Sore bum....after how many kms / miles do you start to feel discomfort?
 

A little background, when I first got my hybrid, after riding for a few kms, my bum would get sore, understandably , as I was not used to the saddle, and as time went on, I could ride further before I felt my bum getting sore.

I am now 3,500km in, and anywhere between 30km - 50km, my bum starts to feel discomfort, ( without padded shorts ), I thought by now, my bum would have toughened up ( I ride almost daily 20 - 30kms. )

Is it time for a new saddle? or will my bum toughen up further? How far can you peoples ride without padded shorts before bum discomfort sets in?


Thanks for any advice.

I ride Brooks B17 saddles with padded shorts. It's rare that I experience butt discomfort. We rode a 300 km randonnee recently, and I felt pretty good the whole way.

It helps that my bicycles are the right size for me and that they are set up correctly. I was experiencing some nerve pain (sciatic, perhaps) until my handlebars were lowered.

Another vote for Brooks. Never, ever had a saddle I liked until I got my Brooks B67. This model works for me because I like a more upright riding style. Rode 51 km yesterday, my bum didn't complain at all.


They're expensive af, but I'll never, ever buy anything else.

Or get a recumbent and never have saddle sores again.

They always look to me like it would give you a backache though.

I went all day on my old trek without ever experiencing butt pain but my Specialized always hurts after the first 5 miles and it hurts for days afterwards. There are times I would have gone biking that I realized I am not because of the anticipated butt pain. I finally this week ordered the Brooks B67 and am anxious for it to get here. Hopefully it will do the trick for me too.

Do any bike shops in your area offer test ride saddles that you can try? If so you can usually borrow them for 2-4 weeks for testing.
Also get some padded shorts. They will be a tremendous help.

I have a B17 and haven't had any problems with soreness but had some issues with numbness on longer rides. Peddling out of the saddle once in a while seemed to help a lot. I still use the Brooks but bought a Selle Anatomical NSX which I like a little better for rides lasting several hours...the leather has a little more "give", which is also nice when you ride a lot of gravel.

I did a 300km ride yesterday on a Brooks B17. And while my bum was a "little" sore, it wasn't bad at all. This morning, i haven't given it much thought, but other body parts are still..... recovering.

When I started bike commuting 2 days a week, 25 miles round trip per day, I was sore for maybe the first month or two.

By the 4th month, I don't remember feeling sore at all. My commute shorts have thin padding and are kind of baggy - not really designed for serious cycling. I think I just got lucky with the stock saddle on my Uptown 8.

I get more soreness from the Renegade. I recently went to my LBS for a sit bone measurement and it turns out the stock saddle on that bike is almost 2 inches too narrow. Almost NO sit bone support on that saddle! Needless to say, I ordered a new saddle soon afterwards.

So get your sit bones measured and make sure your saddle is the right width to support the sit bones.

How far before sore bum ? Not distance, but time - several hours. Several hours sitting in an airline seat, car seat, office chair, easy chair or bike saddle can cause sore bum. For me, a leather bike saddle is more comfortable over time; have Brooks, Sella Anatomica and Gilles Berthard saddles. Each one is comfortable in their own application - important note: this is in conjunction with good bike fit.

Two weeks ago I got a new bike, on which I fitted a thirty year old Brooks Colt saddle which originally belonged to my father and which I hadn't ridden before. A week ago, I made my first large trip on it, 250 km. I cannot remember that I experienced any serious discomfort. I guess the proportions of my fathers bones are the same as mine.

As you can see, a lot of people like Brooks saddles. Personally, I'm very comfortable with Specialized saddles. Saddles are probably the single most personal thing on a bike; what works for one person may not be comfortable at all for you. As mentioned above, a good bike fit is very important. I have slight scoliosis and getting my position sorted out on the bike has been at least as important as finding the right saddle. Some LBS will let you rent or borrow a saddle to try out, others can measure you for a decent fit, which will improve your chances of finding the right one. In short, to answer the original question, before sorting out fit I used to get sore and my left foot would go to sleep after only about ten miles. With a proper fit and a saddle I'm happy with I only get sore with the thinnest of padded shorts and only after 40-50 miles. Foot occasionally goes to sleep still, but much less often.

