Beginner needs saddle advice

[London Lad]

Hi

I just bought my first road bike to use for my work commute and at the weekends. I've really gotten into it the past few weeks but have had to take days off here and there due to what feels like bruising from the saddle. My commute is 10miles each way and takes about 40-50 min pending on traffic. The roads aren't great but it's not like I'm hitting pot holes every 30 seconds either.

My question is, does this sort of commute warrant a slightly more padded saddle? Or is it a case of needing better shorts, adjusting how I ride or even just getting used to it? For reference I've got a Giant Contend and wear Giant padded shorts (I also like to think I've got ok glutes from heavy squats in the gym) and sometimes carry a laptop in my rucksack.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

[Vorpal]

The first thig I would do is ditch the rucksack & carry the laptop on the bike. That's extra weight that is likely contributing to (and possibly causing) the problem.


You can use a seat post mounted rack, a large saddle bag, or some other arrangment; I'm sure others will be along with suggestions.

[Graham]

This previous topic sprang to mind.
viewtopic.php?f=49&t=115445

You may succeed with your current saddle by simply getting used to it over time.
If that doesn't work your may have to proceed by experimentation.
Sometimes getting a softer/more-padded saddle can make things worse by spreading the pressure beyond your sit-bones.

[NUKe]

give it time your body will need to adjust, don't go for more padding, it will probably make things worse. Check the saddle height and the for and aft position of the saddle. if the leg length right. One possible problem is the saddle width some saddles are too narrow for people riding position and they do need to change but this shape rather than padding

Snap graham posted at the same time

[pwa]

A sore bum is normal on long rides, up to a point, but a 10 mile commute should not generate great or lasting discomfort. You are right to consider the possibility that your rear end will adapt over time. It will and you will become less sensitive.

Normally I would say firmer saddles with less padding are less uncomfortable on long rides than saddles with loads of padding, but on a ten mile commute it could be that a little extra padding might help. But if you go that way I would advise keeping it cheap and don't go for armchair like padding. Spending loads on something claiming to be special does not get you a comfy bum. I've wasted hundreds on that futile quest. There are some cheap saddles from brands like Velo that have a little bit of useful padding in a narrow form that suits road bikes and for not much money.

Avoid gel. It does not work. In shorts or saddles.

[mjr]

A sore bum is normal on long rides, up to a point, [...] Avoid gel. It does not work. In shorts or saddles.

A sore bum is not normal. Gel is fine, but it's not a cure-all and the saddle still has to be the right shape/structure for that bum on that bike in the right position to be able to ride it long distances without discomfort. Same for padded shorts - personally, I prefer all of what little padding I seem to need to be on the saddle, so I'm not having to wear special clothes (well, other than avoiding seams under the sit bones, but that's uncomfortable sitting at a desk most of the day too).

Top tips above are to put the weight on the bike if possible and to sort out the fit as in the linked thread (Colin's excellent http://wheel-easy.org.uk/uploads/docume ... 02017a.pdf linked in the other thread is worth following IMO).

[pwa]

It may be a personal thing but I've had gel in maybe a dozen items over the years and my impression is that it is inferior to dense foam.

I could be wrong, but it is my belief that there are few people who can do a long ride (lets say 80 miles+) without getting at least some discomfort somewhere along the way. A few people can be comfortable on the saddle on long rides but most of us can only hope to keep discomfort to a low level.

[Vorpal]

It may be a personal thing but I've had gel in maybe a dozen items over the years and my impression is that it is inferior to dense foam.

I could be wrong, but it is my belief that there are few people who can do a long ride (lets say 80 miles+) without getting at least some discomfort somewhere along the way. A few people can be comfortable on the saddle on long rides but most of us can only hope to keep discomfort to a low level.

Being able to do any sort of ride without discomfort for me depends how used to it I am. The more tired I am, the more I sit the saddle like a sack of potatoes, the more likely I am be sore afterwards. If my backside is also unprepared, it will be that much worse.

