MTB saddles,

"jazu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
: Hi Why these saddles have to be so uncomfortable? I mean aren't they to narrowed? I'm new in
: mountain biking. When I ride my bike my butt is killing me. Perhaps I do something wrong with
: adjustment. Dunno. jazu
:
:

You can build up your butt calluses by taping sandpaper to your saddle and riding naked.

Or try adjusting the tilt or how forward/back up/down it sits. If that's no good, maybe look around
for a saddle that fits your butt better. Some have more padding than others. Some are narrower/wider
than others.

Personally, I like the sandpaper idea. Hmm.. maybe it will get rid of hemorrhoids too. Or at least
relieve the itch..?

Or maybe you just need to ride and get used to it. Who knows.
--

FlyingCoyote boarsgut.comboarsgut.comOpen ↗

--

"jazu" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Why these saddles have to be so uncomfortable? I mean aren't they to narrowed? I'm new in
mountain biking. When I ride my bike my butt is killing me. Perhaps I do something wrong with
adjustment. Dunno.

Almost everyone suffers from a sore butt when new to mtb-ing. The skin and muscles must get used to
the abuse; no way around it. (It DOES get better, though!)

Also, it helps a lot to have quality padded bike shorts, and to have your saddle adjusted correctly
for your body/riding position. Get checked out by a shop or knowledgeable rider if in doubt.

Finally, you MAY have to hunt for a new saddle eventually, but(t) beware those cushy "comfort"
models. They can actually squish your vital bits more than a firm seat.

Best advice: get out and ride often, and your butt will adapt. Have fun!

Bill "this from a guy with about 7 or 8 saddles piled up in garage" S.

Quoted message said:

Also, it helps a lot to have quality padded bike shorts, and to have your saddle adjusted
correctly for your body/riding position. Get checked out

by

Quoted message said:

a shop or knowledgeable rider if in doubt.

I find that padded bike shorts do nothing other than give a diaper feeling, keep the thighs away
from each other, and keep the crotch of my shorts from catching on things.

Maybe I have the wrong shorts.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

jazu said:

Hi Why these saddles have to be so uncomfortable? I mean aren't they to narrowed? I'm new in
mountain biking. When I ride my bike my butt is killing me. Perhaps I do something wrong with
adjustment. Dunno. jazu

Are you wearing bike shorts?

jazu said:

Hi Why these saddles have to be so uncomfortable? I mean aren't they to narrowed? I'm new in
mountain biking. When I ride my bike my butt is killing me. Perhaps I do something wrong with
adjustment. Dunno. jazu

The pointy part should be parallel to the ground.

--
J'm

To Reply Direct, Remove Clothes. ...-.-

Phil, Squid-in-Training thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also, it helps a lot to have quality padded bike shorts, and to have your saddle adjusted
correctly for your body/riding position. Get checked out by a shop or knowledgeable rider if
in doubt.

I find that padded bike shorts do nothing other than give a diaper feeling, keep the thighs away
from each other, and keep the crotch of my shorts from catching on things.

Maybe I have the wrong shorts.

maybe you do. maybe you have a tough butt and don't get chafed

Penny

jazu said:

Hi Why these saddles have to be so uncomfortable? I mean aren't they to narrowed? I'm new in
mountain biking. When I ride my bike my butt is killing me. Perhaps I do something wrong with
adjustment. Dunno. jazu

Many factors influence comfort. The part that you sit on needs to fit your "sit bones". If it's too
wide or narrow, it'll miss and the saddle'll hurt because you're supporting your weight in the wrong
place anatomically. I've found that as little a degree or two of tilt or 1/4" of setback can change
a very uncomfortable saddle to a nice ride. Start with the saddle in the middle with the rails
parallel to the ground. Play from there in small increments. A seat post with fore/aft adjustment
screws is very helpful here. Too soft a saddle sometimes just spreads the load to places that
shouldn't be supporting that much weight and makes the saddle worse. Also, the muscles in your butt
need to get stronger and your butt needs to toughen-up a bit. But, if you get the other factors
right, you should be able to handle 1/2-1 hour or more without too much discomfort. Don't expect not
to need to stand every so often... 🙂

David

Quoted message said:

Many factors influence comfort. The part that you sit on needs to fit your "sit bones". If it's
too wide or narrow, it'll miss and the saddle'll hurt because you're supporting your weight in the
wrong place anatomically.

Test Lay a piece of paper on a soft rug and sit on it with knees bent. Ensure you get two
indentations from your sit bones, then place the paper on the saddle. Only you can judge whether
that saddle holds your sit bones. Mike

Quoted message said:

Lay a piece of paper on a soft rug and sit on it with knees bent.

