Does saddle position make a difference?

[Scotmitchy]

Okay, without going into too much detail, I can find that my, er, lady bits, can get hurt a little when out cycling - this is not a good thing!

I was thinkin of tipping the saddle down a fraction at the front, to see if that made a difference.

Any other female cyclists want to share their top secrets to pain free cycling?

M

 

[citybabe]

you do have a ladies saddle I take it.....(I only ask cos for years I rode with a mans without realising it....don't ask why I didn't know )

you may just have to try little adjustments until you feel it more comfy. I've tipped mine down just a tad but do it too much and you may find that you slide down

 

[HJ]

Saddles are very much individual things, it maybe you need to change to another saddle.

 

[Scotmitchy]

It's a WSD bike, so, yeah, I guess a woman's saddle. Might try a miniscule movement a few milimetres down at the front and see how that feels.

Ta

 

[sarahpink]

when I first got my road bike, I found it a bit sore. so went into my lbs and they titled in down slightly and it really helped me

 

[Telemark]

What sort of a saddle have you got at the moment?
The most important thing is to sit on your sit bones, not on your "ladies bits" ...
If your saddle is very soft and padded, your sit bones sink a long way into it before they hit the solid part of the saddle, and therefore you end up putting pressure on the parts you don't want to sit on. So, contrary to a layperson's perception, a "comfortable" saddle tends to be a bit harder (and the right width for your sit bones).

If you can't get comfortable with adjusting the saddle tilt & moving it back/forwards on the rails, you may have to consider getting a new saddle ... Finding the right saddle is not always easy, but there are lots of options out there, different shapes, widths and paddings. Some shops have a test bench that measures the distance between the sit bones, and some also have test saddles that you can borrow for a ride or two, before buying.
You could also have a look at the CC saddle library for borrowing a test saddle.

Good luck, hope you can get comfy!

T

 

[Baggy]

Moving it backwards or forwards on the rails can also make a big difference. Too far back and you'll be stretched out and leaning forwards, which puts too much pressure on the wrong bits. As citybabe says, just try making tiny adjustments. You should be able to just feel that you're sitting on your "sit" bones.

Do you wear padded shorts?

It's tricky, 'cos we're all different, I tend to have the nose of my saddles tipped up very slightly, but it took a lot of adjustment before I found that out.

Saddles can also be difficult, some women get on well with women's saddles, or saddles with cut outs - others find them agony!

There are a couple of women's saddles in the saddle library!

Edited to say, Telemark - we must be on the same wavelength!

 

[jig-sore]

this topic is no good without photos !!!!!

























of the saddles....

 

[Scotmitchy]

The bike is the Trek 7.3 wsd which comes with a fitness specific Bontrager Nebula saddle, according to my online sources

 

[Banjo]

im not female but have found tilting the saddle forwards even slightly to ease pressure on my bits caused me to lean on the bars more causing more problems in my wrists and hands.

I ended up buying a richey BIO saddle, the type with a slot cut out of the middle. It was a bit hard initially but now its worn in its superb, No more numb bits and comfortable even aftr 10 hours.I imagine there must be a women specific version available. Good Luck

 

[E11a]

I had the same problem and it's really not good.

Raising the saddle height and moving the saddle very slightly back on the rails solved it. As others said, make small adjustments. I moved my saddle too far back and had pains in my shoulders.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I get along fairly well with my saddle (but don't cycle far). Padded shorts improve comfort drastically; I highly recommend Terry liners/shorts.

I have read before that tilting the saddle nose down can worsen the problem as you start sliding forward and placing more pressure on your ladybits. If the nose is slightly upward you might sit further backward on your sitbones and relieve pressure from the sore bits...

My saddle is actually unisex (I ride a Brompton).

 

[BearPear]

My hybrid is a Trek 7.2fx wsd and I like that saddle (always wear padded shorts), but I got a Specialized Dolce Sport this week with a lady's saddle and I am very sore! I feel the pain in the boney-bits rather than any fleshy parts(!)

I think some of the pain can be a case of getting used to it / bedding in a new saddle, but I shall also watch this thread for further ideas!