What happens to our butts when we "acclimate" to a saddle?
Many have posted in rbt, variously naming or describing this process. With respect to the OP's, some
examples are given below.
I've experienced this adjustment. but don't know what actually happens in the body. Any ideas?
Jim Wilson
"Ride more and ride more regularly to toughen yourself up.
My butt toughened up after awhile so now i don't ever get a sore butt.
This usually happens to me in the spring when I start spending more time in the saddle, and goes
away after a few of weeks when my backside has had time to 'toughen' up a bit.
Just keep riding. You'll whip your a** into shape in no time.
Sit (ouch!) through it and after a week or two the pain will be gone by itself.
If it's the cheeks and the sitting bones then it may be a problem of conditioning...
I'd recommend riding for a while on the existing saddle (if it's not too painful) and see if your
butt adjusts.
It takes a bit of saddle time each season to acclimate your bottom to riding on most road
bike saddles.
...depending on the saddle, and there may be some initial muscular soreness as you
acclimate to it...
I can imagine that unless bicycling is a routine, the flesh at the pressure points may never
acclimate itself to the exercise because it is stressed with long periods of rest i between.
At first a hard seat may cause soreness at your sit bones. They adjust very quickly. (clip) Your sit
bones will adjust the softer areas will not.
Seems the muscles in my butt just had to adjust to the skinny saddle.
Your butt toughens over time. My (otherwise-unsubstantiated) guess is that cyclists get something
similar (to surf knots) internally on the ichial tuberosities.
It takes some time for the skin to toughen up...
If you've been off the bike a long time, you have to expect some discomfort until your butt toughens
up again."