Asphalt Junkies CLOSED AND GETTING OUR FIX (Page 104)

OK.  I may be repeating things I've said in the past that you remember and therefore being redundant but I'm not sure what I've said and what you might recall if I did say it...

Road bikes are easy because they are intended to fit us such that our pelvis's are rotated back and we are sitting on the portion of our anatomy that is good for this purpose.     The only soreness we have then (in most cases) is when the sit bones need to become acclimated.  In this case the right advice is usually to just tough it out and it goes away.  Friction can still cause a problem on the inner thighs and up in the spot between (ahemmm...) the two openings due to rocking back and forth friction.  But these can be solved by seat position and friction creams.

So you often get a lot of this same advice for tri bike comfort problems.  But with a tri bike the problem is usually completely different so these pieces of advice are usually not helpful.

On a tri bike we are supposed to be aerodynamic.  Doing so gets our torso closer to horizontal (or totally horizontal if you are really going for it).  To do this while still sitting on your sit bones will require the pelvis to stay rotated back like on a road bike and thereby bending at the waist to an extreme angle.  This doesn't work for many of us because it forces our abdominal organs up in to the diaphragm creating a breathing problem.  It also requires a curvature of the lower back that's not obtainable by most of us and not advisable for any of us (can you say disc degeneration anyone?).

So the typical way we ride a tri bike is to also rotate our pelvis forward so we aren't folded at the waist.  Then we end up sitting on a part of our anatomy that doesn't work well for this purpose.  Without getting too crass, you need to be specific about WHERE your discomfort is.  I am assuming it's from sitting on your 'uniquely female parts'.

The only solution to this problem that I'm aware of are those seats that are split so that there is no saddle underneath that area.

You hear people talking a lot about the Adamo and the Cobb V-flow saddles. 

Does it sound like I'm understanding your particular problem correctly?

Jo63 - 2012-08-21 12:04 PM Jeff....yes you are correct and they have already changed my seat to one with a cut out its a selleitalia with no luck, after Sundays ride I literally had to use an ice pack I almiost feel bruised I guess with my race just 3 weeks away I am veryworried becasue I feel this is the one issue that makes the bike extremely unbearble the rest of me feels ok. even today I am still a bit uncomfortable, so ..... I guess at this point I don't know what I need and I dont even know what to tell or ask for with the fitter or do I just try to do something different with the position of the seat? This is when I tell myself I should have started this longer course process more than a year ago but it is waht it is and I will have to make the best of it.

Joe, I think we can find a seat to help.

Help me by showing me the exact model of Selle italia you have right now. (maybe I shouldn't assume it's one of the SLR models?)

http://www.selleitalia.com/se_it3/prodotti/road/pagina_slr/

As an example, from my own personal story....I was originally using a Fizik Arione Tri saddle.  When sitting on that seat I couldn't tolerate even an Olympic distance bike ride at first.  Then with time I think I could tolerate that, but it HURT when I got off.

I switched to a Cobb V-Flow Plus and found relative comfort once I figured out exactly where to sit on it.  But even on that saddle I'm not sure about making it to 56 miles then running...But I may be close enough that it would work with acclimation.  In my case I seldom ride my tri bike, so I haven't given it a chance to get better.   The point is that the saddle was the difference. 

BTW, when you show me which model of saddle you are using, tell me where your weight is positioned on that seat when you are riding.   That's key.

For example, if your seat were the SLR Super Flow 145, you must sit on the saddle in the location I have circled in red.

(slr-super-145.png)

bswcpa - 2012-08-21 1:16 PM Jeff - Thanks for this. I wouldn't have thought to go about it this way. You never cease to amaze me with your helpful information and tips. Can I keep you as a friend for life even after the Junkies are gone?

