Butt hurt! (Bike question)

sgt1372

OP: You may just have to accept the fact that you wll always feel butt pain after a certain time in the saddle NO MATTER what you do. At least, that's the case for me.

I have ridden my spin bike for 1 hr/day everyday in the past and I now row 10k meters/day for an hr/day everyday.

In both cases, my butt starts to hurt after 15 mins, more so rowing than biking. This is despite wearing padded bike shorts and installing a wide gel seat on the bike and experimenting w/a wide variety of shorts/seat pads on the rower, including the 3" pad that I'm using now.

My butt has NEVER gotten use to it! So, while I can bike or row for an hour, I break up the sessions into 4x15 min intervals to give my butt a break.

This is the only thing that works for me and may be the only thing that works for you.

CSARdiver

Takes me about 2 weeks to feel normal again and this is after multiple adjustments to my bars & seat. Compression shorts are a must for me.

cwolfman13

serindipte wrote: »

BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »

Honestly I prefer a thinner seat (not super thin, but "correctly thin") where the supports of the seat hit the sit bones, and aren't wider than them (a bike shop can measure and recommend as seat), and good bike shorts instead of a gel cover.

I'd have never thought a thinner seat could be more comfortable? I can't imagine having a bike shop guy measuring my sit bones lol... I did consider the bike shorts, but $$ wise, thought to go for the seat since I don't have to have more than one. On the shorts, I'd either be doing laundry every day or have to buy multiple pair. May have to just suck it up and buy multiple pair.

Yes, a saddle that just fits your sit bones is going to be the most comfortable combined with padded riding shorts. A saddle that is too wide is just as bad as a saddle that is too narrow. If the saddle is too wide, you're not really going to use your sit bones as intended...you're going to use everything and it's going to be uncomfortable. A wide seat and those gel covers can also cause chafing of the inner thighs, particularly as mileage is increased.

Also note that cycling shorts are meant to be worn commando...underwear when worn with cycling shorts can cause some major discomfort with more miles. Most cyclists I know, including myself have multiple pairs so we're not doing laundry everyday.

If your miles really start getting up there, you might also want to invest in this...

aokoye

sgt1372 wrote: »

OP: You may just have to accept the fact that you wll always feel butt pain after a certain time in the saddle NO MATTER what you do. At least, that's the case for me.

I have ridden my spin bike for 1 hr/day everyday in the past and I now row 10k meters/day for an hr/day everyday.

In both cases, my butt starts to hurt after 15 mins, more so rowing than biking. This is despite wearing padded bike shorts and installing a wide gel seat on the bike and experimenting w/a wide variety of shorts/seat pads on the rower, including the 3" pad that I'm using now.

My butt has NEVER gotten use to it! So, while I can bike or row for an hour, I break up the sessions into 4x15 min intervals to give my butt a break.

This is the only thing that works for me and may be the only thing that works for you.

For what it's worth, riding a bike inside (like a spin bike) is typically much more uncomfortable in terms of butt and genital pain than riding one outside. Not being able to move as much is the issue at hand. I would imagine that the really cushy (as in soft) saddles/saddle cover(s) aren't helping. I honestly would do a lot of research if I was in pain for one hour outside. Inside, maybe not but outside? Yes.

Stockholm_Andy

Any change takes time to adapt. The seat on my race bike is razor thin and takes a few weeks to get used to. My city bike has a big old fat seat and takes a few weeks to get used to.

You'll get used to it, just persevere.

GiddyupTim

I'm sure you got good answers already.
But I am going to repeat the advice to wear padded bike pants.
And
Make sure your seat is not too high. When you have to reach too far with your foot it puts more pressure on the seat, leads to more rubbing, etc.