Bum Ache !!

[everogere]

I have been cycling now for about 3 months after a health scare. I usually ride for about an hour every morning after which my bum aches so much I have started to stop halfway round to allow the circulation back. I have a good quality mountain bike and use a Selles SMP saddle, the one with the grove down the middle and the hole in the bottom ( not sure what the hole is for !! ). I have tried adjusting it to several different positions all with pretty much the same result. This is a middle of the range saddle and I have tried 2 other similarly priced ones. Before I splash out on an expensive saddle does anyone have any advise to why my **** aches so much and will paying more for one improve the ride or is this a pain I have to bear !!

 

[RickF]

Getting the position of the saddle correct is the most important thing. More expensive saddles are not necessarily more comfortable, and no saddle will be comfortable if it is not positioned correctly. I am extremely comfortable, even after 75 miles, on a Specialized Avatar saddle that sells for $75.

The saddle needs to pe positioned so that when you are in the proper position with respect to the pedals, your sit bones are planted on the widest part of the saddle. Once the fore and aft position and the height of the saddle are correct the pitch can be tweaked. Most people suggest starting with the saddle level. From there you can move the nose up or down by a few degrees until you find what is best for you. The best bet is to visit an experienced bike fitter at your LBS.

The cut-out down the middle is to prevent pressure on the nerves and arteries that run trhough the perineum to the penis. Putting pressure there can cause problems that are a lot more seriuos than a sore bum.

 

[dhk2]

I have been cycling now for about 3 months after a health scare. I usually ride for about an hour every morning after which my bum aches so much I have started to stop halfway round to allow the circulation back. I have a good quality mountain bike and use a Selles SMP saddle, the one with the grove down the middle and the hole in the bottom ( not sure what the hole is for !! ). I have tried adjusting it to several different positions all with pretty much the same result. This is a middle of the range saddle and I have tried 2 other similarly priced ones. Before I splash out on an expensive saddle does anyone have any advise to why my **** aches so much and will paying more for one improve the ride or is this a pain I have to bear !!

Yes, you'll have to bear some pain in your first months of riding. My guess is you've jumped into cycling way too quickly. By continuing to ride an hour a day every day you're not giving the sore butt any chance to heal. Suggest you take a couple of days off the bike now, and then start back at about 30 minutes a day. Standing (out of the saddle frequently) will help too, like on every small hill or whenever you need to accelerate.

Once you're comfortable with 30 minutes a day, slowly build up your seat time again. With patience, you should be able to ride an hour pain-free in a few more months.

 

[matagi]

A lot of this stuff is trial and error. You need to change one thing and one thing only each time and go out and check after each adjustment.

Things to check, saddle height, fore/aft position, saddle angle (up/down and side to side).

This following site has some useful info also

http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bicycleseats.html

 

[Rockslayer]

I have been cycling now for about 3 months after a health scare. I usually ride for about an hour every morning after which my bum aches so much I have started to stop halfway round to allow the circulation back. I have a good quality mountain bike and use a Selles SMP saddle, the one with the grove down the middle and the hole in the bottom ( not sure what the hole is for !! ). I have tried adjusting it to several different positions all with pretty much the same result. This is a middle of the range saddle and I have tried 2 other similarly priced ones. Before I splash out on an expensive saddle does anyone have any advise to why my **** aches so much and will paying more for one improve the ride or is this a pain I have to bear !!

Try look at these things first,

- It may not be your saddle itself. Could be what you are wearing, SHORTS? Being an ex roadie I dug out my knicks they have a good chamois. I used to wear regular shorts they chaffed and were uncomfortable. They cycling shorts did the trick straight away.
Get a pair with a good quality chamois and no underwear.

You can get them in Baggy Style or Lycra. Baggies look cool etc but they dont wick sweat as much and they catch on the saddle and they chaff on legs on long 3-4 hour rides. You may not have this issue for 1 hour rides Lycra ones wick moisture better and no saddle catch especially when constantly getting up and down out saddle during offroad riding.

Some of my shorts cost more than my saddle but worth the investment. For long rides Chamois Creme is great.

- If it is a MTB and you are riding on road, try change to slicks. less vibration as well and they won't wear out as much. if you dont have any issues on your arms like numbness this is not the problem.
- If you are riding offroad on rugged terrain and spend most time in the saddle and not get up nothing is going to help. even full suspension.
- I ride 3-4 hours on rugged terrain and probably spend more 50% time off saddle. I don't really have any pain issues in the seat area.

I did change my WTB to a FIZIK Gobi, gobi is a great saddle above the WTB but still gives me pain/numbness without chamois shorts. even on half hour rides.

Hope this helps

I think there are quite a few threads on this forum about shorts/knicks you can look at.

