Query re: the saddle / backside interface

[biggs682]

Ah I missed the male bit

Didn't you do the crocodile dundee test @vickster

 

[Shearwater Missile]

@Boo, I'd like to add that the use of undies under the padded shorts IS a potential problem. Any creases or folds between you and the saddle will, sooner or later, hurt. DAMHIKT. Grit your teeth and use just the shorts, as well as all the other sage advice above!

I will certainly second the not wearing undies advice. I used to have problems with soreness in the nether regions, not the same symptoms about sliding forward though. I blamed the saddle and tried different ones to no avail. I then tried not wearing undies and that did the trick. I think the weight of the body, although it should be evened out between bottom, feet and hands, the seams of underpants are a hard commodity despite the padded shorts or saddle. I think it has to be worth a try, it may feel odd at first but you will get used to it. Hoping that and sorting the bar / saddle potential problem out will bring you cycling dividends !

 

[mjr]

I will certainly second the not wearing undies advice. I used to have problems with soreness in the nether regions, not the same symptoms about sliding forward though. I blamed the saddle and tried different ones to no avail. I then tried not wearing undies and that did the trick. I think the weight of the body, although it should be evened out between bottom, feet and hands, the seams of underpants are a hard commodity despite the padded shorts or saddle. I think it has to be worth a try, it may feel odd at first but you will get used to it. Hoping that and sorting the bar / saddle potential problem out will bring you cycling dividends !

I'd qualify that. Seam styles and placements are important - you don't want them under your sit bones - but I've seen padded shorts from reputable brands that have bulky seams in bad places, so wearing padded shorts alone doesn't necessarily mean success. I also know some people who wear things under their padding without trouble.

But I really think the OP is having trouble with positioning not clothing.

 

[vickster]

Didn't you do the crocodile dundee test @vickster

??
A man of your age surely knows that’s not how the prostate is examined

 

[Reynard]

I'd qualify that. Seam styles and placements are important - you don't want them under your sit bones - but I've seen padded shorts from reputable brands that have bulky seams in bad places, so wearing padded shorts alone doesn't necessarily mean success. I also know some people who wear things under their padding without trouble.

But I really think the OP is having trouble with positioning not clothing.

Seamless running undies are your friend here.

 

[DCBassman]

Seamless running undies are your friend here.

Aha, a solution! See, on this forum, there's an answer for everything!

 

[PaulSB]

Thanks to all who took the time to respond. I'm wondering if I should invest in a bike fit. Bespoke Cycling in central London is near where I work, and they'll do a 2 hour session for an existing bike for the princely sum of £250.

I suspect that's more for a road bike than a flat bar though. Might drop in and ask them.

Before you shell out £250 there's an awful lot you can do yourself. Try YouTube.

I think you're probably right about a bike fit being aimed more towards roadies riding with drops etc.
Up here a bike fit is £80.

 

[Sharky]

As many have said, could be lots of reasons and solutions, so here is another thought.

How do you actually sit on the saddle when riding? Is all your weight taken up on the saddle, or do you use your legs to support you as well? This is more relevant when hitting bumps and poor road surfaces. Use your legs to take more of the weight and lift your body off the saddle. Just a mm or two will ease the impact to the bum. Your legs are your shock absorbers.

You may not be on clipless pedals yet or toe clips and straps, but these make your footings more secure and safer for transferring more of your weight from the pedals to the feet/legs.

Time is a good solution to this sort of problem.

 

[Boo]

Thank you all - I'm most grateful for all the advice.

I would say that most of my weight is on the bars and saddle - probably a bit more on the saddle, because I used to get numb hands, but I don't suffer from that now, particularly since I added some bar ends so I can move my hands about a bit. I don't feel like I take any weight through my feet, other than when I stand up to go over a rough patch (so my knees are cushioning things). I am, as someone suggested, just riding in trainers with 'regular' pedals.

I'll do a bit of fiddling about and see what I can come up with. Quite frankly, the best thing I can do is shift about 4 stone, but that'll take some time...

Cheers!

 

[MichaelW2]

You need to assess your whole riding position.
Set your points of contact in the order:
Pedals->saddle->bars
Pedal position is set by the length of the cranks.
Saddle position can be adjusted with a different post. I prefer to use inline post, other riders use more layback. This depends on the proportion of your legs and how upright or aero you like to ride.
Finally bar reach is set by the stem length and rise. Adjustable stems are useful.
Once you have POC adjusted you can fine tune the saddle angle, bar shape and angle.

Most fit advice is for racers but this is for any rider:
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.php

 

[DCBassman]

I am, as someone suggested, just riding in trainers with 'regular' pedals.

Me too, the only thing I try hard to do is to find trainers with more rigid than average soles. Helps in two ways, one, seems to make pedalling a bit easier, two, the pins on my pedals (Wellgo LU987U) don't chew them up so much as soft soles.

 

[mjr]

My opinion is that there should not be more weight on the bars than the minimal bit needed to steer. If you're pushing on the bars, you're probably counter-balancing by pushing back on the saddle and as you tire, you'll slide forwards into the gap between bars and saddle that you're braced above. I think, ideally, you should have saddle positioned relative to the pedals so you can swing your arms back to your sides without toppling forwards off the saddle, although that does need a little core strength too.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

As others have said, it sounds more like a position thing than saddle design, and ten miles is no distance.

A few suggestions:

- set the saddle horizontal with a spirit level
- try it with the saddle all the way back, and all the way forward on the rails
- Stems are angled. Whichever way yours is (it's probably up) try flipping it, and see if things get worse or better. If worse, try a more steeply angled and/or shorter stem (stems are cheap).

These may not solve your problem, but may help identify how to solve it.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Saddles are a very personal issue. I've never used cycling clothes, having found that normal work clothes work fine, but I did have a similar problem of sliding forwards on the saddle when using my clunker commuter bike. I solved it by using an adjustable handlebar stem; I think the reach was a bit too long and the bars were a bit too low, which is a common problem for me on normal sized bikes.

 

[RegG]

£250?!! There’ll be cheaper!

are you sure your saddle nose is dead level? And the bike has the right reach for you?

Agreed! £250 is a lot of money, especially when taking in an existing bike which could easily be deemed to be the "wrong size". I wanted to get a bike fit on my Giant Defy as I was experiencing discomfort in the shoulders and neck, but not on my Bianchi (for which the LBS gave me a full, complementary bike fit when I bought it). My LBS here in Nottingham wanted £250 when I enquired about getting a fit for the Giant...... I declined, and went to my daughters LBS in North Yorks where they charged just £75 for a very comprehensive fit taking a couple of hours. Shop around to find a better deal if possible.