Cycling UK Forum

I have had coccyx pain for quite a few years now- resulting from an incident involving a bar, some ice and much stupidity in Meribel some years ago. Followed up the next day by a major crash when messing around on snow blades.

The coccyx mostly causes tour pain these days (so I happily forget about it until the next tour when I end up screaming in pain a few times). If I consciously use my sit bones it's mostly avoidable but it would help me a lot to have a saddle with a coccyx cutout - my current saddle is a Georgina Terry one with a semi cutout (a depressed area) and that isn't quite good enough

I loved my selle san marco one that I had before but it didn't have good coccyx tolerance. I don't suffer otherwise saddle wise as long as I can tip it forward (ie so the nose is slightly down).

do you perhaps not mean 'coccyx' but 'perineum' or other nearby structure instead? I don't think it is normal to be bringing your coccyx to bear on a bicycle saddle. Maybe on a recumbent?

cheers

No particular recommendation (Team Pro person), but it would seem to me that you would want a saddle with a cut out at the rear end, rather than the central cutouts aimed at genital/perineum issues.
Glancing at the first few pages of Chainreaction's saddle section, something along the lines of a Selle SMP, Fizik Aliante/Ardea or Ritchey WCS Zeromax.

Brucey wrote:I don't think it is normal to be bringing your coccyx to bear on a bicycle saddle.

I think the point is that a broken and re-healed coccyx may not be normal.

There is an animation here http://anatomyzone.com/3d_atlas/musculoskeletal/pelvis/pelvic-bone/.
I think its extremely unlikely that you can get your coccyx to rest on a bicycle saddle.
Sitting on a dining chair and leaning back, I can still get 2 or 3 fingers under my coccyx.
However, its still possible that cycling can jangle up something that has been injured in an accident which also injured the coccyx ......unfortunately, that might be harder to sort out than a saddle with a rear cutout

Yes, I'm quite sure that the OP knows exactly where it hurts, but that could be the result of soft tissues being pressed against the coccyx rather than direct pressure.
I noted the statement "consciously using the sit bones". Why aren't they normally on the saddle?
If you have to shift backwards or forwards to get them perched on the back of the saddle then really you need to move your saddle, which might mean changing the seat post for one with an appropriate offset.
If you feel that a cut out helps that's fine, but its not the only feature to think about. I would suggest that you should use a firm saddle without much padding at all so that contact will be restricted to the sit bones. Sinking into a plush upholstered saddle will clearly cause contact where it's not wanted. Make sure that the saddle is wide enough to support your sit bones - even if you thought the existing to be fine in that respect it could still be worth trying a wider one if possible, just to make sure.

andrew_s wrote:

Brucey wrote:I don't think it is normal to be bringing your coccyx to bear on a bicycle saddle.

I think the point is that a broken and re-healed coccyx may not be normal.

or that perhaps the riding position is very upright or clothing worn is weird or something?

Is the coccyx actually healed, and if so is it still in its usual place?

In any event some more information would be useful?

cheers

I wonder if a suspension seatpost used with the existing Terry saddle might help. To eliminate jarring. That and regular resting of the area by standing on the pedals for thirty seconds every now and then. And getting off more often to have a short walk around. Maybe also slightly higher bars to reduce stretching. Just 20mm or so.

Reflecting on the positioning points, a cutout is a nice fix though for when I roll back a bit when sitting for long periods. As for the coccyx I probably need an X-ray but best guess is it's no longer in the right place.

MrsHJ
have a look a t specialized they do a number of saddles with cut outs, they use to do a Y shaped one but that appears to have stopped
try here
http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.u ... all-models

Friend of mine rides one of these...



http://www.rido-cyclesaddles.com/sensational-new-r2-c100064.html

I have only messed around with it, but as soon as you get on, its obvious that you can take your weight on your bum bones, provided the bumpy bit is in the right position, it feels like sitting on a rolled-up newspaper at first. Just going round the block, I soon got used to it and forgot about the "rolled up newspaper" effect.
So if taking your weight on your bum bones is the goal, then this saddle might help you achieve it?
Looking back, it was Dave P who tripped over the "consciously using the sit bones" bit....and he is right, your weight should normally be on your bum bones. (I think he is right about sinking into a soft saddle, too)
I think you need to give some thought as to why your weight isn't automatically on your bum bones all the time, for example....
I find myself sitting on the back of the saddle if the reach is too short, even if the saddle setback is what i normally use
Is too long a reach dragging you forward onto the saddle nose?

Maybe something like a Serfas Rx which has two halves so there is nothing in the middle at all? http://shop.serfas.com/p/rx-ladies-saddle

They are available from Walkers Cycles, though I bought my last one in the UK from Terry Wright in Peterborough.

DaveP wrote:Make sure that the saddle is wide enough to support your sit bones - even if you thought the existing to be fine in that respect it could still be worth trying a wider one if possible, just to make sure.

Or measuring your sit bones?

Thanks all, I will experiment with these ideas when returned from some sailing (him indoors choice of holiday next week).

Some interesting saddle suggestions and I am taking your points on overall position on the bike.