New to biking: Pain problem

[Starblossom]

I used to bike all the time as a kid and now at age 25 I have decided to take it up again. I bought a new bike a few days ago and went for a ride Friday night. I only rode for about 15 minutes and by the end of it my crotch hurt. I don't mean my girly parts, though those were a bit sore. What I mean are the bones in the crotch area which I think are called sitting bones? Anyway they really hurt so I stopped for two days. The soreness in my bones stayed with me. Today I felt better so I tried to go for a ride again, but as soon as I started pedaling I felt the pain in my bones again, so much so that I could only bike for a couple of minutes.

I googled this and found that some pain is normal when you are breaking in a new saddle, but isn't this a bit extreme? I bike for 15 minutes one day and my bones are in pain for 3 days afterwards? I don't know if I should keep trying or just buy a new saddle instead of torturing myself. I"m upset because I love biking enough that I don't want to give up already.

Any advice?

Oh and in case anyone asks, I think it is a racing type of saddle. I ride the type of bike where the handlebars are lower than the seat...I don't know what that's called but the guy at the bike shop recommended this type of bike to me for casual on-road biking. And I adjusted the seat so that I'm on my tiptoes when I sit on it. And I'm a woman and this is a woman's bike.

[Masja]

I found this as well when I first started biking again, I just found the seat was too narrow for me, so I bought a really wide cushy one and it solved the problem, though hubby says it looks like a granny seat, lol. Hope this helps :)

[froggythefrog]

This does sound like you want to invest in a wider seat.

[das_nut]

I'd suspect the seat as well.

A good saddle shouldn't cause pain, especially once you are used to bicycling. And I say this as someone who has done over 150 miles on a bicycle in a day without any saddle pain.

Look around. There are saddles made for women. I'd look at Bonager saddles myself, they run around $40-50 or so for the cloth ones. I've had good luck with the Bonager sport myself.

PS: The only saddles I've heard of that need to be broken in are leather saddles, such as the Brookes saddles.

[Nessus]

Well, it's pretty normal for your sitting bones to be sore at first, especially if you're on a racing saddle. But the kind of extreme pain you're describing seems way too excessive.

While it may be that you just need a new saddle you should also rule out the possibility that the saddle is too high, as that could also cause excessive soreness. Since you got the bike at a bike shop, did they give you a free bike setup when you got it? (If it was a new bike they should have - at least that's the convention 'round where I live.)

If you want to check the height yourself, get on the bike, put your heels on the pedal and pedal backwards. When you're at the bottom of the pedal stroke, your leg should be fully extended without having to twist your hips. If you do the same thing with the ball of your foot on the pedal (normal riding position) your leg should have a slight bend at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If you find that your hips are rocking back and forth when you pedal, then your saddle is probably too high (this would tend to be most noticeable when testing the height as I suggested or during normal riding if you happen to be pedaling at a fairly fast cadence).

If you're satisfied with the bike setup, then you'll have to start looking for a different saddle. (The saddles that come with most bikes aren't all that great, especially for women, and saddles are kind of a personal thing anyway. So having to replace the saddle isn't particularly uncommon). Most bike shops will let you try out a saddle for a while and return it if it is uncomfortable. I've frequently heard Terry saddles recommended for women so that might be a good brand to try.

I hope you don't let this initial setback discourage you. I've had some similar problems in the past so I know how frustrating it can be.

[greensgood]

bike butt!!!
that's what we call it when our butts are not used to bike riding yet, it does take a few sore butt days to get used to riding a bike again. one of my motivators for keeping up regular riding is so i don't have to have bike butt again, it hurts.

also your positioning on the bike can be making it worse, be sure to concentrate on scooping your pelvis/hips under and engaging your abs when riding. this helps to keep your weight distribution more even and from getting a sore back and butt.

stick with it the bike butt will go away the more you ride.

[Skylark]

This, among many other reasons, is why I have a recumbent. (http://www.ransbikes.com/Rocket.htm) :up:

[coley]

I think you should just stick with the seat for about a week, riding every day. I have a road bike, which has a very narrow seat. If I haven't riden for a couple of weeks, but backside hurts like all hell for a couple of rides. You won't even notice it soon, I promise!!!!

But if you are only riding every now and then (say once every two weeks), get a bigger seat otherwise you will find it happens all the time.

[Starblossom]

Thanks! I am out of town right now so I can't do anything until the weekend. I think I will try the bike just one more time and check the height of the seat to make sure it's not just the seat. I will probably end up trying a new seat though, since it really feels like my bones are hanging over the edges of the seat, which I don't think is good... there is a good bike shop down the street from my place, so hopefully they can help fit me to a new seat.

Oh and no I did not get a bike fitting. I got my bike from Canadian Tire (which is not a professional bike shop for those of you outside of Canada) where the guy knew what he was talking about but no bike fittings are given there.

