by wednesday 14 Replies latest social physical
I just started a new exercise program, i'm riding a outdoor bike. I haven't ridden one in years. Only the seat is hurting my butt. I have enough padding, and i have tried adusting myself , but to no avail. wonder about padding the seat? anyone ride out there? Any tips?
weds
My husband and I are avid mountain bikers in the summer. What you have to get is a seat that is either female or male related. And shocks in the seat system reallly help. I would not ride a bike without the two.
I take a spinning class and at target they sell padded seats for bikes it helped so much. Its only $20 for the seat pad and is well worth the money. I never had a problem with my butt hurting after I got the pad.
Wednesday.
Where are you riding the bike ? Do you have it set up as a stationary bike, or are you riding it outside ? If you're using it inside, I would suggest you stay away from the stairs, that's rough...LOL.
Seriously, all the shops can sell you a gel cover for the seat that and that can make a big difference.
Good Luck 1!
Bikes need a seat? ..Beats the hell out of that dam post they put just under your butt.Every time I hit a bump my voice go`s up 2 octaves...OUTLAW
OUTLAW says: Bikes need a seat?
lmao! thanks for the mental picture
Hi Wednesday!
I'll give it a try....here is a quote that will give you some general knowledge from "The Female Cyclist" by Gale Bernhardt;
"Saddle style is probably the most intimate and frustrating part of a bike fit. No saddle is going to make up for an ill-fitting bike and no one wants to ride any distance if their private parts are in pain or have gone numb. Saddles come in various styles, lengths and widths. Individual anatomy varies, whether your anatomy prefers a wide or narrow seat; minimal padding or a gel insert; solid seat or a seat with a cutout depends on your riding style, the length of time you will spend in the saddle, and personal preferences. The saddles touted as "women's models" tend to be wider. And due to the recent publicity around male impotence, many men find that these wider saddles suit their anatomy just fine and eliminate genital numbness."
"Some saddle discomfort is due to fitness and riding style. Novice cyclist do not have the leg and glute muscles of an experienced cyclist. Strong leg muscles will help support a cyclist, so the saddle doesn't become a chair. Novice cyclist who haven't developed strong leg muscles tend to "sit" on the saddle and move their legs, while experienced cyclists are somewhat suspended by their legs. The message for the novice is to slowly build cycling miles, so you can build leg strength and saddle time. Even experience cyclist need to build saddle time after being off of the bike for awhile."
"It is important that a saddle is padded for comofrt however too much padding can cause numbness, too. If the saddle has too much padding, it can conform to the perineum, which is the area between your sit bones. That area has arteries and nerves running thorugh it that, when compressed, can cause pain."
"Unfortunately, there is no easy sizing system for saddles. It would be great if they were like shoe sizes, having length and width designations, "I'll need a size 5 in a C width." Until that happens, test some saddles until one feels comfortable. Some shops will change a saddle and let you try it out while riding the stationary trainer. If you ask around you're likely to find saddle choice is a bit like ice cream flavors, everyone has a favorite for different reasons."
That said I'll tell you my experience with bike saddles. The saddle that came with my first bike was the standard one that came with the bike purchase. After a few weeks of discomfort I bought a Terry womens specific saddle and like all saddles it had a break in time (figure at least 100+ miles) then it was very comfortable for me, I won't use anything else now. Also I have to mention what my coach told me is the basic training for long distance cycling is to "toughening up the soft tissue area" this takes time and miles in the saddle, no getting around it!
Now on my bike I use a man's saddle another Terry with the cutout, it's a Terry Liberator Ti Race and it is so comfy even after being off the bike for months I haven't had much discomfort (just the usual soreness, soft tissue owies) since I've been riding again. So if you learned anything from what I've said it's that it takes time and miles and yes you will have some soreness. I'm talking about real sores that you can develope which will require you to be off the bike until they heal at least enough so the pain isn't so bad.
You might want to invest in some good cycling shorts and use some chamios butter on the inside chamois it really helps with friction. Good hygine is a must, never wear your cycling shorts around after a ride and always wash them after every ride. BTW you don't wear underwear under your cycling shorts. LOL
Enjoy riding, it's very addictive!
Katie
Katie is right. Actually the softer the seat the more difficult it will be to toughen up that soft tissue. When my son and wife raced they acutally used a hard leather seat which formed to their bottoms over time. They swore by them.
Don't go with too much padding. A good saddle that correctly fits you is the key. Go to a good bike shop, not Sears and ask for a professionals help. I find that when I lay off it only takes me 3-5 days before my butt can handle several hours in the saddle. My seat has very little padding.
Now my saddle is on a mountain bike. My road bike is a recumbent which is about like riding a recliner down the road. Very comfortable. No sore butt time at all. Just sore quads from being out of shape but that goes away in a few days too.
Thank u all for the good advice. going to go to bike shop this pm. My hubby and i are riding in the pm. I have sedentery for a time, so it is going to take a while to build up some endurance.But i knew , first things first, i had to get my behind comfrotable.
Wednesday,
I bicycle alot and the best seats (for me) are gel seats. You can also buy a gel cover.
