My ass hurts

[Dave Sloan]

A good sprung seat post will definitely help - I use a 2003 Rockshox with a Schwinn seat similar to the one Dogman referenced with full springs underneath.

 

[Ykick]

Tend to have more problems with hand fatigue than ass fatigue.

Ditto... those thick foam motorcycle grips seem to help best for me.

Every ass is different and good luck with your seat search. With motorcycles I've always prefered the Harley solo saddle or "tractor pan" style of seat or the old 1,000 mile solo saddle for boxer BMW. Similar to the C9 cruiser saddle description I provided earlier. Large, wide suspension seat and you must get the angle right to avoid crunching front/back. Butt, I can sit for a very long time in that saddle.

Maybe we should try a seat exchange in the For Sale section - pay shipping and try out some seat that didn't work for another user? So often, you just won't know until you try one. I've gotta pretty good collection of seats and those thin narrow type's can all go away as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Lemlux]

I've been much happier since I combined a Thudbuster LT Post with a sprung Specialized Expedition Gel Saddle. In addition to the rear springs the saddle surface is suspended over a spring web.


http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=57841

 

[gogo]

Back in the day I covered my 10 speed's racing saddle with a sheepskin cover. It conformed well and didn't have moisture issues. I used it on RAGBRAI, the bike ride across Iowa.

 

[StudEbiker]

I just have to plug the semi-recumbents. I have been playing with the Bike E for awhile and it is incredibly comfortable. You can get into a Bike E for not much money too. I have seen AT models (rear suspension) going for as little as $200 on Craigslist and RX models (dual suspension) going for less than $400. I haven't even got mine powered yet and I've still been taking it for rides!! Yeah, it kind of sucks going up hills, but it's just so much fun to ride I don't really mind!! If you see a Bike E or a Revive around and you are looking for comfort take one for a test ride, I think you will be amazed at how comfortable they are.

 

[D-Man]

Here's what I did. I have an avenir cruiser saddle.

Problem: Cruiser seats are engineered for 300 lb'ers.
Solution:
1. Take a dremel and grind off all the plastic reinforcements underneath it so that when you sit on it it "gives."
2. Take a heat gun and re-arc the bottom so it's less of a curve or more flatter.
3. Bend the metal supports so that they bolt back up with the new curvature of the seat.
4. Enjoy

 

[treefarmer]

I tried four different seats, and was really wanting to save up for a recumbent--then I tried a Brooks. Well worth it. Now I can't justify the cost of getting a new bike/recumbent. As of Friday, I put 4000 miles on my bike since I put a hub motor on it last June. With a 38 mile (one-way) commute that takes 1 hour and 40 minutes each way, I no longer even notice the saddle since getting the Brooks. And I would say it felt "broke in" after the first or second ride. My bike doesn't have any suspension, so I went with the model with two coil springs, but as the rural roads are really pretty good here, I might have been better to go with one without the coil springs as I do start bouncing a bit if really spinning up the steepest hills.

 

[999zip999]

I went to a bike swap meet and brought a lot of new seats some gel ect. Plus Lights yes lots of did LOTS of lights front and rear 7 folding lid boxes and fenders. I'm packing car right now to hit up local bike stores, so I don't have to ship. So local So Cal give a pm. I will make a real post after I find out how to put pic's on the forum.

 

[auraslip]

Cool deal

try www.imgur.com for uploading pics. Much quicker than the forums picture system.

 

[999zip999]

Anybody that will come by and say trick or treat will get something. Robert

 

[tkopper]

A big cushy seat that you can sink your fingers into may not be the best answer. Your ass has two bones that are designed to concentrate your weight on as you sit down. Most cases of saddle pain come from big sofa-like saddles. What happens is as you mount the saddle, your sit bones compress the heavy cushioned saddle which causes pressure on the soft tissues in between your sit bones from the center of the cushion not being compressed. These excessive padded saddles are usually only good for a few miles before discomfort starts to kick in from chafing. Another very crucial part of a saddle for the riders comfort is saddle width. Too narrow of a saddle will cause the sit bones to hang off the sides making the soft tissues bear the load. Too wide of a saddle will cause chafing on the inner thigh. Here's a tip not many know about the material known as "gel". Gel is a particular type of closed-cell foam, in which the air bubbles are at higher than normal pressure. The fact that a given saddle says "GEL" in big letters has no correlation with how comfortable it is, it's basically hype. Well I hope what I have learned and experienced throughout my cycling hobby will help you out. Also Lycra cycling shorts go along way in providing comfort with the use of Chamois. If your not into the butt-tight shorts you can also get baggy type. baggy type is not the best though for it can get bundled up in a certain spot between your cheeks.

 

[dogman dan]

The "gel" I've learned to avoid is the super squishy stuff. Feels exactly like a silicone implant, or a breast prosthesis.

 

[auraslip]

Too narrow of a saddle will cause the sit bones to hang off the sides making the soft tissues bear the load.

Thanks for putting into words the problem I'm having. I have wide hips I guess.

