seat killing me nuts

[spacebar]

So as a relatively new road cyclist, the only problem I'm having thus far is my sack getting seriously squished when I ride. The seat is from a 15-20 year old bike, nothing fancy, but it still manages to 'push up' and it def doesnt help.
Am I missing something, maybe technique wise? any advice?

 

[BHOFM]

I am just going to take a wild guess that you have the back of the seat too low.

??

Picture of the seat might help??

 

[steve]

So as a relatively new road cyclist, the only problem I'm having thus far is my sack getting seriously squished when I ride. The seat is from a 15-20 year old bike, nothing fancy, but it still manages to 'push up' and it def doesnt help.
Am I missing something, maybe technique wise? any advice?

What make of seat are you using?

 

[tonyzackery]

Agree that it's saddle position problem - seat too high, tilt out of whack, etc...

 

[dhk2]

Any saddle from a 15-20 year old bike is probably shot. Seats break down and wear out under me in a couple of seasons or about 10K miles. The foam gets soft, and the base tends to soften and sag in the middle, effectively taking pressure off the sitzbones, moving it forward, making the nose higher.

For me, numbness is the key indicator the saddle is wornout. When I started getting numb a couple of months ago, I checked the saddle by pressing down with my hand and found the foam and seat pan soft and flexy.

If a saddle flexes easily in the middle with hand pressure, it will become a hammock when you sit on it. Also, if the foam yields easily to thumb pressure, it's not going to support the weight of your sitzbones.

The identical replacement saddle felt much firmer, both the foam and the strength of the seat pan. For the first couple of rides, it felt like getting used to a new design saddle, but now all is well again.

 

[alienator]

Things that could be wrong:

1. Saddle is not shaped to suit you
2. Saddle is tilted incorrectly
3. Saddle is too high
4. Saddle is worn out
5. You're sitting on your testicles

No.2 is easy to check. Position the saddle so that it's level from front to back, and see if that changes things. No's 1 and 4 require a new saddle. No.5 means you need to go to a re-education facility.

 

[dr427]

Lol! That is a pretty funny title to this thread!

You can always try a seat like this if all else fails. That is what I did, although, it was my prostate area that was the problem.

 

[kdelong]

Things that could be wrong:5. You're sitting on your testicles
No.5 means you need to go to a re-education facility.

Or to see a reconstructive surgeon.

 

[spacebar]

Regarding seat height, I dont think that's the problem. If anything the seat might be half an inch low. Also, the seat seems level IMO, so I dont think that's the problem. I checked the seat today and yes, it seems to be shot. the foam is too soft, however, I haven't experienced numbness thus far.

I guess the only option would be a new saddle, but that's exactly what I was trying to avoid.. dr427, how much did the seat cost? It looks interesting, but does it work?

 

[alienator]

Regarding seat height, I dont think that's the problem. If anything the seat might be half an inch low. Also, the seat seems level IMO, so I dont think that's the problem. I checked the seat today and yes, it seems to be shot. the foam is too soft, however, I haven't experienced numbness thus far.

I guess the only option would be a new saddle, but that's exactly what I was trying to avoid.. dr427, how much did the seat cost? It looks interesting, but does it work?

I'd start by looking for saddles at your local bike shops. Any decent bike shop will let you return a saddle for another iffin' the first saddle doesn't work for you. I think shopping online for a saddle, on your first foray into the saddle market, it the wrong way to go. If you order a saddle online and it ends up not working for you, then you have to wait, without a saddle while you return one and another is shipped to you. Further, you need to be sure you find a saddle that will accommodate the the span between your sit bones. That's done more easily at an LBS.

 

[oldbobcat]

Yeouch . Well, diff'rent strokes for . . . you know.

 

[billydonn]

Things that could be wrong:

1. Saddle is not shaped to suit you
2. Saddle is tilted incorrectly
3. Saddle is too high
4. Saddle is worn out
5. You're sitting on your testicles

No.2 is easy to check. Position the saddle so that it's level from front to back, and see if that changes things. No's 1 and 4 require a new saddle. No.5 means you need to go to a re-education facility.

Get good bike shorts and tuck your boys up out of the way?

 

[davereo]

I'd start by looking for saddles at your local bike shops. Any decent bike shop will let you return a saddle for another iffin' the first saddle doesn't work for you. I think shopping online for a saddle, on your first foray into the saddle market, it the wrong way to go. If you order a saddle online and it ends up not working for you, then you have to wait, without a saddle while you return one and another is shipped to you. Further, you need to be sure you find a saddle that will accommodate the the span between your sit bones. That's done more easily at an LBS.

+1 for the LBS for all the reasons stated.