saddle pain in sit bones.

on-yer-bike
on-yer-bike Posts: 2,974
edited March 2009 in Workshop
I remember someone on this forum saying that their Toupe saddle gave them some kind of painful problem with their sit bones. My right sit bone now is painful after sitting for half an hour in an ordinary chair or in the car, its as if the area has become really sensitive to pressure. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
Pegoretti
Colnago
Cervelo
Campagnolo

Comments

  • Yep, but I put that aching down to very little bike action in the second half of 2008. Having used the Felt for work a fair few times in 2009, this ache has dramatically faded thankfully!

    The new padded Endura Humvee liners may have helped somewhat. but even on a day without them, it was still comfortable to sit on.
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
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  • NaB
    NaB Posts: 105
    Personal opinion but I think the toupe is a terrible saddle and very overpriced....as are flite, aliante etc . I switched to a san marco concor...clasic shape and NEVER had any soreness etc. You can pick up a concor with cro-mo rails for about £20...version with ti rails is double the price!
  • on-yer-bike
    on-yer-bike Posts: 2,974
    NaB wrote:
    Personal opinion but I think the toupe is a terrible saddle and very overpriced....as are flite, aliante etc . I switched to a san marco concor...clasic shape and NEVER had any soreness etc. You can pick up a concor with cro-mo rails for about £20...version with ti rails is double the price!
    Funny you should say that, I've been looking at San Marco online. Is the Concor OK on numbness issues as it is slotless?
    Pegoretti
    Colnago
    Cervelo
    Campagnolo
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    strange really - I don't remember anyone having a problem with numbness before channeled/slotted saddles were invented.. ;)
  • I experience similar problems after several hours on a Toupe.
    I switched to the Phenom, the MTB specific version of the same saddle, and it's great.
    Just that little bit more padding on the cheeks...
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    NaB wrote:
    Personal opinion but I think the toupe is a terrible saddle and very overpriced....as are flite, aliante etc . I switched to a san marco concor...clasic shape and NEVER had any soreness etc. You can pick up a concor with cro-mo rails for about £20...version with ti rails is double the price!

    Everyone's arse is a different shape so what doesn't suit you will suit someone else, you have to remember that. The Toupe is a good saddle, the fact that Specialized offers a width fitting service as well determines this. I have been riding on an Aliante for the last two years with no problems, the Arione again is a good saddle which is why it's popular. Good luck with your Concor.
  • GavH
    GavH Posts: 933
    It may well have been me who posted about pain when using the Toupe. However since then I have noticed that its taking longer and longer for that pain to manifest itself so perhaps its more to do with getting used to the saddle AND in my case getting used to riding for longer?
  • on-yer-bike
    on-yer-bike Posts: 2,974
    GavH wrote:
    It may well have been me who posted about pain when using the Toupe. However since then I have noticed that its taking longer and longer for that pain to manifest itself so perhaps its more to do with getting used to the saddle AND in my case getting used to riding for longer?

    Its not on the bike that the pain occurs it's sitting at work or in the car. It's like the bone has become tender or sensitive. This has only happened since I started road cycling last May.
    Pegoretti
    Colnago
    Cervelo
    Campagnolo
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    You've probably inflamed / bruised the membrane that covers the pelvic bones - the fact that you're wearing thin shorts is probably your problem - the Endura liners are awful in comparison to decent shorts. The Concor is a great saddle - some of us rode them the first time around, as well as Rolls, Turbos and the like. I've no problems with Flites, Ariones and Aliantes too - comfort is as much to do with finding a shape that's right for you.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • on-yer-bike
    on-yer-bike Posts: 2,974
    Monty Dog wrote:
    You've probably inflamed / bruised the membrane that covers the pelvic bones - the fact that you're wearing thin shorts is probably your problem - the Endura liners are awful in comparison to decent shorts. The Concor is a great saddle - some of us rode them the first time around, as well as Rolls, Turbos and the like. I've no problems with Flites, Ariones and Aliantes too - comfort is as much to do with finding a shape that's right for you.