How can you sit on a flat surface with your knees bent?

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Quoted message said:

Hi Why these saddles have to be so uncomfortable? I mean aren't they to narrowed?

The seat that comes with the bikes are [censored], throw it away and buy a real seat.

Quoted message said:

I'm new in mountain biking. When I ride my bike my butt is killing me. Perhaps I do something
wrong with adjustment.

Get a seat with springs and padding.

Quoted message said:

Finally, you MAY have to hunt for a new saddle eventually, but(t) beware those cushy "comfort"
models. They can actually squish your vital bits more than a firm seat.

I for one have to strongly disagree with this widely stated false myth. After getting a well padded
seat with springs, I can ride for hours with comfort. With those [censored] skinny hard seats that all the
"pros" recommend, I can't ride for more than 30 seconds.

Hosh thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hi Why these saddles have to be so uncomfortable? I mean aren't they to narrowed?

The seat that comes with the bikes are [censored], throw it away and buy a real seat.

Quoted message said:

I'm new in mountain biking. When I ride my bike my butt is killing
me. Perhaps I do something wrong with adjustment.

Get a seat with springs and padding.

Hi Hosh, you must be new here, welcome.

Are you a serious mountain biker? You seem to be a real expert.

PennyS

in article [email hidden], Hosh at [email hidden] wrote on
7/7/03 4:45 PM:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Finally, you MAY have to hunt for a new saddle eventually, but(t) beware those cushy "comfort"
models. They can actually squish your vital bits more than a firm seat.

I for one have to strongly disagree with this widely stated false myth. After getting a well
padded seat with springs, I can ride for hours with comfort. With those [censored] skinny hard seats
that all the "pros" recommend, I can't ride for more than 30 seconds.

Looks like a real MTbiker here......hmmmmm

Hosh said:

Quoted message said:

Finally, you MAY have to hunt for a new saddle eventually, but(t) beware those cushy "comfort"
models. They can actually squish your vital bits more than a firm seat.

I for one have to strongly disagree with this widely stated false myth. After getting a well
padded seat with springs, I can ride for hours with comfort. With those [censored] skinny hard seats
that all the "pros" recommend, I can't ride for more than 30 seconds.

I thought the same thing until my LBS let me start bolting saddles on my bike for a ride around the
lot -- until I found one that fit ok. From there, I still needed to tweak and try more, but I knew
it could be done 🙂.

My impetus was that I couldn't get behind the well padded saddles easily enough for the descents
that I was doing -- and I REALLY didn't want to endo (again 🙂) -- if I could help it!

David

"Phil, Squid-in-Training" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lay a piece of paper on a soft rug and sit on it with knees bent.

How can you sit on a flat surface with your knees bent?

It sounded simple when I typed it. Sit on the paper, hands behind to support you, legs stretched out
and heels on the floor. Then bend the knees and bring the heels in closer. All the body weight
presses the sit bones onto the paper. Yes?

If the sitbone indents on the paper dont fit on your saddle then when out riding your body weight
squashes the soft flesh between balls and butt and that is dangerous. Mike

"Phil, Squid-in-Training" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lay a piece of paper on a soft rug and sit on it with knees bent.

How can you sit on a flat surface with your knees bent?

Surely pretty much exactly the same way as you'd sit on a flat surface with your knees straight,
only with your feet closer to your [censored] and your knees bent?

Just a thought, like...

Adam...

Hosh said:

Quoted message said:

Finally, you MAY have to hunt for a new saddle eventually, but(t) beware those cushy "comfort"
models. They can actually squish your vital bits more than a firm seat.

I for one have to strongly disagree with this widely stated false myth. After getting a well
padded seat with springs, I can ride for hours with comfort. With those [censored] skinny hard seats
that all the "pros" recommend, I can't ride for more than 30 seconds.

Well, you said it best--it's a false myth, so it must be true!

--
J'm

To Reply Direct, Remove Clothes. ...-.-

Penny S. said:

Hosh thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hi Why these saddles have to be so uncomfortable? I mean aren't they to narrowed?

The seat that comes with the bikes are [censored], throw it away and buy a real seat.

Quoted message said:

I'm new in mountain biking. When I ride my bike my butt is killing
me. Perhaps I do something wrong with adjustment.

Get a seat with springs and padding.

Hi Hosh, you must be new here, welcome.

Are you a serious mountain biker? You seem to be a real expert.

PennyS

Dead serious--he always frowns because of what he paid for his goofy looking 'seat'.

--
J'm

To Reply Direct, Remove Clothes. ...-.-

Quoted message said:

It sounded simple when I typed it.

Well I was thinking that the bike riding position isn't so close to the taking-a-dump position, but
I see what you're saying now.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training