Is it meant to hurt this much?!

gbouras

Hi guys, first post after recently purchasing my first road bike.

I'm a big 23-year-old lad of 6'3" and a good couple of stone more than I should. Just bought a Carrera Virtuoso having barely ridden a bike for about 10 years and I'm finding it a massive pain in the bum... literally!

I see posts on forums from other newbies saying they're hurt after their first ride and the seasoned pros respond to reassure them that it'll get better as their body gets used to it but I'm in serious pain after just a few hundred yards. I thought it was probably the narrow, rigid stock saddle that came with the bike but after changing that for a more forgiving one it's just as bad.

A few ideas whirring around my head - either a) being overweight is causing massive pressure on my sit bones, b) I need a YET WIDER saddle to accommodate my weight, as well as my naturally wide sit bones, c) I'm sitting too far forward, but it doesn't feel like I am and shifting myself back a bit doesn't help much.....

I've had the bike adjusted in a local shop and it still seriously hurts, but I'm hoping that's because I'm still bruised from before.

Any advice would be really appreciated - I'm getting pretty depressed about it given how excited I was before I started about finding a new sport to exercise with (knee injury means anything that involves sideways movement isn't do-able)

Thanks in advance guys.

TheEnglishman

Go to a decent bike shop and get your ariss measured - seriously - then they'll get you a seat that fits the width of your pelvis.

snoopsmydogg

and get some padded shorts if you havent already but unfortunately your ass will take a little getting used to the saddle as well.

gbouras

I do need to buy some shorts, but am I right in saying people without them normally experience pain after a few miles, not yards!

adm1

If you have a bad case of Nobby Stiles, you should probably get them looked at as well.

simon_masterson

gbouras wrote:

I do need to buy some shorts, but am I right in saying people without them normally experience pain after a few miles, not yards!

After building up tolerance, basically yes.

Give it a few weeks or even a month or two before you make your mind up; depending on how much cycling you do. There's really no shame in getting a new saddle if once you reach that point you aren't getting on with it. It's not a 'luxury' like other things in cycling, and it's important that you get the right one.

And not being a luxury item, it doesn't have to be expensive either. Some people prefer a £100 Fizik, others a £150 Brooks, others (including me) a £20 Charge Spoon. The type of riding that you do, your riding style and the intensity and duration of your cycling are all contributing factors, but the bottom line (pun intended) is that we're all different shapes, and you need the saddle that suits yours. Stock saddles can be rubbish, and they can't please anyone, but they can also be the right one. Give it a chance.

But saddle height and position are also important; make sure you get those right. At best they can simply sap a little effort, but at worst they can cause considerable discomfort.

adm1

Simon Masterson wrote:

others (including me) a £20 Charge Spoon.

Me too.

AdrianStuart

I started exactly a week ago and I have clocked 125 miles. My first couple sessions left me feeling like i sat on fence post for a few hours. However even after 7 days I am becoming accustom to it.

gbouras

AdrianStuart wrote:

I started exactly a week ago and I have clocked 125 miles. My first couple sessions left me feeling like i sat on fence post for a few hours. However even after 7 days I am becoming accustom to it.

When you say "session" how long do you mean? A session for me at the moment is about two minutes.

I think I'm going to give it a rest for a few days then persevere through the pain for a couple of miles.

SenseiSpud

When you say you're heavy, what weight are we talking? I'm 6'1 and weigh 98kgs (15.5st) and ride on a selle Italia x1 flow which isn't exactly well padded but does me ok even on a 100k ride.

napoleond

Combination of the following-

Ass hatchet saddle
No decent padded shorts (false economy buying cheap ones)
Not used to it
Not yet fitted to the bike properly

That's why it hurts so much...

MrCubeLtd

You have to stick at it. A correctly fitting saddle and at the correct height will pay dividends.

When I started out on my MTB 4 months ago I hadn't been on a bike for 21 years - it took a good couple of weeks to get used to riding plus the saddle. I had my sit bones measured last week and I now have the correct saddle fitted to my road bike. It does make a difference.

I am still heavy, 96kg or 15.2 stone but with the saddle at the correct height etc It is now fine.

It does get easier and more enjoyable

simon_masterson

It's also worth noting that 'performance' saddles - the sort you'll generally find on road bikes - are designed for use with padded shorts.

A proper pad combined with a firm, supportive seat is the best way to attain comfort for long durations and high intensity, whereas a squishy gel saddle might be fine for pootling to the shops in your everyday clothes or an afternoon at Rutland Water but not much more. A 'performance' saddle will also (generally) be cut away to facilitate movement. The standard analogy compares a good quality office chair with a fat squashy armchair.

rubyrider

It DOES get better in time. I'm now into week 4 with a road bike, and had done a couple of weeks on my old mountain bike before that -not having ridden in years before that. My first ride of around 6 miles had my nether regions so tender I was wincing over every road bump and couldn't wait to get home.

I've persevered- going out either daily or every other day - or occasionally had a 2 day rest after a longer ride, and it is so much better now! I'm managing 20 miles. Yes, I feel a bit sore afterwards, but not nearly as bad as that first couple of rides.

I reckon we just have to go through a bit of bruising. Padded shorts do help, and sometimes I've felt a bit tender as I start out on a ride but then I don't notice it once I'm warmed up.

JasonBrooke

I had the same problem, I'm only 5ft 5, but weigh 11st 7. I've got a Specialized Allez Sport with the stock seat and have purchased a cheap pair of padded shorts from SportsDirect.com. My first ride was a 13 miler and the next morning I was in agony, so I lowered the seat and moved it forward a couple of inches and then went and did a 16 miler 3 days later and it was a lot better. Done another 2 rides with 3 day breaks in between (I also play golf) and it does get better. Try shifting off the seat on downhill sections to give your bum a rest. Even after 10 days and 60 miles on the bike its feeling better already. Think I'm going to invest in some expensive padded shorts when I've more money. Hope this helps.

DF33

If you bruise your thumb how painful is that for a week or two?

if you bruise your bum on a narrow seat how long will that take to stop hurting too?

give it time unless something obviously 'big', out of the ord, different, etc.

for the next few days reide one day on, one day off.

ride for a few mins only, literally 5 mins to start. repeat every other day. increase every other day when ready.

Your ass will dictate (sorry), and move on bit by bit