Like a Steam Locomotive....

[mjr]

Ordinarily, I'd suggest measuring your bum and going for one of the classic shapes (Contour, Concor, Regal, Turbo, Royal...) but that looks like an MTB in the opening post. Are any MTB saddle shapes regarded as classics now?

Maybe try a sprung mattress which might not be quite right in various ways, but at least it shouldn't pummel a tender bum.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Time for my favourite cycling quote (again):

This is an imperfect world of joy and sorrow mingled. There may be a better land where bicycle saddles are made out of rainbow, stuffed with cloud; in this world the simplest thing is to get used to something hard.

Jerome K Jerome, Three Men on the Bummel (1900)

In my experience, riding around on a bicycle saddle is uncomfortable. Some marginally less so than others, but ride for long enough and it will hurt. The full passage that the above is taken from describes various types of saddle they have tried, including one "constructed on anatomical principles". There's nothing new under the sun. Get used to something hard.

 

[the snail]

Worth looking at your riding position too, could be that adjusting the saddle backwards/vertically would help (KOPS?), maybe putting more weight on your arms would help. I never got the soft saddle on my ridgeback pain-free however much I fiddled with it. The other factor is width - If your saddle is too narrow for your sit-bones, it's gonna hurt. Personally I'd put a brooks b17 on and keep to short rides for a couple of hundred miles though.

 

[mjr]

The other factor is width - If your saddle is too narrow for your sit-bones, it's gonna hurt.

I think there's two key factors: the first and most important is width, indeed: too narrow and you've a saddle trying to go up the crack which is gonna hurt, but too wide and you sort-of fall into the middle of the saddle, aren't supported properly and probably chafe in various places.

The second is the shape: do you need a T-shaped saddle or a pear-shaped one? The wrong shape will chafe either the back or the inside of the thighs on longer rides.

 

[Bariton]

Thanks for all the feedback folks, much appreciated. I think it's not a good idea to be trying other saddles until my rear is fully healed. I went out with friends last night and sat down in the bar and forgot to be careful, I winced as I sat down on a couch that was lower than I expected.

GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING, READ ON AT YOUR PERIL!



I decided to check out my nether region and investigate the seat of the problem. After my shower I had a look in a suitably positioned shaving mirror. It has been over a week since my ride and I am still badly bruised. All I will say is that it looks like an RAF roundel on a yellow background!