# My First Road Bike - Specialized Allez Base - Need advice on a new seat



## mfyen (May 29, 2012)

I just got into cycling. Iwas riding a mid '90s Marin Eldridge Grade MTB that I got from my mom's co-worker for $100 that has a superb seat. I put some Specialized Fatboy road tires on the MTB and it rides pretty smooth, but it was heavy as ****, and I got tired after 35 miles or so of riding.

I recently upgraded to my first road bike at my LBS, a 2012 Allez Compact, and I've put on a hundred miles or so on it already. 

They fitted me on a 54", the front drop bar stem is raised up .5" or so to give me a better riding position, but after about 50 miles, the seat hurts my ass. Any suggestions on what to do? Is it my riding geometry? Or do I need a beach cruiser seat?


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

Ride some more. A lot more.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

mfyen said:


> I just got into cycling. Iwas riding a mid '90s Marin Eldridge Grade MTB that I got from my mom's co-worker for $100 that has a superb seat. I put some Specialized Fatboy road tires on the MTB and it rides pretty smooth, but it was heavy as ****, and I got tired after 35 miles or so of riding.
> 
> I recently upgraded to my first road bike at my LBS, a 2012 Allez Compact, and I've put on a hundred miles or so on it already.
> 
> They fitted me on a 54", the front drop bar stem is raised up .5" or so to give me a better riding position, but after about 50 miles, the seat hurts my ass. *Any suggestions on what to do? Is it my riding geometry? Or do I need a beach cruiser seat?*


Could be a lot of things, including the OE saddle. I think one _might_ be that you're still acclimating to the road riding position, but IMO being able to log 50 miles on a new bike isn't too shabby. 

Still, if you aren't wearing good quality, padded shorts (or bibs) that would be a start. Paying attention to form, another. Changing hand positions, getting out of the saddle at times (simulated intervals/ climbing) will help to relieve pressure on your sit bones, and it doesn't take much (or long) for it to help.

Ultimately, you might find that you and the saddle don't get along, but I'd suggest adapting the changes mentioned above, then log some more time before deciding.

EDIT: BTW, the above goes on the premise that your soreness is at or around your sit bones. If it's numbness towards the front (perineum) go back to the LBS for saddle adjustments.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

mfyen said:


> I just got into cycling.....
> 
> .... but after about 50 miles, the seat hurts my ass.


Did you just jump into cycling and do 50mi? That's quite a bit for a beginner. It takes some time for your ass to "toughen" up. It's best to gradually build up your mileage.

Three things are important to butt comfort.
1) Proper fit on the bike
2) A good pair of padded shorts
3) A proper fit saddle.

Unfortunately all three can be difficult to get right. Be aware that with saddles, big and cushy just leads to you sinking down and causes rubbing in areas that you don't want rubbing. You want most of your weight to be resting on your sit bones and it's important to get a seat that's the right width to fit your sit bones comfortable.

PJ352 brought up a good point. Where is your problem? Sit bones or perineum?
Is it a chaffing type soreness or a numbness problem.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

You have a saddle you like on the other bike. Get another for your road bike (if you can, product lines change so it could be a challenge) or just move it over. It's at least worth a try.

I have a favorite saddle that I would like to put on all my bikes, road and mountain. Unfortunately it was one I picked up when I started riding as a sport, twelve years ago, and it may have been out of production then. It didn't occur to me that not all skinny racer shells were the same, or I'd have bought some extras at the time. Oh well.


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## mfyen (May 29, 2012)

tlg said:


> Did you just jump into cycling and do 50mi? That's quite a bit for a beginner. It takes some time for your ass to "toughen" up. It's best to gradually build up your mileage.
> 
> Three things are important to butt comfort.
> 1) Proper fit on the bike
> ...


Thanks for all the responses. I just got into cycling last month, and my first ride was 17.8 miles each way. Last week I did a ride that was around 28 miles each way. I've noticed the riding position on my MTB placed a lot of pressure on my wrists, this pressure was largely alleviated when I got on my road bike. I still experience slight discomfort at my wrist and the bottom of my palms. Should I lower my handle bars or raise them?

Should I do less miles to build up leg strength? I've read about spinning vs pedal mashing as training techniques, what should I be doing?

Its my ass bones that hurt, are there alternatives to wearing padded shorts? I don't feel comfortable walking around in spandex. Are there gel pads I can place on the saddle? How do I know how a proper saddle should fit?