    That diagnosis sounds about right but I wear PI PRO shorts.
    Pegoretti
    Colnago
    Cervelo
    Campagnolo
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,852
    I commuted to work for 12 weeks last summer and ended up with two little hard patches of skin on my buttocks where the main contact with the saddle was (a very comfortable Brooks). There was no pain involved in getting them, but it emphasised to me that our bodies are not set up for cycling and adapt as neccessary to suit the situation.
    Half man, Half bike
  • NaB
    NaB Posts: 105

    Everyone's ars* is a different shape so what doesn't suit you will suit someone else, you have to remember that. The Toupe is a good saddle, the fact that Specialized offers a width fitting service as well determines this. I have been riding on an Aliante for the last two years with no problems, the Arione again is a good saddle which is why it's popular. Good luck with your Concor.[/i]

    True enough I just think that a lot of new cyclists get the impresion that you have to fork out a lot of cash to get a true racing saddle....that really isn't the case if you go for the tried and tested classics such as the concor, regal and rolls. Guess I'm just bitter about some of the overpriced junk I've bought since getting into cycling :oops: !
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    Oh I totally agree with you. You don't have to spend lots of cash on the right saddle for you, but you might end up spending lots anyway finding it!!
  • steve9uk
    steve9uk Posts: 128
    I tend to do alot of miles on my bike (coast 2 coast bike rides etc) and do suffer alot from numbness. I probably need my sit bones measured. Has any one looked at the Allay Racing Sport 1.1 saddle?
    Apparently this saddle eliminates numbness and was looking to buy one. Have any of you guys any thoughts about this saddle as i'm unsure which saddle to buy?? Take a look at the link below.....

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Imag ... /28513.Jpg


    Any advice would be great

    Thanks

    Stevie
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Buy a Selle An-Atomica - the very last word!

    Watch the movie.
  • BigStu2
    BigStu2 Posts: 794
    I remember someone on this forum saying that their Toupe saddle gave them some kind of painful problem with their sit bones.
    Hope not, just ordered one on sunday, has to be better than my base model fizik pave sport currently numbing me gently after 10 km. :oops:
    .........all
    ...at........work
    fun..................&
    ..no.............no
    .....is......play
  • dilemna
    dilemna Posts: 2,187
    Not a fan of skinny racing saddles without padding. It all depends on your body geometry in the area and the type of riding you do. I commute everyday 30-35 miles on hybrid and go for saddles that have a central channel so as to relieve pressure on the perineum and that have decent cushioning for the bone areas. Currently using a Specialised Body Geometry saddle £23 from CycleSurgery in KingsX which is a "medium" profile but not an armchair or sofa although this level of comfort would be nice. I also put aside my scepticism and pride and invested in a suspension seat post few years ago which I am now a convert to. It has medium hard setting and only moves a small amount taking in all the vibrations that would otherwise transfer up the seat post to the saddle. I'm now a convert, as previously I was getting numbness in the region using a San Marco Selle with solid seatpost which wasn't doing me any favours. For those that are saying suspension seat post = inefficiency then think while you guys are suffering with no end of sores and pains I'm as fresh as the minute I started out so can still put the power through the pedals. Also now use Savlon cream after a long ride to avoid tenderness which seems to work well for me. My shorts are Decathlon's top of the range jobbies about £20 which are an excellent fit, well padded, comfortable, durable and excellent VFM. Also for beginners and returners to cycling wanting to achieve too much too soon pushing heavy gears can contribute to saddle sores . Keep the cadence easy.
    Hope some of this helps.
    Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
    Think how stupid the average person is.......
    half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.
  • on-yer-bike
    on-yer-bike Posts: 2,974
    BigStu2 wrote:
    I remember someone on this forum saying that their Toupe saddle gave them some kind of painful problem with their sit bones.
    Hope not, just ordered one on sunday, has to be better than my base model fizik pave sport currently numbing me gently after 10 km. :oops:

    Yes it has and I'm not the only one. Doesn't make your privates numb though, just can't sit down now. I'm quite thin though. Currently trying a Fizik Arione which didn't make me numb after 84 miles on Sunday and wasn't a pain in the arse. Shame you bought one could of bought my 143 gel.
    Pegoretti
    Colnago
    Cervelo
    Campagnolo
  • sward29
    sward29 Posts: 205
    I had similar issues with the Toupe and even bought the gel version as well but found it to be no better. I went back to a Fizik Arione which has been fine but recently bought a classic Rolls for my winter bike and it is even comfier and a fraction of the price. I still get a bit of numbnuts, especially on the turbo but don't fancy splashing out £80-100 on another cut out saddle like the SLR.
  • on-yer-bike
    on-yer-bike Posts: 2,974
    One problem with cut out saddles is the edges of the cut out, even though padded, can make you sore. I'm not sure what to get an Arione or a San Marco Concor if I can find one, no one seems to sell them or have any.
    Pegoretti
    Colnago
    Cervelo
    Campagnolo
  • fnegroni
    fnegroni Posts: 794
    Don't ditch the saddle at the first sign of discomfort.