[Nessus]

Thanks! I am out of town right now so I can't do anything until the weekend. I think I will try the bike just one more time and check the height of the seat to make sure it's not just the seat. I will probably end up trying a new seat though, since it really feels like my bones are hanging over the edges of the seat, which I don't think is good... there is a good bike shop down the street from my place, so hopefully they can help fit me to a new seat.

Oh, in that case I'd say that you definitely need a wider seat (look for one specifically made for women btw). Most bike shops should have a device to measure your sit bones so that you can make sure you get the proper width. If you try Terry or Bontrager saddles I'd imagine you'll probably find something you like.


Oh and no I did not get a bike fitting. I got my bike from Canadian Tire (which is not a professional bike shop for those of you outside of Canada) where the guy knew what he was talking about but no bike fittings are given there.

You can still get a bike fit at the pro shop, but it'll probably cost you about $70 (us) so you might want to try setting things up yourself. (Keep in mind, though, that if you're getting overwhelmed making all those adjustments and still having pain, it's better to just pay for the bike fit than risk an injury.)

If you want to go ahead and try it yourself, first adjust the saddle height as I described in my earlier post. After you get the height right, you also want to make sure the fore/aft seat adjustment is comfortable. Here's how to do it: Find a spot where you can keep the bike stationary (such as next to a wall). Get on the bike and get into your normal bike riding posture. Move the pedals so that the cranks are horizontal. The next part is much easier with the help of a friend. Hang a plumb bob (that's a piece of string with a small weight attached - just improvise something with whatever you have available) from the front of your knee cap. You want your knee cap to be directly over or slightly behind the pedal axle. (That's the axle through the pedal itself, not the part that goes through the bottom of the bike -- hope that's clear.)

That will probably give you a comfortable seat position but don't feel like it has to be in that exact position. Think of it as more of a starting point and feel free to tweak things until you get them exactly how you want them. As you ride, you may find that you are getting aches and pains beyond the normal soreness you'd expect from exercising. If so, make a mental note of it as that can be used to figure out what further adjustments you need to make. (For example: pain in front of you knees would probably indicate that your seat is too low.) I hope that's enough to get you comfortable, but if you need any more help, just ask. Happy cycling.

[Photojess]

I was going to say to give it some more time too, but do you know if this is a guy's seat or is it a woman's seat. The women's seat will be slightly wider to accomodate our wider hips.
You definately need to have to seat adjusted properly too, or it can make or break your ride. You don't want the nose to be pointed down too far, or it won't hold you up properly, and hips will shift forward.

Good luck and keep riding! I just did 18 miles tonight!

[Starblossom]

I bought bike shorts today and went biking today for the first time in two weeks. I think the shorts made a big difference! There was discomfort but I am not in pain right now. I think I could get used to the seat if I ride it enough. If not then I'll just go get a new one. Yay I was so happy to ride my bike pain-free! :)

[das_nut]

What sort of seat is it?

[Mufflon]

Oh yes, the seat causes a lot of difference. I noticed it when I started biking in spring. However, I had some pain in my hands. Got better with time though.

[das_nut]

New handlebar tape or biking gloves might help the hand issue.

[Mufflon]

Yep, biking gloves helped a bit though I had sensations of nerve compression after only about a 30 min ride. I think I'm simply out of shape after my achilles tendon injury and it has already gotten better with training.

[Starblossom]

I think it is a racing seat. I'm assuming it's a woman's seat since I bought a woman's bike? I don't know.

I went biking for 30 minutes last night, for the first time in a few weeks, and my sitting bones don't hurt at all! The rest of my crotch got kind of squashed and sore near the end of the ride but I'm guessing that's normal? I wonder if maybe I was sitting on the seat wrong and that's why it hurt before. I don't know, but I think if I keep riding regularily the seat should be okay.

My roommate has a wider bike seat on her bike, and she hardly uses it so she'll probably let me try out her seat and see if it works better.

[Mufflon]

I rode my bike yesterday again and I had the same problems after about 30 min plus that bit of pain and tingling in the hands despite my gloves. Maybe I'm putting too much weight on my hands.

[Starblossom]

The problem was the seat. I got a new one that is much wider and it felt much better. I still have a little bit of pain but I'm assuming that's from hardly riding my bike this season. I'm going to experiment with adjusting the seat too and find what works best. Now I just need bike gloves since it is getting colder outside!

[mc55]

padded cycling shorts are a must ! They are not sexy or attractive by an stretch of the imagination, but boy oh boy they make a huge difference when riding.

I've got a gel seat, its quite narrow one and has a cut out down the middle (I think it might even be a boy's seat) - it took me a few tries and experiments until I found one that I was comfortable on.