Less glamorous side of cycling...

fueledbychange
fueledbychange Posts: 132 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, so, I'm just gonna get right to the point!

You know when you've been riding your bike for a while (about an hour) and you start to um.. hurt.. down there?
How do you keep this from happening? I already have on of those pad things that you attach to the seat, but it doesn't help!

What are some things you guys do to save yourself when it comes to a really long ride?

Replies

  • chefsx4
    chefsx4 Posts: 4
    There is a lot of information about pain "down there" on the internet. It's very very common. I know I suffer from it. A lot of people wear padded bike shorts. Some people say the padded seats make the pain worse. There are creams you can use too but I haven't tried them yet. Whatever you do, I think you should make sure that nothing is rubbing or moving around down there and stand up on your pedals from time to time..

    Do a Google search. Your lady parts will thank you.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    Good bike shorts with padding.

    If you feel the need to get a padded seat go to a bike store and talk to them about what's best for you. It could just be that your shorts lack adequate padding. Also after you bike for a while it won't hurt so much any more.
  • EdgyMcSterious
    EdgyMcSterious Posts: 51
    Good bike shorts and possibly a different seat could be your solution.

    I have a very narrow seat on my bike and I always wear bike shorts. Sometimes after a long ride I'll be sore but I've never had any trouble during a ride.
  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
    my god yes!!!! I have wondered about that too. My hubby said I would get used to it but hell I cant get used to that!
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    your testicles shrink
  • gaylynn35
    gaylynn35 Posts: 854 Member
    I had one of those thin seats and got a padded cover for it and it did not help at all. I went and bought a larger seat and it is very comfortable, (Walmart has them for about $30 - $35.). I can ride for hours with no problems.
  • julimonster
    julimonster Posts: 243 Member
    New seat!
  • Katbaran
    Katbaran Posts: 605 Member
    Good suggestions so far!

    You might also think about adjusting your seat, front to back, on height. It might be too high on the front of the seat or too high in the back. You just have to move it around a bit until it's more comfortable. That, and padded shorts are the way to go! Good luck!
  • peter236uk
    peter236uk Posts: 140 Member
    I know its not everyone cup of tea but buy some proper cycle shorts you can get them baggy type with an insert. Also vital a decent saddle.
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
    you can get special seats for this, or I hear that over time you 'desensitise' yourself and nobody wants that now do they?
  • DantheMan2517
    DantheMan2517 Posts: 134 Member
    In addition to some quality cycling shorts, apply anti-chafe cream (Butt Buddr) on your perineal area. The rubbing and chafing along with the pressure sitting on that narrow seat for a long ride is how the problem manifests. Don't let it stop you from cycling though! We've ALL been through that.

    Awesome, what kind of bike do you ride?

    Dan
  • meganrpelican
    meganrpelican Posts: 51 Member
    I teach spinning class and this is a problem that so many people have. i always tell new students they will get used to it but it takes almost three weeks for it to stop. The second time i attended spin class i couldnt even sit on the bike seat.
  • richUK
    richUK Posts: 13 Member
    Standing up for a bit helps alleviate pain. I'm serious.. helps me plenty on long rides, that or take a break for a while..

    doesn't help long term of course, but in the short term it's a blessed relief :)

    @katbaran also hit on something there.. the angle of your seat makes a lot of difference - I've read a lot about that when I was looking into the same issue
  • LauraSwagg
    LauraSwagg Posts: 1 Member
    Go to a good bike store and get fitted for you bike. It shouldn't hurt. You probably have the wrong seat, or have it positioned in the wrong position.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    Spandex, no undies. Seriously, if you are doing distance rides other kinds of fabrics will cause saddle sores. I've not tried it, but I guess Chamois Cream is supposed to help, also. I use good old fashioned talc and the saddle sores are gone.

    I'm riding a 68 mile loop today, so we'll see how I feel after that. I regularly ride 20-30 miles in one trip.
  • wbgolden
    wbgolden Posts: 2,066 Member
    As your legs get stronger, they will start to bear more of your weight (rather than 70+ percent of your body weight on the saddle itself. This will ease the pain quite a lot.

