Bike Seat, female parts
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2013-09-17 9:12 AM |
57 , California | Subject: Bike Seat, female parts My wife and I are "building a base" for training for a 70.3 next June/July. Everything is going well so far except for one issue.. My wife's bike saddle seems to be bothering her "women parts". There's rubbing and soreness and some swelling down there after a bike ride. We took a shower after a long bike ride yesterday and she winced in pain from the touch of water in that area. I know there are "sit muscles" that need to get used to the biking, but this seems different. She has a Giant Aeryn 2 with the factory seat. The seat is flat without any dips in the center. I was considering getting her an ISM Adamo seat that has the large opening, but wanted to see if anyone else here is dealing w/ this. She does use bike shorts with pad and chamois and doesn'tw ear underwear while riding. Neither of us use "Chamois cream" or lotion in the chamios - is that something to try? Thanks |
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2013-09-17 9:24 AM in reply to: cbr shadow |
Pro 6191 | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts YES! Use Chamois cream or lube of some sort. I like TriSlide and Chamois Butt'r. Use it on EVERY RIDE. Both of you. If that doesn't fix the problem, I'm a big Adamo fan. Definitely worth picking up a used one on the classifieds, and reselling it if it doesn't work for you. |
2013-09-17 9:35 AM in reply to: cbr shadow |
Veteran 1384 Panama City, FL | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts Uh, LUBE is your friend! Also, ISM or similar model saddles are great, but heck yes, use chamois cream/butter. |
2013-09-17 9:42 AM in reply to: taylorz13 |
Champion 10018 , Minnesota | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts If she's wincing in the shower, she surely has a friction issue. Definitely need some lube. I really like DZ Nuts and it comes in a woman's version called Bliss. Heals and protects |
2013-09-17 9:57 AM in reply to: BikerGrrrl |
257 | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts I really love my Terry saddle I bought to replace the factory seat on my bike. Personally, my tush and parts feel great when riding for 2.5 hours. I don't use cream or even thick cycling padding. http://www.terrybicycles.com/Saddles/Womens-Sport/Falcon-X-Saddle In any case, test some saddles out! It will make a huge difference. |
2013-09-17 10:07 AM in reply to: LPJmom |
754 | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts You may have been married for a while, so as a reminder, every woman's body is different Most LBS will have a test ride program for saddles. No saddle that is made for a woman is made for every woman. The sit bone support will be different, as will the soft tissue (the polite term to use when she has to explain the problem to the 22 year old guy at the LBS) contact area. My bike came with a women's specific saddle. It never became truly comfortable, even after more than 2000 miles, and I had to test ride 3 others before finding one that I like. It is the Fisik Aliante Donna, but I know some women who swear by their Specialized saddles. She just has to try them. It is a very...personal...choice. In the mean time, she may be able to get some relief by tilting the nose down about 5 degrees. |
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2013-09-17 10:15 AM in reply to: cbr shadow |
Member 5452 NC | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts Originally posted by cbr shadow Neither of us use "Chamois cream" or lotion in the chamios - is that something to try? Yes. |
2013-09-17 10:36 AM in reply to: LPJmom |
Expert 2180 Boise, Idaho | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts Sounds like a 'fit' issue. First-ensure the saddle is LEVEL. Even the smallest amount of fore/aft tilt can cause problems. I tell people their saddle should support them in 3 equal places; their 'soft tissue area' (aka junk or clutter) and both sit bones. If any one is more sore than the other; you should consider an adjustment. For women, it's sometimes OK to tilt the nose down a tiny bit (but not so much that you start to slide off the front). 2nd-consider raising the cockpit a little. Either by adding spacers to the headset or flipping the stem to a positive rise. This will help to unload the front of the saddle a bit and place more emphasis on the sit bones. I like using chamois butters/lubes, but a lube won't fix a bad seat fit. |
2013-09-17 10:41 AM in reply to: 0 |
Veteran 287 Tucson | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts Just wanted to add that fit is also important. I had a good fit done and over time my saddle migrated backwards. I didn't realize this and was starting to think that I needed a different saddle as I had rubbing in the lady parts. My hubby actually noticed that my saddle didn't look like it was in the right position for me. He looked at my fit report and adjusted my seat. Wow, what a difference that made! My parts were happy again. I also do not like much padding in my shorts at all. I mostly ride in my tri shorts. If your wife is using the stock saddle, she probably does need a different one though. Also, as a bit of a disclaimer, my longest ride is only 24 miles. Good luck! It's awsome that you are training together! Edited to add that I must have been posting the same time as Jeff. Sounds like he knows his stuff! Edited by desertchica 2013-09-17 10:43 AM |
