Seat Too Wide?

On Jun 18, 8:11 pm, holdmybeerandwatchthis <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I have searched the groups but don't see an answer. I have been riding
for years, mostly for triathlon but also for cyclocross. I have been
doing a lot of climbing in the mountains, and I have been noticing
substantial pain below both sitz bones, but just above the hamstrings.
Like where the hams begin to attach to the Ischial bones? The pain is
at the beginning of a ride, usually disappates during the ride. and is
really noticable after the ride is over. The pain after a ride is
substantial and feels like bruising for several days.

An earlier post made mention of a problem caused by using a saddle
that is too wide. I have been using a Selle Italia Prolink on both
bikes and the problem is consistent with both bikes. Does anybody have
any experience with this sort of problem? Thank you

Is the saddle/pedal relationship the same on both bikes? That's a
pretty narrow saddle as is. Easy enough to diagnose if it's the
saddle, mount up a different one and see if you can recreate the
problem. A San Marco Rolls with steel rails is "neutral" enough for
most folks to be a good model to swap. If it's not the problem, flog
it on Craigslist and lost $20. Alternately, borrow a saddle from a
riding buddy. That way you can hopefully get other parts of your butt
to hurt.

I've had some soreness in that region right at the end of Ham Eating
Season, when I first start to do 150 mile weeks. Stretching helps, and
eventually it goes away after a couple weeks of riding. That part of
the body can be hard to loosen up if you get knotted muscles, but
there are a variety of stretches and humiliating yoga positions that
may help as well.

holdmybeerandwatchthis said:

I have searched the groups but don't see an answer. I have been riding
for years, mostly for triathlon but also for cyclocross. I have been
doing a lot of climbing in the mountains, and I have been noticing
substantial pain below both sitz bones, but just above the hamstrings.
Like where the hams begin to attach to the Ischial bones? The pain is
at the beginning of a ride, usually disappates during the ride. and is
really noticable after the ride is over. The pain after a ride is
substantial and feels like bruising for several days.

A friend of mine has trouble in that region, and was diagnosed with
piriformis syndrome, which affects the sciatic nerves. She finds that
an osteopath is very helpful, but it's easy to aggravate it with
stretching. You should get checked out by a physio or sports doctor,
at least.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

Quoted message said:

I have searched the groups but don't see an answer. I have been riding
for years, mostly for triathlon but also for cyclocross. I have been
doing a lot of climbing in the mountains, and I have been noticing
substantial pain below both sitz bones, but just above the hamstrings.
Like where the hams begin to attach to the Ischial bones? The pain is
at the beginning of a ride, usually disappates during the ride. and is
really noticable after the ride is over. The pain after a ride is
substantial and feels like bruising for several days.

An earlier post made mention of a problem caused by using a saddle
that is too wide. I have been using a Selle Italia Prolink on both
bikes and the problem is consistent with both bikes. Does anybody have
any experience with this sort of problem? Thank you

-----------
where do I start? I have wide sit bones, and for me prolinks are at minimal
width for me, but they work very well. Then I got a Brooks leather saddle
which is really wide on the back. I think I had a similar problem that you
did, but it was because the saddle was too far forward. Try moving yours
back. A Brooks is horrible to set up correctly, as the effective rail
movement is tiny, so I actually had to get a seatpost with a huge setback.
I solved that problem, that way. Try moving the seatpost a little down too.
You have to experiment a little. You can change saddles, but each saddle is
different on how it sets up on the seatpost, so it won't solve the mystery
of whether the prolink was the problem. You never mentioned if your sit
bones are narrow or wide, if they're narrow maybe the prolink is the
problem.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have searched the groups but don't see an answer. I have been riding
for years, mostly for triathlon but also for cyclocross. I have been
doing a lot of climbing in the mountains, and I have been noticing
substantial pain below both sitz bones, but just above the hamstrings.
Like where the hams begin to attach to the Ischial bones? The pain is
at the beginning of a ride, usually disappates during the ride. and is
really noticable after the ride is over. The pain after a ride is
substantial and feels like bruising for several days.

