PattyPantz

I rode about 14 miles 2 days ago after about a year of not riding and I didn't ride yesterday, so I really wanted to ride again to day but when I got on my rear hurt quite a bit. So about when will my rear end stop hurting and also should I just ride through the pain or wait until it stops hurting/wait a few days to ride? thanks for your help!

SurlyLaika

unless the pain is paralyzing, I would just call it discomfort and keep riding. Remember the saying, pain is weakness leaving the body. I believe that to a certain extent.

PattyPantz

Thanks, I will be on the road tomorrow!

tagaproject6

Give it another week or two. The pain will go away.

cyclist2000

After being off the bike for a whole winter, my first long ride (40 miles) would cause a pain in my rear that lasted three days. After that I was good for any distance that my legs would take me for that summer.

kenji666

Make sure your seat is installed on the seatpost.

Machka 

A week or two of riding.

If your saddle is still causing you quite a bit of pain after a week or two of riding, you might want to start considering other factors like bicycle fit, a different saddle, cycling shorts, etc.

JacktheFlash

My butt stopped bothering me when I got a Brooks Flyer. Thanks to reading the saddle discussions here.

chibibike

My friend has had pain since day one and she's been riding for more than 5 months now and has tried 4 different seats and they all cause pain in the same area around her sit bones I think. Does she just need a real wide and thick seat? She does have a big butt. She rides a comfort hybrid so she sits upright. Right now she's on a forte brand seat with a cutout in the center and a wider back part but it's not great but just a little better than others. I was in a different bike shop the other day and saw a bigger seat and it was a lot thicker, maybe she should get one of those? She did use to have a big thick seat those, she got it at walmart it was the hugest one she could find there and it still hurt her so I donno if that seat I saw would be good but it did look more cushony and comfortable. Should I give it a shot? She feels that she just can't find any comfortable seat. We've talked to the guys at the shops and they say try this seat but they hurt still and we take it back and try another one, she's done doing that I think and I don't feel pain at all when I sit but I have a smaller butt so I donno. Is there no easy way to do this other than getting seat after seat trying them all? what a hassel.

Pat

Well, having a sore bottom when just starting cycling is to be EXPECTED. It is normal. Keep up the riding, and you muscles will get toned and you can ride for hours without undue discomfort*. Now, the pain could be something more serious like a poor bike fit. Bike fit can usually be diagnosed and resolved by the Local Bike Shop, LBS, people. The other thing may be a poor fitting saddle. At the base of your pelvis are two little knobs of bone. These are called the Ischeal Processes. These processes are about 2.5" apart. Your weight on the saddle should be set on these two bones, that way your tender parts are not squished causing "discomfort". If the saddle is too narrow, the saddle will ride up between the processes causing discomfort. If the saddle is too wide, some weight will be borne by other parts of the body than the processes causing discomfort. One of our LBS has a little device for measuring the location of the ischeal processes and can set one up in the proper saddle. You might have one near you with the same gear.


* in the medical community "discomfort* means excruciating pain.

SurlyLaika

I got a Brooks Flyer, too. It helps, but probably more important that that is really having your adjustments dialed in perfectly. and also standing on the pedals from time to time.

SurlyLaika

it probably isn't dialed in right. There are a few adjustments that you have to get just right to make a saddle work optimally. Also, soft and squishy expands under your weight and presses against your perineum. It's counterintuitive but she probably needs a hard, Brooks-like saddle. Look here to learn how to adjust the bike and really spend an hour trying it. Don't just read it, do it. Look her for women specific Brooks. They have a great return policy.

tagaproject6

Cushioning is not necessarily a solution to sore butts when cycling. Saddle time, bike fit play a bigger role than the cushioning of your saddle. Try using a saddle with less padding. It is counter-intuitive, I know, but most of the time, the padding is the first thing to examine.

chibibike

hmmm maybe it's her handlebar height maybe they should be adjusted so it's a lil bit lower.

vision646

I've got a related question, I started riding at the beginning of the year, I got a professional fit during the end of March and a new saddle which helped get my weight off my perineum (only one of my problems at the time). I ride 50-60 miles split between two rides a weeks, about 25 miles into a ride I start to get a bit uncomfortable and after about 40 miles it is really uncomfortable. The skin between my Ischeal Processes and the saddle seems to be a bit raw after the ride and the area is a kinda sore for the next day or so. Am I still in the "getting used to it" phase or is it time to start trying new saddles?

fietsbob

Lidocaine patches are available from your doctor's office.

SW7783

I remember doing a lot of reading about saddles 3 years ago before I bought a Terry Fly saddle. It works well for me. So far this season I've done maybe 70 miles and still get sore sit bones the next day. I'm not concerned because I know it will go away after riding more. Just like any activity, if you don't do it for a while it will take two weeks or so to get back in it. But it recommended to get up off the saddle periodically to permit blood flow back to the sit bones. But as mentioned above, the more saddle time spent means the longer you'll be able to ride before having to ride/coast standing up or taking a water break on the side of the trail. As for bike fit, you can read extensively about it on the forums or look at Sheldon Brown's pages - always an informative read.

JanMM

Solution to the painful seat: The OP could just get a ............................wait, nevermind. Too early in the thread.

I found the WTB Rocket V Race saddles to be pretty comfy in the past.

Shimagnolo

We need to know if he has a beard before we bring out that option.

CbadRider

If the skin is getting rubbed raw then you need to take a look at the padding in your bike shorts. Maybe the pad is moving around a bit and rubbing? If your shorts are pretty snug and the pad isn't moving, you might want to try some chamois cream.

vision646

My bibs are pretty snug, maybe I'll give the cream a shot.