Butt hurt! (Bike question)
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serindipte wrote: »I skipped last night because of the butt hurt, but planned to ride again today. I just couldn't stand the idea of getting on last night lol
you might need some rest time between rides for a while during your initial conditioning, but higher frequency will eventually help cure the problem.1 -
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.
get multiple pair (even though i hang dry my washed things, they are good in 24 hrs - the "chamois" is a manmade material, not actually chamois). buy one first to be sure you like the fit and so forth. i'm a big guy, can't get bike clothing from any of the usual suppliers/brands. i found an online supplier of big person cycling clothes (male/female). so far, so good.1 -
If you haven't tried a Brooks saddle, they are a DREAM. They are made in the UK of leather. I have the Flyer model, and commute every day to work (40 min total). The springs let the whole saddle rotate on its axis to move with you. Also, after a while, it will break in and fit right to your body.
I highly recommend this over any kind of plush saddle or gel cover.
I have B17s on all my bicycles.1 -
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Ladies specific cyclists short.
That's what got me through.
Padding in cycling shorts is getting so ergonomic now that you could do more damage by wearing the wrong stuff. I wore my husbands shorts on a couple of occasion and came out bleeding from the friction.
I know it's an outlay at first but it all depend on what your cycling is about. I'm a racer, so investing in a really good pair of shorts made sense.
My most comfortable saddle is a glorified plank covered in fabric. The more padding the more I suffer. I was just getting wedgies form bulky saddles.1 -
For now, I'm just getting started and only go a couple miles at a time. I think my butt's adjusting. The last two rides didn't leave me sore, so I can start adding a little more distance as my legs adjust to the workout.
Thanks everyone!!! 2 -
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.
they also have padded covers to go over your seat as well. I got padded shorts and they were less than $15 on amazon for what I was told was a good brand but have yet to wear them. I may never as I never have the time to ride.0 -
Go to a LBS (local bike shop) that allows you to try different saddles. It's all well and good for us to recommend different saddles, but it is such an individual thing. I quite like my Brooks B17 Imperial, but there are plenty of people who can't stand them. The last saddle I had before this one was a Sella Italia Diva Gel Flow and I've seen a ton of good reviews for that saddle as well. Meanwhile it wasn't nearly as comfortable for me as the Brooks B17 Imperial. The same is true for essentially every other saddle out there. I suspect what really did it for me was the sheer lack of padding given that it was comfortable before it started breaking in.
This is complicated further by people not actually talking much about pain, especially genital pain, among people with female genitalia (I am including trans men in this for pretty obvious reasons). There was an interesting article in The Guardian either right before or right after the London Olympics that talked about what the British women on the Olympic cycling team(s) were dealing with.
Mild vent over - I would also suggest padded cycling shorts. Men's vs women's is pretty subjective (just like saddle choice...). I know people who wear both, myself included. For me what seriously made the difference was the saddle though there's no way I'd ride without padded shorts. For any ride over a few hours I also use chamois cream.0 -
Also one thing is to make sure your saddle is the right height !
Rocking from side to side is not good and means your saddle could be too high. And of course augments friction ...
Your leg should be extended just before a full extension, to make sure your knees don't lock up while you pedal. And your hips should be quite still.
You can do it by feeling/eye, or using a measuring tape and something like this https://www.ebicycles.com/bicycle-tools/saddle-height/road-bike
Or go to your local bike shop1 -
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.
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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.0
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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...
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.1
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