Saddle advice please

GarryM
GarryM Posts: 77
edited January 2012 in Road beginners
I appreciate saddles are a personal thing but just wondered if anyone could offer some advice on this. I have a Prologo Kappa saddle that came with my bike - not an expensive saddle. I have done road rides of up to 5 hours so far without particular discomfort but I find sessions of less than an hour on the turbo really uncomfortable with pressure on my perineum. I'm not sure if it's numbness but I have to get off the saddle for a few seconds to relieve the pain every now and again.

Do you think this a problem that will become apparent on longer rides or is it a turbo thing due to sitting in exactly the same position without the occasional movement you get on the road? I'm doing a 700 miler over 7 days soon and I really don't want to have the sensation I'm getting on the turbo when I'm doing that. Saddles seem a bit of a lottery to me so perhaps I should stick with this one as, so far, it's been OK on the road? Help much appreciated.

Comments

  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Its generally an accepted requirement to occasionally stretch the legs and relieve your undercarriage by standing up - i'd say 15 mins is long enough. You're riding in one position on the turbo whereas on the road you'll be changing positions and getting out of the saddle a lot more than you would realise. If you're fine on the road for 5 hr rides then i'd say stick with the saddle and simply remember a regular stretch.
  • GarryM
    GarryM Posts: 77
    Never heard or read that before (getting up every 15 mins) - makes perfect sense though. Thanks Paul.
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    Just to echo what Paul says, this is definitely because of the continued one-position kind of pedalling that typifies turbo training. If the saddle's good for 5hrs, then it looks like you hit the Holy Grail with the saddle you got free. A rarity! :D
    Ben

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  • I experience exactly the same thing on the Turbo. I do exactly as said before stand up for 30 seconds every 10-15 minutes.
    On the road you might change position every time you come to a hill and just don't notice that your doing it.
    There's warp speed - then there's Storck Speed
  • Muffintop
    Muffintop Posts: 296
    On your turbo do you have a stand under your front wheel so your front and back wheels are level? Leaning that bit extra forward could be compressing it.
    FCN: Brompton: 12, Tourer: 7, Racer: 4

    http://www.60milestonod.blogspot.com
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Deffo a turbo thing. On the road you'd be out of the saddle for hills, or junctions and stopping starting. On a turbo - you dont get that unless you remember to.
  • Specialized Avatar Comp Gel.

    For me was the Holy Grail of cycling, cut out section for your squishy bits, looks the mutts nuts and stopped me suffering numb fun parts.

    I also echo the advice to stand up once in a while if you are on the turbo to help increase the blood-flow regardless of what saddle you use.
  • GarryM
    GarryM Posts: 77
    Thanks everybody!
  • Same thing happens to me on gym bikes.

    Nothing worst than having to adjust your meat and two veg in the mid ride in front of the female members. :D
  • gazman1
    gazman1 Posts: 77
    Glad i logged on tonight and found this post, i did an hour on the turbo earlier and at about 25 minutes i thought mine had fallen off lol, it makes great sense reading the answers so thanks to the OP for posting it and for the answers from the other readers.