Saddle width - sore butt!

[Darkman]

On the bike lately, I've been finding that things on the lower floors, shall we say, start to hurt at anything over about 25 miles, to the point where getting on/off the saddle is spectacularly painful. I'm still using the standard saddle that came with my bike (Specialized Rockhopper 2019, 143mm Body Geometry saddle).

I figured the width is wrong. But I've taken sit bone measurements at 120mm so the 143mm width saddle would appear to be correct, more or less.

I'm using DHB cycling shorts (Classic Bib), commando. These have helped, but I still want to go further and I find that my 4rse gives out before the legs do. I know everyone says the only way is to pick a saddle and try it, but that stands to get very expensive - I don't want to be spending more on dud saddles than I spent on the bike.

The saddle I have is fairly soft - would a firmer one of the same width be likely to help?

Looking for scientific input, mostly.

[Jdsk]

Sorry to hear that.

Male?

This is an area (!) where I'm moderately unconvinced by the efficacy of "scientific" approaches... with the big exception of doing experiments and seeing what works.

I've successfully moved a fair number of people to firmer saddles.

And you can often picked up preloved saddles in the For Sale forum at low prices.

Jonathan

[horizon]

I know everyone says the only way is to pick a saddle and try it,

Not everyone - I absolutely don't. Stay with the saddle you have and the clothing you are wearing. Adjust height a little bit if you like. Cut your ride mileage to 20 miles or until it hurts. Then stop. Do another short ride a couple of days later. Get off and walk every 5 miles, keep moving about on the saddle (rise up every mile or so). Gradually up your mileage but never beyond the point at which it hurts. Give it two - three weeks. And then you should have a bum for life and a saddle of blissful comfort.

[Mick F]

I agree with Horizon.
Personally, any saddle would suit me, but the best are the hardest so long as the bike is set up correctly.

He's correct, but what he doesn't add, is that all bums are different.
Some saddles fit some bums, and some saddles fit other bums.
All you can do, is try other ones ................ but Horizon's suggestion is paramount.

..........Gradually up your mileage but never beyond the point at which it hurts. Give it two - three weeks. And then you should have a bum for life and a saddle of blissful comfort.

[Paulatic]

As above saddle adjustment can help an awful lot. Up./down forward/back and a great help, I find, is a seat post with two bolt adjustment. One notch in the tooth arrangement single bolt type can be too far.
Cutaways aren’t for everyone but I doubt I could go back to riding far without a cut away saddle.

[iandusud]

One man's meat and all that... but I've found that firmer, flatter saddles give better support and are much more comfortable the longer the ride gets. I have had a couple of these https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/pri ... prod155621 (out of stick at the moment) which are a great lightweight option and B17s (one Imperial) on other regular rides. All very good. IMO soft padded saddles don't work on longer rides.

Ian

[peetee]

My first move would be to establish what exactly is causing the pain. Based on your description I would rule out friction problems and guess it’s a fit issue but is it compression of soft tissue, muscle or pinching of a nerve and where exactly is it in relation to your sit bones and is it the same on both sides?

[Jamesh]

You don't say your age.... In my experience as you age you have less padding down below. My old flite ti is too hard for long rides.

I tend to use a rolls or a turbo for a) longer rides b) when I've had a few weeks off the bike.

More modern saddles just don't do it for me!

Cheers James

[Greystoke]

Saddles are a problem, get it wrong and it can ruin a nice ride. I had issues....'numb nuts' tried a few saddles, cutouts, various padding. Found lowering the saddle helped but eventually bought a Selle SMP and wow, sorted.
Expensive but problem sorted.

[531colin]

If the saddle is so high that you are rocking your hips to reach the pedal at the bottom, no saddle will be comfortable, because as you rock lowering first one hip then the other, your skin chafes on the saddle. Read my bike fitting DIY piece, linked below my signature, for saddle height setting.

You want your weight on your bum bones, not any of the soft tissues. If your weight is on your bum bones but the overlying tissues feel bruised, then the saddle is too hard. (for you, for now)

Too much padding can crease and rub.

Do you feel bruised? Or skin rubbed sore?

[Darkman]

Its more of a bruised feeling. I'm thinking that my saddle width is fine, but it's just too damn soft and that, coupled with the chamois, is too much padding and adding pressure in places I don't want it.

The other thing is I've had to move my saddle back as far as it will go, to accommodate a Topeak Aero Wedge (clippy version) on the saddle rails, and I think maybe that's encouraging me to sit a bit further forward than I normally would, so my sit bones aren't necessarily on the widest part of the saddle.

So I'm going to address that, and probably get a more solid saddle.

Are the middle cut-out ones worth it?

[Edit] BTW: Male, 46, 185lb.

[horizon]

So I'm going to address that, and probably get a more solid saddle.

Everybody so far IMV is correct in what they say: saddle position (fore/aft, up down, tilt)) is crucial. And certain saddles will suit different people better than others. So it's still worth trying all the adjustments (especially what Colin said) and looking at (but maybe not yet buying) other saddles.

But I'm going to stay with my twopennyworth above and suggest that it is the slow adaption to the saddle that is the most important thing - rush it and your bum will rebel. I'm also thinking that the saddle is right for the bike (it came with it) and probably right for the user and use.

It would be useful to know if this pain is new, whether you have upped your mileage and how long you have been using this saddle.

[Paulatic]

Are the middle cut-out ones worth it?

If when you go down on the drops and after a while you’ve a feeling taking your breath away then yes I’d say worth considering. I’m a SMP user too and they have a large cut out.
Anything’s worth it when you find the right one. I did my research using EBay and buying s/h saddles. Selling ones I didn’t like the research doesn’t cost much more than postage and fees as a loss.

[Darkman]

I've had the bike (and saddle, obvs) coming up two years. But yeah, my mileage has increased somewhat. I was only doing 5-10 miles at first, which was fine then, and it's fine now, too. I've done up to 45 miles now and when setting out I know that anything beyond the first 25 or so is going to hurt. Which does get slightly off-putting.

Pain through hard work is rewarding (or is that just me?), but a pain in the 4rse is exactly what it says it is and I'd quite like it to not happen.

No drops on my bike - it's a mountain bike/flat bar.

[Jamesh]

I have a few tricks I use in longer rides which might help.

Cycling out the saddle up steeper hills.

Standing out the saddle whilst descending.

Moving back on the saddle whilst climbing - Works particularly well on leather saddles.

Getting off the saddle at traffic lights.

Stopping for beer.....

All work well...

Cheers James