Another question about Saddle Discomfort

I wonder if you didn't bruise yourself towards the beginning of the session and all the rest of the trials were aggravating the bruise. Yeah, that works for internal stuff and bone bruising too.

Time in the saddle is probably the number one remedy but you have to have one you can spend time with before you want to get that time in. I would try about once a month to switch something rather than 10 in one day. Try it out for a bit and see if your bod can adjust to the new thing first. It mostly assuredly shouldn't HURT but it can get mighty uncomfortable if you go longer than you're used to going.

At first absolutely yes. I've started bike training from 2-3 year layoffs many times. At first my rear-end hurts after about only 5-10 miles. Then after a few rides the discomfort comes at around 20 miles, etc, etc. Long story short (for most people) your rear-end gets used to the saddle to where you can eventually ride a century pain-free.

Bike training is more than just training the legs. You train your rear-end to the saddle. Your neck has to get used to holding your head up. You have to train to be able to relax your shoulders to avoid pain there, etc. Since many people can't (or don't desire to) train to that level they prefer the upright position w/super padded saddle on a hybrid or cruiser.

According to your logs, you're averaging 48 miles a month on the bike in 2009. IMO, that is not enough mileage to really adjust to any saddle and so expecting much comfort isn't realistic.

Also, more padding on the saddle can be misleading. I've always ridden a very minimally padded, thin, light weight saddle and I've always adjusted to it perfectly pain free over time. But my TT bike came with a high-end, padded saddle and I just hate it with a passion. I won't ride it anymore and so I'm currently moving my saddle back and forth between roadie/TT bike until I can buy another copy of my preferred saddle.

Lastly, even though I'm now doing regular 60-113 mile training rides with virtually no saddle discomfort, when I first sit on the seat it ain't that comfy. For some reason It takes a couple miles for the saddle to feel perfect so I'm not sure just trying a bunch of saddles during a shop fit is going to give you much value.

I agree with what has been said. Time in the saddle will make it better yet if it is so painful you can't ride you are in a catch 22.

You can have skeletal pain but in time the muscle strengthen so it supports your body better. What type of saddles did you try? Any with cut outs? If it is the center line of your body I'm thinking a cut out would be helpful.

I do believe some saddles don't work for someone yet in time our bodies can adapt to saddles if we give it time.

I like Selle SMP saddles, ride glider, as they have a cut out so large no soft tissue touches the saddle and it fits my bony part of my bum so I'm supporting myself on my skeletal part of my body.

I do think I bruised something in my last race. It wasn't soft tissue issue but a bone issue. It took about a week to heal.

@DanielG -

That's a good idea about the bruise.  I didn't really think about that.

About time in the saddle, yeah we finally decided to just send me home with what the LBS guy thought was best and let me go on an actual ride with it to see how that goes.

@breckview -

I've been riding for about a year and a half now so I am aware that initially it does hurt more than after you get used to it, but I've had so many people tell me that I should not be experiencing PAIN on the bike that maybe I've developed the wrong idea about it.

About my training log, I haven't entered nearly everything yet.  I joined BT about... I think a month and a half ago, and I love it so I've gone back and started entering stuff from the beginning part of the year but I still don't have most of Feb, March, or April.  Haha.  It takes a while to get all the old data in there.  I usually bike 2 times a week around 15 to 20 miles.  I know it's not a lot, but I do mostly sprints and I guess even though tri training is a priority for me, it's not at the top of the list.  I do as much as I can with out sacrificing my family, career, too much sleep, ect.

@KathyG -

Yes, I have a saddle with a cutout.  The previous one had the through cut out but was too padded and bothered the soft tissues.  This new one that I have now is not cut through, just cut out, like there's no hole in the saddle just a divet.  And it's harder.  It doesn't bother the soft tissues at all (haleluia!!) but the skeletal points that I described earlier have like sharp pain.

Anyways, I'm a fighter, so I'll get back out there and try a few more rides before I take it back to the shop and swap it out.  Heck I rode on a saddle that made my soft tissues numb and painful for over a year before I finally am just now doing something about it.  A painful bum isn't going to stop me now.  I'm just hoping to eventually be comfortable on the saddle.  We'll see!!

Thanks for the thoughts!

The others covered everything I would have said, but while I was reading I had another thought. I'm not a roadie or a bike fitter or anything so take this with a grain of salt. Are you perhaps going for too aggressive a position to start? If you really haven't ridden much, maybe you should work with a more upright position on a softer saddle for a while. As you get more miles behind you, and toughen your behind, you may be able to start using a more aero position.

Edit: cross posted. From the last post it looks like you should have enough miles to discount this ^^ idea. Good luck.

Edited by Micawber 2009-06-29 10:30 AM

According to your logs for May and June, you're averaging 64.25 miles per month on the bike. Everybody makes their own decisions about priorities in life and there's absolutely nothing wrong/bad with choosing low volume. But I think it's unrealistic to expect to be very comfortable on the seat of a road or TT bike at that volume level. There are some things that you just can't throw money at and get a magic cure.

Since you've had many tell you that you shouldn't have PAIN on the bike, I will simply say that I've never known a serious bike rider that didn't have some saddle pain as they started ramping up training miles. I'm sure they exist and anecdotes will surely follow this post but IMO, training your rear-end to handle a saddle is just a given for most riders.

@Micawber -

Thanks for the suggestion anyways!

@thegoddess -

I originally had a Teri butterfly saddle, it is the one that was too padded and caused big time issues with the soft tissues area.

@breckview -

You are totally right about the last 2 months.  My training has been down and it really irks me if I think about it too much.  Life has thrown me quite a few curve balls over the past 2 months.  I know excuses, excuses.  I'm not trying to make excuses, it's just the way life is sometimes, and yes some of them I could have handled better/been more prepared for, but some of them like family emergencies and 2 different illnesses just don't give fair warning or ask permission before they punch you in the face.

I guess my main thing here is that I rode with the Terri saddle for a year with the same issue all the while thinking - I'll just get used to it.  So I'm perfectly willing to accept that I may just have to get used to it as long as that time frame is say 1 month.

Thanks so much for the input everyone!  I really appreciate it!!