Yet another Saddle Question (or 2) :)

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Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
First........background to my problem.

On my 2 previous (stolen) bikes I had quite expensive Sella Italia saddles (£75.00ish each).
Road bike was a Ribble full carbon sportive. Hard tail was a Decathlon.
When riding either of these any real distance (25 miles plus) I would suffer numbness of the pudendal 'nerve' (a.k.a. numb knob). This quickly went after the ride.
I also suffered from tender bum bones but not too bad.

On my replacement bikes I have the factory fitted saddles.
Road bike is Giant full carbon with Fizik saddle (think its one of the lower priced ones)
Hard tail is Giant Talon 1 with Giant Contact Upright saddle.
I now do 50 miles with absolutely no numbness at all.
BUT my bum bones get very tender after, say, 35 miles. e.g. I did 50 miles on Saturday and they still hurt today (Monday)
This is my first year back into cycling.
I'm 68 years old (so not elastic like I used to be :smile: )
I wear the same pairs of padded shorts (all good quality Funkier)

So.........Has anyone suffered from tender sit/bum bones and rectified it by changing saddles ?
If so what did you change to ?
OR.........is it just a question of persevering until they harden up (if they do??)
 

vickster

Legendary Member
If your sit bones hurt, have you checked the saddle is the right width first and correct shape second
 
Location
Loch side.
Tenderness goes away with time if you keep up the mileage. Eventually, you can go for days without any tenderness at all. However, if you stop or dramatically decrease the mileage it comes back again and you have to start all over again.

Expensive saddles are not necessarily the best saddle for you, It is very, very personal. You've just stumbled upon a saddle that's the right fit for you and you are lucky. Many people search for years, or indeed, forever. Nowadays companies like Selle Italia, PRO and Specialized all claim to have found a way to measure or predict what saddle will work for you. These techniques vary quite a bit and only have one common denominator as far as I can tell and that is the distance between your sit bones or iliac points. The rest of the factors are completely different. This tells me we are not there yet and probably never will be.

Trial and error and then, perseverance. The answer is not necessarily and universally in slots, cut-outs, padding or width. It seems that every arse is truly unique.
 
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Dave7

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
If your sit bones hurt, have you checked the saddle is the right width first and correct shape second
The short answer is 'no' as, although I have read about the theory doing that it does seem a bit 'heath robinson'.
I have checked but can't find anyone in/near Warrington that offers this service.
 
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Dave7

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
Yes........I think you make valid points. I am getting out one a week (twice this week) and doing 50ish miles each time.

. It seems that every arse is truly unique.

Perhaps a new forum where everyone can send photos of their arse together with measurements and which saddle works for them.
Could work
:whistle:^_^
 

Custom24

Über Member
Location
Oxfordshire
My LBS has a test saddle programme where they have 20 or so demo saddles, you pay £40 and try as many for as long as you want. The £40 is then deducted from the cost of any eventual saddle you buy from them.

I am currently trying saddle 3 of 20! I haven't found one better than the stock saddle on my MTB so far.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
The short answer is 'no' as, although I have read about the theory doing that it does seem a bit 'heath robinson'.
I have checked but can't find anyone in/near Warrington that offers this service.
Most Specialized dealers who sell saddle have the measuring implement. There's one in Chester

http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/chester-store

Only half an hour or so away. Take your cycling shorts (or cycle there), your existing saddles and get measured and then ask them to advise on a saddle that is the same shape but correct width if what you have indeed are wrong

Or you can do it yourself by sitting on a piece of foil in your cycling shorts
 
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Dave7

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
Evans at chill factor e, Trafford, have an arseometer. Could you cycle there?

I wouldn't LIKE to cycle there as it's all A57 :sad:.
Chester is the same distance so could do that.
Thanks
 

ayceejay

Guru
Location
Rural Quebec
I don't know what funkier shorts are like but whatever the shorts are they need to be as tight as a second skin and any fold or loose material to bunch up will give you a problem and if you use chamois creme put it on the chamois not your skin. Plus, if you are not positioned correctly and put too much weight on your saddle your sore bum (please let it remain your secret) will get worse.
 
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Dave7

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
I don't know what funkier shorts are like but whatever the shorts are they need to be as tight as a second skin and any fold or loose material to bunch up will give you a problem and if you use chamois creme put it on the chamois not your skin. Plus, if you are not positioned correctly and put too much weight on your saddle your sore bum (please let it remain your secret) will get worse.

Re' Funkier...........I went to my LBS (as he is a cyclist) and asked what he used. It was Funkier. So I got them.......a bit expensive but they do the job.
I dont get any chafing, no blisters, no numbness.............just the aching sit bones after 30/40 miles.
I have asked my wife to massage them but for some reason the thought doesn't excite her :sad:
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Aching sit bones would tell me that you have been sitting in the same position for too long. During your rides, do you get out of the saddle from time to time to attack a hill or blast over a patch of rough road? Just a few seconds allows the blood to flow and gives relief. It also tells me the saddle may be set at the wrong angle - for most people, a couple of degrees up at the nose or just flat is correct. Aim to find a position where your weight is "cupped" by the saddle rather than pressing on one area. After 50 miles anybody would get a numb bum if they hadn't changed their position or lifted off the saddle a few times.

I use Charge saddles and like many people, find them very comfortable as well as affordable.
 

Scotchlovingcylist

Formerly known as Speedfreak
Charge saddle for me too after using OEM ones without much thought.
I can go up to about 50 miles before numb bum sets in however my mate hates them and prefers his OEM Fuji one.
I'm back commuting on my bike tomorrow after five weeks off, not looking forward to sore bum :sad:
 

Bazzer

Setting the controls for the heart of the sun.
I wouldn't LIKE to cycle there as it's all A57 :sad:.
Chester is the same distance so could do that.
Thanks

The A57 isn't too bad once you are out of Warrington. The road splits at Cadishead, so you can either use the route along the ship canal, which has a cycle path, before it rejoins the original road, or go along the old road through Irlam and Urmston. The junctions you need to be alert on are crossing the M6 at Woolston and the M60 either at Peel Green or at the Trafford Centre.

Agree with you about the funkier shorts; they are my most comfortable pair. Although as with saddles, I suspect their involvement at the meeting of arse and saddle is very much personal preference.
 
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