Saddle advice please

GarryM

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.

Wirral_paul

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

Never heard or read that before (getting up every 15 mins) - makes perfect sense though. Thanks Paul.

Ben6899

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!

StorckSpeed

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.

Muffintop

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.

cougie

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.

One Man And His Bike

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

Thanks everybody!

luv_shimano

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.

gazman1

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.