Wife's sore bum

leeefm

She's been complaining recently about having a sore bum after being on the bike. She doesn't cycle huge distances and so I was surprised she has it so early after going back to work after the Christmas break. We then discussed the effects of padded shorts when it was revealed that her lower half cycle wear consisted of (from innermost to outermost layer):

knickers
padded cycle shorts
winter tights
"sports" shorts

I have always assumed that wearing underpants under cycle shorts was a cardinal sin...
Discuss...

walkingbootweather

I think we will need pictures before being able to offer a considered opinion.

msmancunia

In the winter I just wear long bibs with fleece inside (dhb ones are really good) - in spring maybe shorts and legwarmers. No underwear. Wearing four layers and having to deal with all those waistbands would drive me bonkers. If I layer up, I do it on top - base layer (or two), jersey, jacket if it's v cold.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Thread title offered muchness.

I am disappoint.

msmancunia

I KNEW he should have posted this in the women's road thread. Pervs, the lot of you.

The Rookie

It's best not to wear anything under paddeds, but I doubt the knickers (rather a wide ranging 'brief' that, anything from Thongs to something your grandmother would wear with some French knickers as a side option) is having any effect.

Sounds like she needs to MT...sorry WTFU for a few days, or maybe take a look at her saddle choice. Another possible is that after a few days off a small muscle in my backside hurts for a couple of days just from pedalling effort and nothing to do with buttocks bike interface at the saddle.

veronese68

msmancunia wrote:

I KNEW he should have posted this in the women's road thread. Pervs, the lot of you.

How very dare you? I resemble that comment.

Kieran_Burns

Dragging this thread back to the original point that no one actually answered...

I wear (mens!) underwear when cycling to work, it's only 12 miles and has never been an issue. Frankly and trying not to be too graphic, I shower when I get to work and 'ablute' at home before I leave, so I don't want... contaminments on the padding of the shorts.

I think you need to define what you mean by 'sore'. Are we talking general pain in the backside from sitting on the saddle, or going down the saddle sore route of things rubbing where they shouldn't?

If it's the former I'd be looking at the saddle position and type, the latter (and God help me for saying this) some lube (wait for it) but I can't believe you would need some for a short hop on the bike.

arran77

Sounds like her bum needs toughening up, maybe more riding would help?

rjsterry

leeefm wrote:

She's been complaining recently about having a sore bum after being on the bike. She doesn't cycle huge distances and so I was surprised she has it so early after going back to work after the Christmas break. We then discussed the effects of padded shorts when it was revealed that her lower half cycle wear consisted of (from innermost to outermost layer):

knickers
padded cycle shorts
winter tights
"sports" shorts

I have always assumed that wearing underpants under cycle shorts was a cardinal sin...
Discuss...

Does seem like rather too many layers. No need for pants, as you suggest, but if she feels she must, then go for some cycling-specific ones, which will be made of the right kind of fabric, and won't have all the seams in the wrong place. +1 to Kieran's point about whether it's a... err... chafing issue or saddle shape/position issue.

EKE_38BPM

Mrs EKE is like the princess and the pea when it comes to saddle position.
She now knows that underwear under padded shorts is a no-no (lots of women have a real block about going sans underwear) and we've got saddle height position right. The current issue with her new bike is fore-aft position (maybe a new stem?) but the BIGGEST problem is saddle angle. Get that right and she's fine.

Anatomically, where is the problem?
If it is her bum, perhaps it's the saddle shape. If the problem is with her lady bits (pictures required to diagnose), then maybe it is the saddle angle (this can also manifest itself in arm fatigue as she constantly pushes herself back on the saddle). Saddles should be horizontal,(even though Mrs EKE prefers the nose 1.5° up).

Edit: Four layers is excessive.
Knickers is probably a 'daintiness' issue. A "Good girls don't go commando" attitude.
The padded shorts are fine but in cold weather, padded longs are better as they eliminate the need for the
Winter tights, unless it is a vanity issue, to prevent people seeing her legs.
Sports shorts don't bring anything to the party. An extra seam to chafe and extra drag. Again, probably vanity. Mrs EKE described wearing padded shorts as like using the world's largest panty liner, maybe the OP's missus feels the same and wears them to prevent onlookers seeing any padded cycle shorts induced camel toe.

Tell her to ditch the knickers and sports shorts, check her position and if it is OK, tell her MsManc told her to WTFU.

LiveGiantly

No pictures please...

I have two comments;

1. Maybe she is wearing too many layers (1 to 2 layers is adequate in most cases i.e just the padded shorts and tights could/should suffice)
2. Maybe she needs to have her saddle type, angle and height checked out

Fireblade96

Have you offered to rub it better ?

arran77

LiveGiantly wrote:

No pictures please...

Do you know what his wife looks like then

sufferingpete

It depends on the problem.

In the case of abrasion a chamois cream may help.

LiveGiantly

arran77 wrote:

LiveGiantly wrote:

No pictures please...

Do you know what his wife looks like then

:shock: :shock:

No.

**slowly exits the thread**

Honestly though, NO!

