getting really fed up now!!

foo-fighter

Well i am throughly hacked off with my bike and cycling. Last summer my wife brought me a specialized allez as a present, this was because the doctor told me i should take up cycling to help with a health issue(which i wont bore you with). All through last summer i was finding the saddle very uncomfortable and have tried various ones- currently a rido r2, but nothing i try is ever comfy and after about 10 miles i find my self being forced to turn back home as its just to uncomfortable. I have tried various different bib shorts and normal shorts but the pad is never in the right place no matter what shorts i try i always have no padding under my sit bones and loads of it near the crown jewles. I have fitted a shorter stem and have the saddle as far forward on the rails as it can go yet i still feel that i want the saddle further forward, im guessing that the bike is just to big for me really, im 6'1 and the frame size is a 58 which evans measured me for. So as you can see i have a whole lot of problems and to make it worse as i now dont really want to go out on the bike,due to all these problems my medical issue is not going away which is making me more fed up. If anyone can offer some serious advice on this i would be most grateful.
Thanks

Anonymous

So is the pain where your making contact with the saddle? Are you getting pains in any other parts of your torso?

kim10

Finding the right saddle can be difficult and also pricy if you end up having to buy several ones before finding the one that you are comfortable with. I took me ages. No one on this forum will be able to tell you which one is right for you as the one that is right for some will probably not be right for you, due to differences in bike set-up, geometry and various body parts!
It sounds, though, that you problem might be related to poor bike set up and a professional bike fit would be something you might want to consider. It can seem like a lot of money, but having to try different stems, saddles and bib shorts will also add up and you may never find the right position or get comfortable.
You don’t mention how long you go out for and if you are fairly new to cycling on a road bike it can take some perseverance before the body get use to the bike set up.
I would definitely advice you to consider having a bike fit, there should be no reason for you not to get comfortable on the bike and then start to enjoy your riding. After all you said you are doing this for better health so the approx £150 for a bike fit might be a small price to pay.

mikeabanks

I take it you are not riding on the drops all the time :-)

Maybe raising the bars would help, you would be sitting more upright which maybe better for your rear end.

beancounter

foo-fighter wrote:

evans

Think I may have spotted your problem...

Saddles come in various widths. Go to a decent bike shop (not Evans) and get measured up.

Also sounds like your 58 is too big for you.

bc

foo-fighter

yes SJMCLEAN the pain is all on my backside where i make contact with the saddle. in response to the comments about evans at the time i got the bike i was totally new to cycling so thought they knew what they were talking about, clearly i was wrong!!! im about to order some altura progel bibs in the hope the padding will be in the right place in these failing that i may well go to decathlon and buy one of their cheaper road bikes in a smaller size to see how i get on, unless i can find somewhere local that does bike fitting

jeepie

I'm 6 foot 1 and ride a 58. I was measured for it too. If you're not comfortable though then you'll need to try a smaller size, or changing something on your bike stem etc... or a different saddle. I love this one > http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... r-10-37546.

If you do think the bike is too big for you I'd sell it and try a smaller size. However it might be you are just not used to the position and need to adapt your body... I have to adapt when I transition from mountain biking in the winter to road riding in the summer and at first I find the gears too hard and the position too stretched out on my road bike.

sagefly

I'm a newbie too and some bike shops can be pretty intimidating when you set out.

Visit a few and get a feel for the ones that you like and understand. I won't touch my local LBS with a barge pole just because they are smart arse shop assistants, its cost them almost £2K in lost business over the past 2 years.

I've tried a few Evans and not got on with them but found a niche at Cyclesurgery, get a good craic going, chat advise etc and arrange a bike fit that helped me for £50, changed a stem and felt the benefits in a little more power pretty much straight away, plus the guy explained how stem height/length etc changed the positioning.

Well worth it and I have a trusted place to buy stuff, ask questions etc

Shop around and ask questions

slowondefy2

I find the padding can shift forwards if the shorts are a bit big. When I was a bit larger I found it difficult to get bibs that fitted - bibs that fitted below the waist were too small above (broad shoulders and a belly), or bibs that fitted above the waist are too loose below and the pad could shift forwards. I ended up making-do with non-bib shorts that fitted snugly below the waist, then as I lost some weight the pad started moving about so I moved onto bibs. I don't mean to suggest anything about your own build, just relaying the problems I had

singleton

sagefly wrote:

Shop around and ask questions

Remember to throw in a few questions that you already know the answer to - it's a good way to check out what they're telling you.

BruceG

beancounter wrote:

foo-fighter wrote:

evans

Think I may have spotted your problem...

Saddles come in various widths. Go to a decent bike shop (not Evans) and get measured up.