    Try moving the saddle fore/aft and its nose up/down a bit.

    It can make all the difference.
  • DaSy
    DaSy Posts: 599
    My experience tells me that the Spesh Toupe was fashioned by Satan for use in Dante's Inferno...

    They sell quite easily on the seconhand market though...
    Complicating matters since 1965
  • JohnnyAllez
    JohnnyAllez Posts: 785
    I was having issues with my Toupe Gel Ti (143) but have now got it pretty sorted and "comfortable" through adjustment (spirit level to get it spot-on level) and fore-aft small trial and error adjustments.
    Jens says "Shut up legs !! "

    Specialized S-Works SaxoBank SL4 Tarmac Di2
  • I experience similar problems after several hours on a Toupe.
    I switched to the Phenom, the MTB specific version of the same saddle, and it's great.
    Just that little bit more padding on the cheeks...

    +1

    Tried the toupe for about 9 months; fine for up to 3 hours and then agony after - and it never improved. I bought a phenom for a himalayan trek, and it was so comfy (like 10 hours in the saddle on shitty roads with no pain in the backside area), that i just fitted it to the road bike when I got home.

    It looks a bit chunky when compared with the ultra light race saddles, but it does the job for me. Also it has a long thick nose which lets you move forward on the climbs in comfort.

    All very personal, but if you kind of like the toupe, but need a little more protection, then its def worth a look

    jon
  • BigStu2
    BigStu2 Posts: 794
    Keeping the Toupe line rolling here, had my first outing, or inning as it were as we were indoors yesterday but I clocked up 50km on the new ti Toupe 130mm model, you definitely know your sitting on it and even after 30 km there was a dimple on each side of the saddle where my butt bones pressed into the foam, no numbness at all thanks to the cutout but the feeling that if I were on the road and hit a bump at a particular time that the pain level would be the same as someone giving me a deadleg. However I moved around a bit as I rode and it seemed to be fine, so Ill hang on to it for now, can't ride outdoors for 4 more weeks due to the snow melt but thats another story...
    .........all
    ...at........work
    fun..................&
    ..no.............no
    .....is......play
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    I have tried both Toupe and Toupe Gel for several years and they were not too bad. The Alias was terrible. Far too flat. I binned that after 1 winter. Now gone to Flite Gel-flo. Much more comfortable. I even have one on the MTB.
  • crabstix
    crabstix Posts: 61
    Just got a Toupe Gel 143 (in white) yesterday and after half an hour started to get sit bone pain! This is alarming as I had tried a Selle Max Flite on money back trial and that went back after 57 miles... this one seems stuck to me now, as no money back, and I'm £80 lighter. The kicker is I have used a Specialized BG2 for 800 miles and wanted something for longer distances (I found the BG2 started to 'give' too much over 50 the miles mark) and after consulting Spec UK was advised the 143 would suit me if the BG2 did! I will play around with adjustments fore aft and tilt to see if improves but I don't hold out much hope. If not, anyone intereseted in a little used Toupe virtually mint for £60?
  • DomPro
    DomPro Posts: 321
    My boardman saddle is surpisingly alright when set up to my liking. Slight pitch upwards at the front. Its not Beyonce's lap by any means but its good enough for my racing steed.
    Shazam !!
  • BigStu2
    BigStu2 Posts: 794
    Slight pitch upwards at the front. Its not Beyonce's lap by any means
    :lol:
    Beyonce's lap! I think mine would also pitch slightly upwards ....
    I however have dropped the nose just below level and it seems to work, my old saddle which I've just sold :cry: was a Spec. rival with a cutout, the only one I've ever seen, used it for 4 years without complaint ( the main reason I bought another Specialized saddle) if this one fails to please I'll try the Phenom.
    .........all
    ...at........work
    fun..................&
    ..no.............no
    .....is......play
  • mitchgixer6
    mitchgixer6 Posts: 729
    I'll pitch in my 2p's worth!

    Bought a toupe last week, and had my first outing today. Only had time for a 40min run with it, but noticed an immediate improvement over my Pave Sport. That used to give me "numb nuts" after about 20 mins, but no such probs with the toupe. I reckon the cutout must be working.

    As for pain in the sit bones, I did feel it a wee bit. Only done 70 miles on my new road bike so I reckon I'm still getting used to it all. But I think pain in the sit bones is a good sign, shows that the saddle is the right size and your getting the correct posterior support.

    All I can suggest as a newbie is to build up time in the saddle slowly to give you body time to adjust to the new saddle.