The Rookie

I must admit to commuting (6.7 miles each way) in everyday 'boxer shorts' and cheap cycling baggies (I WILL NOT inflict my physique in Lycra to my colleagues at work) and I don't have a either a 'bad saddle' or a chafing issue. I do wear paddeds (Commando) for longer rides.

DonDaddyD

OP,

Two seperate issues. Four layers is excessive. Commando is the comfort of kings. Sore bum, maybe due to exercising the glutes (butt cheek muscles) or saddle position. Long time members on here will remember a similar punani thread.

msmancunia wrote:

In the winter I just wear long bibs with fleece inside (dhb ones are really good) - in spring maybe shorts and legwarmers. No underwear. Wearing four layers and having to deal with all those waistbands would drive me bonkers. If I layer up, I do it on top - base layer (or two), jersey, jacket if it's v cold. No Bra

Yay!

KB wrote:

Frankly and trying not to be too graphic, I shower when I get to work and 'ablute' at home before I leave, so I don't want... contaminments on the padding of the shorts.

Dude, that's an issue with how well you wipe. Advice: [1] wipe away from the ball sack and towards the base of the spine. [2] apply as much pressure as to cause 3rd degree burns with each wipe. [3] Nair/shave your anal beard.

Yes I did just write that.

fat_tail

this thread is beginning to look and sound like something out of mumsnet.

it is onl a matter of time before someone mentions CentreParcs

tgotb

fat_tail wrote:

it is onl a matter of time before someone mentions CentreParcs

Is that Mumsnet's answer to Godwin's Law?

EKE_38BPM

Ahh, the good old days of the Punnani thread...

fat_tail

TGOTB wrote:

fat_tail wrote:

it is onl a matter of time before someone mentions CentreParcs

Is that Mumsnet's answer to Godwin's Law?

Yes - I believe most threads on mumsnet end up with a mention of Centre Parcs

leeefm

Some very amusing comments above. I particularly enjoyed DDD's instructional steps on how to wipe your a*$e more adequately, but I digress....

The wife has informed me that it isn't to do with chafing of any sort, especially her lady bits. To be more specific, she thinks that her sit bones are particularly sharp, and it is muscle soreness due to pressure. She has asserted to me that she will just WTFU after a month off of commuting to toughen said muscles. She has also alluded to me that I need to spend more money on her to purchase a set of cycling shorts for each day if she is to ride commando... bummer.

fat_tail

leeefm wrote:

Some very amusing comments above. I particularly enjoyed DDD's instructional steps on how to wipe your a*$e more adequately, but I digress....

... bummer.

Indeed

DonDaddyD

leeefm wrote:

Some very amusing comments above. I particularly enjoyed DDD's instructional steps on how to wipe your a*$e more adequately, but I digress....

The wife has informed me that it isn't to do with chafing of any sort, especially her lady bits. To be more specific, she thinks that her sit bones are particularly sharp, and it is muscle soreness due to pressure. She has asserted to me that she will just WTFU after a month off of commuting to toughen said muscles. She has also alluded to me that I need to spend more money on her to purchase a set of cycling shorts for each day if she is to ride commando... bummer.

Bum her indeed.

I don't like wearing the same cycle shorts more than once a day without washing.

So I have a weeks worth of cycle shorts, tights, 3/4 lengths etc. That's a lot for cycling tights that can cost you £40 - £100. So for commuting I use:

http://www.cycle-clothing.co.uk/Ranges/ ... ewear.aspx

For the price its a steal and far better quality than the price suggests.

Also if she is talking about sit-bones (I swear this bone doesn't exist in males, I only learned of it from a women lost_in_thought and have only heard woman speak about it) then an appropriate saddle - Specialized body geometry (I may have got the name wrong) saddles always receive positive reviews even from me - may resolve things.

vertigo16

At least she's wearing padded shorts. An awful lot of the women on my commute just wear tights, so when they lean forward over the handlebars they go see through round the back.






Makes my new camera all the more worthwhile though....

fat_tail

vertigo16 wrote:

At least she's wearing padded shorts. An awful lot of the women on my commute just wear tights, so when they lean forward over the handlebars they go see through round the back.
Makes my new camera all the more worthwhile though....

Which way do you travel ?

vertigo16

I'm straight.

arran77

vertigo16 wrote:

At least she's wearing padded shorts. An awful lot of the women on my commute just wear tights, so when they lean forward over the handlebars they go see through round the back.






Makes my new camera all the more worthwhile though....

Video footage or I call bullshit :P

rjsterry

DonDaddyD wrote:

Also if she is talking about sit-bones (I swear this bone doesn't exist in males, I only learned of it from a women lost_in_thought and have only heard woman speak about it) then an appropriate saddle - Specialized body geometry (I may have got the name wrong) saddles always receive positive reviews even from me - may resolve things.

Ischial tuberosities if you prefer.


EDIT: better pic

veronese68

Some LBS's* have a little foam pad that you sit on to ascertain the width between your sit bones you then buy a saddle the right width for your aris'.

* Don't know if it's only for Specialized dealers