 

[wesnewell]

If you're ever in Wylie, you're welcome to stop by and try the Worksman 6911V seats I use. Before getting them, I couldn't ride more than a few minutes before I had to stand up. No problem sitting now.

 

[morph999]

Picking a bike seat is kind of counter-intuitive. For example, some might pick up a seat and squeeze the middle and since it is soft, they think "oh, what a great seat" but that's actually not true at all. For a man, especially, you don't want a seat that is really soft in the middle because what will happen is all the pressure will be placed on your scrotum and it can cause impotence. I have a bike seat that will cause impotence and I could literally feel it pinching my nerves down there in the first 2 days and I stopped using it. You want a seat that is pretty firm in the middle where your hip bones/scrotum goes and you want all the pressure to go on your hip bones and not the scrotum so look for ones that are very firm and have a spacing out of the middle so it won't pinch any nerves. I have a Selle Royal bike seat and it's great. The one I have is not made anymore but they are a good brand I think.
something like this might be good

http://www.selleroyal.com/Saddle_Detail.aspx?c=5182DET

 

[wesnewell]

Maybe for a 100lb person. It's only 7 inches wide. Even 10" wide so called comfort seats killed me.

 

[auraslip]

Ended up ordering this.

$25... oh yeah and because I'm a student I get to use amazon prime for free.... FREE 2-day shipping.... gotta $@%$'n love that !

 

[Solcar]

I can get some relief if I shift to the right on the seat a little when coasting.

 

[Ariane]

Hi Guys,

Like many of you I have tried many seats without success, since that I have bought this seat every ride is now pure fun, and my ass didn't hurt again I strongly recommend this seat.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BIG-COMFY-BIKE-SEAT-MOST-COMFORTABLE-EVER-COUCH-BICYCLE-/200619598758?_trksid=p4340.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D190539684908%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D665666804911823028


Good day!
Black Arrow

 

[oatnet]

Have you considered a thudbuster LT? That, combined with a Cloud 9 seat, resolved my issues, and has been a build standard for me ever since. Search E:S for thudbuster and you"ll find a lot of advocates.


http://thudbuster.com/products.html

 

[vanilla ice]

I avoid any seat with the word "gel" in it like the plague. For me they are painful. And hard seats can be comfortable if they are the right shape.. I don't think softness or size necessarily has anything to do with comfort. For example, look at the brooks stuff, its smaller and harder than the oversize couch seats.. and tons of peeps swear by them. I would think if you ride 3 hours a day your butt would be better off on something a little harder and smaller than the huge cushy stuff in this thread. I'm not hatin, I have one of them huge seats I use for short rides on a cruiser and it works for that purpose. I don't think I'd want it for 3 hours every day though.

There are so many factors.. How much pedal input are you putting in? What is your body position on the bike? How much do you weight the bars/pedals versus your butt? Is it ten 15 minute rides, or is it two 90 minute rides per day?

 

[auraslip]

Here is my opinion of the Avenir Big and fluffy saddle I ordered http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Mens-Comfy-Saddle-Black/dp/B00165Q4MQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=cycling&ie=UTF8&qid=1308098423&sr=1-3

It's made by marketers. When you first look at it, you think, "It's two 4 inches of fluff. It can't NOT be uncomfortable." And when you first sit on it is indeed comfy. However, once you start to pedal you notice that everything is wrong; the damn thing is to big, and every time you push down with your leg the inside and back of your thigh digs into the seat. This causes the rider to move forward to where the saddle is thinner so that they can pedal more comfortably. But then you're sitting on the edge of your seat and you lose the lateral control you have when your legs are wrapped around the saddles nose.

That being said, if you don't pedal, it's pretty comfortable. But only for short rides. Longer than thirty minutes you start to notice that the gel which is supposed to provide cushion instead spreads the load of your body to non weight bearing tissue and muscle in your legs and ass. This cuts off circulation and causes numbness and soreness.

Also... the thickness of the saddle is a problem. It requires lowering of the seat post, which is just one more way it messes with the seating geometry.

So.... I still haven't found what I'm looking for. Oh well.... these things take time.

 

[oatnet]

Have you considered a thudbuster LT? That, combined with a Cloud 9 seat, resolved my issues, and has been a build standard for me ever since. Search E:S for thudbuster and you"ll find a lot of advocates.


http://thudbuster.com/products.html

Yeah, sorry you are still having discomfort. I'd repeat my recommendation on the Thudbuster suspension seat post. Do a search on E:S, and you will see a lot of people have solved their ass pain with it. :lol:

Also, the Cloud 9 I use is still a wide seat, but works for me where other big gushy ones did not. I like to have the front tilted downward more than I do with a conventional seat.

-JD

 

[nicobie]

X2 on the Thudbuster. I use the short travel version with a brooks sprung saddle. It's really nice at speed. I don't worry about hitting potholes with my rigid frame anymore. I liked the LT too but needed the room on my seatpost for a rear rack.

 

[auraslip]

I actually have a fairly nice suspension seat post but the extra space the shock absorber takes up means I can't lower the seat enough for the xxl frame I'm using... even after chopping down the seat tube as low as feels safe.