Help needed with soreness from saddle

[David Drabble]

Hello,

I am a 42 year old male - 5ft 6 and have a Boardman Hybrid Comp Medium frame.

I have started to use the bike regularly on my 10 mile each way commute. Over the last two months, I have tried to use the bike at least three times a week, taking advantage of the recent mild weather.

The problem I have is with soreness from the saddle. This is not the backside, but more from the, lets say the softer bits. This is mainly numbness and tingling in the area after my 10 mile ride , but can be sore also. I recently removed the skinny, standard saddle and after reading very good reports, bought a Brooks Flyer - the one with the springs. I measured my sitting bones at 115 mm and this saddle seemed the best for my needs.

Saddle fitted a week ago. The issue is still there. I have watched videos on Youtube to adjust the thing. Everything seems right. The hight, pitch and fore and aft. I have invested in padded leggings and even tried non padded. I have also fitted slightly wider tyres. I have angled the seat down, but this means that I feel like I am slipping forward and putting extra weight on my arms. It seems like every bump seems to vibrate on my softer parts from the tip of the saddle. Why are they shaped like that?

I really need some advice. Does anyone think that the frame is too big, meaning I'm leaning too far forward? Have I jumped in and done too much, too soon? Should I carry on with the Brooks and keep trying to adjust the settings bit by bit? Get a padded saddle? Cut my losses and get fitted out at a local shop and ditch the Brooks. Should I get a more upright, more forgiving bike? Stop riding for a week to let things settle down?

It is starting to turn what was a nice hobby / way to commute into a massive chore.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Arjimlad]

I have had this in the past and occasionally get it now. I well remember one 30-mile ride when at about the 20 mile point I got a painful ballsache so bad I nearly got off. Would have had paracetamol if I had any on me. Also numbnuts can strike ... Soreness is from friction from ill-fitting underwear/cycle shorts. Going commando solved any soreness issues.

I think a Brooks can take a bit of settling in, but I haven't had one myself.

I made sure the saddle was perfectly flat - and varied my riding positions from down on the drops to up on the hoods. Perhaps you could try sliding your saddle back on its rails and see if you sit better on it, or further forwards ?

Can you adjust your position by riding with bar-ends if you have a flat-bar bike ?

Also I suggest you get up off the saddle from time to time whether or not there are hills, and hop off the saddle at lights.

Hope this helps !

 

[BSRU]

Assuming you have the saddle set correctly, put your elbow against the tip of the saddle and see if you can touch the handlebars, 2cm either side is ok as far as I know..

 

[mattobrien]

Having broken in a couple of saddles, maybe more, it takes me about 300 miles of regular riding for my backside to get used to the saddle and vice versa.

If you are getting a sore perineum then it might be worth looking at a saddle with a cut out in the middle to ensure that there is no pressure in that area.

 

[BrynCP]

When I started I also got a lot of numbness, with some soreness, after as little as 5 miles.

After a ride where I went entirely numb I concentrated on how I was sitting, and I found that after a mile or two I started to lean very slightly forward and coming off my sit bones. For a few rides I just had to make it natural to ensure I was sitting properly and now I don't even need to think about it.

The other thing, that sounds counter productive, but worked, was tilting the seat up at the front just a tiny bit. However I don't do that now and the numbness has not returned. I also tried the tilt the seat down but this was uncomfortable as it did feel like I was sliding off.

 

[boydj]

I'm about the same height as you and always use 'small' frames, so you may be stretched out a bit. You could try a shorter stem to get you sitting a bit more upright, and/or moving your saddle forward a bit.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Sometimes, even on relatively short rides, it helps to occasionally stand up in the saddle for several seconds, then sit down again. Our posteriors really weren't designed for continual sitting over long periods.

 

[Banjo]

Dont ignore numbness .I have read it can do permanent damage to continue .

A saddle thats too soft can make situation worse ,as can gel saddle covers .

Possibly your saddle could be a bit high forcing you to roll your hips at the bottom of the pedal stroke, the knee should never be completely straight. A shorter stem or move saddle forward may help. Failing that you may need a "bio saddle" which has the center section removed.

Tilting the saddle forwards will make you put excessive weight on your hands and arms ,this will create a whole new set of problems.

