Saddle SOS

Sprockety

I have my new bike a Claud Butler Windermere (hybrid) with all the standard bits and pieces. I had an abdominal op three months ago, so I took the bike out for the first time today. Ive not ridden a bicycle for quite a few years so I just stuck to cycle paths. I did the grand total of 2 miles and had to stop not only because my op site was getting a bit sore, but my seatbones were really painful! I was thrown off a horse about 9 years ago and put a crack in each of my seatbones, however I thought they had healed years ago, but that was where the pain was today. They still feel rather sore now, at 9pm at night!

I have the standard Claud Butler gel saddle that comes with the bike, it is squishy enough when I push it so is this just 'normal' for cycling or should I be looking at a different saddle? If its going to hurt like this then its going to really put me off

I must say at this point that there is no way that I can go for padded cycling shorts, I would feel utterly stupid and at the moment I do not have the figure for anything quite so unforgiving.

nickel

To start with, if you haven't ridden a bike in years then unfortunetly it's going to hurt for a while until your @rse gets used to it. However that being said quite often squishy 'comfort' saddles can do more harm than good as they do not support your sit bones in the way a harder saddle would, this particularly becomes a problem over longer distances. I can't really offer much advice regarding the old injuries to your sit bones but what I can say is dont be afraid of padded cycling shorts. You can get a pair to wear under a pair of baggy shorts/trousers so no one will see them (I do this when I go mountain biking).

alihisgreat

+1 for the above... you'll definitely need to get used to being back in the saddle



as for comfort, i suggest you find a shop that has the Specialized saddle fitting system and a selection of demo saddles so you can find the right size, then try different styles.

Its going to be worth spending the time, and money finding the right saddle if you've had injuries in that area in the past.

Sprockety

Thank you for your replies, Im sitting here tonight actually quite sore, I only did a couple of miles, what a complete lightweight :S Im not sure this level of pain is something Id like to get used to tbh. Ive looked up the Specialized fitting system, my nearest one is Chester some 40 mins away. I can only find the cost for the complete bike fitting, although it does say that they do just saddles, I might give them a call tomorrow.

Feel like I need to bungee a cushion to the saddle tomorrow!

Blancmange

Honestly, get yourself some reasonable quality padded bib tights. The ~£40 DHB ones at Wiggle will suffice.

Then you need to get the agonizing miles in to toughen your bum up. It took me around 1200. Good luck.

essjaydee

Agree with the other posters

I've got a hybrid with a gel seat that feels lovely and comfy when you feel it with your fingers, but in use it's not as comfortable as my rock hard (in comparison) seat on my road bike

It will take a good few miles for your butt to acclimatise to cycling, padded cycling shorts and a seat fitting are the way forward for definate

kingrollo

Padded cycling shorts are a must. - get some quality ones

If you have sitbone injuries you may need a saddle which offers more comfort in this area. I have sitbone issues at the moment - I am awaiting the results of an MRI scan - but two saddles I have considered are:-

Rido R1 (looks very weird - but some people with surgery 'down there' report that this helps)

Selle Ergogel (Moderate) a less extreme verson of the rido - but gel areas where the sitbones go

Sprockety

Thank you for your replies. Today I went for a 5 mile ride (yep I know, such a long way :roll: ) and tonight Im in a lot of trouble, Im in such a lot of pain, I put the seatpost up a touch and it helped a bit but I feel as though my seatbones and the skin/flesh above them have been tortured. I went to a cycle shop today that said that they could do a seatbone measurement, first of all the assistant said he didnt know what to do with this bit battered bit of cardboard with a memory foam shape on it, I sat on it and it didnt make any sort of impression in it that we could see. He asked the owner of the shop who suggested that I take my bike in for him to assess me. He didnt recommend any of the wider saddles as he said they were 'rubbish' but we will sell them to people who want them. He pulled out a saddle which looked like a razor blade and said that it would probably be the type that I would need. I left without buying anything.

Problem is, I drive a Kia Picanto, my bike wont fit in it and the bike shop was some 20 miles away down the M6 so its not as if I could take my bike anywhere.

Ive looked at the Rido, but that says that it takes pressure off the perineum and puts it on the seatbones, surely thats going to make me more sore?