Also sounds like your 58 is too big for you.
bc

AT 6' 1" I doubt that very much. Sounds as if he has other issues if he cant get a paird of bibs to sit with the pad in th correct place!
I suggest checking the correct size clothing, and also consider a bike fit, and I know that I will get flamed to hell however there has to be an element of MTFU, it isnt going to be armchair comfy when you start out, give your butt a chance to get used to it

slowbike

I have the same bike but in a 56 - I'm shorter than you by 2-3 inches too ..

Fortunately the stock saddle has been fine for me and I'm pretty used to cycling anyway so I don't find it uncomfortable.

One thing I didn't do straight away is get the padded undershorts - and I found my clothes rubbing - that was quite painful (!!) - I used to use talc to keep it all dry - but now, with the right undershorts I don't need the talc and it's relatively comfortable for quite a distance ...
Just to check - you don't wear anything under your cycle kit do you?

It does sound like you need to visit a decent LBS with all your kit and have fit - and talk through your clothing too ..

flasher

BruceG wrote:

.........and I know that I will get flamed to hell however there has to be an element of MTFU, it isnt going to be armchair comfy when you start out, give your butt a chance to get used to it

I agree, sometimes you just need to grin and bear it!

Sounds like saddle issue, most good bike shops have test saddle you can try, also don't scrimp on cheap bibs.

mog812

perhaps this might help...
http://www.sq-lab.com/content/view/151/261/lang,en/
or at least put you in the right direction

madtam

I am a bit surprised no one has suggested the saddle angle. A couple of degrees either way makes a difference to me.
Is your saddle absolutely horizontal or is it tipped forwards or backwards ? Try adjusting it a little just to se if it helps.
I find it more comfortable slightly nose down but I know others would find that uncomfortable and need it tipped up at the front.

Don't make big adjustments ! Try it little by little the same as adjusting bar height etc and don't make more than one change at a time or you won't know what works and what doesn't.

53twelve

I think your bike sounds the right kind of size - I'm 6' 5" and ride a 61cm, so a 3cm smaller frame for a 4" shorter rider sounds about right (and my bike was made to measure after a pro fit session, so I know it's spot on).

I'd look at the shorts if I were you. The fact you have no pad under your pelvic/sit bones, and loads of protection up front, I'd say you weren't fitting the shorts - or somehow not wearing them quite right (although it's difficult to picture how you could wear bib shorts / shorts wrong).

You don't mention your weight, but I'll give you an idea of what size bib shorts I wear in case that helps? Oh, and I'm hovering on 90kgs at the moment to give you an idea of me/my size.
Northwave - size L
Polaris - size L
Santini - size XL
Etxeondo - size XL or XXL depending on model.

And this is a really daft question, so please don't take this the wrong way - but you are wearing them the right way round? With the widest part of the pad at the back? Narrowest/thinnest at the front? I know this seems an obvious question, but that's the only way I can think you could have no pad at the back and loads at the front - and you do see a lot of people wearing helmets backwards. As I said, please don't take this the wrong way, but i think it's a valid question - either that or you're wearing shorts a few sizes too big...

Hope that helps - nothing worse than not being comfy on the bike!

foo-fighter

thanks for all the helpful replies guys :P i have tried tipping the saddle up and down a tiny amount at a time but it doesnt make any difference, as for the bib shorts i certianly have them on the right way lol what ever shorts i try on the pad is always way to far forward before i even get into a riding position.With regard to my size the simple answer is WAY to big im about 17 and a half stone most of which is my belly(health problem). Someone mentioned that i may just need to get my backside used to the saddle, i have done over 1000 miles on the bike since i have had it so i would of thought that i would be used to it by now. However this morning i nipped round a friends house who has a gt series 3 road bike and took that out for a spin round the block, it felt much comfier than my bike does. His bike is a 56cm frame but i only had to raise the saddle by about 2 inches, the reach to the bars seemed better, i know that our bikes are from different manufacturers and that sizes can be totally different between brands but maybe my bike simply is to big for me. I have quite long legs but in comparrison my torso and arms are relatively short, meaning that while my 58 may fit height wise it is to long of a stretch to the bars, giving me that feeling that i am being pulled off the front of the saddle all the time.

smidsy

Perhaps your belly is creating the pad forward issue with your shorts as the material is being pulled? Not sure how you test and cure that theory though.

andyeb

Worth experimenting with the height of the saddle? Popping it down a tad will also bring it fractionally further forward, due to the slope of the seat tube.