I've done 200 miles in two days without soreness because I built up to it, did a lot of miles in preparation, and had a good day on the days. I've also been severely sore after a 75 mile ride in a year when my longest ride had been 25 miles, and I'd only been out a few times in the months leading to the 75 mile ride.

Gel or not is a personal thing. There is, at least, nothing inherently wrong with it. It does seem that a high proportion of more experienced cyclists prefer leather saddles without any padding. I have yet to discover an unpadded saddle that works for me, and all of my current favorites have gel.

[mjr]

It may be a personal thing but I've had gel in maybe a dozen items over the years and my impression is that it is inferior to dense foam.

All gel often is is closed-cell foam. It varies but so does foam.

I could be wrong, but it is my belief that there are few people who can do a long ride (lets say 80 miles+) without getting at least some discomfort somewhere along the way. A few people can be comfortable on the saddle on long rides but most of us can only hope to keep discomfort to a low level.

Stuff can always go wrong and be uncomfortable, or you can shock your body by going from 0 to 100, but there's no norm saying that people must get sore riding long ways. My usual problem with 100 mile rides is I tend to have an existential moment ("why am I here? Why am I doing this again?" ) somewhere around 85 miles, even since I got the bikes comfortable.

[mercalia]

well maybe tweak the saddle height, too much weight on the bum or is your riding comfortable?

[Psamathe]

(Personal experience:) When I changed my saddle a few years ago I suffered bruising on/around my sit bones. New saddle was unpadded and somewhat harder that what it was replacing. What I was finding was that once bruised, I was still going out riding and "enduring" which I thought was "topping-up" the bruising so I was not getting better .... but I was not going to stop riding.

Contrary to what others have posted here, I went and got some shorts with thicker padding and that helped and things improved. Took some time and I'm sure my body adapted to the harder saddle as well. But the better padded shorts seemed the turning point.

I cannot say you should (or should not) do as I did, I'm just recounting my personal experience.

Ian

[eileithyia]

Check bike set up, saddle height, carry on and get used to it.., try a shop where the distance between sit bones is measured and a saddle width recommended accordingly.
Check out bike shops as often they have a trial saddle that you can go borrow for up to a month.... that way you maybe able to try some different saddles without the expenditure to find one that is a little more comfortable.

[The utility cyclist]

If you really don't have an idea, go to a reputable local shop or even local club, that wayyou can either get a saddle fit/try some saddles out (good shops willhave tester saddles) or at a club youmight be able to try some of the members off casts.
I'd say go with the former for speed/simplicity, also don't ever discount any saddle, no matter what its construction.
Luck hunting.

[foxyrider]

Ask 100 cyclists this question and you'll get 100 different answers!

Before spending out on new gear, a simple question, is the saddle comfortable before you set off? If it is, i'm pretty sure it's a position thing causing most of your issues. It might be worth getting a bike fit anyway but it will almost certainly get you more comfortable. BTW the problem with more padding whether on the saddle or in your clothing, is that it encourages vertical movement which in turn can cause bruising of the sit bones. And bruised bone can take some time to recover - often weeks. Perseverance can work but if it's your position that's causing the problem it'll never really go away.

But to put things in some context, i've been riding for er lots of years so you would think a short ish layoff this year wouldn't impact saddle comfort. Wrong! It's taken me @ 12 weeks to get back to almost the comfort point I had before the lay off - curiously when I used the unpadded slither of carbon fibre and leather on my best bike last weekend, a saddle i'd not used in over a year, I was immediately comfortable!

In my experience most people can use most saddles but that doesn't mean you shouldn't look at alternatives. It'd be nice to get some feedback on how you get on.

[belgiangoth]

Check saddle position, height, for/aft and tilt. If the saddle is too low or tilted down too much it will hurt.
Check tyre pressure, on bad roads if you are running too high pressures it will hurt.
I find a narrow harder saddle is more comfortable, so ime I could not recommend gel/padding, but to each their own.