FMadridRN

Just bought my Trek FX 7.2 and has discovered taht the seats are killers on my not so bony butt. I adjusted the seats to go forward and have made them a little more comfortable. The pains are more on the inside of the legs and not so much the on the itsy bitsies. I swear once I get these seats right , Im good for some long distance riding.

jsdavis

Is it those two pointy spots of bone kinda at the bottom of your butt towards the inside? If you have not been on a bike in a couple months, those two spots will hurt initially but should go away after a few weeks.

fcarpio

Padded biking shorts will work wonders.

choclabman

My LBS recommended the Serfas E-Gel and I have it on two bikes. Along with bike shorts I've been riding 25 miles on my days off and I haven't had any problems being sore. Planning on trying it on a longer 40-60 miles this weekend or early next week to see if any problems arise.

BridgeNotTunnel

I like my Serfas RX, but wearing 2 chamois seems to be making a big difference for me.

cashmonee

None, gel seats tend to make things worse by putting pressure in the wrong spots. You want the most pressure on your sit bones. Big, comfy looking gel seats are the exact opposite of comfy for anything more than a few miles. Plus they can get outrageously hot. You aren't buying a lazy-boy, you buying a saddle. Saddles are very personal, and what works for one person may not work for another. I myself am using a Brooks B17 on my hybrid and a fizik Arione on my road bike, but I would never recommend them to you because every butt is different.

As others have already mentioned, start with some cycling shorts that have a chamois. You can get some that have baggy shells. More padding does not necessarily equal more comfort. Often times it can be the opposite.

no1mad 

This.

Ask your LBS to measure your sit bones. If they look at you dumbly for asking it, turn around and walk out the door. Specialized dealers know how to measure- it's part of the whole BG process. They measured me at 152, so recommended a 155 based upon the type of bike and style of riding that I do.

cashmonee

Good point on getting measured. Trek dealers can also do this with a Bontrager measuring pad, though it just places you in one of three zones. For the OP, assuming you bought your Trek at a dealer, head back over there and ask them to measure you. Also, see if they have a saddle test program.

fietsbob

You can measure your own sit bone spacing,
stack up a bunch of corrugated cardboard on a chair, and sit on it.

then measure the spacing of the dents.

FMadridRN

Thanks for the replies! Will go back to get sit bone measured.

Bunnicula

Agree. Specialized makes good saddles too. But I haven't been able to get comfortable on a Bontrager (stock on Trek) myself, though.

FMadridRN

Ok so just as an update. I moved the seat forward about 3 inches and it made a world of difference. Im about 85% comfortable. I think the padded shorts might get this all the way to 100%.

AdelaaR

Getting used to things makes a lot of difference.
Give it time.

jbooker82

Bontrager SSR is pretty comfortable from my wifes DS 8.2 when compaired to my Bontrager Evoke 1 off my 8.3. I am going to try a Bontrager Nebula Plus. I found it for about half price so I should be able to flip it and at least break even if I dont like it.

Face Palm

Whoa. WHOA. Three inches is a HUGE amount to move a saddle forward. There is something majorly wrong with your bike fit if you felt that such a big adjustment was necessary (and I'm trying to imagine what saddle/seatpost combo would even allow for that much adjustment if the bike was even remotely fitted properly to begin with).

Your saddle position (height, tilt and front to back) is a major part of properly fitting a bike. And if you've moved it too far forward, you will not only be unbalanced, but will put a huge amount of weight on your hands and wrists, resulting in new problems.

Moving a saddle forward, especially that amount, is not a standard way to deal with saddle soreness. And a 3-inch move...I'm guessing you are nowhere near ready for "long distance riding".

If you just bought the bike, the store you bought it from should be able to help you do some minor fit adjustments. Or, consider even paying for a basic fit session.

You may need a new saddle, but that kind of position adjustment is very troubling. Please, get someone with more experience to help you out. or at least, look up some decent videos online about adjusting saddle position. I don't want to be too critical of something that may feel more comfortable right now, but with these kinds of out-of-the-ordinary saddle adjustments, you may end up with a whole host of new problems in your back, knees, hands, etc...

FMadridRN

Thanks! Might have to measure that again. Might not have been 3". Pretty comfortable though. no extra pain that I can tell.

DiamondDave247

i don't mean to hijack this thread, but i have a question that seems related to the topic. i just bought a new bike and switched from wider multi-terrain tires to a thinner paved-use (specialized armadillo) tire. the new tires are much harder and less forgiving. i ride on paved trails for the most part, and have been noticing some lower back pain in the 1st week of riding. my question (or questions) is, should i replace the old gel seat (3 years 6K miles), consider a suspension seat post, or just try and get "used to" the rougher ride?! by the way, i have already reduced the tire pressure to the recommended minimum (50 PSI) and noticed a bit of relief. thanks for the advice and suggestions.

flan48

After 3 weeks I still hated the original seat on my 7.4FX and the dealer put on a Bontrager Commuter Gel saddle. What a difference!

Now I can bike forever and do not even notice the saddle.
Best regards