Saddle Advice and help identifying pain

[airbox]

Hi guys,

After 1200 painless and comfortable miles on my Moustache Lundi my commute has now changed to 24 miles a day (it 12 mi so double). Ever since I start experiencing pain in my bum after a ride. The pain is only present when I sit after a ride and is gone on the following morning. It's very annoying and I can't identify what exactly is causing it. Now my commute is much longer, also the surface is much poorer and I notice that with the with each bump on the road my bum lands differently on the saddle.. and I keep readjusting. Generally, I don't find it uncomfortable while cycling nor painful. There isn't much that could be adjusted on my bike - the stem is fixed so only the saddle. I am considering buying a new saddle but not sure what would be right for me.. especially as I not able to identify what is causing the pain.

The pain is not on the soft tissue as when I press/touch by hand it doesn't hurt (i.e. is not bruised). The pain starts when I bend a few inches before my bum lands on a chair or the sofa.
My current saddle is SelleRoyal Hertz - it came with the bike.
I have tried to change the tilt and move it back and forth.. but it doesn't seem to make a difference - plus I really don't know what/where to look for a correct fit.

Any ideas what should I look in a new saddle or what is causing this pain?
Any suggestion for a good place to chose a saddle in London?

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 33385]

Hi guys,

After 1200 painless and comfortable miles on my Moustache Lundi my commute has now changed to 24 miles a day (it 12 mi so double). Ever since I start experiencing pain in my bum after a ride. The pain is only present when I sit after a ride and is gone on the following morning. It's very annoying and I can't identify what exactly is causing it. Now my commute is much longer, also the surface is much poorer and I notice that with the with each bump on the road my bum lands differently on the saddle.. and I keep readjusting. Generally, I don't find it uncomfortable while cycling nor painful. There isn't much that could be adjusted on my bike - the stem is fixed so only the saddle. I am considering buying a new saddle but not sure what would be right for me.. especially as I not able to identify what is causing the pain.

The pain is not on the soft tissue as when I press/touch by hand it doesn't hurt (i.e. is not bruised). The pain starts when I bend a few inches before my bum lands on a chair or the sofa.
My current saddle is SelleRoyal Hertz - it came with the bike.
I have tried to change the tilt and move it back and forth.. but it doesn't seem to make a difference - plus I really don't know what/where to look for a correct fit.

Any ideas what should I look in a new saddle or what is causing this pain?
Any suggestion for a good place to chose a saddle in London?

Thanks

Could it be your sciatic nerve?

Sciatica

Read about sciatica, which is pain caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. Find out about the symptoms, what you can do to ease the pain, and when to get medical help.

www.nhs.uk

If so, your Doc should be able to refer you to a physio.

 

[sjpt]

Also worth looking at a better sprung seatpost. Many people here (including my wife and myself) have found the Suntour SP12 one (around £52) very good. Sadly that sort of issue can only be solved by trial and error as far as I am aware.

Just looked and cheapest ebay price seems to have jumped to £74.

 

[Deleted member 33385]

Do bats hang upside down to relieve sciatica?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZELUS-Gravity-Inversion-Adjustable-Headrest/dp/B089QCHSBW/

 

[vfr400]

You have the wrong type of saddle. instead of the Hertz, you need the Doesn't Hertz. If you can't find one of those then look out for one of these. You have to look inside before buying to make sure that it has that column thing in the middle. Once inside, set the time back about 20 or 30 years. That should do it:

Seriously though, perhaps a Suntour NCX sprung seatpost will make your journey much more comfortable. The cause of your pain could be anything, but at least the bumps won't hurt your bum with the seatpost.

 

[Deleted member 33385]

The sciatic nerve passes through the inside of your bum cheeks - if that nerve is compressed by the lower spine, you get referered pain in the bum, while the cause may be higher up - a physio will be able to advise. Deep tissue massage of your bum cheeks might help, and I mean professional deep tissue massage, which I'd like to make absolutely clear, is not a service I'm offering.

