Numb Bum - I need a new saddle

ivelina

Yeah, I have a Terry Liberator with the cutout and i have not had ANY issues with it, I used to ride on other female saddles and it used to hurt after those long or frequent rides, but this Terry is pain free. I think it's the hole that does the trick.

In any case, a girl should not be riding with anything else but a female saddle.

Here is an article that prooved very useful to me concerning saddles and pain.

Sparxx

I've got a sheepskin saddle and I love it. Nice and warm for winter. Soft enough for my butt, and stays warm when wet.

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swimbiker

I am thinking of ordering a Brooks Team Pro S. Has anyone tried this model or any of the other Brooks saddles?

jollydog

annah, get a saddle with a hole in the middle, it really makes a difference. there are inexpensive ones (serfas rx) or fancy ones like terry butterfly.

swimbiker

Well, I bought the Brooks Finesse, a woman-specific saddle. I am loving it in the rear and suffering in the front! I am thinking that the chamois makes the tissues so dry in the perineal area that serious chafing results. Has anyone else tried anything to relieve this? How about Vaseline or something like that?

3yearrider

I have a Terry Liberator (with the cut out) and love it. It relieves the pressures in the front but not the chaffing and pinching on the sides. I think my chamois bunches up and pinches me in the bikini area such that I'm all cut up. I can't wear smaller shorts so I'm looking for less padding on the sides but enough in the front to prevent bruising. I usually wear Pearl shorts with no success. Any ideas about that? I have heard about saddle sore cream but never tried it.

swimbiker

I looked at "Bag Balm" and settled on something called "Corona Ointment", the main difference being that Bag Balm is vaseline- based and Corona is lanolin-based. Put this on your perineal area before a ride. The scraping and cutting is being caused by the tissues drying out during the ride. Lubrication prevents the chafing from happening.

swimbiker

I found part of my difficulty was that I was wearing Triathlete shorts made by Speedo. The chamois was too flexible and was bunching up. I switched to Pearl Isumi with a stiffer chamois and put Carona Ointment, a lanolin-based ointment on me AND on the padding. Finally, I am making progress. The chamois was drying out the perineal tissues and causing them to chafe painfully.

3yearrider

Thanks for the tip. I also tried Sugoi shorts. I like the chamois better but the seams in the shorts chafe my backside. I didn't have the cutting in the bikini area so it must be the width of the chamois that's the key. I'll also try the cream and see if it makes a difference when I wear my Pearl shorts. I went 30 miles yesterday and only began having the pinching sensation about 15 miles in. I survived.

swimbiker

I think the key to this problem is the stiffness and width of the chamois plus the drying effects of the chamois on the tissues that are supposed to remain moist. With men, the chamois is there to control sweat, but that doesn't apply here in the same way. I am trying to use the cushioning of the chamois without the wicking action. My Pearl Isumi shorts have the "wings" on the sides of the perineal chamois and they seem to help, too. Why does the chamois go so far up in the front as well as the back? It seems to me that women are getting chamois pads designed for men instead of something for our needs.

3yearrider

"Wings" are a good way to put that. They are my problem. I'm pretty narrow in the hip region so I don't need the bulk. You hit the nail on the head about the size of the chamois. I wear women's shorts but, sometimes I feel like I look like a baboon from behind b/c the padding goes up so far. I don't understand that nor do I need it. Anyone find shorts that they love?

sun-lover

I have used Netti womens nicks for two years now and have never had a problem. They hvae 8 panels, so the fit is great for me. The chamois is nice & small too so I don't feel like I have a nappy on like with some other shorts.

LMo

I'm not at all a fan of padded saddles - I think they cause too much friction for me. I use 2 different Selle Italias and an Fizik PavePro. They are men's saddles, actually, but they work for me.

But again, for me what helped the most was learning how to shift my weight more to my legs and less on my butt (than I had originally been).

rossoreduk

maybe u just have a big bum

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