Saddle sore - rest or ride?

[thistler]

I am returning to cycling after a long break. I remember my old saddles taking a long time to break in but then they were great.

I bought a Selle Italia Diva Ladies Gel Flow Saddle and I do think it will work out, eventually. It is comfortable for about the first 45 mins, but then I am getting quite sore. I'm not worried about the positioning being off, I remember being sore like this before but can't remember what I did about it. I think it's more about my body getting used to being back on the bike than anything. I do have decent shorts.

I will eventually consider a different saddle if this one stays painful after riding a few hundred miles, but I think any less than that wouldn't be giving it a fair chance to break in.

Do I ride through the pain or rest until it's better? 

Selle Italia Diva

 

[upsidedown]

Difficult one that, i would recommend against the gel saddles generally.
My partner had one and never got on with it, i replaced it with a Brooks B66s which looks rock hard but she finds it very comfortable.

If you are going to stick with it i suggest you make sure it is completely level to avoid pressure points and at exactly the right height to avoid rotation in the saddle.

Good quality padded shorts can help, preferably with a natural liner, but others find that they don't help at all.

Good luck with it.

 

[thistler]

Thanks upsidedown. It is quite a hard saddle meant for racing, not one of those springy gel couch type ones. I did consider a Brooks....maybe I'll try one of this doesn't work out. I seem to remember they take ages to break in too - what do you do in the mean time, just keep riding on it?

I just had a look - the B66S looks to be springy - is it designed for more upright riding than you would do on a road bike?



I should mention that I am sore, but do not actually have 'sores'. There is no chafing going on, just tender bits that aren't used to having weight on them for any length of time.

 

[upsidedown]

Thanks upsidedown. It is quite a hard saddle meant for racing, not one of those springy gel couch type ones. I did consider a Brooks....maybe I'll try one of this doesn't work out. I seem to remember they take ages to break in too - what do you do in the mean time, just keep riding on it?

I just had a look - the B66S looks to be springy - is it designed for more upright riding than you would do on a road bike?



I should mention that I am sore, but do not actually have 'sores'. There is no chafing going on, just tender bits that aren't used to having weight on them for any length of time.

Ah got you, sorry should have checked the link, that looks like a decent saddle. I'd stick with it.

As ever, Sheldon Brown has a lot of good advice here:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_sa-o.html#saddle

cheers

paul

 

[zimzum42]

Put loads of sudocrem on the sores after your post-ride shower, that will help

and next time you ride, smear sudocrem or chamois cream all over the chamois and your tender bits before you head out...

 

[mgarl10024]

Hi thistler,

I'll stress that I'm quite new to cycling, so take what I say with a pinch of salt!

I found that when I was starting off cycling again that the saddle was the biggest challenge. I'm not the lightest of people, so as my colleague delicately put it - "you have a pounds per square inch problem".

The saddle on my cheapo bike at the time was quite mean, so I invested in one of these. It didn't cost too much (worth reserving before going in the shop as you get a discount), but I found that it radically changed my cycling. When I bought my new bike it came with a "WTB Comfort V Dual Density, Soft Shell with Love Channel" and I've got on fine with that one too.

Personally, I suspect that I 'hardened up' over time, and that if I went back to my first "mean" saddle I'd be fine with it now. But that soft saddle helped while I was getting used to it. What you're doing (appears to me) is starting off when you're not used to it, and using a racing style saddle from the off, so finding it tough.

As to the gel/foam debate, my reading at the time said that gel was very soft, however the gel moved about and could put pressure in areas when you wouldn't want it, resulting in (dare I say it) "numb bits". This makes it a good option for new cyclists, but less appropriate for people spending a lot of time in the saddle.
Foam on the other hand, didn't move and supported the sit bones better, but wasn't quite as soft.

Hope that helps,

MG

 

[stavros]

I am returning to cycling after a long break. I remember my old saddles taking a long time to break in but then they were great.

I bought a Selle Italia Diva Ladies Gel Flow Saddle and I do think it will work out, eventually. It is comfortable for about the first 45 mins, but then I am getting quite sore. I'm not worried about the positioning being off, I remember being sore like this before but can't remember what I did about it. I think it's more about my body getting used to being back on the bike than anything. I do have decent shorts.

I will eventually consider a different saddle if this one stays painful after riding a few hundred miles, but I think any less than that wouldn't be giving it a fair chance to break in.

Do I ride through the pain or rest until it's better?

Selle Italia Diva

 

[thistler]

Thanks for the replies. I think my bits need to toughen up, and as it will probably be sometime before I am regularly riding over 25-30 miles, a foam saddle might be in order.

I see they do a women's version of the bikehut one, and also there is a women's version of the Charge Spoon but it does not seem to have much padding. Both are quite inexpensive. I think I will switch to one of them until I have toughened up a bit and am doing longer rides, and then go back to the Selle. 

  

 

[Banjo]

I find it takes a lot of miles to get used to a different saddle.As your not actually getting any chaffing or sores I would be inclined to give it a bit longer.

I presume you are wearing padded shorts, if not they make a big difference.Also every half hour or so I ride standing for a few minutes, it stretches the legs and gives the undercarriage a breather.