Saddle pain

Bike59

6 miles is normally about as far as I get before getting noticeable discomfort and from there on it gets worse and usual end result is sensation like I had been severely clubbed in the crutch area with a baseball bat. Sit bones are not a problem.
Now on 5th different saddle and no difference. I have tried daily short runs etc to try and build up a tolerance but---no change.
I can manage about 3 hours on my MTB before the same but that is full suss and a fair amount of time out of the saddle screaming downhill (me screaming that is not the bike!)

Any pearls of wisdom that might help.
Yes- wearing correct padded shorts or under shorts. Endura. My body measurements are in between sizes for--everything so to get a good fit on the pads means partial circulation cut off on my thighs--next size up--- might as well just pack in cotton wool as the pad moves. Bib shorts fit the best but do not make any difference to the distance covered before crutch discomfort starts.
Any pointers, advice would be much appreciated.

rnath

Could be your general saddle position - maybe too high?

dwanes

Have to tried your MTB saddle on your road bike?

You could also try adjusting the saddle forwards so you are sitting further back on the saddle.

There can be a marked difference in lower end shorts/undershorts and higher end bib-shorts when it comes to the Pad and comfort.
I know it's expensive but if you can not find another reason for the discomfort you are going to have to invest in higher end bib-shorts, but even that can be hit and miss!

darkhairedlord

do you have 150 psi in the tyres?

darkhairedlord

make sure the saddle is flat, not like a jump bike or bmx.

shiznit76

tried a gel saddle? I got sellie italia C2 after trying about 4 different saddles and this was ideal for me. Nothing will totally take the pain away, but can reduce it

kayakerchris

Hi
Can I suggest one of these https://infinitybikeseat.com/

They look really weird but work. I found real problems with saddles at any long distance until I tried this.

They do a try it and see service

nuclearred955

A multitude of different position-related things can cause discomfort - seat height, angle, fore/aft position, also reach & drop to the bars. Could be any one, or a combination.

Also saddle width is important - a too-narrow seat won't necessarily cause sit-bone discomfort, but will cause too much pressure on the perineal area. You might find you need a vented saddle - I do!

Might well be worth considering a bike fit - and point out your issues to the fitter.

dannbodge

I would suggest talking to your LBS.
They will generally measure your sit bones for free if you show enough interest in buying a saddle from them.

Buying the correct width saddle for me made an massive difference. It was night and day in comfort.

darkhairedlord

Do some longer rides and and your butt will soon get trained up.

wingless

My experience is that it takes a couple of weeks before the hard leather-covered plastic saddle can properly re-form the contours of my butt so that the pain-in-the-butt abates.

cgfw201

i went through the full range of fizik saddles, all resulted in pain & discomfort

I then heard good things about Specialized Romins, got measured up one on of those and have done over 35,000km on it with (genuinely) zero discomfort whatsoever.

There should be one out there that works for you.

JakeJ

For all pain/discomfort on a bike, the answer is to get a bike fit from a reputable fitter, do your research, there are many people out there who do a one day course and call themselves a fitter.

Look for someone with a lot of experience, if they can't sort the pain out by fitting you, they could at least give good advice on what to do.

milemuncher1

Saddles with cut out middles are designed to relieve pressure in key areas, and to allow more ventilation than a solid saddle, have you tried a saddle with a cut out? I’d also be experimenting with different widths lengths and profiles if I were you. A decent bike establishment should allow you to try a few different saddles out.

kingrollo

Many good points in the previous posts.

But perhaps a different angle. Try sitting on hard chair for 20 minutes - if that replicates the pain, then no saddle will cure it. It might be you have a backside injury - such as a stress fracture or soft tissue injury.

Also whats your flexibility like ? - if everything is tight than you backside is more likely to feel every bump.

FWIW - a brooks B17 imperial (cut out), lots of chamois cream, yoga and flexibility work - finally sorted my problems out.