An earlier post made mention of a problem caused by using a saddle
that is too wide. I have been using a Selle Italia Prolink on both
bikes and the problem is consistent with both bikes. Does anybody have
any experience with this sort of problem? Thank you

-----------

Here's an article I had saved in my favorites on Bicycle Seats Explained.
It's written by Jim Langley who wrote many articles in Bicycling Magazine.
http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bicycleseats.html
You can also write to him directly to see what he'll recommend to you,
by clicking on his name.

One of my friends had a hard time finding a saddle. She had gone through
nine saddles from gel to leather. One of us had an idea to take the
scientific approach and ended up sprinkling flour on my black Brooks B-17
and had her sit on the seat in her riding position. With a seamstress tape,
we measured the distances of her sit-bone marks, using the center of the
saddle as the -0- datum. We would like to say the scientific approach
worked, as three of us took the data of the measurements and searched for
saddles.
She ended up with the Terry Butterfly which fit her sit bones like a glove.
Result, no more saddle complaints over coffee, just typical woman
complaints. So my friend said to me, it was my fault for fixing the saddle
mystery.
-tom

"Callistus Valerius" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have searched the groups but don't see an answer. I have been riding
for years, mostly for triathlon but also for cyclocross. I have been
doing a lot of climbing in the mountains, and I have been noticing
substantial pain below both sitz bones, but just above the hamstrings.
Like where the hams begin to attach to the Ischial bones? The pain is
at the beginning of a ride, usually disappates during the ride. and is
really noticable after the ride is over. The pain after a ride is
substantial and feels like bruising for several days.

An earlier post made mention of a problem caused by using a saddle
that is too wide. I have been using a Selle Italia Prolink on both
bikes and the problem is consistent with both bikes. Does anybody have
any experience with this sort of problem? Thank you

-----------
where do I start? I have wide sit bones, and for me prolinks are at

minimal

Quoted message said:

width for me, but they work very well. Then I got a Brooks leather

saddle

Quoted message said:

which is really wide on the back. I think I had a similar problem that

you

Quoted message said:

did, but it was because the saddle was too far forward. Try moving

yours

Quoted message said:

back. A Brooks is horrible to set up correctly, as the effective rail
movement is tiny, so I actually had to get a seatpost with a huge

setback.

Quoted message said:

I solved that problem, that way. Try moving the seatpost a little down

too.

Quoted message said:

You have to experiment a little. You can change saddles, but each

saddle is

Quoted message said:

different on how it sets up on the seatpost, so it won't solve the

mystery

Quoted message said:

of whether the prolink was the problem. You never mentioned if your sit
bones are narrow or wide, if they're narrow maybe the prolink is the
problem.

I have 6 Brooks Pros and I love them but there are variations in the
leather in each of them. I use a meter stick and an inexpensive angle
meter to set them up so I'm sitting in the same position on all of my road
bikes.

I've found that the B-17 Brooks saddles are way to wide for me in the rear
sitz area.

I also like the WTB Pure V "MTB" saddles. They're very close to the feel
of a Brooks Pro in the wide flat rear section plus they have a recessed
channel in the personal area and a padded nose.

I always had pressure numbness problems with saddles that are high in the
center and rounded off in the sitz zones. When I switched to Brooks Pros
years ago the wide flat area in the sitz zones fixed the pressure problems
for me.

Minor adjustments of an 1/8" - 3mm can make a big difference in comfort. I
switched back to the old Campy 2 bolt style seatpost for better
adjustability.

The OP has different problems than mine but I've experienced the same kind
of discomfort he described on my left side only with one of the WTB
saddles.

After about 20-30 miles it feels like something on the top inside of my
thigh is being pressed against the bone by the saddle. It seems to have
gone away for now. If it comes back I'll switch saddles.

Chas.

"* * Chas" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have 6 Brooks Pros and I love them but there are variations in the
leather in each of them. I use a meter stick and an inexpensive angle
meter to set them up so I'm sitting in the same position on all of my road
bikes.

