how to reduce the sore arse on a 1000 mile ride

jon1993

Anyone know of any ways to stop my arse hurting so much when touring? Atm I have a boardman team carbon with standard saddle. I know I should replace it, but for what?
Padded shorts... any really good ones?
Should I use a gel seat cover, never have before so not sure if its a good idea?
Any other ideas? Thank-you.

Grill

Are you seriously not riding with a bib or shorts with a chamois? If not this is clearly the place to start. After that you'll want to look at a new saddle as standard saddles are generally too soft. Padded overs are rarely. Good idea as the point of a proper saddle is to support your sit bones. Softer saddles will cause excess movement and also collapse on pedal strokes which is what leads to pain. You may want to check out Brooks if you're looking for ultimate touring comfort.

Wooliferkins

Getting the right saddle for a specific bum is the holy grail of retailers. There are a couple of manufacturers that do saddle fittings Specialized being the main one. Everyone will argue for their own personal favourite but that doesn't mean it will suit you. Gel cover , NO! A decent pair of shorts definitely

Gizmodo

Six steps for bottom bliss

As said by Wooliferkins, Specialized have measuring kits in store and a good range of saddles that review well, for example Specialized BG Romin Evo Expert

Brooks saddles are supposed to be the best for comfort and long life, but they apparently take 1000 miles before you wear them in to your shape and you have to like the traditional look. Hand made in Birmingham of real leather! Brooks B17 Select

The best padded shorts are supposed to be Assos, not only comfortable but long lasting - on the negative they can be pricey. Recent review of bib shorts.

Uses a good chamois cream before every ride to reduce friction. Assos chamois cream or Udderly Smooth

Don't even think of a saddle cover!

MichaelW

I find that a harder saddle is more comfortable in the long run. You need to support your weight on the 2 sit-bones, not the squishy bits inbetween. When testing a saddle in the shop, get a feel for how they support you.
Once you find a model that works, buy 2 and never let them go.
Have your conditioned your rear end by lots of regular riding?
Is your overall riding position OK for your size/shape/style?

Wooliferkins

I purposely didn't mention leather as I'm sold. 2-300 miles for a Brooks. It sounds a long time but I've had mine 20 years this year, mines a Professional. The other two bikes have Gilles Berthoud which you can only get from France now.

gmacz

Surely a good pair of padded shorts will sort the problem.
Modern shorts are excellent.

jon1993

Thanks everyone, i do have some cycling shorts they are rubbish though so going to have to get some more before i set off.
When finding the right size saddle how do you tell if it fits you?
Thanks for the advice

gmacz

Go for a 1000 mile ride and if it gives you a sore ars*, it does not fit.

Gizmodo

The only way is to try a saddle. Specialized do a 30 day swap guarantee - they will let you try any saddle for 30 days and swap it for another of it's uncomfortable. They also have a measuring system in store to measure your sit bones.

jon1993

i already have a few Specialized saddles so i was wondering how they measure them so i can see which fits best as i do not have the time for trial and error, i have left it a little too last minute on this one thinking about everything else, thank you.

nferrar

http://specialized.custhelp.com/app/ans ... ze-at-home.