Ouch! My sit bones hurt :(. Advice sought please!

digitaldave

I've not been riding for long, and I'm not riding that far (10-20 miles at the moment, total distance so far about 100 miles - give me a break, I'm a noob ). Unfortunately, my sit bones hurt quite a bit, starting anywhere from after 5 miles or so. I am using padded shorts (Altura Pro Gel), and the saddle is a Bontrager Race Basic. Any suggestions as to what I can try to help get rid of the problem? One suggestion I've read is that it'll just take time, but I was hoping that I'd be used to it by now. Should I stick with it for longer, or should I look at new saddles, shorts or something else?

Thanks,

Dave.

frazerbrown

Maybe try a different saddle, the Charge Spoon is cheap and prob more comfy than the Bonty one.

jamlala

I go with the 'stick with it' option I'm afraid! :twisted:

Spatulala

I say bin the Bonty. R1 came with my 2.1, I swapped it for a Spesh Phenom within 2 weeks and never looked back. Infinitely better for my a*se, got measured on a memory cushion to get the right width.

jamlala

Hey, are we related Spatulala?!

skyd0g

Stick with it for a little longer - your @rse will take a while to 'break-in' & get used to riding.
Use chamois cream if you're getting abrasions.
Vary your position - from time to time stand-up/sprint on the pedals to give a little relief.

Make sure your position is correct - the saddle should be level.

If after another couple of hundred miles it's just as bad, then look at saddles - the Charge Spoon is a good place to start - it's cheap and works for a lot of people.

StillGoing

I bought an INtake Podium saddle and after over two hours riding this morning I have nothing like the pain I used to experience with my Bontrager seat. I didn't start getting any discomfort until th end of the ride and that was quickly relieved by spending some time standing on the pedals while climbing.

Cabelly

I used to get numbness in the nether regions with a padded seat so I changed to a Specialised Toupe, thats the one with the cut out in the middle. Got no more numbness but it makes you perch on your sit bones and it hurt like hell at about 65-70 miles :shock: . however after 4 or five rides at that distance it calmed down . Did 85 miles a couple of weeks ago and hardly noticed anything.

I've got a mate who never did cycling before and got a Specilaised Roubaix Comp with a gel version of the Toupe and he never had any problems.

My LBS measured my ar5e to get the correct fit

As said previously stick with it for a bit longer and see how it goes then see if you can try a few out.

Good luck

Velonutter

I have done 5000+ miles now since getting back on the bike and my sit bones still ache.

I did the L2P last week and just made sure that I stood on the pedals every 20 mins or so.

Make sure you sue Chamois cream and good shorts and give it time.

The_Beast

Spatulala wrote:

I say bin the Bonty. R1 came with my 2.1, I swapped it for a Spesh Phenom within 2 weeks and never looked back. Infinitely better for my a*se, got measured on a memory cushion to get the right width.

Yes my Bonty R1 still is giving me grief after 3 months, for £1000 bike, I would have expected a better saddle than this crippling effort. Sometimes the distance doesn't even bother me but the saddle sore can really get you defeated.

bobtbuilder

The_Beast wrote:

Spatulala wrote:

I say bin the Bonty. R1 came with my 2.1, I swapped it for a Spesh Phenom within 2 weeks and never looked back. Infinitely better for my a*se, got measured on a memory cushion to get the right width.

Yes my Bonty R1 still is giving me grief after 3 months, for £1000 bike, I would have expected a better saddle than this crippling effort. Sometimes the distance doesn't even bother me but the saddle sore can really get you defeated.

As the Charge Spoon proves, saddle quality isn't directly linked to cost. It's much more a personal thing based on your sit-bone width, etc. I imagine that there are plenty of people who like the Bonty saddle as it "fits" them.

Spatulala

Any shop that sells Spesh saddles will have a little memory cushion that you sit on to get an imprint of your sit bones. Mine demanded a saddle width of 143mm (the middle size, could've been worse)

The R1 tried to wedge itself up my backside on even the shortest ride. It has a more rounded profile that the guy in the shop said had been a problem for many people. It was my first road saddle, so I did give it a couple of weeks before giving in.

The Phenom was immediately noticeable as a much better fit for me. My sit bones were properly supported and the cutaway relieved pressure on my softer bits. It looks a bit like the Romin, so that might be worth a sit if you're having the same problems I had?

Good luck!

The_Beast

bobtbuilder wrote:

The_Beast wrote:

Spatulala wrote:

I say bin the Bonty. R1 came with my 2.1, I swapped it for a Spesh Phenom within 2 weeks and never looked back. Infinitely better for my a*se, got measured on a memory cushion to get the right width.

Yes my Bonty R1 still is giving me grief after 3 months, for £1000 bike, I would have expected a better saddle than this crippling effort. Sometimes the distance doesn't even bother me but the saddle sore can really get you defeated.

As the Charge Spoon proves, saddle quality isn't directly linked to cost. It's much more a personal thing based on your sit-bone width, etc. I imagine that there are plenty of people who like the Bonty saddle as it "fits" them.

Yeah I guess we are all shapes and sizes, I remember reading a mixed bag on this R1 saddle with a very varied opinion on it. Some days it seems worse than others, it might have improved a bit from the start but not much.

turbo_hamster

I had a six-week break from riding last year. First time back on the bike really hurt the old sit-bones, so obviously not a problem with the saddle, since it was the same one. It took several rides before I got used to it again.

If you don't want the expense of a new saddle, with no guarantee it will make a difference, just ride regularly and see if there is an improvement after a few weeks.

Then try another saddle.