 

[airbox]

Also worth looking at a better sprung seatpost. Many people here (including my wife and myself) have found the Suntour SP12 one (around £52) very good. Sadly that sort of issue can only be solved by trial and error as far as I am aware.

Just looked and cheapest ebay price seems to have jumped to £74.

Thanks!
I found it on amazon for £53 but I noticed it says rider wight 60 -100 kg. I am only 58kg.. Would that be a problem?

 

[Marwood Hill]

Yes, as said above. A Suntour NCX post and a big bum saddle worked for me.

 

[sjpt]

Thanks!
I found it on amazon for £53 but I noticed it says rider wight 60 -100 kg. I am only 58kg.. Would that be a problem?

Probably not. If so, weaker springs are available. There is another thread here within the last few days where the post was recommended, and if I remember right the user should technically have used the lighter spring but found the standard one absolutely fine. (sorry no time right now to find the reference).

My partner is also 60Kg and the standard spring at the minimum pre-load setting works fine for her. I couldn't get a soft spring a the time we bought our seatpost, but she's perfectly happy to keep using the standard spring as it takes away a lot of the road shock.

Suspension seatposts question asked by oldie

My dear wife is 60 years old and has been riding bikes all her adult life. She is generally fit and certainly not fat, but has some arthritis in her right hip. This doesn't really affect her riding (yet), but from time to time she suffers from flare-ups of tendinopathy and ischial bursitis...

www.pedelecs.co.uk

 

[Nealh]

It might be posture/rider position set up, it is very hard to get right but does involve small 5 or 10mm adjustments to reach, saddle position and even leg stroke length.
Saddle wise one could try the ones with a central cut out for ones bits, combined with the NCX.

 

[slowcoach]

A few years ago, I was experiencing a number of saddle problems. I investigated variations in saddle design and decided to buy a noseless saddle. Just a cheapie from Amazon to test the theory. Took some tweaking to get the adjustment correct, but I would never go back to a normal saddle. This has proved so much more comfortable. Of course, many consider it a bit of a joke, but I am thinking I may now consider buying a more expensive version.
Of course, this would probably not be suitable for everyone, just thought it was worth a mention.

 

[Deleted member 33385]

A few years ago, I was experiencing a number of saddle problems. I investigated variations in saddle design and decided to buy a noseless saddle. Just a cheapie from Amazon to test the theory. Took some tweaking to get the adjustment correct, but I would never go back to a normal saddle. This has proved so much more comfortable. Of course, many consider it a bit of a joke, but I am thinking I may now consider buying a more expensive version.
Of course, this would probably not be suitable for everyone, just thought it was worth a mention.

I was tempted to buy one of those, because that design looks very comfy - but my bike doesn't have a crossbar, and I worried I might slide off!

 

[Gringo]

I have 2 ncx posts and 2 medicos (Lidl) saddles and I just picked up a 3rd saddle as Lidl have them in stock this week (cheap as chips), it’s the Trekking version that most seam to like

 

[slowcoach]

I was tempted to buy one of those, because that design looks very comfy - but my bike doesn't have a crossbar, and I worried I might slide off!

Not a problem. My bike is a step through and Have never had to worry about it. Just a question of setting up correctly, which may take a little time.
I bought mine from Amazon for about £10 but I believe they are now more expensive. Similar to this one.

 

[soundwave]

i can do 2hrs easy on that and my ass is fine i think this is the new version of what i have as a few years old now.

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[Nealh]

I use the lidl Medicus trekking and have no issue with 5 or 6 hrs on the saddle, sometimes I'm out for for longer and can be riding for up to 8hrs.

 

[Gary_Taylor]

I have sciatica and do a 30 mile round trip commute with an SDG Bel-Air saddle combined with the Suntour NCX seatpost, not expensive but very comfortable (for me anyway).