Have I been sitting wrong?

[DEL 707]

I've had my bike for a few weeks, well, over 2 months and when ever I ride for over an hour, I get bum pain, after 2 hours it becomes really discomforting. I've yet to break the 3 hour barrier because of this. The chaffing is pretty bad, my buttocks are absolutely glowing at the end, hurts to sit down the next day, then alone getting back on the bike.

My bike seat was pretty far forward, so my of the pressure/contact was in this area.

I was sitting far at the back of the seat.
1 night while out on the bike, I was wearing jeans rather then my usual cycling shorts and was slipping around in the seat a bit.
I know it sounds silly, but I slipped forward on the seat. So that the pressure was in these areas.

Felt a little wierd, but better. Anyway, I've moved my seat further backwards, so I'm now sitting on the front portion of the seat. I did a cycle yesterday for over an hour and felt pretty good. The area between my bum and meat and 2 veg felt like it took a bit of punishment, but no real discomfort. to the point that I was out on the bike again today and I felt fine, no pain for yesterday or glowing buttocks.

Have I just been sitting badly for all these weeks?

 

[Brandane]

The usual adjustment of the saddle fore and aft should have the fleshy bit under your kneecap directly above the spindle of the pedal (and therefore the ball of your foot) when the crank is horizontal. Sheldon Brown explains it better, with diagrams.

 

[raleighnut]

Getting the seat position right is one of the hardest things to set on a bike.
Mind for true comfort nothing comes close to a Brooks.

 

[Lemond]

Are you wearing decent padded cycling shorts? They make a massive difference in terms of comfort.

If you are wearing padded shorts, make sure you don't wear underwear, too. I made this mistake once, and suffered very bad chaffing.

Treat yourself to some chamois cream. I've not suffered any chaffing since I started using it.

 

[ColinJ]

I've had my bike for a few weeks, well, over 2 months and when ever I ride for over an hour, I get bum pain, after 2 hours it becomes really discomforting. I've yet to break the 3 hour barrier because of this. The chaffing is pretty bad, my buttocks are absolutely glowing at the end, hurts to sit down the next day, then alone getting back on the bike.

My bike seat was pretty far forward, so my of the pressure/contact was in this area.

I was sitting far at the back of the seat.
1 night while out on the bike, I was wearing jeans rather then my usual cycling shorts and was slipping around in the seat a bit.
I know it sounds silly, but I slipped forward on the seat. So that the pressure was in these areas.

Felt a little wierd, but better. Anyway, I've moved my seat further backwards, so I'm now sitting on the front portion of the seat. I did a cycle yesterday for over an hour and felt pretty good. The area between my bum and meat and 2 veg felt like it took a bit of punishment, but no real discomfort. to the point that I was out on the bike again today and I felt fine, no pain for yesterday or glowing buttocks.

Have I just been sitting badly for all these weeks?

I think you have been sitting badly and still are!

You really should be able to ride for hours and barely feel that you have sat on a saddle.

You were too far back on the saddle in the first picture, and too far forward in the second.

It could be that the shape of the saddle does not suit you, but at least try and sit between those two extremes.

Wearing jeans when cycling isn't going to help much. Something lighter without seams under sensitive areas would be better, and especially with padding.

Make sure that your saddle is high enough. If it is too low then pedalling will be hard work, and your bum will be taking most of your weight, rather than your legs taking some of the load.

 

[DEL 707]

Thanks for the replies.
I did a 20 mile cycle to Rye today, took me just over 2 hours.
I did feel better riding, though the area just below my bum is a bit sore, on the whole I feel better, but I'm not experiencing that magical "You really should be able to ride for hours and barely feel that you have sat on a saddle."

To answer a few other questions, wearing jeans was a 1 time thing, I normally wear a Pearl Izumi Elite in-R-Cool bib with baggy shorts over the top (no underwear), the world is not ready to see me in anything skin tight.
Will have to try some of that chamois cream.

 

[ColinJ]

Another thing you could try once you have got the fore-aft saddle position bang on ... Start with the saddle level, but if you really can't get fully comfortable try it with a tiny downward tilt. You don't want much tilt or you will tend to slide forward and that creates more problems than it fixes. I find a degree or so on my saddles can be the difference between sore and comfortable!

Example - my Basso:

(The front section is horizontal but the rear section curves up. That gives just enough 'clearance' when sitting back to avoid NNS - 'numb nuts syndrome'!)

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I think as @ColinJ has possibly intimated you maybe ought to take a look at that saddle.

it is quite an odd looking thing imo - just go to your nearest Trek/Spesh/Whatever store and get a sit bone measure.

It may suggest a different saddle and £30/40 etc spent may well produce a spectacular result!

I couldn't do more than 4 miles or so with my original saddle and ended up being measured and then purchased the right width saddle and it was instant bliss - from the first day on I have never even noticed the new saddle being there.

 

[Cubist]

Lose the baggies. They have seams and stitching and other sources of chafing and general perineal agony. I can wear them for rides off road up to twenty miles, but any longer than that and il just wear bibs.

 

[ayceejay]

Rowing is very hard on the hands and as a beginner methylated spirits was the fix, now I am not suggesting that you splash any of that on your meat and 2 veg unless you want a curry but cycling does need a settling in and if you do not have your bike set up properly and wear appropriate clothing this will take longer. I think the notion of padding in shorts gives the wrong impression as chafing is cause by moisture rather than pressure alone and sometimes chamois cream can be counter productive if it prevents the 'chamois' from absorbing sweat. When the chamois in cycling shorts was the same as the chamois used to wash windows there was no padding as such.

 

[buggi]

do yourself the biggest favour ever and go and get your sit bones measured. Your sit bones are the pointy bits at the bottom of your pelvis and you need to be sitting on those, not the fleshy bit in between. A proper bike shop will sit you on a pad which will show where they are and then they will get you a saddle to fit. No bigger than needed, no smaller than needed. Double that with padded shorts and it will be like sitting on a cloud. Ask them to fit the saddle while you are there and put it in the right position.

 

[Nedly]

I started riding again last April and as I became a stronger cycler with more endurance, many problems such as this have disappeared by themselves. I agree with ayceejay, settling in is key. Early on I experienced both the bum fatigue and hand fatigue including numbness in my fingers. Now I'm riding up to four hours with no problems, except, perhaps very bloodshot eyes, prescription goggles are in my future.

 

[DEL 707]

do yourself the biggest favour ever and go and get your sit bones measured. Your sit bones are the pointy bits at the bottom of your pelvis and you need to be sitting on those, not the fleshy bit in between. A proper bike shop will sit you on a pad which will show where they are and then they will get you a saddle to fit. No bigger than needed, no smaller than needed. Double that with padded shorts and it will be like sitting on a cloud. Ask them to fit the saddle while you are there and put it in the right position.

Think I'll do that next weekend, see if I can find a decent shop in my area, I'm tired of bum pain holding me back.

 

[Studley]

Think I'll do that next weekend, see if I can find a decent shop in my area, I'm tired of bum pain holding me back.

I'm in exactly the same camp as you, sore after 40 mins and unbearable after an hour or so. Be interested to know how you get on

 

[Lemond]

I'm in exactly the same camp as you, sore after 40 mins and unbearable after an hour or so. Be interested to know how you get on

How long have you been riding and what sort of distances are you doing?

I started in July on a cheap old mountain bike. On my first ride I think my saddle had two gel pads, but that didn't seem to make a difference! Time in the saddle definitely helps, along with decent padded shorts and, most of all, a new road bike!!! I did my first 30 miles on Sunday and hardly noticed any discomfort.