If it comes to changing bikes you might try the Specialized Secteur which has a slightly more upright riding position - similar to my own Jamis Ventura Comp (both a Sportive bikes). I have a bit of a tummy to loose too and found the more upright riding position preferable for this reason.

ineedalager

I'm 6' 1' and I ride a 58cm Allez it now fits me perfect. I did have some shorts saddle sorness problems but after entering my measurements on this website:

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CC ... ATOR_INTRO

I found my saddle was to far back and to high and there was no problem with my shorts the soreness went and I have done a couple of 70 mile plus rides and loads of 50 milers with no discomfort at all. I have the Spesh BG Riva saddle and I just got one for my new carbon build I like it so much.

I am on the borderline of 56cm to 58cm I read on Evans if your arm span is longer than your hieght then you should go for the Larger frame hence 58cm for me. If you have short arms you may need a 56cm but I would put all your measurements into the web site above and go for the french fit which is for comfort. It worth trying to get the frame you have to fit maybe a shorter stem will be needed but do the cheaper stuff before you change your bike. One of the most important measurements to get right is saddle to back of the handlebars for comfort according to this web site and it worked for rme.

53twelve

Well at least the stupid question got asked and answered

So if the GT is more comfy, I think you should be looking at top tube lengths more than seat tube lengths. It sounds like your 58 is too long in the top tube for you, making you reach more, and putting your "issue" in the way, so maybe making you sit wrong on the saddle...

It might be worth measuring your mates top tube - and comparing to yours. And then his stem length to yours. If you can replicate the saddle to bars distance on your bike by changing stems, that could be the answer... And a stem is a lot cheaper than a GT ;-)

mamba80

Was wondering exactly the same!
just measure the tip of saddle to center of handle bars on your mates GT when the saddle is raised to your preferred height and then get a new stem for your bike to match, also flippin it will raise bars - so try a stem with more degree of rise ie 10 or 17'

also find a bike shop that does demo ranges of Sella Italia and Fizik saddles - Sella do a Sportive MAX saddle and then get the shop to fit it for you

Chubby Rider

Hi mate I have not been riding long so my advice may not mean as much as others.

I borrowed a bike a few years ago and the saddle was horrific, i tried others inc the R2 and they did nothing. So I gave up. Last month I decided I had to do something about my weight and with knackered knees it really had to be cycling. I went with a Giant Defy 2 but decided on adding some comfort, I changed the tyres to 25mm and went crazy with a Brooks B17.

I have not regretted it one bit, the ride is so comfy it is amazing, I have managed rides of upto about 1 1/2 with no problems, numbness pain etc. i am a lot heavier than you and can't believe the difference in comfort. Not sure if its the 25mm the brooks saddle or a combination, but it makes a huge difference being comfy and means i love going out on the bike instead of dreading it.

luv2ride

try and find a specialized dealer who can fit you for one of their body geometry saddles as they come in 130mm, 143mm and155mm widths. all you do is sit on a foam pad which is marked out to show the distance between the sit bones. the right saddle width might make the difference. also I'd suggest getting some chamois cream (the Assos stuff is very good) as this can help deal with soreness...

buzzwold

Can't any useful advice but I've been an interested reader of the posts having recently started to experience hotspot in the undercarriage when out riding. I'm due to ge the bike set up sorted so will try some of the advice, although my feeling is that it's going to be a touch minor adjustments to bars and saddle.

Muffintop

I often find the general rule is if it hurts all over the saddle isn't positioned properly. If it just hurts on the sit bones (two little points in the groin) MTFU.

Padding IMHO is the spawn of evil. If you never wear it you never need it.



Mx

keef66

"If it just hurts on the sit bones (two little points in the groin)"

I know boys and girls are built differently, but either my sit-bones are in the wrong place or yours are. I don't intentionally sit on my groin!

mattshrops

The allez is a compact frame and is definitely the right size for your height. You may well need to look at saddle/stem position. Is your lbs not very helpful? You dont normally have to have the full monty bike fit if you dont want it. For about £30 they should set you up pretty well and give you some good advice. Agree angle of saddle can have a big bearing too.
Once you're set up if you're having trouble after an hour- do a route that gets you home in an hour. Do it loads until it starts to feel better. There is a period of hardening up needed. Then you can gradually increase distance.
(my missus starts at a gym every now and then- does far too much the first visit, ends up aching like mad and then doesnt go back. If you're not used to it you have to go steady initially.She doesnt listen :roll: ) dont give up

al_kidder

You could always stick some foam rubber padding on the saddle. ie if you don't want to do a bit of work with your legs

Herbsman

Have you tried pedaling harder?

Ringo 68

Herbsman wrote:

Have you tried pedaling harder?

Are you trying to take the "biggest troll on the forum" award?