abbynormal

That's just about where I live I'm Oregon born and raised, but do to circumstances, moved to CA for the time being. I miss home, and plan to head back up after my lease is up on the apartment I am renting.

The Oregon Coast (but also I find the far, upper coast of CA as beautiful) is my "dream" ride. I love how the towns are each around a half-hours drive (give or take of course, and I mean by car, not bicycle). I'd like to be ready by next Spring to take that on. We'll see

I'm just in "training" now with a bike that was very, inexpensive, but only doing rides around my area. I did find 3 gals so far that want to take short rides around our nearby Lake Earl, and there are campgrounds close in that I can see how I do on an overnight

Just have a sore tailbone this a.m. from my first time back on a bike after about 2 years, and I never had a sore tailbone. Wondering if this seat/saddle is not a good one for me. Either that, or I am just getting older. I do stay in shape with regular exercising, and weight-training for strength, not bulk, freestyle dancing. But sitting on a bike, well, you all know the difference.

I'm 63, want to ride, it's my heart's desire. Can't afford much, but am saving dough to buy a real, road-cycle.

Just here to meet other cyclers, especially others of my kind, starting out. Denise

PS met a few people here already, having a good time posting, learning, and hoping to get back out today for a bit. I guess a good question would be, have you been just starting out and had "specifically" a sore tailbone, and was there an issue with your saddle, or just natural soreness from getting used to riding. Although I bought a mountain bike (pretty much hybrid type though) I am only riding roads, and easy, dirt trails around the area.

B. Carfree

When I first started cranking out longer rides (over 100 miles) about fifty years ago (like you, I'm "of a certain age") I had more sore than a tailbone. In fact, my tailbone was just fine. However, after one century that I rode on Sunday; it wasn't until Tuesday that I could feel my genitals again. I promptly tossed my decade-old Brooks saddle and purchased one of the newer saddles that didn't compress all those nerves and vasculature between the legs and I haven't really had any problems since.

However, my difficulty may not have been entirely the fault of the saddle. I'm sure I also got stronger and began putting less weight on the saddle as I began putting more power into the pedals. I was also slowly dialling in the fit of my bike and that could have also been a factor. Obviously, my search for comfort on the bike wasn't done as a controlled experiment.

I am a bit curious as to how one gets a sore tailbone while riding. It shouldn't be in contact with anything even on a very upright bike. The bones that contact the saddle, or at least the ones that are underneath the soft tissue that comes in contact, should be the ischial tuberosity. They get spaced farther apart from each other the further back one goes. This is why upright postures on a bike usually use wider saddles (sitting where these bones are widely spaced) and more "aggressive" aerodynamic postures usually use narrower saddles, since that posture puts one on the area where those bones are closer together.

As you ride more and get stronger/fitter, you will likely adopt a less-upright posture on the bike and find that you need to change saddles. Also, at least according to Jan Heine (somewhat famous rider based in Seattle), the more power you put out the more you need to lean over in order to keep your rear end from bouncing around at high cadences. (Yes, you should learn to pedal at 90-110 rpm; good for your knees and good for endurance.)

Seattle Forrest

Saddles are hugely personal. Some people can be comfortable on anything, others are really particular, and two different people will have wildly different ideas about the same saddle. If you buy another one, look for a store with a demo program.

But before it comes to that, give this one some time. You're new to cycling, so your body is probably still adapting. Take today off from the bike and see how it feels tomorrow?

abbynormal

I've NEVER had a sore tailbone riding a bike. I can't figure it either. I think it has to be the saddle. Dang, I'm feeling a bit discouraged but I'm going to just keep searching for a different seat. I'm a woman, is my tailbone if a different place than a man's? Nothing wrong, no past injuries there. Just weird And to ride only 1.4 miles??

abbynormal

I was going to ride today, but no, because when I have to sit down so careful I can't afford to take a chance on making it worse. I'll see how it feels tomorrow. But as I said in the above post, I've NEVER had my tailbone hurt like this. Only a little soreness in my crotch area, and got used to the previous bike within like 3 rides. And my first ride, after like 5 years, was 5 miles and back, into town when I lived up in Roseburg Oregon! Never hurt my tailbone area

fietsbob

Used to be the Mexican Territory border in the 1770's

I'm on the other end of the state, Columbia River out my Window.