My gosh 6 Brooks Pros??? Seems like that would take a lifetime to
break them all in. A meter stick with a bubble level also works.
I'm just the opposite, as I tilt my brooks up. This takes the weight
off my hands and feels the most comfortable for me.

Quoted message said:

I've found that the B-17 Brooks saddles are way to wide for me in the rear
sitz area.

Brooks does make a B-17N, the "N" stands for Narrow.

Here is a photo of a Brooks B-17 that I've had since 1977. I use the
Brooks proofhide once a year on top and twice a year on the bottom side.
It's my most comfortable saddle, as I don't need bike shorts to ride this
one. I also only had to use the tensioner 3x.
http://home.comcast.net/~tomnak/Brooks_2.JPG

-tom

"Tom Nakashima" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"* * Chas" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have 6 Brooks Pros and I love them but there are variations in the
leather in each of them. I use a meter stick and an inexpensive angle
meter to set them up so I'm sitting in the same position on all of my

road

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bikes.

My gosh 6 Brooks Pros??? Seems like that would take a lifetime to
break them all in. A meter stick with a bubble level also works.
I'm just the opposite, as I tilt my brooks up. This takes the weight
off my hands and feels the most comfortable for me.

Quoted message said:

I've found that the B-17 Brooks saddles are way to wide for me in the

rear

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

sitz area.

Brooks does make a B-17N, the "N" stands for Narrow.

Here is a photo of a Brooks B-17 that I've had since 1977. I use the
Brooks proofhide once a year on top and twice a year on the bottom side.
It's my most comfortable saddle, as I don't need bike shorts to ride

this

Quoted message said:

one. I also only had to use the tensioner 3x.
http://home.comcast.net/~tomnak/Brooks_2.JPG

-tom

They all broke in pretty fast. I don't remember much discomfort. My ~1971
is still the most comfortable - still no sag after about 35k miles.

Chas.

landotter said:

On Jun 18, 8:11 pm, holdmybeerandwatchthis <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Yep, both bikes are exactily the same geometry and seat. I am
currently trying a Selle Italia Cervelo saddle on the road bike to see
if it makes a difference. Last night it was fine on the rollers, but
the determinate will be a hard climb. Thanks for your information.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have searched the groups but don't see an answer. I have been riding
for years, mostly for triathlon but also for cyclocross. I have been
doing a lot of climbing in the mountains, and I have been noticing
substantial pain below both sitz bones, but just above the hamstrings.
Like where the hams begin to attach to the Ischial bones? The pain is
at the beginning of a ride, usually disappates during the ride. and is
really noticable after the ride is over. The pain after a ride is
substantial and feels like bruising for several days.

Quoted message said:

An earlier post made mention of a problem caused by using a saddle
that is too wide. I have been using a Selle Italia Prolink on both
bikes and the problem is consistent with both bikes. Does anybody have
any experience with this sort of problem? Thank you

Is the saddle/pedal relationship the same on both bikes? That's a
pretty narrow saddle as is. Easy enough to diagnose if it's the
saddle, mount up a different one and see if you can recreate the
problem. A San Marco Rolls with steel rails is "neutral" enough for
most folks to be a good model to swap. If it's not the problem, flog
it on Craigslist and lost $20. Alternately, borrow a saddle from a
riding buddy. That way you can hopefully get other parts of your butt
to hurt.

I've had some soreness in that region right at the end of Ham Eating
Season, when I first start to do 150 mile weeks. Stretching helps, and
eventually it goes away after a couple weeks of riding. That part of
the body can be hard to loosen up if you get knotted muscles, but
there are a variety of stretches and humiliating yoga positions that
may help as well.

Michael Warner said:

holdmybeerandwatchthis said:

I have searched the groups but don't see an answer. I have been riding
for years, mostly for triathlon but also for cyclocross. I have been
doing a lot of climbing in the mountains, and I have been noticing
substantial pain below both sitz bones, but just above the hamstrings.
Like where the hams begin to attach to the Ischial bones? The pain is
at the beginning of a ride, usually disappates during the ride. and is
really noticable after the ride is over. The pain after a ride is
substantial and feels like bruising for several days.