 

[fauxpas]

Depending on the size and shape of your bum, you may be sitting on the fleshy part of your bum, mistakingly thinking that will offer more comfort. Techinically, if your sitbones are situated correctly on the saddle, there should be no flesh between the seat and the bones, or very very little.

When your sit bones are on the correct part of the saddle, you should be able to lift your feet off the pedals making your bum bare all the weight and it should not feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. If anything, it should feel kinda nice... (G spot?)

Also, don't fall into the illusion that a fat plushy saddle = a plushy ride. If the fat saddle makes you sit on your bum flesh instead of your bones, then any ride over 10min will = PAIN!

PS. If all that fails, send us a photo of ya bum, I'll have a look into it for you...

 

[RussB]

I have found it is a combination of things.

distance of saddle from the handle bars.
Height of the saddle.
Position of the saddle relatiative to the crank.
Angle of the saddle.
The right saddle for your sit bones.

My first saddle took a while to position correctly for a 5 mile ride. When I went to 10 mile rides, I had to make several adjustments. When I started doing 20-25 mile rides the saddle I had wasn't right for the job. My second saddle worked great for the 25 mile rides after a few adjustments. When I tried my first 50 mile ride, my butt was sore for a week. I had been building up slowly. I had done 20 rides of 20 miles or more before attemping the 50 mile ride. I had to get another saddle to handle the longer rides. I went back to 20 mile rides while I shopped around. I finally found one and gave it a try. I Took measurements of the position of the old saddle before taking it off. Like the positions mentioned above. And set up my new saddle with the back of the saddle in the same position. Then I went out for a 30 mile ride. After about 4-5 miles I was pretty sure this saddle was not for me, but decided to stick it out. This saddle seemed to be too hard. After about 10-15 miles the seat didn't seem so bad. I completed the 30 mile ride and felt fine. Two days later I went out on a 50 mile ride. Felt fine and set a new personal record for average time.

It's basically trial & error to find the saddle that is the right size for you with the right amount of padding. My current saddle is actually harder than the other two saddles. Also padded shorts will help for the longer rides. But it still take time for your butt to break in the saddle. And for the saddle to break in your butt. Good luck and remember increase the distance slowly.

 

[DMF]

One thing that affects your butt isn't obvious: your position on the bike, especially the fore & aft location of the handlebars. Is your bike fitted to you, or did you just buy the first one you could stand over without crushing your yarbles? Top tube and stem length are very important for comfort.

Likewise, maintenance of your butt area is important. Here's an excerpt from Dave Zabriskie's web site that is instructive:

MAIN-TAINT-ANCE

An often overlooked part of being a healthy and fast cyclist is the taint. The taint is the part of your body that contacts your saddle. I believe the name was derived from the taint not being the parts that are well know by name: as in "it t'ain't that and it sure t'ain't those!" If you can’t comfortably sit on the saddle you taint gonna be able to ride your bike very far. This can negativly effect training and racing, so one must keep this area well main-taint-ed. There are three simple concepts to accept and follow: Cleanliness, Lubrication and Dryness. Trust me all of this was learned by experience! Here are the steps to follow:

Begin with a clean taint and chamois (if you are a hairy beast like me you may want to shave the area—USE CAUTION!)

1. Generously apply chamois cream
2. Ride, Train, Do what you do
3. Dismount bike

Follow the next steps immediately and without fail:

i. Remove chamois
ii. Shower
iii. Use a truly antibacterial soap like Hibiclens

4. Exit Shower

i. Dry taint with towel
ii. Dry taint with air

1. Either remain naked while making your after ride meal or use hair dryer

2. Antique yourself a la Jackass with a handful of Baby Powder

Why do we do this?

The chamois cream helps reduce chafing that occurs while riding. There are a number of products out there and here are a few that I know work well:

Noxema
Butt Butter
Bag Balm
Assos Chamois cream
Sixtufit

Try them to determine what works best for you. Often when things are getting a bit raw I mix a few to exploit the full potential of each. Do yourself and your training partners a favor by not using too much. I have been known to have a little seep out of my shorts and it never fails to gain the attention of those behind me. Make sure your chamois is in good shape. Don’t use one that is old and worn out. After the ride get out of your shorts ASAP, you don’t wanna start growing mushrooms down there. Get into the shower and wash up, if you are having “problems” use Hibiclens, it is a surgical scrub and very powerful. I take it to races because each hotel has different soaps and who knows which could cause an irritation. After the shower make sure the area is dry either walk around naked for a while and let it air out or use a hairdryer. The final dose of goodness comes from a little shot of baby powder to the taint. By following these steps you should be main-taint-ing fairly well. If you are experiencing some saddle sores sometimes the only way to get rid of them is to stop riding for a couple of days. If it’s really bad you might have to see a doctor. I am sort of an expert so if you want you can send pictures and I’ll give you my opinion on the best way to proceed. PLEASE DON'T!