Yes please!

bswcpa - 2012-08-21 2:16 PM

JeffY - 2012-08-20 11:32 AM

bswcpa - 2012-08-19 8:07 PM Your Dirk comment made me laugh out loud, Matt. Thanks for the info on the run course. I so want to do run smart and start slow to get my legs under me but heading downhill will be tough to keep in check. Oh well, it is what it is. Lucky you with a pop up that you can push around. I know what you mean about being beyond excited for Sunday. I'll pray for your wife and kids to be patient with you as you're bouncing off the walls.

If the downhill isn't too steep you can simply relax.  Even if you are going 10 miles per hour, it will be easier than your average race pace on the flat...so you will be recovering while making great time.  The key is to relax and let the gravity move you.

then at mile 5 when you climb back up, slow down and only use the same EFFORT you were using on the flats.  At the end of that mile you are no more winded than when you arrived at the bottom.  If you do this, you will notice you will be picking people off for another quarter mile after that hill!

 

Jeff - Thanks for this. I wouldn't have thought to go about it this way. You never cease to amaze me with your helpful information and tips. Can I keep you as a friend for life even after the Junkies are gone?

X2 and I thought we all had lifetime memberships, Junkies for life!

Jo, that saddle is entirely inadequate for a hips-rolled tri bike position. 

If your local bike store that's been helping you here is a selle Italia dealer, then immediately get in there and try the saddle that I linked for you.  If that doesn't feel good, there are 3 others to try but you will have to mail order them.  So here is the strategy I suggest.

First, the ISM saddles can be purchased from TriSports.com.  This is the company where Tom Demerly works (from this board).  Contact him through this board and ask if a saddle can be returned after testing it, if it's not comfortable.  If so, order the "Adamo Prologue".

Then, go to cobbcycling.com and order both a v-flow plus and v-flow max.  They have a great return policy...try it out and return it.

Then you have 3 saddles to test from before your race.  Return the other 2 and pay return shipping.

At the end, you will have paid about $150 for a seat that rescues your race and your long-course career.  And about $20 in return shipping.

You need to do this asap because you dont have a lot of time for this race.

I'm filling out paper work for a 2 month leave of absense right now! 

I'm looking through the want ads as we speak!

I also have the numbness issue described through all the saddle discussion.  I tried every saddle known to man, and only the Adamo works for me.  Unfortunately, to get the TT bike I'm borrowing low enough to use a super low profile saddle, and though it's cut a great cut out, it doesn't really work for me and I'm still number two days later.  This was completely common for me when I started cycling until I found the Adamo.  If I didn't already have my boys I'd have probably given up cycling altogether! 

I hope you all find a saddle which works.  On a related note, I have a question.  To avoid the numbness next week, I'm debating using my Adamo this weekend in the 70.3.  There is no doubt it makes my seat a tad too high, but not so much I can't ride reasonably well and comfortably.  Would you recommend giving up some proper seat heat for a better nether region experience?

Warren, numbness lasting for 2 days is actually damaging...or at least repeating it will be.  And I'm not talking about an automatic vasectomy which you may not mind....I'm referring to the inability to...ahem...you know.

So YES, ride with your seat a little high to improve your nether region experience...especially all the more since you will need to run afterwards.

If your seat is a little too high you will usually find the comfortable knee angle naturally by pointing your toes down a little more.  It usually works itself out just fine.

Tri-Indy would be a great place for several of us to get together because of proximity to many of us.  They have both sprint and Oly events on the same day so there is a distance for everyone.  This race, as everyone on here knows by now, is on Lisa's mandatory race list for me to do each year.  It is a fairly large race with 450-500 athletes doing the Oly and probably at least as many doing the sprint.

I would love to do an Xterra too but I have a lead sled for a mountain bike that, at least right now, is in NO condition for riding much less racing.  However,  I need to learn to be a better bike maintenance mechanic to save myself some cash and save myself a few headaches too so I could work on the Murray mountain bike and get it into some shape but it would NEVER be any kind of a race bike.  Besides, I am not sure Lis would have a very fond opinion of me desiring to get into another form of racing with a totally different and NEW bike.  BUT, I would definitely consider doing and Xterra on the "elephant bike."

