Nachoman

I've had saddle related issues last for months. It's a long, tedious, trial and error, system of recording every little micro adjustment.

jaxgtr

Dude, I went through 6 saddles until I found one that worked for me and it took me about 9 months....but if you are ready to give up....then, you are ready to give up. I recently changed from saddles brand models that I have been riding for years to a new one, as the other model was not working for me on longer rides. Discovered I needed a narrower saddle now and once I made the change, life improved dramatically.

Leisesturm

Post #2 had it exactly right. Now allow me ...what I haven't seen anyone mention before is: o.p. is 40+ and cycling (only) 2 years. Not unheard of these days but, unfortunately, a situation ripe for all kinds of abuse of taints, glutes, knees, and other parts of the human anatomy from sheer inexperience. They call it a saddle, not a seat for a very good reason: you don't SIT on it, you ... sort of sit on it ... what do you want to bet the o.p. is SITTING on it? It also takes more time, I think, to toughen up the tender tissues of the taint than the o.p. has allowed, in order to do 5 hour sorties into and out of enemy territory. Jesus wept, I think I had been riding a DECADE before I graduated to those kinds of missions. Yeah, unless I way miss my guess, the o.p. only lacks seat time and miles (many more miles) to sort **** out. FWIW.

Lazyass

I don't believe anyone has mentioned one big thing that could be the cause.

Assuming your saddle is not too narrow, an improper tilt with the nose too high can cause that pain. It's not really something a bike fitter can get right because you won't know until you put some miles on the bike. Even if your saddle looks perfectly level the nose could still be too high, not all are the same. You want the nose tilted down as far as possible without feeling like you're sliding down the front and have to put too much pressure on your hands. You have to find that perfect tilt balance. Go on a ride with the proper allen wrench, make a very tiny adjustment, ride a couple of miles, pull over and adjust again and keep doing it until it's good. Even a minuscule one degree change can make a huge difference. I personally can be comfortable on virtually any saddle.

Do that before you start blindly blowing money on new saddle like most people do. A new saddle is a roll of the dice and you have no clue if it will be good until you pay the cash for it. And saddle reviews by other people are worthless because not all butts are the same, it's like asking what the best tasting food is, and many people don't even know how to adjust them right.

Racing Dan

Sure, lots of bikes are set up way too aggressive for the average cyclist. Too much reach, too low bars, too little padding, too high gearing, etc And when ppl complain tiny little changes are recommended when in reality often much more dramatic changes are needed. Like, get a 7cm stem, get a compact bar that is shallow and has short reach, Flip the stem to get the bar up around seat height, try a padded seat. Etc.

70sSanO

When it comes to saddle tilt, a two bolt micro adjust seat post can help a lot if you end up in between two notches.

John

Branko D

Padding shouldn't be a crutch relied on. Should be icing on the cake, not the basic ingredient. People ride for hours and hours on end in trisuits, and have you seen the padding on those? A milimeter or two.

Saddle height, width/shape and tilt (especially if the front end is slammed, it helps to angle it slightly down) would be the prime culprits for the problems the OP has.

Case in point, I have a perfectly comfortable road bike - aero bike, slammed down, pretty racy geometry, 23mm tires, the works - but it's comfortable - I can do a 200K in a trisuit and I'm fine, I've done a 300K on it and only the legs felt a bit cooked. Yet, raising the saddle by about 8mm gives me groin pressure and discomfort after just 30 minutes of riding hard while seated.

wolfchild

That's what I did... I brought an allen key with me on a ride and made some adjustments on my saddle and handlebars myself while out on an actual ride. No need to spend $ 400 dollars just to make some small adjustments.

Germany_chris

I’ve been bringing this up for years on the internet and everyone scoffs so I stopped.

PeteHski

I think saddle height is quite critical for endurance riding. I drop my saddle about 5 mm from what would be my normal conservative fitted height. I lose very little performance (if any), but I find it much more forgiving on a 5+ hour ride. As you say it takes pressure off my groin area and prevents any tendency to rock my hips.
I've heard that pros typically drop their saddle height up to 10 mm during long stage races when they are getting knackered! It makes sense to me. As fatigue sets in and your muscles tighten your leg reach effectively shortens.

