# sore butt help



## SRock24 (Mar 12, 2012)

just finished a 30 miler yesterday and i always have a sore butt the day after...

i got fitted for a 143mm seat and have one but still no help. maybe it is the wrong one? I have a specialized alias 143mm seat.

help?


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## Switchblade906 (Mar 4, 2012)

Are you wearing Cycling Shorts?

If so maybe you need some with thicker padding?
Or maybe even a more cushier saddle.


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## 9er (Oct 26, 2011)

Two things really helped me.

Quality chamois.
Rule #5.


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## SRock24 (Mar 12, 2012)

I do wear bike shorts... maybe a more cushioned saddle would be better


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Time, more rides, more standing.


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## tystevens (Jul 10, 2008)

SRock24 said:


> I do wear bike shorts... maybe a more cushioned saddle would be better


How much riding have you done? If you're new to riding, or have taken a layoff, you're just going to have to build up the tolerance -- no amount of padding (shorts or saddle) will fix that.

It is something that most of us go through as we have layoffs and stuff. If I haven't been on the bike for a few weeks, I'm gonna be slightly sore the next day. If it has been months, I'll be really sore.

Of course, the right shorts and saddle do help! But you need some time to decide if it is the equipment that is causing problems or the fact that your entire body weight is resting on 100+mm and your body isn't used to it.

Good luck!


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

^^^
Probably this.

Not every body works with every saddle. Or even every saddle that Specialized says is the right width. Check out the saddle shapes video on Fizik's web site. While I think that most of what they have to say is fairly bogus, the different shapes do exist, and people often prefer one or another.

Fore/aft and tilt matter a lot too. I'd do that before spending money.

How long have you had this saddle? Sometimes it takes some time...


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## c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n (Mar 3, 2012)

yup ... give the saddle some time and try out minute adjustments ...


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## 4joseluis (Feb 17, 2012)

Get some butt balm for the inside of your biking shorts...reduces schafing....also shorts with minimal seems around the contact area between bottom and seat.


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## tuck (Oct 4, 2011)

Maybe I missed this in one of the other replies, but did you actually get fitted for the bike? 

Someone saying you need X size saddle isn't the same.

My LBS actually has a thingie you sit on that has gel in it, and it gives an accurate measurement of your seat, as it were. Did you do this? If not, ask them if they can "measure" you.

And as the others have said, time in the saddle, brother. Time in the saddle. You have to shift your weight around during the ride. I stand up every now and then for a few seconds just to keep that from happening. Seems to work.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Softer not better*



SRock24 said:


> maybe a more cushioned saddle would be better


Maybe, but not likely. Cushy saddles can compress and result in unpleasant pressure points. As a general rule, the more people ride the harder they like their saddles.


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## bikerjohn64 (Feb 9, 2012)

Yeah, I think TY covered it well. 
Also perhaps if the OP can clarify by "sore". Was it sore from numbness (too much pressure cutting off circulation) or sore from underworked surfaces? It would help narrow suggestions.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

bikerjohn64 said:


> ... if the OP can clarify by "sore". It would help narrow suggestions.


I was thinking the same. As an example, sore *at* the sit bones warrants a far difference response to sore *ahead* of sit bones.


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## bikesta (Dec 2, 2011)

SRock24 said:


> I do wear bike shorts... maybe a more cushioned saddle would be better


Maybe look in to different shorts. Preferably BIB SHORTS! They do a much better job of keeping the chamois in place where it belongs.

I also agree with, "spend more time in the saddle."


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## SRock24 (Mar 12, 2012)

Kerry Irons said:


> Maybe, but not likely. Cushy saddles can compress and result in unpleasant pressure points. As a general rule, the more people ride the harder they like their saddles.


i will look into bibs... never thought of it. I see them online and alway think they look goofy but i will take looking goofy over a sore butt any day of the week or weekend 

and i will def be ridding more to come, that is not a problem!


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## JC650 (Feb 8, 2012)

+1 on the bibs. I just started cycling and my bib is 100x better than the shorts even though the price was similar.


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## amandadun (Mar 11, 2012)

tuck said:


> And as the others have said, time in the saddle, brother. Time in the saddle. You have to shift your weight around during the ride. I stand up every now and then for a few seconds just to keep that from happening. Seems to work.


This is great advice. You need more time to figure out a rhythm that works for you. 

_______________________________
Cheers - Amanda


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## tystevens (Jul 10, 2008)

SRock24 said:


> i will look into bibs... never thought of it. I see them online and alway think they look goofy but i will take looking goofy over a sore butt any day of the week or weekend
> 
> and i will def be ridding more to come, that is not a problem!


