A pain in the a**e (and wrists)

[Lazy Fat Vegan]

Thank you all for your advice. I lowered the saddle a bit today but it's still higher than the handlebars - any lower and my knees will be uncomfortably high when the pedal is at 12 o'clock. As I've had knee problems in the past (ex-runner and martial artist) I have been very careful to make sure that there is a bend in my knee even when the pedal is at 6 o'clock. I admit I'm at least 2 stone heavier than I used to be so it could be that, but I didn't think 20 minutes leisurely ride would cause me any discomfort at all. Maybe I'll try and ease into it a lot more slowly.

 

[Punkawallah]

The Wisdom is strong in this one :-)

 

[Deleted member 1258]

But not for me on my laptop, but it does work on my phone. How odd.

Very strange, what security are you running on your Lap Top? Could it be blocking the link? I'm on a desktop running Linux with firefox so minimal security.

 

[simongt]

Most saddles that you see are quite firm,

Agree. I have a well loved B.17 then took a chance and bought the C.17 for a bike I use less often, so breaking in another B.17 wasn't practical. Much to my pleasant surprise, the C.17 is comfort straight out of the box, despite it's apparent rigid appearance.

 

[vickster]

What sort of bike is it?
Having your saddle too low will cause knee and leg pain, not cure it, so do have the saddle at the correct height

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Thank you all for your advice. I lowered the saddle a bit today but it's still higher than the handlebars - any lower and my knees will be uncomfortably high when the pedal is at 12 o'clock. As I've had knee problems in the past (ex-runner and martial artist) I have been very careful to make sure that there is a bend in my knee even when the pedal is at 6 o'clock. I admit I'm at least 2 stone heavier than I used to be so it could be that, but I didn't think 20 minutes leisurely ride would cause me any discomfort at all. Maybe I'll try and ease into it a lot more slowly.

As you move the saddle back it moves weigh off your hands and onto your bum. Moving the saddle back is equivalent of putting the seat post up in terms of leg reach. The generally approach is to get your pedalling position right first by adjusting both height and fore / aft position of saddle. Then adjust the handlebar end to get the reach and weight distribution correct.

 

[cycling_eejit]

I've also recently got back into cycling and had similar problems. The pain in my rear was relieved by sitting a little bit further back on the saddle so my sit bones were on the wider part of the saddle. The numbness in my hands mostly went away once I got used to cycling a bit more, my bike has ergonomic style grips and rotating them a bit so that there was a less bend in my wrist helped too.

 

[Lazy Fat Vegan]

What sort of bike is it?
Having your saddle too low will cause knee and leg pain, not cure it, so do have the saddle at the correct height

It's a Carrerra Subway hybrid with more gears than I'll ever need but sadly no suspension

 

[cycling_eejit]

It's a Carrerra Subway hybrid with more gears than I'll ever need but sadly no suspension

I have the same bike.
I did get a pair of padded undershorts but only use them if I plan on being on the bike for a couple of hours.

 

[Reynard]

It's a Carrerra Subway hybrid with more gears than I'll ever need but sadly no suspension

To be honest, if you're riding on the road or on paths, you don't need suspension - there's enough "boing" in the tyres to absorb the vibrations from uneven surfaces. Unless you're really going off the beaten track, suspension is more of a hindrance than a help.

That's a decent bike you've got - go out and enjoy it. Little and often, and just check the positioning of your saddle.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Thank you all for your advice. I lowered the saddle a bit today but it's still higher than the handlebars - any lower and my knees will be uncomfortably high when the pedal is at 12 o'clock. As I've had knee problems in the past (ex-runner and martial artist) I have been very careful to make sure that there is a bend in my knee even when the pedal is at 6 o'clock. I admit I'm at least 2 stone heavier than I used to be so it could be that, but I didn't think 20 minutes leisurely ride would cause me any discomfort at all. Maybe I'll try and ease into it a lot more slowly.

An extra 2 stone (extra to what?) of pressure on those narrow ischial tuberosities and the flesh that is squeeeeeeeezed tightly between them and the surface supporting your entire weight (plus the extra 2 stones ...) and then jolted and distorted while under pressure ... when I think about it, I wince and I'm always surprised it doesn't hurt a great deal more!

 

[Lazy Fat Vegan]

To be honest, if you're riding on the road or on paths, you don't need suspension - there's enough "boing" in the tyres to absorb the vibrations from uneven surfaces. Unless you're really going off the beaten track, suspension is more of a hindrance than a help.

That's a decent bike you've got - go out and enjoy it. Little and often, and just check the positioning of your saddle.

I've taken advice offered in a previous thread and pumped the tyres up to the recommended psi - they honestly don't feel like there's any boing in them at all right now. But I've read a couple of articles this morning that suggest newbies tend to sit too heavily in their saddles (definitely me at the moment) but that as they develop better technique this disappears and weight becomes spread more evenly between saddle, pedals and handlebars.....I'm hoping I'm a quick learner

I've also been fiddling with the bike this morning, against my better judgement, and lowered the saddle a bit more, and slid it back a bit as well. Hoping that this, coupled with having the handlebars higher will ease my pain.

 

[Lazy Fat Vegan]

An extra 2 stone (extra to what?) of pressure on those narrow ischial tuberosities and the flesh that is squeeeeeeeezed tightly between them and the surface supporting your entire weight (plus the extra 2 stones ...) and then jolted and distorted while under pressure ... when I think about it, I wince and I'm always surprised it doesn't hurt a great deal more!

......yep I'm a greedy fat pig - hence the reason I decided to get back on the bike

 

[Lovacott]

A week ago I decided to start cycling - mostly to try and shift some weight. I already had a hybrid bike that I had used with no issues in the past, but I was never a serious cyclist. So far I've done two rides on it, about 2.5 or 3 miles each time, and both times my bones in my backside have been hurting before I get back.

That's normal if you haven't ridden much for a while. It'll take a week or so to settle down and that should be the end of it.

Personally, I hate soft saddles and much prefer what is supplied with the particular bike.

 

[Lazy Fat Vegan]

I'd worry slightly about lowering the saddle. It's more common to see people riding on bikes with saddle too low than too high. You could be introducing new problems (knees). But take everything I say with a pinch of salt.

I am a bit wary about adjusting things to be honest - I figure the bike company spent £££ on R&D so they probably know a lot more than me - but at the moment it's hurting, so if I get rid of that pain by adjusting stuff then great. If it doesn't work I can always move it back to roughly where it was, or maybe even take the plunge and go to a bike shop and ask them to set it up properly for me when Covid restrictions end.