Oh yeah one more thing I think that can help is to shave all of that “bum fluff” down. It can be tricky, use electric clippers and be careful, I recommend a mirror.

-DZ

Add Chamois Butt'r and Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Cream to the list of goops, but you shouldn't need any of them on the short rides you're doing. First let your butt heal, then ride again with proper shorts and chamois!

 

[everogere]

Thanks for your comments, I did build up to an hours ride slowly over a period of several weeks and the soreness isnt chaffing but feels more like bruising. I do wear good quality cycling shorts and attend to personal hygeine on my return. I have today started to make very small adjustments the the saddle as per the many comments on here and the information has been very helpful. Thanks to all the members who have added their advise.

Yes, you'll have to bear some pain in your first months of riding. My guess is you've jumped into cycling way too quickly. By continuing to ride an hour a day every day you're not giving the sore butt any chance to heal. Suggest you take a couple of days off the bike now, and then start back at about 30 minutes a day. Standing (out of the saddle frequently) will help too, like on every small hill or whenever you need to accelerate.

Once you're comfortable with 30 minutes a day, slowly build up your seat time again. With patience, you should be able to ride an hour pain-free in a few more months.

 

[everogere]

Thanks for your comments Fauxpas I have experimented with different posiitons and have made some small adjustments. Your very kind offer with the photo wont be necessary but no-one has explained what the hole in my saddle is for ???

Depending on the size and shape of your bum, you may be sitting on the fleshy part of your bum, mistakingly thinking that will offer more comfort. Techinically, if your sitbones are situated correctly on the saddle, there should be no flesh between the seat and the bones, or very very little.

When your sit bones are on the correct part of the saddle, you should be able to lift your feet off the pedals making your bum bare all the weight and it should not feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. If anything, it should feel kinda nice... (G spot?)

Also, don't fall into the illusion that a fat plushy saddle = a plushy ride. If the fat saddle makes you sit on your bum flesh instead of your bones, then any ride over 10min will = PAIN!

PS. If all that fails, send us a photo of ya bum, I'll have a look into it for you...

 

[sogood]

Thanks for your comments Fauxpas I have experimented with different posiitons and have made some small adjustments. Your very kind offer with the photo wont be necessary but no-one has explained what the hole in my saddle is for ???

I suspect it may have different design aims when you are in the drop position and when you riding hands free as you pass the finish line...

 

[vadiver]

Thanks for your comments Fauxpas I have experimented with different posiitons and have made some small adjustments. Your very kind offer with the photo wont be necessary but no-one has explained what the hole in my saddle is for ???

RickF did in the second post

The cut-out down the middle is to prevent pressure on the nerves and arteries that run trhough the perineum to the penis. Putting pressure there can cause problems that are a lot more seriuos than a sore bum.

 

[everogere]

It was a joke.......lighten up !!!!

RickF did in the second post

 

[vadiver]

It was a joke.......lighten up !!!!

Sorry for trying to help.

Just thought you missed it.

 

[everogere]

No offence was meant or taken, enjoy your rides.

Sorry for trying to help.

Just thought you missed it.

 

[dhk2]

No offence was meant or taken, enjoy your rides.

Lots of good tips and advice here. If your butt feels bruised, knowing exactly where the bruise "impact sites" are should help in figuring out what to change. If the bruises are right where they should be, under the sitzbones, then the best cure I know is to back off, let things heal rather than reinjuring the tissues every day. The body has an amazing way of adapting to stress after injury and getting stronger if we give it time.

Your question could be a technical issue, or could be as simple as "Doc, it hurts when I do this...."

 

[fauxpas]

The cut-out down the middle is to prevent pressure on the nerves and arteries that run trhough the perineum to the penis. Putting pressure there can cause problems that are a lot more seriuos than a sore bum.

Lots of ladies saddles have a cut out too... maybe they are really for hermaphridites?

 

[matagi]

Lots of ladies saddles have a cut out too... maybe they are really for hermaphridites?

Hey, we have bits that can get squished too!

 

[fauxpas]

Hey, we have bits that can get squished too!

mwahahahaha... only after you turn 50... ooops, did I say that out aloud?

But seriously... when I check saddles on ebay, every one pictured with a cutout seems to be a ladies one...

Maybe he's getting sore due to being a guy riding a lady's specific saddle?

 

[DMF]

Another thing that occurs to me is that the seat may be too high, causing your hips to rock and abraid your bits.