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## jpaschal01 (Jul 20, 2011)

If you aren't ready for road bike shorts or bibs, you can check out some mountain bike shorts. same type of padding in them, but with "athletic" shorts on the outside instead of all spandex. Eventually, you'll give in to the spandex though - you'll realize that the flapping shorts just act like a parachute when you want to go fast.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

mfyen said:


> Thanks for all the responses. I just got into cycling last month, and my first ride was 17.8 miles each way. Last week I did a ride that was around 28 miles each way. I've noticed the riding position on my MTB placed a lot of pressure on my wrists, this pressure was largely alleviated when I got on my road bike. *I still experience slight discomfort at my wrist and the bottom of my palms. Should I lower my handle bars or raise them?*


Given the time you've had your new bike and the miles you're logging, I suspect this is more a form issue than fit. BTW, if/ when the time comes to make a fit adjustment, it might well be at the saddle (moving it slightly aft and/ or adjusting tilt ), not the bars. But before pursuing that, focus on form.

- keep your upper torso relaxed, arms slightly bent
- change hand position frequently (tops, bends, hoods, drops...)
- keep a slightly loose grip on the bars (avoid the 'death grip')
- keep forearms and hands aligned (don't twist at the wrist - refer to pic below) 
- consider good quality gel gloves
- I usually recommend good quality bar tape, but your bike being new, it should already be installed.



mfyen said:


> Should I do less miles to build up leg strength? I've read about spinning vs pedal mashing as training techniques, what should I be doing?


You've probably already built base miles with your MTB'ing and are clearly able to ride distances. Still, I'm a believer in consistency over pushing for ever increasing miles, so I'd suggest tapering down the miles 'some', doing recovery (cruiser) rides some days and notching up your efforts 'some' on others. I'm being vague for a reason, but the bottom line is mix it up a little, always staying in tune with your body/ how you feel. A rest day isn't a bad thing.

Re: your spin versus mash question, I suggest investing in a computer with cadence (~$30) reading up on the topic, then practicing smoothing the pedal stroke, varying cadence with terrain and riding conditions.

If you're like most noobs, it'll take you some time to build up to the 90-100+ range (and individual preferences do vary), but suffice to say higher is better than lower, because you'll build stamina/ endurance along with saving the knees from undue stress. 



mfyen said:


> Its my ass bones that hurt, are there alternatives to wearing padded shorts? I don't feel comfortable walking around in spandex. Are there gel pads I can place on the saddle? How do I know how a proper saddle should fit?


My advice is to try to get past the aversion to cycling specific attire. It's called that for a reason and will make your time on your bike a lot more enjoyable. To be honest, if you're doing these rides in unpadded shorts (or similar) and complaining about your butt hurting, it's kinda ludicrous.

To answer your question, your weight should be supported by your sit bones, not ahead of them. And there should be no numbness. Form on the bike enters into this as well.
View attachment 258530


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## timtruro (Jun 5, 2012)

As has been suggested, ride more, use good bike shorts and put weight on your sit bones. Time wounds all heals or something like that.


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

What others have said. Get cycling shorts. 

But if really averse mountain bike shorts or cycling undershorts sort of work.


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## SpinninWheels (May 15, 2012)

Another vote for a 'good' pair of knicks or bib knicks. They will make a huge difference. And maybe a bit of HTFU

SW


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

mfyen said:


> Its my ass bones that hurt, are there alternatives to wearing padded shorts? I don't feel comfortable walking around in spandex. Are there gel pads I can place on the saddle? How do I know how a proper saddle should fit?


Yes there is an alternative to wearing padded shorts. It can be best described as _"after about 50 miles, the seat hurts my ass"_

As you can see, the responses are unanimous... wear cycling shorts. This is for a very good reason. Most of us have gone though what you're going through.
Why exactly don't you like walking around in them? Are you doing lot's of walking around in public? You might want to try a local group/charity ride. There you will see people of all sorts, shapes, and sizes wearing lycra shorts. It might help you feel more comfortable wearing them.

I strongly suggest against gel pad seats. They're generally too soft and squishy. You sink down into them and then start getting rubbing in places you don't want rubbing.


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## taralon (Sep 1, 2011)

If you really really cannot stand the idea of people seeing you in Spandex get a pair or two of mtb over shorts and layer them over your cycling shorts. I have a pair of fox mtb shorts I use for that purpose if I am meeting someone for lunch or coffee. You will be surprisedhow much a good pair of bibs/shorts really help with comfort.


