Sore Seat Solved

Some weeks ago I "butted" into to a saddle thread to get some advice
regarding my miserable sore butt. I was getting really sore after ~1.5
hours on the bike and didn't know if this was usual or if there was
something wrong with my setup.

Happily, it was the latter. I took the bike into my LBS. They took a
lot of measurements (arms, shoulders, inseam, total height) and entered
it into a computer program that spit out a set of recommended bike
settings. My seat was about 7 cm too low (!) and about 2 cm too far
back. And since I had tilted the seat back in a wrong-headed attempt
to keep my butt from sliding forward, we had to readjust it back to a
level position.

Two weeks since, I've made only two minor adjustments -- I moved the
seat post back down a total of 4 mm and I moved the saddle forward an
additional 2 mm - but it's a joy to ride. I've increased from 1 to 2.5
hours, and I no longer have any serious pain. If my butt gets a little
sore, I just get out of the saddle for ~30 seconds, flex my leg muscles
a bit and sit down again.

When I bought the bike ~4 years ago, the LBS salesperson did what I
thought was a proper fit -- she used a plumb-bob to measure my
knee-over-pedal, and made a few saddle and handlebar adjustments. I
realize now that she was merely eye-balling it, so I had a lousy fit.
(In her defense, the LBS didn't have a computerized fit system at the
time.)

So, thanks to those of you who told me that (a) long rides shouldn't
cause real pain in the saddle and (b) a proper fit could solve my
problem.


-JR

SlowRider wrote:
Some weeks ago I "butted" into to a saddle thread to get some advice
regarding my miserable sore butt. I was getting really sore after ~1.5
hours on the bike and didn't know if this was usual or if there was
something wrong with my setup.

Happily, it was the latter. I took the bike into my LBS. They took a
lot of measurements (arms, shoulders, inseam, total height) and entered
it into a computer program that spit out a set of recommended bike
settings. My seat was about 7 cm too low (!) and about 2 cm too far
back. And since I had tilted the seat back in a wrong-headed attempt
to keep my butt from sliding forward, we had to readjust it back to a
level position.

Wow. That must be a neat little computer program. I have never heard or
read about anything like that. But that will probably mean that you will
get a better fit than traditional methods.


Two weeks since, I've made only two minor adjustments -- I moved the
seat post back down a total of 4 mm and I moved the saddle forward an
additional 2 mm - but it's a joy to ride. I've increased from 1 to 2.5
hours, and I no longer have any serious pain. If my butt gets a little
sore, I just get out of the saddle for ~30 seconds, flex my leg muscles
a bit and sit down again.

When I bought the bike ~4 years ago, the LBS salesperson did what I
thought was a proper fit -- she used a plumb-bob to measure my
knee-over-pedal, and made a few saddle and handlebar adjustments. I
realize now that she was merely eye-balling it, so I had a lousy fit.
(In her defense, the LBS didn't have a computerized fit system at the
time.)

So, thanks to those of you who told me that (a) long rides shouldn't
cause real pain in the saddle and (b) a proper fit could solve my
problem.


-JR


Enjoy the fit.

Ken

Did you hapepen to get the name of the program?
-
You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles

Homepage: http://www.bikesandmoreonline.com/

Ken C. M. wrote:
Did you hapepen to get the name of the program?

Sorry, I didn't get a good look at the program, but the LBS was able to
give me a printout so I could do some of my own measurements at home.
The system comes with several special tools. There's a kiosk you stand
in while they measure your body and there are at least two tools for
measuring aspects of the bike setup.


-JR

SlowRider wrote:
Some weeks ago I "butted" into to a saddle thread to get some advice
regarding my miserable sore butt. I was getting really sore after ~1.5
hours on the bike and didn't know if this was usual or if there was
something wrong with my setup.

Happily, it was the latter. I took the bike into my LBS. They took a
lot of measurements (arms, shoulders, inseam, total height) and entered
it into a computer program that spit out a set of recommended bike
settings. My seat was about 7 cm too low (!) and about 2 cm too far
back. And since I had tilted the seat back in a wrong-headed attempt
to keep my butt from sliding forward, we had to readjust it back to a
level position.


Nice to hear that you're comfy. I'm skeptical about such systems, but
if it helped, cool. Did they measure if you pedaled flat footed or toes
down? Were your femurs and shins measured as well? These are things
that a basic "rough in" often neglect.

Did they change your stem length or was that not part of the process or
was it right to begin with?

Must feel nice to have full leg extension. Almost like having a new
bike. *g*

SlowRider wrote:
Ken C. M. wrote:
Did you hapepen to get the name of the program?

Sorry, I didn't get a good look at the program, but the LBS was able to
give me a printout so I could do some of my own measurements at home.
The system comes with several special tools. There's a kiosk you stand
in while they measure your body and there are at least two tools for
measuring aspects of the bike setup.


-JR

Would it be something similar to this?

http://www.bodyscanningcrm.com/

Beverly wrote:
Would it be something similar to this?

http://www.bodyscanningcrm.com/

Nice job finding the site -- that looks like it. It may be more a
marketing tool than a professional fit system, but it worked pretty
well in my case.


-JR

landotter wrote:
Nice to hear that you're comfy. I'm skeptical about such systems, but
if it helped, cool. Did they measure if you pedaled flat footed or toes
down? Were your femurs and shins measured as well? These are things
that a basic "rough in" often neglect.

I think your skepticism is warranted -- it appears to be as much of a
marketing tool as a full-fledged fit system, but it's better than
guessing and it worked in my case. The guy who performed the fit
measured my legs a couple of ways, but I can't recall if or how he used
the information.

Did they change your stem length or was that not part of the process or
was it right to begin with?

He used a tool to measure seatpost-to-bars and the stem was about
spot-on. I'm comfortable on the tops, on the hoods and in the drops,
so I think it's OK.

Must feel nice to have full leg extension. Almost like having a new
bike. *g*

It felt weird at first, but I got used to it really fast. It is a bit
like having a new bike, but the best part of all is riding for 2+ hours
and not wanting the ride to be over. :-)


-JR

SlowRider wrote:
Beverly wrote:

Would it be something similar to this?

http://www.bodyscanningcrm.com/


Nice job finding the site -- that looks like it. It may be more a
marketing tool than a professional fit system, but it worked pretty
well in my case.


-JR

It looks kind of cool but it also looks like a way to sell someone a
higher priced bike because the program said it would fit better. Not
that I am knocking it but didn't this start as a saddle thing? How about
an x-ray of the sit bones so the saddle width could be matched up? I
have different width saddles and some are really comfy while others are
a definite mis-match. My 5 bikes all pretty much fit but the sit down
point pretty much determines which one I can ride the farthest.
I do have a favorite saddle but all the bikes have different seat post
diameters. What's up with that?
Bill