Long term trauma to the vulva in female pro cyclists.

[Mo1959]

Makes my odd saddle sore at the start of the season seem so trivial after reading that.

I have spent a fortune on experimenting with saddles. I've just found a Selle San Marco with a short nose that feels pretty good. Maybe I've found the one at last!

 

[theclaud]

I have two Charge Spoon saddles and they are very comfortable. I tried to get a Charge Ladle for my wife last year, but couldn’t get one for love or money.

They don't make them any more. Which is a shame, as they were my cheap utility saddle of choice. They looked good, too.

 

[Julia9054]

Anatomy is so individual and saddles are so expensive. Once went to a little bike shop in Tadcaster which had saddles you could borrow but the owner - a bloke in socks and sandals - proceeded to talk at me for 20 minutes whilst insulting my bike. They didn't have the one I wanted to try and he wasn't interested in sourcing it for me so that was that.
I have a Specialized Oura (wasn't cheap) with a cut out that i find quite comfortable but am always in search of perfection.
The article - very well written - made me wince!

 

[vickster]

I have two Charge Spoon saddles and they are very comfortable. I tried to get a Charge Ladle for my wife last year, but couldn’t get one for love or money.

Several hits on Google, including
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/char...pumh4QIVjp3tCh2fAA5VEAUYAyABEgIhz_D_BwE#white

 

[vickster]

Anatomy is so individual and saddles are so expensive. Once went to a little bike shop in Tadcaster which had saddles you could borrow but the owner - a bloke in socks and sandals - proceeded to talk at me for 20 minutes whilst insulting my bike. They didn't have the one I wanted to try and he wasn't interested in sourcing it for me so that was that.
I have a Specialized Oura (wasn't cheap) with a cut out that i find quite comfortable but am always in search of perfection.
The article - very well written - made me wince!

I bought an Oura for my Genesis as it was the best colour. Most uncomfortable saddle I've tried. I've decided cut outs actually don't work for me based on having had two saddles and neither being any good. I'm no racer, but I can get sore, being on the heavy side probably doesn't help . Bontrager saddles seem to work best for me with decent padded shorts

 

[Katherine]

I think I have been very lucky! Though I have changed the saddle that came with all my bikes for a wider shape.
In my experience, it takes about 20 miles of cycling before you discover that a saddle is uncomfortable.

It's about time that the female pros are given a new design of saddle or way of supporting their body when they are in the aero position.

 

[roadrash]

@LeetleGreyCells I can confirm winstanleys have them I was in there looking at saddles at the weekend. the layout has changed, no longer a pokey shop with small counter, everything now on display

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Several hits on Google, including
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/char...pumh4QIVjp3tCh2fAA5VEAUYAyABEgIhz_D_BwE#white

@LeetleGreyCells I can confirm winstanleys have them I was in there looking at saddles at the weekend. the layout has changed, no longer a pokey shop with small counter, everything now on display

Thank you! I looked everywhere last year and could not find one to buy - all I saw was ‘Fill out your email and we’ll let you know when it’s back in stock’. Which they never were. I’ll get one ordered while I can. Even if my wife doesn’t use it and prefers the Selle Donna, it’ll be worth hanging onto for when my daughter is older.

EDIT - Ordered!

 

[Racing roadkill]

This is colloquially known as Blue waffle syndrome <warning>DO NOT GOOGLE BLUE WAFFLE</warning> the added problem of a Lipoma ( a benign tumour consisting of fat cells ) is also not much fun. I’m glad us blokes don’t have to contend with any of this.

 

[Julia9054]

Bought a Charge bike that had a Charge Spoon on it. Most uncomfortable saddle ever - and the discomfort was definitely "female specific"
Stuck the damn thing straight on eBay (saddle, not the bike)

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I just hope Hannah Dines doesn't end up known as "as the woman who wrote that article" as she's a very interesting character.

Hannah is already a well know athlete.
I hope the article is read and discussed by some of the medical profession, some saddle manufacturers, by lots of women cyclist that would otherwise think "maybe it only happens to me, noting I can do about it"

 

[Viking]

Hannah is already a well know athlete.
I hope the article is read and discussed by some of the medical profession, some saddle manufacturers, by lots of women cyclist that would otherwise think "maybe it only happens to me, noting I can do about it"

Agreed and well done to her for getting this publicised. It has been raised before and IIRC British Cycling did a lot of work in addressing issues like saddle tilt (revised UCI rules) and advising about hair removal (essentially don't because the hair has a significant role in infection reduction). One well known cyclist even mentioned that it gave her a "funny shaped foof" in one of her published pieces, so the issue is known - but not well enough known

Wrt saddles, one of our group rides on a mens SMP saddle and she says it's the most comfortable she has experienced and one of the men eventually found that a Specialized women's saddle suited him best, all through trial and error (and then success).

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I've followed Hannah for quite a while on various media and I hope this raises her profile as an athlete too.

Not sure you following her will raise her profile.

 

[PK99]

Genuine question here. Mrs PK is a keen cyclist and her complaint is more about sit bone pain less about "bits pain".

Hannah rides a trike and has celebral palsy. Does trike technique, which I understand involves more sitting, combined with less standing because of her physical limitations restricting ability to stand make a difference?

 

[theclaud]

I tried to get a Charge Ladle for my wife last year, but couldn’t get one for love or money.

They don't make them any more.

@LeetleGreyCells I can confirm winstanleys have them

Thanks for putting me straight on this - I'm glad to see they are still out there. Good price too. I now have one on 'pre-order' whatever that means...