So a lower saddle height would definitely be something to try. Discuss it with the fitter and make sure he knows you are looking for an endurance fit.

indyfabz

What’s a taint?

OldTryGuy

INTERNAL >>> so are you referring to testicle pain, penis pain, perineal area pain, anal pain ??? so finding out the painful location to address the issue would be helpful.

eaglesandcycling

perineal area slight 'pain' but more discomfort.. issues peeing after rides (feeling like i cant pee)

Paul Barnard

Why don't they call it a saddle stay, a saddle tube or a saddle post?

Paul Barnard

Does your current saddle have a large relief channel?

eaglesandcycling

Yes

rydabent

Still no suggestions for the real answer for you. Move over to a recumbent bike or trike.

Standing by for all the hate mail.

Flip Flop Rider

nose less saddle

70sSanO

Good luck with the fitter. He really needs to understand the comfort aspect vs the performance aspect.

I know from my own experience that there is a balancing act between saddle setup and handlebar setup when it comes to reach/stretch and height.

Also too much short/bib padding can be the kiss of death on longer rides.

John

Barry2 

Post #2 had it!
There are 1000&1 ways people (including me) have helped or resolved their saddle issues.
You could filter through, trying them for hours.

An experienced friend, coach, or your existing bike fitter may be able to assist.
Even if it's only by bringing your attention to technologies that exist in the market place.

Examples....
Fabric makes the same saddle in various levels of flatness.
Saddles with no nose do exist.
BiSaddle offers a modular and adjustable saddle (I've not tried one)

Temptation is to assume, it's just a bike seat how tough can this be.
Answer, pretty tough on some sensitive areas!

Get some local (I wanted to say "hands on" but that would go bad quickly) assistance and maybe you can shortcut the time to find your solution.


All the best

Barry

OldTryGuy

Possible BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia -- Age-associated prostate gland enlargement that can cause urination difficulty) or inflammation caused by pressure only following riding. Being a PCa (Prostate Cancer) surviving 71yo bicyclist I would suggest that if issues continue/worsen you might seek medical attention.

RH Clark

I didn't read every reply. Maybe someone else gave better advice. What you need to do IMHO is to locate and know exactly where your sit bones are. When you can feel these two spots you will know if they are supported properly by your saddle. You might have to change saddles or position to get support on those two spots. When you get good support you won't be sitting on your taint and it won't hurt anymore. As a side note I'm older than you and I do need shorts that support and hold up the rest of my junk out of the way. The older you get the more you sag and need support. Good luck. Don't give up, change up until you learn how to be comfortable.

ThermionicScott 

I'm having trouble understanding the issue, maybe a couple more childish euphemisms for the region would help?

ClydeClydeson

Depending on the type of riding you want to do - ie touring/recreational vs racing, mostly on 'road' (incl. gravel) vs off-road, you might do well to investigate a recumbent. This will 100% immediately remedy your taint issue. There are other issues of saddle comfort with recumbents, but generally none as severe as can be common on upright bikes with narrow saddles.
They are also faster on flat ground than upright bikes, all other things being equal.

As for getting your current bike more compatible with your crotchular region, I have no advice to offer than hasn't been posted above. Maybe try a few more different styles of saddle, including a 'noseless' type, although I don't think too highly of those personally. I have been doing pretty high mileage recently, but my crotch discomforts these days are generally all skin-based and do not effect the tissue underneath the skin. I do occasionally, immediately after biking a long distance, get a pee where it is slightly painful to get started. I only mention this because I was using a different saddle a couple years ago where the after-ride pee was significantly more painful, and changing the saddle eliminated it, or at least made it a rare event.

Best of luck!

phughes

Guaranteed your seat is too high, for you. Don't play around. You will do permanent damage if you leave it like this. Drop your seat height 5 to 10 mm. Go to Steve Hogg's site and read his articles on setting seat height.