I can't do anything in early Sept. of this year because I am doing the Rev3 70.3 on Sept 9.  This one will be a RACE for me and I hope to be in need of recovery for that one.  So I won't know how I'll feel after that for a full week.  To be honest I hope to need a couple of days off to recover from that one so I'll know I raced hard.

Jeff certainly has the upper hand in cycling wisdom here and I will almost always, entirely differ to his wisdom.  But in this case if he weren't giving you advice that I thought correct I would recommend something myself.  If I were to have issues that concerned "my nether region" you can bet I am not going to ride in that position long, especially for a 56 mile bike leg.  It's a good thing I agree with Jeff I guess.

I do have one thought.  And this question can be directed at both Warren and Jeff, but would it be a good idea to try to drop the nose of the saddle a bump to attempt to get some of the pressure off of the perineum?  This seems logical that this may be the piece of the puzzle that may relieve pressure.

Jo63 - 2012-08-21 2:50 PM

strikyr - 2012-08-21 1:30 PM

bswcpa - 2012-08-21 2:16 PM

JeffY - 2012-08-20 11:32 AM

bswcpa - 2012-08-19 8:07 PM Your Dirk comment made me laugh out loud, Matt. Thanks for the info on the run course. I so want to do run smart and start slow to get my legs under me but heading downhill will be tough to keep in check. Oh well, it is what it is. Lucky you with a pop up that you can push around. I know what you mean about being beyond excited for Sunday. I'll pray for your wife and kids to be patient with you as you're bouncing off the walls.

If the downhill isn't too steep you can simply relax.  Even if you are going 10 miles per hour, it will be easier than your average race pace on the flat...so you will be recovering while making great time.  The key is to relax and let the gravity move you.

then at mile 5 when you climb back up, slow down and only use the same EFFORT you were using on the flats.  At the end of that mile you are no more winded than when you arrived at the bottom.  If you do this, you will notice you will be picking people off for another quarter mile after that hill!

 

Jeff - Thanks for this. I wouldn't have thought to go about it this way. You never cease to amaze me with your helpful information and tips. Can I keep you as a friend for life even after the Junkies are gone?

X2 and I thought we all had lifetime memberships, Junkies for life!

I thought so too!!!

You are all officially Junkies for life.  It seems pretty great that friendships can be formed across miles and miles and connections can be made.  I think Jeff began the group in the first mentor session of 2011 and Warren, Jonathon and I have been hanging in there since then and obviously begun another shared mentor group that has been incredible. 

Okay!  I just got back from Vermont and upstate New York (Adirondacks region), had people to stay with in both areas. (yay!)  Over the weekend I did sprint nationals in Burlington, and I think overall I can be satisfied with how I did.  I said if I had a pretty good swim and a satisfying run, then I'd be happy.  (Yes, screw the bike. ) Well, I didn't particularly care for my swim time, but I still felt pretty good about the race overall.  For those who don't know, it was necessary to qualify for the Olympic distance nationals, but not sprint nationals (although I wouldn't be surprised if they changed this in the future)... I did qualify for the Oly though.  Anyway, so as a result, the sprint wasn't as competitive, or maybe deep is the better word, as the Oly, but that's not to say the sprint didn't have fast people- because surely there were!  Plus there were enough fast people for me.  I came in 25 out of 32 in my AG.  But my run time was 8th in my AG I think.  Nationals itself overall I think was a good experience to have!  With 1,000+ people in the sprint, it's the largest race I've done.  Prior to this, largest race was around 450.  Race report to come!

Samantha congrats on your race. It sounds like you had a great time and you did very well in a competive group. I am looking forward to reading all about it in your RR.

I know noting more than personal experience, but I dropped mine a bit and my numbness/pain issues got much worse. For me raising it a hair worked much better.

Just my n=1 :-)

Great job Sam - 8th in your AG is pretty awesome for the run!