Nstoltzner

Sorry, misleading thread title. When I am riding I tend to move forward on the saddle a lot and off my sit bones. Is this a fit issue or just something I need to work on? As a background I am on my 3rd saddle as the 1st was too narrow and caused numbness. The 2nd caused chafing from width and this one feels good so far. I never had pressure on my sit bones prior and do now however.

10 Wheels

Tilt the saddle nose up a tad.

Nstoltzner

Thank you.

ypsetihw

+1, tip the nose up a bit and move it forward as far as you can until it feels like you're sitting "in the pocket" as I like to say. Kindof like a baseball fits in the pocket of a glove, when you get it right on a saddle that fits you, it just feels like you're supposed to be there.

If you can't move the saddle forward enough, you might need to swap for a seatpost with less setback. If you don't know what that means, we can explain in detail.

Nstoltzner

I have had a fitting, well 3 different fittings to tweak stuff and this saddle feels really good. I feel like my sitbones hit it right but I never actually had a saddle that sit where it was supposed to be so I know that will be an adjustment as well. Overall the fore/aft and height all seem good in terms of pedaling and I am pain free. I just feel the need to scoot back all the time which I hope the nose height will fix.

ypsetihw

If you paid for 3 fittings and they didn't get this right, go ask for your money back.

Honestly I have very little faith in "professional fittings" overall. Yes, a good fitter with the right equipment can nail it every time, down to the mm. The problem I have is that most of the time, shops give their retail employees a crash course in using the fitting equipment, and then charge you $150 to talk to an amateur for an hour. I worked in the ski industry for a long time, ask me how I know . . .

Ever go to a fitting where they DIDN'T suggest you buy something afterwords? It SHOULD be a process that benefits the rider in ergonomics and aerodynamics, but I think on average, most fittings are used to identify customers with deep pockets, and get them to buy more stuff.

fietsbob

Vitesse.. from Fizik Via Brompton dealer .. back is kind of B17 wide but the nose is relatively Narrow ..

In the Family Bike shops Few worry about "Fitting sessions"

break out the trainer stand , put the bike On It and talk about how things feel does an adequate job.

Nstoltzner

This is precisely what has been happening. It's not a real fitting per se' just making sure my legs meet at the right angle etc. The bike feels great, just having some small saddle issues. The way they fit me in the last saddle was due to numbness, it was too wide and this one feels good for the 40 miles or so I have taken it out so far, besides just having to rock back and forth so much. Overall, they do everything for free and they are great people so I can't complain.

Carbonfiberboy 

It's usual to have the saddle level because that's the most comfortable. Many people, including me, slide forward on the saddle frequently and on purpose. It changes what muscles I am using somewhat and freshens the nip on my butt. Don't worry about it as long as it's not making you numb or otherwise uncomfortable. I think moving around on the saddle is a good thing.

That said, do a saddle position check: while pedaling normally, hands on hoods and elbows bent, briefly take your hands off the bars. If you slide forward on the saddle, it's too far forward. Move it back. You don't want to be always pushing back which is hard on the hands.

Nstoltzner

Thank you. The main issue is that I am getting chafing on by back-upper thigh close to the buttocks on both sides which I assume isn't normal. Although it may just be my skin having to get used to it. I have put nearly 500 miles this year on the bike, which I know isn't a ton but. First year out.

Carbonfiberboy 

I get the same thing from saddles which are too pear shaped. I need more T-shaped saddles. For me, this is as good as it gets right now: Velo Senso Sports VL 3206 Saddle Black x White | eBay


I have 4 of these, one for each bike. I think they come in other colors, too.

Of course the proper saddle needs to be the correct width, too. Only one way to find out. My usual good saddle width is 140-145mm. You can have your sit bone width measured at most LBS.

berner

I end up with a similar problem if the saddle is too wide just forward of the sit-bones. My solution is to remold the saddle shape just a bit by playing a heatgun to the underside of the saddle and squeezing the plastic narrower, usually over several sessions, until it feels just right. I only need to do this to one side due to some sort of asymmetry in my anatomy. I also find it helpful to point the saddle a small amount to one side instead of perfectly straight ahead.

Nstoltzner

The good news is that I bought a Specialized saddle at my LBS which they have a comfort guarantee on. I am going to stick with this new one and just point the nose up a tad. If it doesn't work then it's time for a different one. I feel abnormal for having all these issues.

berner

Well, saddles have to be manufactured in one way or another but humans are manufactured every which way. Everyone seems to find comfort eventually. The secret is to be persistent in searching.

Nstoltzner

So. I moved the saddle nose up a half inch or so. What a difference! I still have sit bone soreness but that will just take time to break in as far as I know. Did 20 miles yesterday which is a good ride for me with very little discomfort.

NickFit0036

The term would be "the shuffle". Check out the video in the link below. These riders are sliding forward on the saddle for several reasons.

The time trial shuffle:

-UCI does not allow them to slide the saddle far enough forward on the bike. The rules are that the tip of the saddle must be at least 5cm behind plumb to bottom bracket. The riders basically WANT the saddle to be further forward because their bars are extremely low creating more distance from the saddle.
-They are in such a low position, that all of their weight is on their arms/upper body. This causes the rider to naturally shift forward because there is very little weight actually on the saddle.

For you, the issue can also be the angle of the saddle. If it is pointed even a bit too far down, it will cause your weight to shift more into your hands and you WILL slide with the seat. People tilt saddles down anywhere from 1degree to 3 degrees to relieve perineal pressure and it can help, but you have to compensate by keeping your lower back tight to prevent your sacrum from tucking under. This does require more lower back strength. If you get pressure with a flat saddle and are tilting it down to relieve it, you may want to experiment with more saddle choices. The perfect saddle will give you little to no perineal pressure by with 0--1 deg of tilt. The Adamos are famous for helping with this. Maybe visit a good shop and they will have test saddles to try and possibly purchase.

Yes, I am a certified fitter. More info on that is below.
https://cnj.craigslist.org/bik/5767293727.html