Saddle advice. Save my notcher!

milltown

After a 10 mile spin yesterday on my new bike my perineum was in some distress. Now, I am brand new to cycling and realise that once I get fitter or better I won't be spending as much of the cycle time in the saddle (almost 100% at the moment) but figure I'll be spending more time on the bike going further so probably more actual time, if that makes sense.

Assos chamois cream has been recommended but I wonder if one or both of shorts and saddle would improve matters?

Saddle-wise, a number of reviews of my bike (Trek 1.2) mentioned that the saddle was uncomfortable. As a newbie, they all look uncomfortable to me. I've also read talk of saddles breaking in. Is this to be expected before I break, and will it make much difference? FWIW I'd be a 32-34 waist so not a particularly wide load for a grown man (I would have thought).

Looking at CRC alone, I see a baffling array of saddles. Easy enough to filter out the full on racing ones that are priced out of my range and look like more evil instruments of torture than the one I have. Otherwise there seems to be a choice between gel and air as a cushioning medium. Would I be right in thinking that air may offer more adjustment but is for the bin as soon as it bursts?

Would hope to keep the spend below £50/€60 if a saddle is to be bought.
All advice and recommendations most welcome!

Shorts: Purely from a hygiene point of view, at least one more pair of shorts will be needed as a matter of urgency. The pair I got as part of the bike deal, I would presume to be as basic as they get, with a large soft foam "panty pad" in the crotch which seems too easily compressed and does little for comfort. Again, I see some shorts with gel padding, which sounds a lot nicer but does it make a difference, and do they last? Also, any issues with having gel in shorts and saddle? Lastly, how much should I be looking at paying for decent shorts (for a 10 mile commute 3 or 4 times a week) and how often?

Thanks again! I promise the frequency of these questions will abate soon enough

irishmotorist

Do the shorts fit you properly? I.e. are they tight and is there any movement of them when you're pedalling? If your perineum was causing you distress, I'm wondering if it was a friction/movement pain or a weight-bearing-down pain?

Also, can you feel if your sit bones are making contact with the saddle?

el Bastardo

I would have thought you shouldn't be hurting in that area after what would be considered a reasonably short spin. Check your saddle position. Also, I would replace those freebie shorts.

Gel shorts can be a little less breathable, but IMO they're a lot more comfortable (and easier to dry too). I like these.

milltown

Pressure more than friction I would say.
I find I have to hoosh myself back along the saddle to get my bum bones back on the seat. I'd have to be sitting right back to feel that my weight is supported by the bones rather than the soft tissue forward of there.

I really can't stress enough how new this all is to me, so it's equally likely to be down to poor technique. I was professionally fitted for the bike when ordering and collecting so if any adjustment is necessary it should probably be minor.

blorg

I reckon a lot of people find the 1.2 saddle uncomfortable because it is their first road bike. I had a Bontrager saddle I found pretty comfortable. I would work on position before changing it. Try moving the saddle forward, it should support your sit bones. A gel saddle is a bad idea and will only put more pressure on your perineum.

nattefrost

it proably is just a matter of getting used to it but if you decide to change saddles i know there a a couple of bike shops that let you test ride a saddle for a week. You just have to put a deposit down. Well worth it instead of buying a saddle that might not improve things

Coronal

milltown wrote: »

Pressure more than friction I would say.
I find I have to hoosh myself back along the saddle to get my bum bones back on the seat. I'd have to be sitting right back to feel that my weight is supported by the bones rather than the soft tissue forward of there.

I really can't stress enough how new this all is to me, so it's equally likely to be down to poor technique. I was professionally fitted for the bike when ordering and collecting so if any adjustment is necessary it should probably be minor.

What was done for the fit?

It sounds a bit more like the saddle shape might not be quite right, which is making you slide forwards. What does it look like, flat or curved? This idea from Fizik explains the difference quite nicely (it's a really annoying flash thing that may have music playing in the background, so sorry about that). What they say applies to all saddles, not just theirs.

blorg

Also if you are slipping forward make sure the saddle is level. I check with a spirit level (yes I am that anal about it.)

Doc_Savage

if you want a bargain saddle then this is a lot of saddle for the money!

shamwari

milltown wrote: »

Pressure more than friction I would say.
I find I have to hoosh myself back along the saddle to get my bum bones back on the seat. I'd have to be sitting right back to feel that my weight is supported by the bones rather than the soft tissue forward of there.