2013-09-17 12:17 PM in reply to: cbr shadow |
Veteran 1677 Houston, Texas | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts Fit, good bike shorts, and lubrication are all important....but if she's tried all three and continues to still have issues, the saddle might be the issue. I went through a big list of saddles before I finally found one that worked for me. If you can find a shop that demos saddles (rather than having to buy a new one every time one doesn't work), that's ideal. Also of note, it's pretty much impossible to say what saddle a person will like, as they're so personal. I've ridden a couple Adamos (one was tolerable, the other not so much), one of the Cobbs (took me a while to decide that it just wasn't the saddle for me), the Hilo Bontrager (knew almost instantly that it wasn't going to work), and finally settled on a Profile Design Tri Stryke. For every saddle I hated, there are tons of people who love it....likewise, probably a ton of people who hate the one I ended up loving. |
2013-09-17 12:54 PM in reply to: ligersandtions |
Master 1681 Rural Ontario | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts Like everyone already said - get some chamois cream - i.e. "Chamois Butt'r" (there is a 'HER' version), "Assos", DT Nutz, etc. It takes some time to get used to spending time in the saddle, but some people have more tender private bits and will take longer to adjust. Check on the fit - either pay a pro to do it and make sure they know she's having saddle discomfort down there. Alternately you can do it yourself with a bit of interweb research. in a nutshell: There are 3 contact points on a bike: saddle (for your groin), pedals (feet) and handlebar (hands / arm). Your entire body weight is distributed in these three places, and when there If there is less pressure on one, the others take up the slack. Some things to look for: - Make sure the saddle is not too high. At the bottom of the stroke the leg should be not quite straight (170 to 175 degrees is rule of thuumb) - Check for too much reach, or how much she's streched out when holding the handle bar. If her hips have to rotate forward to reach the bar to where the front of her privates are uncomfortable, she may need a shorter handlebar stem or even a smaller bike. - Check the saddle angle. Typically a perfectly flat (horizontal) saddle is fine but some women need to drop the nose a bit if there is discomfort. A saddle change is really a last resort. Its very individual but it seems like most people solve their sitting isssues with 1 of 3 saddles: Cobb Cycling V-flow series (expensive but has a 180 day full refund satisfaction guarantee), ISM Adamo (unusual and some people never get used to the noseless feeling & wide rails), Profile Designs Tri Stryke (very affordable, very 'normal' looking but very well padded.) |
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2013-09-17 3:05 PM in reply to: mgalanter |
Champion 19812 MA | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts Try in this order: 1. Chamois cream 2. Bike Fit 3. New saddle if first two don't help or if the fitter thinks that a new saddle is in order. Women have soft tissue that can get squished. Finding a saddle that doesn't squish can be helpful. I like SMP saddles as the cut out is huge. No soft tissue touches. But each of us is different so going with a fitter who has options for her to try before she buys will be important. Not all fitters are good be picky in who you have fit your wife. |
2013-09-17 3:12 PM in reply to: KathyG |
Expert 972 Falls Church | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts I went from stock seat to Fizik to Adamo Prologue. Very, very happy with it. I do not use any lubricant and only a very thin chamois. |
2013-09-17 3:45 PM in reply to: hoffsquared |
Champion 10154 Alabama | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts I have use plain (and cheap) Vaseline for years in all places where abrasion is an issue. Years ago I got a bad saddle rash on my buttucks and a few days later had an annual physical with my doc. As I bent over the table she saw the abrasion and asked what had happened. I told her it was from riding a bike. I don't think she believed me....probably thought it was a carpet burn or something. |
2013-09-17 7:29 PM in reply to: Rogillio |
1159 | Subject: RE: Bike Seat, female parts Originally posted by Rogillio I have use plain (and cheap) Vaseline for years in all places where abrasion is an issue. Years ago I got a bad saddle rash on my buttucks and a few days later had an annual physical with my doc. As I bent over the table she saw the abrasion and asked what had happened. I told her it was from riding a bike. I don't think she believed me....probably thought it was a carpet burn or something. that's your story and you're sticking to it right? |
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