One good thing is if you do need a new saddle the brooks will sell for most of what you payed for it.

 

[Libby]

I would suggest trying an Adamo - as a woman I had slightly different problem but Adamo saddles were originally designed for your problem (they just happen to be more comfortable for women too). It takes a few weeks for the sit bones to adjust but once used to it I would never go back to a "normal" saddle again!

 

[Cubist]

Lets not be mealy mouthed. Is it your balls or perineum that's causing issues? If its the former, then you need to go commando in a tight fitting pair of padded shorts and wear them so that your package is tucked and supported upwards, out of the way of the saddle. If its your perineum, then you need to experiment with saddle reach, height and tilt, small change at a time, until you get more comfortable. The trick, as you seem to have discovered, is to keep pressure off the perineum, but not so much that you start sliding around. How you achieve that will be through trial and error.


Give it a couple of weeks and you'll have a leather perineum anyway.

 

[David Drabble]

Hello,

Thanks for your frank, honest and swift replies. I have some things to try.

A bit more info to answer some of the points raised:
I have been using the bike a lot more than usual - over the last two months, maybe 60 - 80 miles a week, from virtually nothing before
.
Answering Cubist point - I started off with numbness and tingling in the lower scrotum area and balls at first. The only rest my bits got were the two days at the weekend, so the soreness carried on into the Monday and week after. It's been an issue since Christmas and I haven't really had much of a rest in between. After reading scary stories on Google about lumps, etc, the self examinations only make the sore area worse. I don't feel anything out of the ordinary by the way, but I must admit to feeling slightly paranoid.

Now I have the Brooks saddle. This being pretty hard and probably not adjusted right, the vibration from the road just transfered to my bits mentioned above, making the soreness continue. I realise how bad our roads are for pot holes. My backside just seems to slide around on the slippy leather surface. I have decided to take a rest from the bike until next Monday and try to adjust the saddle as suggested. It's day one off the bike. At the moment, I seem to just have soreness and tingling.

I'll look to make some adjustments to the saddle at the weekend and try after that. A small frame could be the answer - I don't know!

Can anyone recommend some good shorts or leggings? The cheap Aldi ones I have feel like I'm wearing a nappy. I think the point about tucking everything out of the way is a good one.

I have also found a cycling colleague who has agreed to take a look at me sat on the bike. If none of the adjustments offer any releif, I may go down the cut away saddle route. The resale value of the Brooks is a fair point.

Thanks.

 

[andrew waite]

Buy yourself a tub of Chamois Cream and a good pair of padded shorts

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Go get your bum measured properly and get the right width seat.

I did a couple of hundred miles on my stock saddle and it hurt like hell.

I thought I needed wider but no, I needed narrower. Instant bliss!!!

Trek/Spesh dealers will sort you out - you just sit on a gel pad and they measure sit bone width and they then sell you right width saddle.

 

[buggi]

Assuming you have the saddle set correctly, put your elbow against the tip of the saddle and see if you can touch the handlebars, 2cm either side is ok as far as I know..

I'm well off the handlebars but a cm into the stem and my bike is right size. I think the measurement is to the stem not handlebars.
how did you measure your sitbones? Did you sit on a proper measuring pad? If not, nip into a bike shop and get re-done. I heard brooks saddles take ages to break into but then people swear by them.

 

[bigjim]

Buy yourself a tub of Chamois Cream and a good pair of padded shorts

Do this. These Funkier 10 Panel Active Shorts from Chain Reaction are very, very good. I tour with them and am very impressed.
A Brooks does not suit everybody. I have a B17 that I have the same problem as you have with it. I've tried everything and can't get it right. I now use and recommend a Charge Spoon saddle. These are very popular as you get sit bone support that keeps the pressure off your prostate. At the moment though I've got Rolls saddIe on one bike. It's ok. I do though have a skinny ass. IMO Brooks is fine if you are sat upright on the saddle. On a racing/road bike I would not use one anymore.
The famous Jobst Brandt call Brooks Saddles Ass hatchets. Because as your sit bones create a dip in the saddle the centre moves into the prostate or ball area. Maybe he's right.
Even if you have to dip the saddle at the front you are better taking more pressure on your wrist than your balls.
Your weight should be spread around the bike. Not all on your ass. those big leg muscles should support most of it.