Saddle numbness
- Thread starter groovy
- Start date
Your problem could be due to improper saddle tilt for your riding position. Be sure to check this first, as some persons (including me) are very sensitive to this, and a few mm can make a great deal of difference. If your seat is tilted slightly too far forward, your butt will ache. If it is tilted slightly too far backward, you'll feel irritated in the worst place. If you can't find a position that suits you, consider a different, more comfortable saddle.
Have you tried a Brooks? They are hard and have no cut outs but for some folks they are the most comfortable. I have a Swift on my Sunday bike and a Team Pro on my trainer. In my basement is a box full of snazzy looking gel models with various holes and grooves.
Havent tried anything but what came stock on my Giant, forget the name though. It is a thin seat but has padding.
I talked to a guyy at the local shop and he mentioned the tilt but I havent found my spot yet. He also warned me about the seats with cutouts saying they can actually be worse for you.
I talked to a guyy at the local shop and he mentioned the tilt but I havent found my spot yet. He also warned me about the seats with cutouts saying they can actually be worse for you.
There are lots of factors that contribute to proper saddle fit, and they're all very personal. No two asses are alike. Your LBS guy was probably right in pointing out that one guy's salvation, like a cutout, might be another guy's problem.
There's shape, there's size, there's density/thickness of padding, there's the placement and shape of the cutout, there's the presence of and placement of gel, there's fore and aft positioning, tilt, height; there's the combination of all these factors.
I don't think there's a formula. You just gotta experiment with what you got and consider trying out other models. Saddles ain't cheap; see if you can find a shop with a test period offer.
I ride a Terry Men's Firefly. It's a bit softer than some performance-oriented saddles, but it's still lean and light, and the shape seems to work for me.
Every shop is going to have a different policy; I've come across more than one that have a test-drive program for saddles. One local shop here in the Bay Area allows a two-week trial period at no extra cost; give it back, no questions asked, if your rear doesn't like it.
which shop? not that i'm looking at the moment.
in terms of cutouts, i find my Selle Italia SLR (no cutout, minimal padding) much more comfortable than the Terry Dragonfly (which i think is their most minimalist) i have. haven't hit the MTB recently so maybe i need to give it some more time.
Missing Link in Berkeley, on Shattuck. A basic mid-range shop with friendly folks, if you've never been before. Mostly carry Bianchi, Trek, and hybrids from Marin.
There are better shops around here but I think Missing Link is the only one with a saddle test drive offer.
I think the Terry Firefly and the Dragonfly are similar in terms of padding (both are slimmer than the regular Fly), but the Terry Zero is their most minimalist. Because Terry's designs seem to work for my bum, I'm probably putting a Zero on my new Klein.
Once upon a time I bought one of those slotted padded saddles. I never had it so numb.
My theory is that rather than touching a couple of bones (which don't go numb) with lots of pressure the gel saddle put a bit of pressure everywhere, and that bit was enough, or too much, depending on how you look at it.
My theory is that rather than touching a couple of bones (which don't go numb) with lots of pressure the gel saddle put a bit of pressure everywhere, and that bit was enough, or too much, depending on how you look at it.
I agree with this. And, I don't understand the concept of minimalist saddles (At least they haven't proven too good for me). They may be perfectly comfortable and suitable for a 30 mile ride, or the local crit, but how about a full day in the saddle?
I like the full-sized San Marco Regals. The ones with the Ti rails weigh just a little more than an minimalist saddle, and they sure are more confortable (for me).
It sure is a tough balance. Rollers' point about an abundance of squishy material simply spreading the pressure all over your butt and crotch is true enough; just the same, I've got a bony rear and was never able to adjust to a lack of padding. In the end, it's about a little padding in just the right place, where it relieves a little bone pressure, but doesn't crush all the nerves and blood vessels flowing to and from your fairy area.
I mean, if there's discomfort, it's usually either 1) soreness in the rear, because your bone structure is not being supported well by the shape and padding in the saddle, or 2) numbness/pain in the um.. giggle... genitals, because the nerves and blood vessels around your crotch are being crushed, whether by the shape of the saddle, the position of the saddle, the nature of the padding, or a lack of support provided for the sit-bones in your rear.
The key for most people is to find a saddle and saddle position which gets the bulk of your bottom propped up neatly on the sit-bones in the back, taking pressure of the squishy tissues up front (they don't compress well). If moving your leg or shifting left or right helps, that's probably just because you're crushing soft tissue more on one side than the other at a given time -- the relief is likely temporary, right?
I think the issue remains the same... alter your saddle position a bit, experiment a little -- and then try a new seat.
The key for most people is to find a saddle and saddle position which gets the bulk of your bottom propped up neatly on the sit-bones in the back, taking pressure of the squishy tissues up front (they don't compress well). If moving your leg or shifting left or right helps, that's probably just because you're crushing soft tissue more on one side than the other at a given time -- the relief is likely temporary, right?
I think the issue remains the same... alter your saddle position a bit, experiment a little -- and then try a new seat.
Nothing is more frustrating, that's for sure. I swapped to my 5th saddle in 1200 miles. Even the great Fizik Alliante doesn't relieve the pain. I rode a Specialized Pro today for 3 hours and it wasn't bad.
My pain is in the bony region just south of the sit bones. Makes it painful to sit down for a day after a long ride.
I think some people are just plain lucky and don't have many problems there (I sure didn't ever even think of it when in my teens/early 20s before stopping for a decade). Others suffer.
In my case, a lot of padding is NOT helpful.
My pain is in the bony region just south of the sit bones. Makes it painful to sit down for a day after a long ride.
I think some people are just plain lucky and don't have many problems there (I sure didn't ever even think of it when in my teens/early 20s before stopping for a decade). Others suffer.
In my case, a lot of padding is NOT helpful.