BTW..
Some saddles have a V in the back , maybe they'd clear the tip of the Coccyx .

And there are some nose less ones that just have 2 pads for the sit bone support.

./.

abbynormal

Pretty familiar with your area, been up and down the gorge by vehicle, and train. Lived in Beaverton for about 15 years, as well as a couple other areas of Portland.

You must have a beautiful view

fietsbob

Rich people have plans to block the view building yet another Hotel .

abbynormal

One place, very close to me, is called The Lost Coast, no view will ever be blocked there, they couldn't even build a decent highway We'll have to head to those places Once i have some riding pals, I want to put together a ride/campout down there. Here's a link of a google search, lots of photos of The Lost Coast

https://www.google.com/search?q=The+...ih=708#imgrc=_

fietsbob

WPA era was when a Lot of the roads that now make up US 101 were built to connect .

Parts of Oregon's coastal routes were only Usable at Low Tide Before then .

The Beaches made up some of the Highway, OR Governor made all the beaches Publicly owned.

until 1966 the connection to Washington was By Ferry Across The Columbia..

Astoria Megler bridge

abbynormal

I've driven all of the Oregon Coast, but not by bike, yet

This is a great video, and love the area around Astoria. Had thought about living there at one time.

One thing I love about this area is the moderate weather. Although, seems weather is constantly changing. I know the Columbia Gorge is too windy at times, much of the time according to my relatives that live in Troutdale. But traveling up to Astoria, would be awesome, as well as on up North from there, maybe someday

B. Carfree

I've been riding in the Lost Coast for over thirty years. I must admit I enjoyed it when they paved Wilder Ridge Road; that gravel was tough to climb on. For a number of years, I had to travel to Davis once or twice per year and I (almost) always turned out to the Lost Coast at Fern Bridge and didn't get out until the south end of Usul Rd.

One of my favorite rides there involved a female medical student from Buffalo, my wife and a male Korean grad. student from her lab and myself. The Korean male was more than acceptably sexist. He refused to train for the ride because he figured if two women could manage then he wouldn't have any problems at all. Well, as he lagged behind I took the gear off his bike. I could have put it all on mine, but instead I put it on the two women's bikes. By the end of the trip, he was completely done with his sexism. That trip was back around 1990, and he still keeps a photo of himself and the two women overlooking Usul Beach on his desk back in Korea.

B. Carfree

I've been thinking about that tailbone pain. A number of friends who have damaged discs in their lower back have experienced "referred pain" in which the pain shows up away from the injury. This makes sense for a damaged disc since it will press on/damage nerves, which would then be interpreted as damage where the nerve ends or where the nerve that normally stimulates that nerve ends.

Most of the referred pain for back injuries that I have seen show up in the upper rear legs, but I suppose the tailbone might be possible. Just something to keep in mind if this doesn't clear up in short order. One friend was told repeatedly by his physicians that the pain in his legs was all in his head. He insisted it was in his legs. Finally, a family friend who was also a physician examined him and determined that they were both wrong; it was a torn disc that required surgery.

abbynormal

This is good to keep in mind for sure Carfree. I don't recall getting a notice on this post, but sometimes, I'll check my phone for email, read it, and forget to get into BF and answer it, apologies.

I have something called spasmodic torticolous, and although I don't have any other ongoing pain from it, there could still be a link. I keep it under control, the ST, by stretching exercise, and staying active in some way. The stretches are the best though!

I do want to bike, but I would have to keep up on my strength-training for upper body, and my stretches along the way. Most of my weight stuff is body-weight so I don't need equipment (pushups, crunches, lunges, squats, etc.) The condition, I've had since '88, or was at least diagnosed then, is the one where sometimes you'll see a person like the one in the pic. Mine, like I said, is not too bad because of the exercises.

I really think the sit-thing is about the seat/handlebar positions, but we'll find out after I make a few adjustments as I go

Thank you again for this reply, denise

PS this is what "can" develop if a person has a "much worse" case of ST: