Numb bum syndrome

[Nathan182]

Okay so after getting my first bike I went on my first proper bike ride yesterday to take advantage of the weather, I went on a 4 hour all round bike ride up the canal which consisted of 10km all together, needless to say my muscles are hurting today but most of all my arse, more so my coxis, my saddle was so uncomfortable along my ride that I was stopping every 10-15 mins to give my bum a break, any info or ideas to help? is this a common thing with most riders? I don't know as im new to all this lol

 

[AndyPeace]

Is that a typo? 10km in 4 hours. makes your average speed less than walking speed( 2.5km/hr...1.5mph) I'm guessing it is, maybe 100km? not that it matters. Sounds like you need to play around with saddle position. Try making small changes to the saddle moving it forwards or backwards.

 

[Nathan182]

I meant 19k I accidently pressed the 0.

 

[paul04]

I think its one of those things you get use to, try some good padded shorts, you can also get a padded cover for the seat(tescos do them) or any good bike shop.
And like AndyPeace said, try adjusting the seat.

 

[vickster]

Are you wearing padded shorts? They help a lot. Probably need to look at bike set up too

 

[steve52]

been there done that, my doc said it allways happens with an old fat arse and a young slim saddle, get the widest thickest saddle you can untill you get used to cycling, you dont have too but hell it helps

 

[deadpool7]

First bike? If so, that's a long distance and time to have been on the saddle for your first time out. It will take a few weeks of riding to adjust. Definitely invest in a good pair of padded shorts. Your bum will thank you later.

 

[Nathan182]

yes I was wearing padded shorts they helped a bit but was still super uncomfortable. maybe I will just get used to it

 

[Harold Kumar]

I found that changing the bike seat to an ergonomically padded one with springs did the trick. YMMV

 

[Nathan182]

Another thing was I found my hands were going numb by the time I was almost home, is this a common thing also?

 

[Harold Kumar]

Another thing was I found my hands were going numb by the time I was almost home, is this a common thing also?

I found that that above happened usually when the handlebar was lower than the seat and when I rode for a longer duration. Must of been something to do with weight distribution perhaps?

 

[MrJamie]

The time in the saddle is probably the most important part, 4 hours is a long time. Canal paths tend to be bumpy which doesn't help things and if you're travelling relatively leisurely youll probably have a lot of your weight on the saddle, as you get faster youll be pushing more on the pedals taking more weight off your bum.

Padded undershorts are a good starting point if you're not in lycra, the dhb ones on wiggle are pretty decent

 

[screenman]

Pushing down harder on the pedals means less weight on the saddle, try it. As for the wider saddle advice I am sorry but that would be a definite no go for me.

 

[coffeejo]

Numb hands usually mean you're resting too much weight on them and through your arms. Your body obviously needs to adjust to cycling but it might be worth getting your LBS to help you set the bike up correctly so the only discomfort you experience is the type that will decrease with time - an incorrect set up won't change until you change it.

 

[Nathan182]

no same here I wouldn't like a wider saddle, I have just ordered a padded saddle cover of amazon, hopefully that does the trick.