I know that Ive got to ease myself into this, however this just doesnt feel right at all.

alihisgreat

just looked up the claud butler windermere... the saddle looks truly awful..


looks too wide with too much cushioning -> the guy in your bike shop was probably right -> a thinner saddle is going to do a lot of good.

the upright riding position isn't helping either because it puts more weight through the saddle, and less through you arms.

i would look into mountain bike saddles and they would be more suited to the bike than road saddles -> because they are designed for more upright riding positions.

http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B4071.html?mv_pc=gp1 <- we are talking about one of these right?

Sprockety

http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B4207.html
Yep but its the ladies version. I am quite upright, I put some pressure through my wrists but not an awful lot. Just so much out there that a complete newbie doesnt really know what to start with, how on earth do I know what to get? I feel that my current saddle hasnt supported these seatbones properly they feel really sore and if I pressed my skin there, the whole depth feels bruised, does that make sense? Ive even tried sitting on tinfoil to see if I can measure my sit bones myself (with no luck sadly).

Any help you could give me would be much appreciated, feeling rather miserable tonight that something that I wanted to do to get me fit and to work, is causing me so much discomfort.

alihisgreat

as i said before, the specialised BG saddle fit seems to be the way to go (unless it was the specialized fit you tried today, in which case just ignore this) -> they have a special way to measure you up, and any shop that does the BG fit is likely to carry a good range of saddles to choose from.

just had a quick look on the Specialized website and you can find the nearest shop that does BG fitting using the 'restrict by category' drop down http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBCDealerLoc.jsp


if you're not local to any of those then you'll just have to go on the advice of your local bike shop -> general rule of thumb is that less=more so you don't want an over-padded saddle. Look at the ones on proper road bikes and mountain bikes to get a rough idea of what you should be looking for.

i would bet that most proper saddles will be an improvement as long as you get the fit roughly right.

kingrollo

to me if you sore after 5 miles. There is something wrong with your sitbones. I know I have problems with mine - but even I can 10 miles without pain.
Just try sitting on a hard chair - if that sets you off - then you know that no saddle is going to be comfotable.

Sprockety

Well I could sit on a hard chair until I started cycling again. Its Tuesday and my derriere still feels a bit tender above the seatbones even today.

I think the first task for tomorrow when I ride again, is to put the saddle slightly more forward to see if that helps. If it doesnt then it will be try another bike shop at the weekend.

What are people's opinions on the 'aged' Brooks saddles?

extrusion

Here's my experience:

I have a hybrid, it came with a razor blade seat. I started riding to work 40 mile round trip, it quickly became clear that that seat was too hard.

I bought a Charge Spoon. This seemed to be better. Then I had to go on holiday for a week so put a full weeks worth of riding in.

I caused myself incredible problems with a pinched nerve under my thigh/buttock which made it difficult for me to bend over or squat down or walk properly. Not good.

I bought a Specialized BG Gel Saddle thing, it was huge and really really plush but so uncomfortable to use due to it's width and height.

I then bought a Selle SMP TRK. This is the one I always use now.

But I now know that what helped me in the end wasn't a different saddle, although this one is very nice (looks odd though). It was the miles. You just have to put the miles in, whether it's 2 miles a day or 40 miles a day, eventually you get a nice amount of protection from muscle.

Also standing up every now and then helps (whilst riding).

But I remember there was the odd week, especially if I had had a few days off, where my butt would ache. Not any more though.

This may not be of any use to you of course if you have an injury sorry! :?

t4tomo

Sprockety wrote:

What are people's opinions on the 'aged' Brooks saddles?

a lot of people swear by them but they take a huge amount of riding to "wear them in" so they adapt to your bum shape. probbaly not the way to go initially if you've got a particularly tender backside.

keef66

I rode thousands of miles as a teenager on a Brooks in complete comfort. No idea of the model, but probably a B17. Bike got nicked in 1984.

4 years ago I returned to road bikes at the tender age of 50; got a do-it-all Kinesis Tk. Hated the saddle it came with so bought a Charge Spoon which was a lot better on trips up to 30 miles, but painful thereafter.

I've now replaced that with a B17 special in honey. Looks lovely with it's copper plated rails and big rivets, but it weighs a ton and looks a little incongruous on a carbon post in an alloy winter trainer. Made the kids laugh anyway!

Too early to say how it's going; still fiddling with the position and my @rse and the saddle are still getting to know each other, but the early signs are good.
Although Brooks saddles are expensive, they aren't too big a gamble cos they sell for close to retail prices on Ebay.