A friend of mine has trouble in that region, and was diagnosed with
piriformis syndrome, which affects the sciatic nerves. She finds that
an osteopath is very helpful, but it's easy to aggravate it with
stretching. You should get checked out by a physio or sports doctor,
at least.

--
Home page:http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

I have been through Piriformis and Sciatica as a runner and this is
different. I have been to an osteopath (my family physician), a
physical therapist, and a chiropracter. None of them really came to a
discovery. None of them ride a bike, either. Thank you for your
information.

On Jun 19, 6:47 am, "Callistus Valerius" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have searched the groups but don't see an answer. I have been riding
for years, mostly for triathlon but also for cyclocross. I have been
doing a lot of climbing in the mountains, and I have been noticing
substantial pain below both sitz bones, but just above the hamstrings.
Like where the hams begin to attach to the Ischial bones? The pain is
at the beginning of a ride, usually disappates during the ride. and is
really noticable after the ride is over. The pain after a ride is
substantial and feels like bruising for several days.

Quoted message said:

An earlier post made mention of a problem caused by using a saddle
that is too wide. I have been using a Selle Italia Prolink on both
bikes and the problem is consistent with both bikes. Does anybody have
any experience with this sort of problem? Thank you

-----------
where do I start? I have wide sit bones, and for me prolinks are at minimal
width for me, but they work very well. Then I got a Brooks leather saddle
which is really wide on the back. I think I had a similar problem that you
did, but it was because the saddle was too far forward. Try moving yours
back. A Brooks is horrible to set up correctly, as the effective rail
movement is tiny, so I actually had to get a seatpost with a huge setback.
I solved that problem, that way. Try moving the seatpost a little down too.
You have to experiment a little. You can change saddles, but each saddle is
different on how it sets up on the seatpost, so it won't solve the mystery
of whether the prolink was the problem. You never mentioned if your sit
bones are narrow or wide, if they're narrow maybe the prolink is the
problem.

I think you are going down the right road. My road bike is
specifically set up for a normal road position, on the back of the
seat and riding on the hoods, and a forward position on the aerobars
and the nose of the saddle. I think the seat is probably too far
forward, causing the lower edge of the saddle to impinge on the
hamstring attachments when I set back to climb hard. Mind you, this
hard climb is for rides gaining 5000'. I have substituted a smaller
saddle (the Cervelo) to see if I can tolerate it for the long ride and
reduce the impingement. Thank you for your information.

Tom Nakashima said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have searched the groups but don't see an answer. I have been riding
for years, mostly for triathlon but also for cyclocross. I have been
doing a lot of climbing in the mountains, and I have been noticing
substantial pain below both sitz bones, but just above the hamstrings.
Like where the hams begin to attach to the Ischial bones? The pain is
at the beginning of a ride, usually disappates during the ride. and is
really noticable after the ride is over. The pain after a ride is
substantial and feels like bruising for several days.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

An earlier post made mention of a problem caused by using a saddle
that is too wide. I have been using a Selle Italia Prolink on both
bikes and the problem is consistent with both bikes. Does anybody have
any experience with this sort of problem? Thank you

-----------

Here's an article I had saved in my favorites on Bicycle Seats Explained.
It's written by Jim Langley who wrote many articles in Bicycling Magazine.http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bicycleseats.html
You can also write to him directly to see what he'll recommend to you,
by clicking on his name.

One of my friends had a hard time finding a saddle. She had gone through
nine saddles from gel to leather. One of us had an idea to take the
scientific approach and ended up sprinkling flour on my black Brooks B-17
and had her sit on the seat in her riding position. With a seamstress tape,
we measured the distances of her sit-bone marks, using the center of the
saddle as the -0- datum. We would like to say the scientific approach
worked, as three of us took the data of the measurements and searched for
saddles.
She ended up with the Terry Butterfly which fit her sit bones like a glove.
Result, no more saddle complaints over coffee, just typical woman
complaints. So my friend said to me, it was my fault for fixing the saddle
mystery.
-tom

Good idea. If the tri saddle doesn't do it, I will give your
measurement approach a try. thank you.

