Bike seat problems

[GrammaBear]

I would be grateful for any and all suggestions to help solve my problem with my bike. Last Fall I bought an Electra Townie and I love the bike because it allows me to ride in a mostly upright position. I have degeneration of the spine in my neck area and bending over in the 'typical riding position' is quite painful.

My current problem is the saddle on my bike. I bought the bike because I'm overweight and I really want to lose weight. I don't have to ride very far and I get pain in my tailbone and my LBS is not helpful at all. I've changed saddles once already and that hasn't helped. I'm not the typical young rider, but I have trouble believing my riding days are over. I'm also a type 2 diabetic on a insulin pump. Any ideas?

GrammaBear

[Jacque]

Hello GrammaBear,
I understand exactly what you mean. I have the same problem. I have been riding for 3 months now and although it is getting better, I have the same "discomfort" you do, although it now happens after 1/2 hour or so of biking.

I too bought a special saddle which helps. A pair of padded biker's shorts have also helped. Changing the height of the seat also does seem to make a difference as it shifts the weight position somewhat.

I find I try to adjust my position regularly as I ride. Like moving my butt up and down the saddle so as to spread the pressure areas..

The nice thing after that is I get my wife to put baby powder in the "affected areas" to ease up the subsequent irritations, although those have also tended to subside. :(

Now that I have given you useless advice, let me stop making a fool of myself and get one the real riders on this board to chime in.

[Evermont]

Not sure if this might help but I work with a guy who's wife (interviewed in the link below) designs heavy duty bikes. Maybe the seats are available separately. I can get more info if you like.

(interview link (http://www.fox44.net/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=3736813&h1=Fairfax%20Business%20Creates%20Bikes%20for%20Ob ese%20People&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=46233&LaunchPageAdTag=Search%20Results&activePane=info&rnd=26861109))

(web site link (http://www.supersizedcycles.com/))

[davef]

It's a while since I was in a bike shop but I recall some years ago that you could get gel covers for saddles they might be worth looking for.

[fgummett]

Bike seat technology has come a long way in recent years... no longer does "one size fit all"... there are even different designs accounting for the (ahem) anatomies of women and men.

I'd talk to someone at a speciality bike shop who can advise and possibly even allow you loaners to try out for more than just a quick sit. And as above, I'd get expert advice on setting the height of the seat for you.

[GrammaBear]

Thanks to all of you who have made suggestions and comments thus far. It is hard enough sometimes to deal with diabetes without having to deal with more physical pain while doing exercise that I used to enjoy when I was younger. I know there are people older than I am who enjoy riding. I will definitely explore all suggestions.

GrammaBear

[jwags]

Gramma Bear,

I feel your pain. A couple years ago I decided to get more exercise so I did a spinning class because everyone raves about how you burn 600 calories a class. The instructor set the bike up for me and I had no problem doing the class. When I finished my tail bone was sore for 2 weeks. Needless to say I didn't go back. I think it is my physiology. Maybe because I've had 6 kids and my tailbone is out of whack. I know some bikers wear padded bike shorts. You can probably get them at Dicks or a bike shop. I know you can but covers to go over the seat. I like the recumbant bikes in the gym because you can sit back and work harder than riding on the streets. Good Luck

[notme]

My sister is a bike rider and she needed an ergonomic seat due to health issues. She found many of the professional bikers were using this seat with great sucess. It takes the pressure off your spine and helps with long distance riding. I found this one on Amazon for about $25.00. Google "split bike seat"


http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/notme_011/bikeseat.jpg

[Ronin]

Hi GrammaBear!

While the Townie seems like a logical choice, given your self description it really isn't a good one. The upright position puts 100% of your upper body weight on the saddle. And while the Townie has a very familiar look/feel (like the first beach cruiser you had as a child) it is very unfriendly to people who are significantly overweight.

You should try (before purchase) a recumbent. They tend to have larger saddles and the back support also helps. The foot position, while seemingly awkward, is offset by the fact that when you leave the pedals your feet easily touch the ground. (FWIW: if you can sit on the saddle of your Townie and have your feet on the ground that saddle is too low and can cause other problems incluging low back pain.)

