I’d like a new bike saddle - I’m fed up of discomfort

[ScotMitchyNew]

I’ve got a Carerra cross city ebike and love everything, bar the saddle.

I put a cover over it, but still have a painful bum despite padded shorts.

I’m quite a big lass, with the bottom to match, and don’t do speed or ergonomics - what I would love is padded comfort that could see me out and about for 20 plus miles without pain.

please can I have your suggestions

 

[ColinJ]

This subject comes up all the time, and in fact we have just been covering it again over the past couple of days.

You will end up with one group of people saying that you need saddle 'x'. Another group will then come along and say that 'x' is really uncomfortable, you need saddle 'y'...

The correct answer is that every bottom is different, so you will just have to try different saddles until you find one that suits you! You probably should start by looking at wider saddles. It is unlikely that narrow ones would suit you.

One thing I found, was that a less upright position helped me. I am more comfortable leaning forward more. Again though, every person is different - you may be more comfortable when more upright.

Good luck! I've had problems with a sore bum on all-day rides and it isn't nice having to spend most of your time standing on the pedals when you still have 30+ miles to go...

 

[vickster]

Do you have a women‘s specific saddle or is it a unisex (ie one more suited to a male anatomy ) that came with the bike?
If not, I‘d say that’s the first place to start. something like a Charge Ladle/Madison Leia is a decent choice for around £30, although it may not suit you, it is trial and error!

Padded is actually not always better, firm can be and you should not be putting all your weight through your bum, but your legs should be taking the strain while pedalling. Do you stand up regularly to give your behind a break?

Ive got a reasonably well used WSD saddle which you're welcome to have for the cost of Hermes postage (£3?)
clearly I cant promise it’ll be better, but it’ll at least be suited to female anatomy. I’m also pretty big and use 155 wide saddles

 

[cougie uk]

A lot of people have the saddle too low/bars too high and that puts too much pressure on the bum. If it's the right height then your legs and arms take a lot of the pressure off your posterior.

I'd check that out - can't recommend a saddle as everyone is different.

 

[vickster]

looks like a folding bike with high bars, not sure how much adjustment. Folders aren’t really designed for long rides but they are of course fine if have the set up right.

 

[ScotMitchyNew]

Do you have a women‘s specific saddle or is it a unisex (ie one more suited to a male anatomy ) that came with the bike?
If not, I‘d say that’s the first place to start. something like a Charge Ladle/Madison Leia is a decent choice for around £30, although it may not suit you, it is trial and error!

Padded is actually not always better, firm can be and you should not be putting all your weight through your bum, but your legs should be taking the strain while pedalling. Do you stand up regularly to give your behind a break?

Ive got a reasonably well used WSD saddle which you're welcome to have for the cost of Hermes postage (£3?)
clearly I cant promise it’ll be better, but it’ll at least be suited to female anatomy. I’m also pretty big and use 155 wide saddles

Thank you - that might be a good starting point.

I have the saddle that came with it - unisex - and I never stand when cycling!

 

[ScotMitchyNew]

looks like a folding bike with high bars, not sure how much adjustment. Folders aren’t really designed for long rides but they are of course fine if have the set up right.

I did 22 miles today - everything else is comfortable bar my bum!

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Not wishing to state the obvious but you are choosing female specific saddles are you?
Not a daft question because a LBS not too far from here sold mother and daughter bikes with male saddles, and then refused to swap them. I jest not!!!

 

[KnittyNorah]

Did you start slowly and build up your time and distance over a reasonable period of time, all the while tweaking the saddle's position to improve your ride/reduce your soreness? If not, I think you need to back-pedal a bit or even a lot and reduce the rides a wee bit in time and/or distance, until the pain reduces and you can feel any improvements made as you tweak the saddle fit/your position/the saddle itself.

I know - it's difficult when you are enjoying everything else about it so much.

As others have said, there is no one answer - the answer is the sum of many parts, and - IMO - if you take it all 'too fast' when you first take up cycling, or return to it after a long absence, you are not giving your body - and especially your sit-bones/ischial tuberosities - a fair chance to recover between rides, which it needs to do so that pain from earlier 'injury' is not masking possible improvements that changes to the saddle/your position have made.

 

[ScotMitchyNew]

It’s a universal saddle, bu unit my first bike or my first long ride. I normally do about ten miles three times a week; last weekend and this I did 20 milers; I think the saddle is a problem rather than my tolerance, but I am lost as to what to buy.

I have a WSD saddle on another bike, I may swap it over.

 

[vickster]

It’s a universal saddle, bu unit my first bike or my first long ride. I normally do about ten miles three times a week; last weekend and this I did 20 milers; I think the saddle is a problem rather than my tolerance, but I am lost as to what to buy.

I have a WSD saddle on another bike, I may swap it over.

That sounds like a good place to start if you know that saddle is comfortable

 

[ColinJ]

I think your saddle looks very low relative to the size of the bike and the height of the bars. That would put an awful lot of weight on the saddle! (And make riding much less efficient.)

I suspect that you may have it low because you feel safer being able to put your feet on the ground while sat on the saddle?

You really should not be able to do that! The saddle should be at a height which typically would just about let you get the extended tips of your toes to the ground. When you stop, get down off the saddle to stand over the bike.

The usual suggestion is that with your leg straight you should just about be able to get your heel on the pedal when it is at its lowest point. That way, you would still have a small bend in your knee when the foot is further back in the normal pedalling position.

 

[biggs682]

Have a look at the Selle smp ladies range

 

[ScotMitchyNew]

I did put the seat up a fair few inches today, and that felt better.

 

[vickster]

A few inches?! Wow it must’ve been low! How were your knees?!