* * Chas said:

"Callistus Valerius" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have searched the groups but don't see an answer. I have been riding
for years, mostly for triathlon but also for cyclocross. I have been
doing a lot of climbing in the mountains, and I have been noticing
substantial pain below both sitz bones, but just above the hamstrings.
Like where the hams begin to attach to the Ischial bones? The pain is
at the beginning of a ride, usually disappates during the ride. and is
really noticable after the ride is over. The pain after a ride is
substantial and feels like bruising for several days.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

An earlier post made mention of a problem caused by using a saddle
that is too wide. I have been using a Selle Italia Prolink on both
bikes and the problem is consistent with both bikes. Does anybody have
any experience with this sort of problem? Thank you

-----------
where do I start? I have wide sit bones, and for me prolinks are at

minimal

Quoted message said:

width for me, but they work very well. Then I got a Brooks leather

saddle

Quoted message said:

which is really wide on the back. I think I had a similar problem that

you

Quoted message said:

did, but it was because the saddle was too far forward. Try moving

yours

Quoted message said:

back. A Brooks is horrible to set up correctly, as the effective rail
movement is tiny, so I actually had to get a seatpost with a huge

setback.

Quoted message said:

I solved that problem, that way. Try moving the seatpost a little down

too.

Quoted message said:

You have to experiment a little. You can change saddles, but each

saddle is

Quoted message said:

different on how it sets up on the seatpost, so it won't solve the

mystery

Quoted message said:

of whether the prolink was the problem. You never mentioned if your sit
bones are narrow or wide, if they're narrow maybe the prolink is the
problem.

I have 6 Brooks Pros and I love them but there are variations in the
leather in each of them. I use a meter stick and an inexpensive angle
meter to set them up so I'm sitting in the same position on all of my road
bikes.

I've found that the B-17 Brooks saddles are way to wide for me in the rear
sitz area.

I also like the WTB Pure V "MTB" saddles. They're very close to the feel
of a Brooks Pro in the wide flat rear section plus they have a recessed
channel in the personal area and a padded nose.

I always had pressure numbness problems with saddles that are high in the
center and rounded off in the sitz zones. When I switched to Brooks Pros
years ago the wide flat area in the sitz zones fixed the pressure problems
for me.

Minor adjustments of an 1/8" - 3mm can make a big difference in comfort. I
switched back to the old Campy 2 bolt style seatpost for better
adjustability.

The OP has different problems than mine but I've experienced the same kind
of discomfort he described on my left side only with one of the WTB
saddles.

After about 20-30 miles it feels like something on the top inside of my
thigh is being pressed against the bone by the saddle. It seems to have
gone away for now. If it comes back I'll switch saddles.

Chas.

I had a Brooks saddle once, and I also added a set back fixture. Good
saddles but I don't think I ever had it broken in. I am interested in
the Wilderness Trails seat and will look at that next. thank you

Tom Nakashima said:

"* * Chas" <[email hidden]> wrote in messagenews:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have 6 Brooks Pros and I love them but there are variations in the
leather in each of them. I use a meter stick and an inexpensive angle
meter to set them up so I'm sitting in the same position on all of my road
bikes.

My gosh 6 Brooks Pros??? Seems like that would take a lifetime to
break them all in. A meter stick with a bubble level also works.
I'm just the opposite, as I tilt my brooks up. This takes the weight
off my hands and feels the most comfortable for me.

Quoted message said:

I've found that the B-17 Brooks saddles are way to wide for me in the rear
sitz area.

Brooks does make a B-17N, the "N" stands for Narrow.

Here is a photo of a Brooks B-17 that I've had since 1977. I use the
Brooks proofhide once a year on top and twice a year on the bottom side.
It's my most comfortable saddle, as I don't need bike shorts to ride this
one. I also only had to use the tensioner 3x.http://home.comcast.net/~tomnak/Brooks_2.JPG

-tom

Thank you for the information. Jc

Tom Nakashima said:

Result, no more saddle complaints over coffee, just typical woman
complaints. So my friend said to me, it was my fault for fixing the saddle
mystery.
-tom

LOL!