If you don't like the look of lyca cycling shorts, there are padded liners that go under your shorts or pants or dress or whatever you wear.

edit: I am assuming from a roadie's perspective that padded shorts in a hybrid riding position would have the same increase in protection/comfort - but that may not be true. The saddle has to fit, no doubt :thumb:. My personal experience (with a different saddle on each of the bikes in my sig line) is that 'how' you ride a longer number of miles is an important factor. I am regularly changing position on my roadie saddles (long-ish and pretty skinny), often out of the saddle (even on flat roads). I don't spend too many miles in a/the single position of comfort.
This technique also helps with wrist, neck, leg muscle aches and pains that may accompany long periods in a singular position. Getting a saddle that accommodates a more aero position with comfort will allow you to finish with minimal exertion = may be important on longer rides.
YMMV

My comfy hybrid's padded saddle is still comfortable to me for rides up to 40 miles, although it's getting squeakier all the time. For rides up to 10 miles I'm comfortable in regular shorts or jeans and boxer shorts. Beyond that I'll switch to lightweight cycling baggy shorts -- the synthetic fabrics wick away moisture and don't feel like they're glued to the saddle. But I'm still wearing ordinary cotton boxer shorts and those begin to get uncomfortable on rides longer than 25 miles. I'll probably consider chamois liners to wear under baggy cycling shorts for this summer. I did wear skin tight wool cycling shorts with chamois years ago on a road bike with a hard saddle and it made a huge difference in comfort on rides longer than 10 miles, especially in hot weather. But I don't see myself wearing tighty shorts again with a comfy hybrid and padded saddle.

I've never understood when people say that. Does sitting in an easy chair give you a backache? Rarely. Riding a 'bent is like sitting in an easy chair, with the exception that you get to move ridiculously fast with less energy output than riding an upright. I wouldn't trade my bent for the world on a rando.

The last time I remember my Brooks B17 feeling uncomfortable was at the tail end of a slow 129 mile day on tour. I don't wear padded shorts.

70 is the NEW 50.
Get young again, it's on-the-house.

What saddle? There are multitudes that are made for riding a long time and a multitude that are crap for anything but short hops. You don't need a Brooks for longer rides. In general the more padding, the more you will hurt on long rides. The saddle should be firm and wide enough to accommodate your sit bones.

I don't star feeling discomfort beyond 40-60 miles, depending on the shape I am in. I currently have a Prologo saddle.

I don't own biking clothes. I wear regular clothes. The longest I've ridden in one go is thirty-three miles. I don't remember being saddle sore. But I have a comfortable seat.

Lately, I range between five and fifteen miles in a day. No soreness.

It would help us a lot if we knew what saddle you have now.

The problem with a lot of padded saddles is that soreness doesn't show up until a number of miles have been ridden per ride. That's because as you ride further/longer the padding compresses and that then introduces chafing or pressure points that can then cause soreness. Also, saddle position and tilt can be off a bit and thus soreness only happens after a number of miles are ridden per ride.

Some people like a saddle that's flat transversely rather than more rounded. I also think that the more upright your riding position the wider the saddle needs to be. That's because more of your weight is on your butt when you ride more upright.

I don't know if they still do but Bontager used to have a 30 day trial period if you bought a new saddle. If at the end of 30 days you didn't like the saddle you could exchange it, get a store credit or get your money back. I got a Bontager 612 that I really like.

One other thing. Bicycling shorts or a chamois lined undershort is NOT designed to provide padding but is designed to reduce friction and to wick sweat away from senitive areas. many times soreness of the butt is the first stage of chafinf or sweat induced or seam induced damage to the skin of your butt. Bicycling specific shorts whether snug racing style or touring style have flat seams to reduce chafing and pressure.

Cheers

I'll be quite honest, having just started cycling, I have soreness in my tail bone area. I am making an effort to ride 2-3 times to work per week and it's only a baby trek, about 2.6 miles one way, but it's starting to feel like it isn't physically possible with the discomfort from the previous ride and then stacking more punishment on after the next ride. I have a Fuji Absoulte 2.3 road bike that I purchased brand new and it came with some Oval Concepts saddle with no model number on it. It resembles the 300P, but I can't confirm; even Fuji's website doesn't list the saddle model.

I guess my question is (without hogging up a whole new thread) how long does it take to get comfortable? Am I going to have tailbone soreness constantly until I get past it? I'm only 10.4 miles into my new road bike and I'd much rather understand that the pain will eventually subside rather than have to get a new saddle straight away. Does the soreness just come with the territory? Would padded shorts help?

Thanks for any advice, I'm only a newbie and I hope to learn!

Are your handlebars higher than your saddle?

On my recumbents -- never. On an upright bike, I may experience some "butt fatigue" around 50 miles. I use Terry Men's Liberator saddles on my uprights bikes.

Yes they are, but not my much. Hopefully the pictures help, I couldn't find a string or anything to mark the angle :(

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=523042http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=523043

If the saddle does not match your sit bones, you will never get comfortable.

Go have your sit bones measured. Then check if the saddle matches. If not, get replacement saddle.