That is the best advice I can give.

[Mich]

Hi GrammaBear,

I managed to fracture my tailbone (down our concrete front steps on my rear end--youch!) a few years ago and it nearly ended my bike riding. At a local bike shop, I found a well padded slightly wider seat with a notch cut out for the tailbone. It also makes a difference how you adjust it to tilt so that it bears your weight correctly. It took a couple of stops for adjustment on that first ride, but I'm peddling again!

Mich

[sarahspins]

I wear padded shorts, but more padding isn't always a good thing - too much can actually lead to soft tissue damage on longer rides... I'd recommend padded shorts honestly, ONLY if you're riding on a minimally padded saddle - a cruiser style saddle or one of the big cushy ones is only going to make the problem worse, not better (believe it or not).

I ride on a Selle Italia SLK Lady Gel Flow saddle.. I tried several "women's" saddles, and it's the one I liked the best. It has an anatomical cut out, that extends all the way back.

However, I'm not riding on a cruiser (I have a hybrid) so my tailbone hitting the seat really isn't even possible unless I'm drinking while riding and sitting a bit more upright for that. I have lower back issues and I can't imagine that riding upright on a cruiser style bike is really very comfortable for any length of time... I think my hybrid is really the limit of how upright I can be on a bike and not be uncomfortable.

[SCC]

This is an awesome bike place, Terry Precison Cycling for Women - Women's Bicycles, Saddles, Cycling Apparel, and Fitness, Triathlon and Running Apparel (http://www.terrybicycles.com) and they have a bunch of saddles and shorts for all shapes and sizes.

The gel seat covers worked for me too (by Spenco).

Something will click for sure!

[T2 grandma]

I have the same bicycle and absolutely love it. I did have to get a gel pad seat though. That and some breaking in of both the bike seat and 'my' seat. :o
I had balance issues, which had me go for the Townie.
I use it for errand running, and exercise.
Speaking of seats. Even on the motorcycles, we had to buy modified aftermarket seats.

[BillE]

I'm a member of this club. I've been riding my hybrid for the past 3 months, and the discomfort really makes it harder to ride than 30 minutes. I have a pretty wide, padded seat and a gel cover (and wear padded shorts), but it doesn't seem to matter. I might try the above suggestion to "not" wear padded shorts. Never thought of that. And that split seat looks interesting. Another problem - I initially had the handle bars too far forward and down, and I've developed a bad case of tendonitis in my elbows from putting all of my weight on the handlebars. I think I have it adjusted correctly, but I guess I should take it back to the bike shop for advice (in my spare time...).

[sarahspins]

BillE I'd absolutely recommend an updated bike fit if you can... even just having your saddle set up wrong (wrong angle, height, fore/aft position) can contribute to a lot of pain. I'd possibly try some difference saddles, since having a wider and more padded seat is not always the answer. As I mentioned before, too much padding and your sit bones can't work the way they're supposed to, so you end up putting more pressure on soft tissues and hurting more than you would with a stiffer seat, which makes problems worse. It sounds counter intuitive, but stiffer seats are usually more comfortable as long as they fit you correctly (support your sit bones, don't cause rubbing/chafing anywhere, and don't smash anything).

Most of the seats I tried that I didn't like... actually rubbed on the backs of my legs when I had my sit bones in the right place to be supported correctly.. or if they didn't, I still experienced a lot of pressure in places I didn't need.. finding one for me that didn't have both of those problems was a bit of a challenge. The stock seat on my Trek for example was plenty wide (much wider than the seat I'm using now), but the shape was ALL wrong for me.

[Gordonm]

I rode my sones mountain bike last weekend for about an hour. Maybe 17 miles. The seat is more padded than my rock of a seat that is on my road bike. My butt was so sore after an hour. I can ride my hard road seat for hours and be comfortable. The softest seat is not always the best way to go. To much padding or wrong setup can make for a sore butt.