay like that for long.

Plenty of things to try though, thanks everyone

 

[Ern1e]

Hi Laura my other half had a simular problem and well yes padded shorts etc do help ! but we did get her a Wittkop cosmic sole gel cumfort saddle (Ebay about £15.00 which is a ladies specific item) and this as cured the problem for her, doe's nothing for me but then I guess well lol.

 

[vickster]

I think I do sit far too far forward as when I move myself back & sit up straighter things do improve - I just can't stay like that for long.

Have you looked at the position of the saddle? Are you sitting on the widest part of the saddle?

 

[LauraR]

Have you looked at the position of the saddle? Are you sitting on the widest part of the saddle?

I'm trying to, but it hurts my backside so I find myself sitting more to the front after a few miles.

Going to try it moved forward slightly, see if that improves things...hopefully wont make it worse! :/