Cycling Advice

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fitoverfortymom
fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
edited May 2017 in Fitness and Exercise
Had a great ride with the family today. 20 miles or so. Definitely feeling it in my tushy. I have some decent, but not great padded shorts and a good seat.

How else can I avoid crotch-butt-ache? Time? Practice? Products?

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  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Time in the saddle primarily, getting out of the saddle periodically helps though.
    Proper bike fit of course.
    There's a big difference between OK shorts and good shorts.
    Chamois cream perhaps if you are getting chafing.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    The most important thing is spending time in the saddle without doing too much too quickly.
  • sherrymaxine
    sherrymaxine Posts: 9 Member
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    Recumbent Bicycles are best for me. I am doing better with this type of seat.
  • JessM822
    JessM822 Posts: 73 Member
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    Just keep the butt in the saddle. I don't think our butts are ever comfortable. We just get used to it. Ha
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    The butt-joy of a comfy seat ... doesn't happen on bikes.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Good to know I just need patience. We have a great path near our house which takes us all over the city and its something hubby and I can enjoy together.
  • osmium
    osmium Posts: 107 Member
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    Time in the saddle is sadly the answer.
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
    edited May 2017
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Time in the saddle primarily, getting out of the saddle periodically helps though.
    Proper bike fit of course.
    There's a big difference between OK shorts and good shorts.
    Chamois cream perhaps if you are getting chafing.
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    The most important thing is spending time in the saddle without doing too much too quickly.

    These two responses are bang-on.

    To echo the first reply - Good shorts with a great pad help - and he's right ... you'll find there's a BIG difference between cheap cycling shorts and premium ones in terms of comfort, especially on longer rides.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,843 Member
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    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    Had a great ride with the family today. 20 miles or so. Definitely feeling it in my tushy. I have some decent, but not great padded shorts and a good seat.

    How else can I avoid crotch-butt-ache? Time? Practice? Products?

    1) Bicycle fit.

    Get that right and you will have solved most of your problems.

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,843 Member
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    1) Make sure your bicycle is set up so that it fits you properly. It also helps if you are not too upright.

    2) Make sure you've got the right saddle for you. It needs to be wide enough so that your sitbones are comfortably placed on it, but not too wide.

    3) Get a decent pair of cycling shorts with enough padding to cover your sitbones but not too much so that it bunches and causes friction.

    4) Strengthen your upper body and core. You should not be putting all your weight on the saddle. Much of your weight should be on your feet, but that requires a strong core.

    5) Sit with good posture.

    6) Ride lots. And exercise lots in general.


    These days, I can do a 400 km randonnee (400 km within a 27 hour time limit including all breaks) with no butt issues at all. A number of years ago, I could do 1200 km randonnees (1200 km within a 90 hour time limit including all breaks) with no butt issues. The only thing holding me back from doing 1200 km randonnees now is that my leg strength and fitness level need to build up a little bit more.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    if it's a bruisey feeling, it'll let up. if it's a friction type thing though . . . well, i guess i personally wouldn't want to grow calluses in that zone. so that would be time to try dropping the seat a little.
  • JessM822
    JessM822 Posts: 73 Member
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    Padding isn't always the answer. It really is about the time in the saddle. Obviously a solid bike fit as well. My tri shorts have extremely minimal padding and I'll ride 100 miles plus. You just have to get that area used to it all. You can rent saddles at most bike shops, but even they will tell you there's no exact way of telling you what saddle is best for you. It's mostly trial and error. Some bike shops are setup with new pressure sensors that will show you how you're sitting on your saddle, but that'll run you $300 plus.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    A properly fitting bicycle is a good thing, but to put it in perspective, when I got out of college the only bike I owned was a Huffy comfort cruiser. I put a lot of miles on that thing without realizing that bicycle frames come in different sizes. Now I own some bikes that fit and the Huffy seems small. But even with a badly undersized frame I was able to get used to it because I rode so much.
  • Try150
    Try150 Posts: 24 Member
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    So hard to get comfy seat
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
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    Time in saddle (got to get your sit bones acclimated) proper bike fit & the appropriate bike seat

    artscyclery.com/learningcenter/measuresitbonewidth.html

    if you're really lucky your local bike shop may offer saddle pressure fitting, saddles are definitely not one-size-fits-all (I'm old school & like the Brooks leather ones, over time they actually adjust to fit you like a glove)

    And, if any of the discomfort was caused by chafing Chamois Butt'r is your best friend.....

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