    Also, make sure the saddle is adjusted to you are using your sit bones instead of your lady parts (or man parts, depending on who is reading this). This also takes some getting used to.
  • claporte69
    claporte69 Posts: 18
    You can buy female bike seats...it's way more comfy than the traditional seats
  • lauraniwa
    lauraniwa Posts: 131 Member
    I actually have a seat that's split in the back so it moves with my sits bones. Also the bike shorts, and proper bike fit. But some of its not avoidable. You're putting pressue on a sensitive area, so if you're out for a couple hours, you can do as much as you like to prevent it, but expect a bit of a sore bum.
  • larrys2112
    larrys2112 Posts: 35 Member
    I've tried several different seats over the years. None really helped any more than what I had. Good cycling shorts make all the difference in the world. Just be sure you don't wear underwear with them.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    The softer/cushier you make your saddle, the worse it is going to compress your soft tissues.

    Look at the saddle / clothing combinations used by the endurance riders.
  • Catjag
    Catjag Posts: 107
    In addition to the great suggestions above here is a little trick I teach in my RPM classes:

    FIrst, lay down on the floor on your back, feet down and hip width apart. (You can also stand and just act out this drill). Know how when you lay down there is a space between the floor and the small of your back? Push your lower back down to take away that space. Do this movement when you mount your back. It tilts the hips back just a touch and helps ease up on up the discomfort you experience plus you feel a great engagement of the legs muscles.
  • JuanaViviane
    JuanaViviane Posts: 20
    I used to have that pain when I was riding my old bike but it never happened on my mothers bike, even if i was cycling for 2 hours.
    Maybe buy a different seat?
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    Padded shorts and a good padded seat helped my nether yayas.
  • RunXstrong
    RunXstrong Posts: 73
    I think I am a mini expert on this topic being a runner (non-biker) who just finished a full Ironman with 112 miles of biking. Pain down there was one of my biggest worries. At the end of the day it wasn't about padding or the seat. My Ironman shorts had virtually no padding, and my seat was a regular hard seat. It was just riding regularly and getting tough down there. Just ride regularly and you will be fine.
  • tecallahan
    tecallahan Posts: 732 Member
    You are not supposed to be leaning on "down there" when you ride. You are supposed to be sitting up on your "sit bones" in your butt. You can ask your local bike shop to give you a fitting for your bike so that you aren't leaning on soft tissue. Also, paded bike shorts help, but a heavily padded seat may actually make it worse... you sink into the seat and rest on soft tissue rather thank sitting on your sit bones.
  • davidmcgowan1987
    davidmcgowan1987 Posts: 111
    if the world made any sense, men would ride side saddle...

    but it doesnt.

    tilt the bike seat back more
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    if the world made any sense, men would ride side saddle...

    but it doesnt.

    tilt the bike seat back more

    BACK???? This hurts my nads. I end up tilting the seat forward. get the pressure off the base of my penis.

    typically women would tilt up, men would tilt down. JUSt a few degrees.

    The nose can also be adjusted left and right for comfort...
  • Marmitegeoff
    Marmitegeoff Posts: 373 Member
    Padded shorts and a gender specific saddle, that will put the weight on to your sit bones and not on the sensitive bits. I also use a cream when on my 100 + mile rides.
  • mirthfuldragon
    mirthfuldragon Posts: 124 Member
    One other important thing is engagement to the seat itself. Most saddles / seat posts are adjustable forwards and back and tilt. When you sit, you should feel the ears of the saddle engaging to the sit bones. Stated another way, the hard points at the bottom of your pelvis bone should be anchored to the ears of the saddle.

    One good way to test the concept is to try to sit as far back on the saddle as possible, and then move it up bit by bit. There should be a tangible engagement feeling. Imagine a pair of bolts going up through the saddle and into the sit bones at the bottom of your pelvis.

    The picture here is also helpful: http://www.nidus-corp.com/bass.html

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