I really can't stress enough how new this all is to me, so it's equally likely to be down to poor technique. I was professionally fitted for the bike when ordering and collecting so if any adjustment is necessary it should probably be minor.

I had this before, despite the saddle being set up correctly. In my case the frame was slightly too big (should not be so in your case with a new bike) but I'm wondering if your stem length is correct??

smacl

There's plenty of good discussion on saddles here already if you do a quick search, so I won't repeat it. For comfort, Brooks is my choice, and charge spoon also seem popular. One small thing I find makes a big difference is to transfer most of your weight onto the pedals as you're going over rougher ground, and standing up for a bit or just shifting your saddle position a bit as you get sore.

Murph100

Having used a Prologo Nack and Selle Italia SLR over the past two years, I was still not 100% happy so I bought a Specialized Romin to see what all the hype was about, and YES, the hype is actually spot on, fantastic saddle, my saddle search is over !

Cycleways have test Romins in stock if you want to try one, just be aware its very firm on the sitbones for the first few spins.

ednwireland

blorg wrote: »

Also if you are slipping forward make sure the saddle is level. I check with a spirit level (yes I am that anal about it.)

i thought we all did that

i check the floors level first

experimenter

I have a Trek 1.2 and recently changed the saddle to a Specialized Romin Pro Road/Tri Saddle bought online at Evan Cycles.

Gotta say there's a big difference in comfort, I got the 143mm wide version.

vertigo1976

+1 for the Romin, got the 143mm expert and its a huge improvement on the stock Ritchey that came on my planet x

blorg

milltown wrote: »

I find I have to hoosh myself back along the saddle to get my bum bones back on the seat. I'd have to be sitting right back to feel that my weight is supported by the bones rather than the soft tissue forward of there.

Just to reiterate- this is a fit issue and buying a new saddle will do nothing to help. You need to have the saddle in a position where it is supporting your sit bones. So move it forward (or better, shorten your stem) so that it does.

Regarding the professional fit- it was not necessarily a bad one. A fit has an idea of the average cyclist and for a more experienced cyclist it may be right. You may well find you can stretch out more as you do more riding and can go back to the position suggested in the fit.

HivemindXX

Other people have already raised the very good points about saddle position.

There's another thing though. I don't think you'll be spending all that much time out of the saddle climbing. This is actually a very small part of your time cycling even for the serious cyclists (but it does get a lot of photographs). However your body is supported at three points, your hands, your ass and your feet. As you get fitter you will cycle harder and your legs will naturally support more of your weight, taking the pressure off your ass and putting it on your feet.

I read somewhere that this is why people often think they need a new saddle when they start riding their bike again in spring. They are actually feeling the effects of poor fitness not a bad saddle.

So, even if you change nothing you will probably experience less discomfort over the next few weeks of cycling. That's not to say you shouldn't experiment with changing your bike fit around a bit. Just adjust things a tiny bit at a time and see if it feels better or worse until your tune in a better fit for your own body.

DCU lad

http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/blog/2011/05/sitting-on-a-bike-answer-to-long-question-smp-seats/
link should explain alot and also is a good saddle for relieving the issues your on about.

You shouldnt really have those problems after your proFit! id be going back to ask them to look again. Explain, whats going on if theyre worth their salt, they should sort it out pretty sharp if its a minor thing to do with fit. if not cut out saddle / And/or/medical advice is* what you should be after!

milltown

Thanks a lot for all the advice guys, it's all very useful.

I think I'll give it a few weeks first, to find my cycling legs as it were, before I make any adjustments or saddle purchases. I was on hols with the family up north for the last few days and noticed small signs on the roundabout outside our hotel for Chain Reaction Cycles. A quick google revealed they were 5 minutes up the road, so we took a quick spin and bought a few new pairs of shorts. The cycle to work this morning was the first trial but already I can say there is a world of difference between the freebie shorts and the name brand ones.

Hopefully the combo of proper padding and a bit of experience will be all that's needed.

Thanks again.

Pat Kavanagh

A Specialized Toupe fixed my problems and I woudn't think about anything else or at least something.
These types are designed to take most of the weight on your 'sit bones' and not your perinium.
They may take some getting used to as the pressure is less sprad out, but worth persevering.
They are expensive, but a sore arse will put you off cycling (and numbness in the vitals will definately put you off).
There is only so much 'padding' you can use from shorts etc. ....