Butt Hurts when riding

I just came back after 20+ years away from cycling and I found out fast padding does help and the right seat angle (I had this problem) or even the right seat for that matter...

Padded shorts FTW

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Shebiker421 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Hello All!!

I am getting back into the bike thing. I went for a 45 minute ride yesterday. I tried going out again today and my butt hurts. I've seen other postings on this issue, but I think I am hurting in a different place. It is not really my butt. It is inbetween my legs (or the very tops of the insides of my legs) when, apparently, it has been rubbing. I don't know if a padded set will help. Can someone offer me some serious advice so I can get back out there? Thank You!!

First off, if you haven't been riding regularly, you are going to experience some pain as your backside gets used to sitting on a bike seat. There is also some slight chafing that you will need to get used to. If you ride daily, this pain should subside after about a week. If you only ride once a week, then you will have pain after riding for a month or more, but to a lesser degree each time you ride.

By-Tor is right to a point. Cycling shorts are a must for someone who is not used to the saddle, and a lot more comfortable for those used to it. They are made to prevent chafing. There is also a product that is called chamois butter which lubricates your skin to prevent chafing.

You might also want to take your bike to your local bike shop and let them check you seat height and posistion for you. If you are riding on a seat that is too high, you will be rocking back and forth every time you pedal and that will also cause chafing. The last thing is are you sure that this is the best seat for you? If the shorts and seat height adjustment don't correct your problem, try a different seat. Most bike shops have a program where you buy a new seat. If it does not correct your problem after a ride or two, you bring it back and they will give you its credit value towards another seat. You can keep trying seats until you find the one that suits you best. You will need to check with your local bike shop for the specifics of their program.

Good advice directly above.

Let me add that you want your seat to be level and not tilted either up or down. I put a level on mine to be sure.

Also, the only time I ever experienced chafing was when I had new bike shorts - cheap ones. When I had new expensive ones I had no problems.

Hi, Shebiker!

Welcome back to cycling! I just started riding myself last Fall, and I know exactly the pain you're having.

The advice above is all really good, and I ditto it. I could not BELIEVE what a difference it made when I got a good padded biking short (with a real chamois, not just a thin foam layer like some have) and started using chamois butter. Good biking clothes are not cheap, but are worth every penny in terms of comfort riding.

Making sure the bike fits you and getting the right saddle, as said above, are also crucial. Any good bike shop can help you with that. I've tried several saddles and am still working on that issue, but am getting closer to the right one each time. And, unfortunately, you really do just have to develop 'callouses' in certain places as your body gets used to it. I HIGHLY recommend a rest day with no biking between cycling days until you have them developed. If you try to just 'tough it out' when it's really hurting, you can actually cause blisters and/or small tears on sensitive tissue. I speak from painful experience here, and it's not fun, lol.

So get the biking short, get the chamois butter, get the bike fit to you, and keep trying saddles until you can enjoy the rides. It takes a bit of time, but it's worth it!

Good luck.

Losing weight also helps tremendously. You want to sit on your ischial tuberosities without much pressure of any tissue in between.

+1 on sadle tilt, weight loss, and quality chammy.

In a small number of cases could also be the saddle - some folks have a similar problem when riding with either the SLR or Specialized's Romin Saddle. Both have a wider than usual nose that creates more friction on inside upper thigh than some enjoy... sure some other models are guilty of the same offence. Just some additional food for thought.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cicatric [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Losing weight also helps tremendously. You want to sit on your ischial tuberosities without much pressure of any tissue in between.

This is the kind of info I have been looking for. I'm a techie and love to know exactly what is going on in everything I do. Thanks for the post... btw... is it proper to focus posture on the ischial tuberositi?

Everyone always mentions that you must sit on your sit bones...

... but what happens when the hammer goes down and you have to ride very very hard - typically you end up on the nose of the saddle, hence the phrase "riding on the rivet" cause the rivet used to be on the front of the leather saddle and your "big fancy name for the sit bones" are nowhere near being sat on.

Yet funnily enough, things don't hurt in the butt or wedding tackle department when that goes on either.

Maybe there's something else afoot... like I'm being levitated by space aliens or I invented a "negatronic sinusoidal depleneration antigravitron machine"... or a really good pair of shorts is a simple answer to most of the cycling woes in the world.

yea, for the most part I am riding on the perineum (muscles between scrotum and rectum) with light pressure on the ischial tuberosities. And especially when riding harder, I tend to scoot forward.

My seat is very level. In fact I experimented with tilting it up, but it was not comfortable.

+1 on correct position, good shorts, and time

Try a Selle An-atomica saddle. I nearly gave up cycling due to pain that wouldn't go away. This saddle is amazing! It's pretty heavy, but well worth the trade-off to finally be comfortable. Many of my friends (and wife) have switched over and are very glad.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by rclouviere [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Try a Selle An-atomica saddle. I nearly gave up cycling due to pain that wouldn't go away. This saddle is amazing! It's pretty heavy, but well worth the trade-off to finally be comfortable. Many of my friends (and wife) have switched over and are very glad.

It is all well and good that your Selle An-atomica saddle works for you and your freinds and wife. However, there is no saddle that is the right saddle for everyone, otherwise it would be the only saddle available and everyone would be using it. If they could afford it, that is. Thankfully my rear end doesn't have such expensive tastes. I have several saddles that I have purchased over the years that have all worked well for me, and several that were pure torture to ride on. One of the best saddles that I have came to me by accident. I wanted a cheap white saddle to use only for a photo shoot of a bicycle, and found one on eBay for $8.00. After the photo shoot, I gave it a spin around the block and it felt pretty good, so I used it next on a 40 mile ride and it was comfortable through out the entire ride. Then I tried it on a century and was about to throw it away after 70 miles, but it is good for shorter rides.

Obviously this saddle isn't for everyone. However, I can say, without it, I would've stopped cycling. All of the saddles I tried wouldn't take away a knot that was causing extreme pain.

i agree. it is probably your seat that causes you pain. you may want your seat to be leveled. cycline shorts will also help you be more comfortable. [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG]

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