Cyclists I need your help! (pain etc)

katerams
katerams Posts: 50 Member
edited December 20 in Fitness and Exercise
For the last couple of months I have been cycling and have just started doing trail rides.
I do a 20km trail every day and I love it. However, I am getting really intense pain in my tailbone.
I have a gel seat cover on my bike which helps slightly, but still intense pain.
It has prevented me from doing all day rides (we ride the trail to a restaurant, have lunch and then ride back) because once i stop, I am in a lot of pain and getting back is difficult.
I have been icing my back after a ride, i also have a protein shake and a warm shower. The pain goes away a couple of hours after the ride but every time i go out it comes back. I think my tailbone is bruised.
Periodically during the ride i do stand up on the bike to push up hills or gain speed etc. and this seems to relieved some of the pain.
I noticed i tend to slide forward to the front of my seat too.
Is my seat in the wrong position? Could this be causing my pain? I've also read that padded bike shorts would help get ride of pain as well as seats with a "slit" in the back. Is this true?
Please help me out, I love biking but I don't know if i can stand this pain anymore!

Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Gel seats suck. Get fitted to a good seat, and get fitted to your bike at the same time.
  • jtintx
    jtintx Posts: 445 Member
    In your tail bone? Wow, I've been cycling for about 8 years and I don't recall anyone ever saying they had tail bone pain. Usually the pain is in the sit bones. Those gel seat covers feel nice and squishy but sometimes they can cause problems. I would recommend getting a seat with a cutout and getting bike shorts. And with bike shorts you go commando (no undies). If those things don't help then you might have your local bike shop (LBS) take a look at your riding position. That may need to be adjusted. Good luck...I hope you figure it out. Cycling is definitely a lifelong sport.
  • katerams
    katerams Posts: 50 Member
    In your tail bone? Wow, I've been cycling for about 8 years and I don't recall anyone ever saying they had tail bone pain. Usually the pain is in the sit bones.

    I have read that some women with wider hips tend to get some pain when they start to cycle because of the way their hips sit. It feels like its in the tailbone for me, kind of where my back meets my butt. After a ride it is really painful to sit down and stand up.
  • katerams
    katerams Posts: 50 Member
    Help help help please!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    It almost sounds like your saddle may also be in the wrong position. Have you had a proper bike fit done?
  • katerams
    katerams Posts: 50 Member
    you need a new saddle. Tail bone should never hurt. and your sit bones will toughen up. but it sounds like you should be ok in that area by now. gel and squishy saddles are always bad. Stay away from SQUISHY. talk to your LBS (local bike store) they should have a virety of saddles and have some suggestions.

    Yes my sit bones have well and truly healed. Definately a butt callus happening there haha. Just my tailbone! I will pop over to atmosphere today and check out their seats.
    Just concerned i could be doing permanent damage to my spine in the time it will take for me to get the extra money.
  • katerams
    katerams Posts: 50 Member
    It almost sounds like your saddle may also be in the wrong position. Have you had a proper bike fit done?

    No; i bought the bike on craigslist. I've had the bike serviced but they didnt say anything about getting it fitted.
  • nancyki
    nancyki Posts: 46
    Have you fallen recently and injured your tail bone? Consider that the cause may have been something other than the bicycle and that riding just aggravates it. Perhaps a break from cycling to allow healing would be best.
  • dabomb5198
    dabomb5198 Posts: 26
    Ditto on having your bike fitted. It make a Hugh difference.
  • Brengild
    Brengild Posts: 127
    I agree with the others. No squishy seats, get a bike fit and get the padded shorts. That combo should do the trick. I love my trusty bike and riding the trails is the only excercise I love.
  • Speedtrap
    Speedtrap Posts: 216
    I will pop over to atmosphere today and check out their seats.

    Atmosphere is just a big box sports retailer, you will not get the fitting advice you need there.
    You need to get to a specialty bike shop and get a proper fitting, and just because you can buy crazy expensive saddles does not mean that is the one you need.
    I had a friend with a similar problem, he went in for a fitting and his seat was too wide, the go him a $30 seat that was a much better fit and he still rides on it to this day, but on the flip side my wife just changed over to a brooks saddle and it was about $180.

    Any good bike store should be able to fit you and find something in your price range, or at least close to it. And ditch the Gel seat, they are horrible.
  • katerams
    katerams Posts: 50 Member
    I will pop over to atmosphere today and check out their seats.

    Atmosphere is just a big box sports retailer, you will not get the fitting advice you need there.
    You need to get to a specialty bike shop and get a proper fitting, and just because you can buy crazy expensive saddles does not mean that is the one you need.
    I had a friend with a similar problem, he went in for a fitting and his seat was too wide, the go him a $30 seat that was a much better fit and he still rides on it to this day, but on the flip side my wife just changed over to a brooks saddle and it was about $180.

    Any good bike store should be able to fit you and find something in your price range, or at least close to it. And ditch the Gel seat, they are horrible.

    The only specialty bike store near my is westwood cycle; and they never said anything about getting it fitted when i took it there for a service, and told them id bought it off craigslist. They also only recommended me the most expensive product that they have.
  • ksandquist2012
    ksandquist2012 Posts: 1
    Definitely sounds like a seat position issue. A fitting would definitely help.

    Wondering if you're also experiencing numbness down either leg? If so, it sounds like you are putting pressure on your sciatic nerve since the pain goes away after a while.
  • Dahamac
    Dahamac Posts: 213 Member
    Start here:
    http://sheldonbrown.com/pain.html

    Also look here for advice on fitting your bike to your body:
    http://www.ebicycles.com/

    Start with the Saddle Height calculator.

    I am thinking that either your seat is too low which would cause you to hunch over or the bike frame is too large causing you to lean out too far to reach the handlebar.
  • katerams
    katerams Posts: 50 Member

    Wondering if you're also experiencing numbness down either leg? If so, it sounds like you are putting pressure on your sciatic nerve since the pain goes away after a while.

    No numbness at all. Today my tailbone is a bit sore when sitting down too. I have started sleeping with a heat pack on my tailbone at night which helps as i stand all day at work.
  • katerams
    katerams Posts: 50 Member
    On my ride today i had a sharp pain when going up a hill. Will rest it tomorrow for sure; hopefully it's nothing serious.
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