My ass hurts...

the playing mantis

...b4 any of u get excited, heres the issue: have had a number of weeks off and went on my orbea on saturday for 50 odd miles. only used the bike a couple of times due to injury and the same problem arises each time. after about 10 my buttocks were caning and every bump was torture. they still ache now. the bike is so unsympathetic and harsh riding that i need to do something, as i cant do 2 days on the bounce on it.

im not going to be reducing tire pressure as its not that high anyway, so im either going to get a new saddle or seatpost. the saddle currently is the bog standard one it came with and is noticably harder than the one on my look.

my question is, from peoples past experience, is it worth changing the seat post too, will that significantly improve anything, or should i just get another saddle.

Likewise please can you recommend a reasonably priced saddle that doesnt feel like sitting on a brick. (yes i could search the forums etc for suggestions, and id appreicate serious responses!)

thanks

pangolin

the playing mantis wrote:

Before any of you get excited, here's the issue: I have had a number of weeks off and went on my Orbea on Saturday for 50 odd miles. Only used the bike a couple of times due to injury and the same problem arises each time. After about 10 minutes my buttocks were caning and every bump was torture. They still ache now. The bike is so unsympathetic and harsh to ride that I need to do something, as I can't do two days on the bounce on it.

I'm not going to be reducing tyre pressure as it's not that high anyway, so I'm either going to get a new saddle or seatpost. The saddle currently is the bog standard one it came with and is noticably harder than the one on my Look.

My question is, from peoples past experience, is it worth changing the seat post too? Will that significantly improve anything, or should I just get another saddle?

Likewise please can you recommend a reasonably priced saddle that doesnt feel like sitting on a brick? Yes I could search the forums etc for suggestions but I don't want to, but I'd appreicate some serious responses anyway.

Thanks

FTFY.

Well it depends what "a number of weeks off" means but that's part of the issue there. If you're riding regularly it gets a lot better. I find the second ride usually hurts more if I haven't ridden in a while.

Saddles are pretty personal. I suppose I got lucky, my road bike came with a Prologo Nago which I have found pretty comfortable. I had a Charge Spoon for a while too which was pretty nice. That one is worth a punt as it's pretty cheap so not the end of the world if you don't like it.

Alternatively there is a saddle swap thread around here somewhere, might be in Road Buying Advice?

I'd sort the saddle out first, and if you're still not happy then maybe worry about the seatpost.

Did you send this from your phone or is your keyboard just incredibly broken?

diy

Check that you are actually sitting on the right part of the saddle. i.e. sit bone on the widest part.
Check you are not sliding around, seat too high or nose too low.
Consider some cycling underpants. I know roadies have the habbit of going commando under their bibs and then selling their nearly new skidmarked bibs in classified, but you can get well fitting short liners that will increase the padding. At least then you can see if its a padding issue or a seat position issue.

ride in the drops more
buy some clip-on TT bars

CStar

Swap your ass for a donkey and get your arse down on a comfy saddle

the playing mantis

thanks for fixing it, i was deeply worried about the poor syntax. keyboards fine, im busy at work, but even if i wasnt i dont have the time to check/correct/worry about/be bothered about the poor spelling/grammar, i envy those who have that time. as long as people can get the gist and it kinda makes sense i think thats fine, its not a formal document its a post on an internet forum.

thanks for the responses, but im sitting in the right place, not sliding, wont be getting tt bars or going in the drops more, not going to be buying 'cycling underpants' as my bib pads are fine on other saddles.

i know things get better the more you do them and after time off the ass generally takes a bit of getting used to saddles again, but this one is particularly bad and i dont think will get better regardless of how used i get to is. its a cheap and nasty bit of kit that orbea put on to keep the price down.

the purpose of the thread is to work out if i a new seat post would make much difference, as suspected its probably not worth it, and then to get recommendations of not too pricey saddles that may be a tad more forgiving. im going to buy a new saddle, just wanted peoples opinions/recommndations.

thanks

goonz

Better padding in shorts?

Saddle shouldnt hurt that much even if its hard, unless you have a really bony ass.

Are you seated properly on the sit bones as mentioned above?

the playing mantis

please see previous response, seating fine, bony ass, pads are fine.

saddle is gash.

seeking recommendations

thanks

goonz

Something by Specialized?

Im currently looking at the Romin Pro as a replacement for mine.

pangolin

srry didnt realiz u wer so buzi heres der thred i mentioned eryer that u wer 2 busi 2 find hapi 2help

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40081&t=12715506&start=680

mk1markfalkirk

Same Issue here over the last few months due to the fact I haven't been riding often, leaving too long between rides lets your ass go soft again. keep at it and you build a tolerance up.

the playing mantis

very good. nothing better than anal people on internet forums with too much time on their hands who get worked up about syntax!

yes its easy enough to search but people are kind enough on here to respond to new threads, so there really no need, and as there are so many threads on the same subject its rather difficult to actually find one that has the answers, its all rather piecemeal on here. (i appreicate the irony in adding yet another thread just adds to this, buy ho hey, who cares)

thanks for the link, not really what im after as i have no intention of swapping, rather will just buy a new one.

the playing mantis

falkirk, usually id agree, but not his one. im too sensitive and its too unforgiving (might as well be sitting on a brick) for it to ever improve to unbearable to excruciatingly bad, so im going to give it up and get a new one, hopefully on the back of peoples recommendations on here.

thanks

navrig

Swap over the saddle on your Look and see how you feel after a few miles. If that works buy the same model.

slowmart

I went up witha couple of mates to the lakes for a long weekend mtb'ing, after the first hard day my arse was really sore. Or so I thought. I was so sore I could hardly wash underneath my ballsack and it seemed swollen. Cutting to the chase I went to see the vet, who had a young trainee with him and asked to video the examination. So my ball sack, attractive young would be Dr were all on video for countless med students to learn from or laugh at. It turned out the swelling was an infection which needed time off the bike and a hearty dose of anti biotics. It cleared up after a 10 day course and i've been fine since.

However I found my Specialized saddle quite uncomfortable to the extent I was on the verge of buying a new one when my backside started to settle down. Certainly shorts and seatpost also contribute to the comfort factor. Is your post carbon?

the playing mantis

nope its not carbon.

i thought about swapping the look saddle over, but think (not sure) its a pricey one (that may be completely wrong) so was open to other suggestions.

chuckla

Charge spoon is pretty comfortable and less than £20 new! If you want to splash a bit more, the SGD Bel air is nice on the ass!

diy

I use Selle Italia Man Gel Flow - not the lightest, but very comfy. I also use an inline seat post. As I ride mostly in my bar extenders and drops, so sit in more of a TT position.

Phill B

i have just purchased a velo senso miles, it was given 4.5/5 stars in cycling plus` saddle test last year.
Back then it was £45-£50 but i have just picked one up for £30 on ebay (brand new).
I have found it be very comfly and a great fit, has great shock absortion (thanks to the gel pads and also the titanium rails.

P.S. this is the 4th saddle i have tried since august last year and it`s the first one i am happy to keep, finding the correct saddle for your arse really is like finding the holy grail.

Good luck in your search, Phill B.