Pain in the butt!

[Mardi]

I loved my bike seat, in fact it was so comfortable I never even had to wear bike shorts while riding...that is until I started doing rides over 100km.  Now I am getting pressure in my left sitting bone that is giving me a sore butt and numbness and tingling in my leg and foot. I change position, it goes away. Any suggestions to help me fix this problem?

Thanks!

Mardi

[GinnySellars]

Oh no....the love affair with the saddle is over!!

If your saddle isn't working, you gotta start looking for something else before the UBER long rides.

Is it a tri saddle or a road saddle?

Sometimes softer isn't better. Sometimes a hard seat takes a bit to get used to, but then is more consistent and reliable after that. I find that I need a soft nose on a tri saddle, but a firm hard seat on my road bike where I can actually have pressure on the bones. We are all in a different position on a saddle with different pressure points, so you'll have to do some exploring.

I'm on a Bontrager triathlon saddle. It's only $45, and has a wider back end and long soft nose.

[Andrew]

It may also be worth setting up a bike fit with Chris, to ensure you are lined up properly with your cleats, etc. It certainly sounds like you are getting some nerve pressure, which could mean you are sitting slightly askew on your seat, which is not unusual if you have a leg length discrepancy, or a slight scoliosis.

Give him a call at Fresh Air Concept and see if you can arrange to see him the next time you are down in the valley.

[kiwichris]

Thanks for the plug Andrew - and you are correct - sitting askew on the saddle is becoming the norm these days due to leg length differences, scoliosis, muscle imbalances, different cleat positions, pelvic tilt issues, ITB stiffness/tension ....... this list goes on. If you are getting numbness then it sounds like you are impinging the nervous tissues or femoral artery that supplies blood to your lower limb - both will cause numbness.

Start with trying a different saddle to see if that helps, otherwise I would be happy to have a more detailed look next time you are in K-Town.

Chris

[Mardi]

Thanks Ginny, Andrew and Chris,
I did get a new saddle and did a long ride on it and I had no problems aside from a little saddle burn.

At least no numbness.

Mardi