Long ride comfort

derbygrimpeur
derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
edited April 2011 in Training, fitness and health
I find when riding that after a couple of hours my sitbone gets really uncomfortable.

I'm quite skinny (5'11" 10st 10lb) so not much natural padding round there. I have a Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow Saddle and my "best" shorts are Shutt VR Pro bibs.

Anyone have any tips for improved comfort?

Comments

  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    Your shorts are more than capable of keeping you comfortable... Maybe try a different seat, or get up out of the saddle every now and then, to see if this offers some relief...
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    I ride a saddle with no padding. It's about finding a saddle that fits your body, not about finding one with loads of padding. I found padded saddles were actually much more uncomfortable for me. Too bulky.

    It's a tough one to crack as finding the right saddle can be a costly and frustrating process. But worth it if you get it right!

    Try and find a shop that allows test rides. I know Fizik do test saddles for shops (as an example).
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    Cheers. I guess I was hoping there was some little-known secret that I was missing! I may have to look for a new perch.
  • grahamcp
    grahamcp Posts: 323
    I am 6' tall and 11st. I found the key was in the saddle width - I went from standard 143mm (just what came with the bike) down to 130mm and it made a big difference.

    Obviously saddles are a very personal choice so if you can borrow/try before you buy (I think some LBSs offer this as a service so may be worth phoning around) then that would be a good move.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    derbygrimpeur wrote:
    Cheers. I guess I was hoping there was some little-known secret that I was missing! I may have to look for a new perch.

    If there is a secret, it is definitely "little-known". I'm a fan of saddles with cutouts and of some of the so called sit bone saddles. Still after all these years i have not found the "perfect" one but either my ass is accustomed to the pounding by now or my saddle choices are getting better or saddles are getting better or maybe a bit of all three.
  • chris217
    chris217 Posts: 218
    i too had few probs with saddle comfort and tried few things:
    - Fizik Aliante saddle very confortable provided adjusted correctly.
    - Saddle adjustment , fore / aft and angle, turned out my saddle nose was to low and easliy adjusted.
    - chamois cream, savlon antiseptic good and Assos even better

    sometimes difficult to identify whether its the chaffing issue or an impact issue ie vibration, too high psi etc !!

    cheers
  • windsorwise
    windsorwise Posts: 23
    It might be worth getting your sit bones measured (although 90% end up with a middle 143mm)

    http://www.specialized.com/specs/spec.j ... trysaddles

    A sudden increase in mileage can certainly cause discomfort as can our state of the art tarmac!

    I do agree with Pokerface that a saddle is more about holding you in position rather than to be sat on and even on 4/6hr rides I have no issue with my minimally padded Specialized Romin saddle - my legs, back etc is another matter...
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    cheers for the comments, very interesting link windsorwise.

    Will measure my saddle (think it's narrow) and investigate further.

    Current saddle has a cutout, I use chamois cream, no problems with chaffing, just sitbones hurting. Some of this may be a return to riding after being injured for a few months, but even before the injuries I suffered.
  • nickwill
    nickwill Posts: 2,735
    Do you have a fairly upright position on the bike? This might mean that your sitbones take more of your weight than a more stretched/ lower bars set up. It might be worth looking at.
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  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    Minor correction to my original post but my saddle is a Selle Italia Max Flite Gel Flow. Width is 130mm. I ride a Ribble winter frame, which is setup with more of an upright position, although I generally ride on the hoods/drops 90%/10% (guesstimate)

    So maybe it is worth me trying a 143mm saddle
  • thomsva
    thomsva Posts: 9
    The sitbones are angled inwards and this results in a dramatic reduction in width when you lean forward. It sounds like a good idea to try a wider saddle on the bike with a more upright position.
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    I checked my saddle width last night and it's 146mm, which matches what it says on the selle-italia website. The 130mm I quoted before was from a retailer website, which was obviously wrong.

    I'm going to try a narrower saddle (136mm) to see how I get on.
  • freehub
    freehub Posts: 4,257
    The pads in those Shutt VR Pro bibs. goes awful and thin.

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