Saddle Problems

Hi portrider, sorry to hear you haven't had a wonderful introduction to cycling. My best advice would be to find a good local bike shop that is willing to work with you a little bit. If they are willing to set you up on a trainer in their store and let you try out different saddles without having to purchase them that would be the best. Finding the right saddle is always a very personal thing, as anyone else here will attest to. I would suggest always starting with the saddle completely level (using a bubble level to make sure you are correct), and going from there. Is there any possibilty that you are stretched out too far on the bike (putting more pressure on the front end of your sensitive areas), or not stretched out enough (putting more pressure on the back end of your sensitive areas)? Having the seat height and handlbar height adjusted a very small amount can make a large difference in overall comfort.
For what its worth, I weigh about 230 and use a Fizik Arione saddle. I find this to be similar to sitting in a chair, as the saddle is more flat than many others on the market and feels to have a larger surface/contact area. Before that, I used Selle Italia Flites and swore I'd never use another cause I *thought* they were the most comfortable saddle out there. Good luck!!

Jeff

You are going to have to try a number of different saddles to determine what fits your bum best. I am a grear believer in the San Marco Rolls (about 15 year old design, but it fits me perfectly and I could spend 10 hours straight in the saddle with no trouble).

A number of people seem to swear by the new Airone (as per martin_j001's suggestion). It is a bit pricey, but you might want to try it too.

Strange about the cycling shorts - spend a bit of cash and get a good pair from a reputable brand, and you will definitely enjoy the riding more. Just make sure not to wear anything under your cycling shorts when you ride!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by portrider
I'm a green newbie here in need of your opinions on what saddle might work for me. I'm 6'4" - 250 pounds and going down by the way. The problem I'm having is that it feels like the seat post is jammed right up behind my scrotum causing an uncomfortable ride. I've tried nose up/down fore/aft and I'm on my third seat now. Padded shorts seem to make it worse. If anyone has had the same problem I'd like to know what worked for you.

Thanks!

That soft spot right behind "the boys" is where your prostate is located. Too much pressure there can result in numbness and/or discomfort. I also have a problem with numbness on longer rides from pressure in this spot. I just recently purchased a Specialized Milano saddle and it seems to be much better than others I've tried. It has a 'v' grove in the back to allow less pressure in that area and is nicely padded. I picked one up at my local bike shop for $35 so it didn't set me back a whole lot.

Unfortunately it is hard to give advice on what will work best for you. Just try a lot of different things. Small adjustments in height/tilt can help (unless your saddle is completely unbearable), some swear by firm racing type saddles, others need softer saddles, some like cut outs, etc... Another thing that can help is just spending more time riding.

Hope you find something that works for you!
Kyle