DrKJM

I have a standard (i.e. not aged) B17 which was comfortable (for *me*) from day one and on which I've done >1000 miles and the Brooks Team Pro which I've only done 50 miles on so far and it feels hard, but not uncomfortable compared to the Selle Italia Octavia that came with my road bike. Don't know how you could try a Brooks without shelling out though.

desweller

There's a saddle swap shop here for people just like you!

shouldbeinbed

+lots to padded shorts by the sound of it for you - you can get padded underwear or use lycra shorts under regular clothes.

The old adage no pain no gain fits. It will take a while to get used to doing something different, expect a bit of discomfort (not agony tho) whilst your body gets into cycling but you do sound like you're suffering badly, I'd suggest your overall bike set up isn't right. You'll need someone to look at you on it to tell you how you look, how you're moving on it, are you planted in the saddle or sliding and rolling on it etc.
I'd suggest set the saddle to neutral - flat & level front to back, slid in the rails so that your knee is directly over bottom bracket and at the bottom of the pedal stroke your leg is almost (but not totally) fully extended. Make sure your handlebars are at a comfortable height with your arms and shoulders not tensed up or stretched. You can then start to tweak any number of bits to see how they affect your comfort

But in setting up, don't just think of the saddle, you make a triangle of contact points between body and bike: Saddle, Pedals, & Handlebars. You may need to tweak each of them to get the perfect set up for comfort. The saddle can tilt fore/aft and slide forwards or back as well as going up and down - even a very minor tweak to any of these can have quite a big effect on your comfort.
Maybe you could try and raise your bars or change the stem to bring them closer to you to sit more upright and more onto the fleshy part of your backside, or you may want to consider a different (moustache or butterfly) handlebar shape. Or depending on where your old injury is, you may feel more comfy going the other way, dropping the height or extending the stem/bars (use totally flat bars?) and stretching out more on the bike to an aero/racing style posture, shifting the contact point with saddle further towards your hips.

Is the saddle to pedal height right? and is your pedalling comfortable and fluid? - Are you rolling out of the side of the saddle at the bottom of your downstroke or kneeing yourself in the face on the way up? - Is your leg pivoting comfortably at the knee or do you feel your stretching to reach the pedals at 3 o'clock & 9 o'clock (if so try a different crank length maybe?)

t4tomo wrote:

Sprockety wrote:

What are people's opinions on the 'aged' Brooks saddles?

a lot of people swear by them but they take a huge amount of riding to "wear them in" so they adapt to your bum shape. probbaly not the way to go initially if you've got a particularly tender backside.

the westmoreland saddle does look a nasty wallowy thing, something firmer will be better as it'll take to your bum shape and hold it better than something so padded and springy

I swear by Brooks saddles. it took me approx 300-400 miles with proper TLC to get 'em comfy: proofide, keeping them out of the rain etc & whilst I wouldn't disagree with t4tomo's opinion above, It might be worth getting all of the discomfort and setting up pains over in one fell swoop - maybe go for it now whilst it is already hurting and hopefully by the time you've tweaked everything to perfection and your bum has M'dTFU ( ) a Brooks would be well on the way to broken in and you'll not have the additional hassle and discomfort of breaking one in later.
You can tinker with the nose nut a fraction to give more give. it'll be the best money you spend (IMO) Id go for a standard B17 rather than the narrow. I've got '000's of miles on both of mine and the standard on my hybrid bike is like sitting in my favourite chair. The narrow one on my road bike is a bit firmer but still way better than the selle one it came with.

essjaydee

I've got one of these to test next week http://www.unifiedsport.com/evolve-saddle.html

Am fitting it to my hybrid commuter over the weekend and then using it next week to give some feedback to the company

If it works as claimed, it could be the answer to your prayers :!:

godders1

Correct set up, saddle that suits you, bib shorts etc is all good advice but what your experiencing does not sound like the usual issues that a new cyclist might have.

Given your previous injury and the fact you seem to be in a lot of pain after such short distances I'd have a chat with you doctor. Maybe there are treatment options (physio etc).

kingrollo

I've got one of these to test next week http://www.unifiedsport.com/evolve-saddle.html

That look like it would shred your lycra .......it looks so weired it might just work - ! i can't even work out which end you would sit on !

essjaydee

Well fitted to bike this afternoon and went for a quick spin. Feels comfy but strange as it moves when your pedalling. Feels very dynamic but odd. Made a few adjustments as it puts more weight on the bars, so got it now so it feels ok. 24 mile commute tomorrow, so will see how it is on a longer ride.
Will post pictures later