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## BostonG (Apr 13, 2010)

IMO too many people are too eager to get a new saddle too soon. I tend to lean towards the innocent until proven guilty and give a saddle a good amount of time before I call it quits.

A 50 mile ride? How long were you in the saddle? Around 3 hrs or thereabouts I presume? That’s a long time, especially if you haven’t allowed time to accustom to a saddle. Of course your bum hurts! 

Do your sit bones hurt when you ride your more typical distance? If not, it may very well have been an acclimation issue.


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## mfyen (May 29, 2012)

Thanks for the great feedback. I did another 55miler today incorporating a better riding posture and changes in hand positions, and I feel a lot more comfortable. I have been using my weight lifting gloves until I find a nice pair of gel padded gloves. I really need to wear cycling shorts or bibs to address the chaffing and sore ass bones.

Any recommendations on a reasonablaly priced pair of bibs and gel padded gloves?

I also noticed my neck still gets sore from keeping my head upright, should I be keeping my head down and eyes up? The problem with that riding posture is the amount of wind entering through the top of my sunglasses. Should i invest in a pair of cycling glasses?





PJ352 said:


> Given the time you've had your new bike and the miles you're logging, I suspect this is more a form issue than fit. BTW, if/ when the time comes to make a fit adjustment, it might well be at the saddle (moving it slightly aft and/ or adjusting tilt ), not the bars. But before pursuing that, focus on form.
> 
> - keep your upper torso relaxed, arms slightly bent
> - change hand position frequently (tops, bends, hoods, drops...)
> ...


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

The shorts may not do much about soreness over your sit bones. That really is just a Rule 5 thing. Most people acclimate in a week or two. Although a longer ride might still get to you - I spent more time than usual in the saddle today, and I hurt in ways I don't typically. Go figure. But the shorts will take care of most or all of the chafing.

I have Pearl Izumi, Voler and Castelli shorts that I like. I think my Pearls have always been one or two steps from the bottom. Voler and Castelli don't have so many lines, or at least not in the shorts they sell as team kit; I have the less expensive in both. I've also had some really cheap shorts and they were bad decisions.

Buy your gloves in a LBS. Sizing is way inconsistent. I like my Pearls fine and they're well priced.

To some extent, you need to get used to raising your head. At least, such has been my experience. You can always talk it over with your fitter though.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

mfyen said:


> Thanks for the great feedback. I did another 55miler today incorporating a better riding posture and changes in hand positions, and I feel a lot more comfortable. I have been using my weight lifting gloves until I find a nice pair of gel padded gloves. I really need to wear cycling shorts or bibs to address the chaffing and sore ass bones.
> 
> Any recommendations on a reasonablaly priced pair of bibs and gel padded gloves?
> 
> I also noticed my neck still gets sore from keeping my head upright, should I be keeping my head down and eyes up? The problem with that riding posture is the amount of wind entering through the top of my sunglasses. Should i invest in a pair of cycling glasses?


I think a pair of good quality padded shorts/ bibs will help with both chaffing and acclimating your sit bones to road riding, because they'll stay in place _and_ serve as a buffer between you and the saddle. 

You'll get a lot of feedback on shorts and bibs (as well as shorts _versus_ bibs), so this is IMO/E a highly subjective area of cycling. I have no firsthand experience with Pearl Izumi or Volser, but both have a good rep - and there are others. I tend to like less padding than more, so Performance ~$25 shorts (or similar) are fine by me, but as I said... subjective. 

I like Pearl Izumi gloves, but for a first pair (of both gloves and shorts/ bibs) I suggest visiting a couple of bike shops and trying some on. It's hard to tell with shorts because (at least IME) they feel better when riding than just standing or walking, but at least you'll get a sense of the brands sizing.

Re: the sore neck, you partially answered your own question. Rather than craning your neck to see, lower it and look up, so form enters into this as well. 

Remember too, that rides of this duration require not only hand change ups, but also some arm/ back stretching and neck/ shoulder rolls. Some riders are confident doing them while riding (when safe to do so), but if you don't, you can take a minute out of your ride to stretch. 

Re: glasses, I wear non-cycling specific prescription transitions and never noticed excessive wind entering, but if it bothers you specific use glasses are certainly an option.


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## carlflow (Jun 12, 2012)

sometimes the pain becomes so unbearable your butt gets numb and you dont even feel it anymore!


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