Very Saddle Sore

[shaun o'shea]

i had the same problem to start with,tryed all the above mentioned ideas then changed the saddle to a different one and yeh presto no problems at all,see if you can borrow a diff saddle and see if thats any different,worked for me.

 

[swede54]

I had the same problem when I bought a new bike so I got my bum measured. It showed I needed a wider saddle. That cured the problem immediately.

 

[fossyant]

Firm and 'flat' saddles are the best - gel are a nightmare. Less padding the better.

You say saddle sore - where/what ? Skin related, then it's chaffing and can take a bit of time to sort out as riding will agravate it, and recovery will take longer. Pressure in certain areas means either the saddle is not suitable for you, or you are sitting on it wrong/have it set up badly.

It's a tricky area, once you've got it right you'll be fine.

 

[RWright]

I didn't take advantage of a great deal on Brooks saddle yesterday. I could have bought a returned B17 Special Honey Top for about half of retail price. I had to try a lot of different adjustments and saddles before I found something sort of comfortable in the Terry Liberator I am using now. I think saddles can be a lot of trial and error to find something you like.

 

[theloafer]

this might be of help to you .. http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

 

[MattHB]

It took me about 6 months to a. Find the right saddle and b. observe rule 5

 

[AnneW]

Brilliant link, answers all my questions

 

[Irishrich]

this might be of help to you .. http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

Thanks, had a good read and it might simply be because I have never got fully accustomed to the saddle from new as I havent built up my resistance to the hardness properly. He suggests that you should do some short rides at the start, 1 or 2 miles and build it up from there, but in my eagerness to start riding all my rides have been 20 + miles. I think the saddle is in the right position as the LBS set it up and it feels the right height and distance to the handlebars, so I guess I just have a sore arse from too much cycling at the beginning!! I would still kill for a nice soft comfy saddle to try out so may speak to my LBS.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Don't at this stage! A new cyclist is going to be more prone to aches and pains especially from saddles, so replacing them with soft saddles,gel covers from Lidls and whatever else really isn't a good idea.

 

[AnneW]

The more soft stuff you have, the more layers between you and the seat, then the more movement there is. Movement causes friction.

When I started cycling I had padded shorts, jogging bottoms, padded seat cover and gel seat. I was a mess. Now I just wear padded shorts but I do have a gel seat. I don't have much of a problem but after reading that link I'm tempted to get rid of the gel seat.

The muscle/bone type pain will fade if you rest. Good luck and happy cycling

 

[Irishrich]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm gonna rest tonight with a night at the cinema and a few beers afterwards. Those comfy seats should do the trick!

 

[MattHB]

Since I lost weight my saddle needs have totally changed. I've had to go really hard now.. With a good pad 7 hours in the saddle is no trouble. It's taken a lot of building upto that though, near with it, stay away from gel pads. Put the pad on your bum, not the seat, that way it'll be where it's needed and cause less damage.

 

[Irishrich]

Still looking for a comfortable, pain free ride but finding that I have to rest for at least a day between rides as my bum is sore from the previous ride. To be fair I only started to have a bit of pain around 15 miles into my last ride so I seem to be toughening up but riding for 50 miles would be a nightmare so I havent attempted any longer rides yet, even though I know I have the ability to ride that far.
The next thing I thought might be affecting my soreness is the cycle shorts I wear. I have a pair of Altura cycling shorts with foam padding. Is there a brand or type of short that people here recommend for extra comfort when riding more than 25 miles?

 

[Richard1537]

I moved to a Charge Spoon saddle from a specialized toupe, with padded shorts i've no problem at all now.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

....The next thing I thought might be affecting my soreness is the cycle shorts I wear. I have a pair of Altura cycling shorts with foam padding. Is there a brand or type of short that people here recommend for extra comfort when riding more than 25 miles?

Having commuted to work for 7 years I quickly discarded many makes over the years before finally wondering if Assoss were really worth the money - well I treated myself once and have never looked back. Both myself and my OH will only use Assos cycling shorts/tights now. Expensive but IMO worth every penny (and the female model on the womens side is really cute ). Even on our 12month tour (approx 9,000miles full laden and unsupported camping tour) we used our Assos shorts/knickers/tights to the point of destruction. I will only replace it with more of the same. The single exception is a pair of old Northwave winter tight bibs which I find almost as comfortable and still have because they are water resistant over the upper legs and knees due to their design.

As for saddles - I have been and tried every model in many shops over the years, fitted on my own bike (and if the shop will not let you try it, I just leave and don't return). I still only have 1 make and 1 model that works for me, and when it recently gave up the ghost and had to be replaced, trying each and every seat in the shop, I still ended up with the updated version of the same saddle without even realising it.
Hardening up does help, but sometimes you just are on the wrong saddle. Your LBS should be able to help - take your bike with you.