Ouch! Seat advice please

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MntnMan62

Über Member
Location
Northern NJ
Every saddle is different for each person. It really has to do with your sit bone anatomy. But if you are gauging the performance of your seat based upon one ride, you're making a mistake. If I haven't ridden in a while, say in several weeks. That first ride back on the bike gives me a sore butt afterwards. Your butt has to build up tolerance to your seat. So, stick with it and ride again. It may actually hurt as soon as you sit on the bike at the beginning of that second ride but bear through it. Evenutally the pain will subside. If you ride consistently, you will no longer feel pain. If you do, THEN you need to consider a change in seats. But one ride isn't going to give you the appropriate amount of feedback on whether your seat fits or not.
 
I'm also 2 years post spinal fusion
Had mine done twice, first L3 to L5, then recently extended up to L2. My experience has been that it will have zero effect on riding, but you will need to ensure that your core strength improves to maximise support. You should try to ensure this anyhow when cycling, as it keeps your hands from supporting too much of your weight.
Saddles: favourite women's specific seems to be Charge Ladle, now hard or impossible to get, although @Reynard mentioned she may have found something pretty similar by Madison.
 
This is an issue I'm going to be facing very soon - due to circumstances (now resolved) I've not been able to ride my bike for 10 years - and I got a new bike coming next week.:hyper::biggrin:

I'm seriously old, I'm relatively unfit - although have been told by medics that I'm 'pretty fit and very active' for my age - and have a dodgy leg! But I want to get fitter. So it's a case of gradually - and I mean gradually - (re)accustoming myself to the bike, while increasing my use of it - hence fitness - also very gradually.

After first checking the saddle's position and my leg extension/pedal position as described above, I intend to ride the bike for five minutes - yes you heard that right, five minutes. I shall ride to the end of the cul-de-sac, twice round the church carpark and back. I expect I'll want to slightly tweak the height of the saddle after that. The next day, IF there's no soreness, I plan to ride for a whopping ten minutes - to the church, wheel the bike over the road at the crossing, then along the cul-de-sac on the other side of the road, and back - with a couple of turns around the church car park on my way back if there's no discomfort! Then on the third day, I'm planning a BIG ADVENTURE. I'm going to ride to canal bridge number X, then along the canal to bridge X+1, where I'll leave the canal and ride back home - so about 15 mins of riding, with breaks to wheel the bike down and up, on and off the towpath.

The idea is to never develop actual pain; discomfort may be expected and even tolerated, but not pain. Actual pain, in the early days, is a sign that you exerted/strained yourself too much, and you should back-pedal (haha!) a little. Of course once you have a basic degree of fitness and are accustomed to the bike, you can extend yourself and do more, as you'll be able to listen to your body better.

Given my age, I plan to continue increasing the time I ride in five or ten minute increments and once I'm up to 25 - 30 minutes (by the end of the first week) I'll start doing a longer ride, 45 mins - 1 hour, once or twice a week. I have plans for the late summer/autumn ... Younger people could almost certainly increase this much faster - but I'd still say, don't go past the discomfort stage - you are supposed to be enjoying this!

It's also important that you don't forget to take care of your skin in the areas that come into contact with the saddle and that chafe against it and your clothing. It gets very sweaty and moist between you and the saddle - perfect conditions, whether you are male or female, for bacteria and fungi to set up home on abraded or tender skin and membranes - and that is most certainly not wanted at any time of year and least of all at the beginning of summer! If you get soreness or tenderness in unexpected places - check your knicker seams as a first line of defence/prevention - it might be them!

All the best in getting going again and many happy cycling moments with the kids!
 

Saluki

World class procrastinator
A cheap, but good, saddle option is a Specialized Body Geometry (BG) Riva - ladies. When I was on a tighter budget than I am on now, I got a new one for £25. I still love it, it’s still fab.

ladies saddles for ladies bums are all important. Don’t be fooled that wide, arm chair like saddles are comfy, they are mostly not. Padded shorts are a must. You can wear them under baggy shorts if you don’t like the look, but they are designed to protect the sit bones. It takes a while to get your sit bones used to riding again. Before long, the bum pain will be a distant memory.

i am a fan of Selle SMP saddles too. even the men’s ones are comfy.

welcome to the best cycling forum on the planet. Lots of advise here and a great community.
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
Right height and you can use your legs as shock absorbers. You don't sit in the saddle like a sack of spuds.
Very true.

Explains a little, why you get saddle sore on longer than normal rides. As your legs tire, more weight goes on the saddle and thus starts to hurt more. Gradual increases in distances should resolve this as you strengthen your legs.

But if you suffer from saddle sore in the first couple of miles, then there is something wrong with the saddle position or shape. Sometimes a tilt down or up is all that it takes.
 
Saddles: favourite women's specific seems to be Charge Ladle, now hard or impossible to get, although @Reynard mentioned she may have found something pretty similar by Madison.

Yep, the Madison Leia is near enough identical to the Charge Ladle, the latter currently being made of unobtanium. At 26 notes, the Leia won't break the bank either - Biketart sell them.

I'm really pleased with my Madison Leia so far - or rather, my bum is. 2 hours plus on a MTB riding gravel trails is a breeze.

Am planning on posting a side-by-side test of the two saddles at some point, as I have Ladles on my other bikes.

As for the Selle SMP jobbies, it's like sitting on something made by Torquemada. Ouch!!!
 
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If you get soreness or tenderness in unexpected places - check your knicker seams as a first line of defence/prevention - it might be them!

Seamless running briefs are your friend here. ^_^

Padded shorts are a must. You can wear them under baggy shorts if you don’t like the look, but they are designed to protect the sit bones. It takes a while to get your sit bones used to riding again. Before long, the bum pain will be a distant memory.

Not necessarily. It's down to personal preference. I ride mostly unpadded. :blush:
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Yep, the Madison Leia is near enough identical the Charge Ladle, the latter currently being made of unobtanium. At 26 notes, the Leia won't break the bank either - Biketart sell them.

I'm really pleased with my Madison Leia so far - or rather, my bum is. 2 hours plus on a MTB riding gravel trails is a breeze.

Am planning on posting a side-by-side test of the two saddles at some point, as I have Ladles on my other bikes.

As for the Selle SMP jobbies, it's like sitting on something made by Torquemada. Ouch!!!
Thanks for the reminder on the Leia, just got one on ebay for £20. I have a couple of ladles
 
Here's a useful article about womens issues and bike saddles, with some specific advice from a female gynaecologist and keen cyclist.
 
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