Well, throw out any preconceived notion that you're gonna look cool doing this sport, and then you wont worry about having to wear goofy bibs. Yes, my wife often laughs as I put them on, or at least shakes her head. Yes, the old guys at the gym sometimes give me looks as I'm changing out of them getting ready for work.

Yes, they feel enough better that I don't care!

Also, I agree with what someone said about less padding in the saddle. I went that route when I started, looking for the most padded saddle and shorts (big thick gel chamois). They were fine for 10-15 miles, and then started to feel worse and worse.

A harder saddle and more minimal chamois have proven to work for me, as long as am able to get enough saddle time to keep things 'in shape' down there.


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## stevebul (Dec 6, 2011)

I was one of those that always thought that the more padded the saddle and shorts the better it would feel. I recently got two Selle Italia SLK saddles that you would think would be very uncomfortable because they feel hard with not much padding. But actually the longer you ride the better they feel, and i use cycle shorts with gel pads, they seem more comfy to me. I read just recently somewhere online that the new trend is to ride more firm saddles and less padded shorts, seems counterintuitive but actually works.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

stevebul said:


> I was one of those that always thought that the more padded the saddle and shorts the better it would feel. I recently got two Selle Italia SLK saddles that you would think would be very uncomfortable because they feel hard with not much padding. But actually the longer you ride the better they feel, and i use cycle shorts with gel pads, they seem more comfy to me. I read just recently somewhere online that the new trend is to ride more firm saddles and less padded shorts, seems counterintuitive but actually works.


All true, except the "new trend" is about 50 years old ;-)


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## jefflichty (Aug 22, 2011)

bikesta said:


> Maybe look in to different shorts. Preferably BIB SHORTS! They do a much better job of keeping the chamois in place where it belongs.
> 
> I also agree with, "spend more time in the saddle."


+1
try on a bunch of different brands and "levels" of chamois...

my mid level louis garneau feel more comfortable to me than my high end sugoi


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## smoothie7 (Apr 11, 2011)

My fiance and I both went out for our first rides of the season the other day and we both had saddle soreness the next day. lol
You can always tell when you haven't been on the seat for awhile.


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## Switchblade906 (Mar 4, 2012)

^You better change your Sig before your fiance sees it lol


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## smellslikeburning (Mar 26, 2012)

padded cycling shorts plus a brooks seat.


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## JDMTX (Jan 20, 2009)

If you change saddle positioning make sure to make small adjustments. Sometimes the slightest adjustment can make a huge difference.


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## jaewannabe (Feb 2, 2012)

I'm a newbie to road bikes, I just picked up my first last week. Actually its a Kona Jake the Snake cx bike that I put road tires on. I've put 55 miles on it in 3 rides, one being 28 long. All the rides at the end I could not stand the saddle, a WTB cx, everything hurt. After the 28 mile ride I climbed on my mountain bike with my WTB Laser saddle and rode 3 miles on it and it felt like a recliner compared to a hard chair that's on my jake. any suggestions on how to fix this problem?

I weight 245 and my normal riding will be about 30 miles with some hill climbing with maybe an occasional 60 mile ride on flattish ground. I cannot ride much more on the stock saddle, need a replacement soon.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Just buy another WTB Laser and stick it on your new bike.


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## Margal (Mar 8, 2012)

I am new too and after riding 13 miles for the first time I got soreness in my butt which I still feel after a week. I was fitted professionally and told that it is ok to have soreness for few weeks as the mussels will firm up, if you feel numb in the front than you have a problem.


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## jaewannabe (Feb 2, 2012)

Margal said:


> I am new too and after riding 13 miles for the first time I got soreness in my butt which I still feel after a week. I was fitted professionally and told that it is ok to have soreness for few weeks as the mussels will firm up, if you feel numb in the front than you have a problem.


ya my soreness is in the wrong places, don't want it to become numb. I have lots of MTBing saddle time, so I assumed that I would not have any issues, wrong!


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## mtnbikerfred (Jan 2, 2008)

most of this has been said. 
1# saddle fit
#2 good chamois (shorts or bibs)
#3 butt-lube, chamois butter, Okole Stuff, etc. 
#4 proper bike fit. 
#5 Rule V

All of these are important, but #5, that just takes time. Don't over do it, and don't run away from it. People get sore again breaking in a new saddle.


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## Andy2302 (Mar 23, 2012)

I intend to loose this excess 'stopped smoking' weight so I got basic bike shorts today. The next pair will be better and a size smaller.


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