Men’s Bike Seat Pain & Butt Bruising
Bicycling is fun! Why does the bike seat cause pain and numbness?
We have had a lot of problems with pain and numbness from our bike seats. My husband had actual deep bone bruises on his sit-bones! We both tried quite a few different saddles, raising and lowering the saddle and handlebars, adjusting the saddle forward and backward, and changing the seat tilt, but nothing was a complete solution.
I should mention that neither of us has a lot of natural padding on our butt. Each time we rode, we would start feeling uncomfortable after 20 or 25 miles. My husband would feel uncomfortable pain in his sit-bones. It started as a dull throbbing pain or ache. After 40 miles or so, it became a piercing acute pain. He also experienced numbness in his testicles.
I could see actual purplish-brown bruises on each of his buttocks at the pressure point of his sit-bones. These were painful to the touch. He finally sought advice from a physician whose own husband was an avid bicycle rider and who had himself designed and was selling an unusual bike saddle – a hard leather split-seat with two completely separate halves. My husband didn’t try this saddle – we were still rather new to the sport and it looked a little scary.
The doctor said my husband had “deep bone bruises” which were not easy to get rid of. Her recommendation was some massage techniques, and to quit riding for at least six months! Naturally, my guy didn’t go for this option.
So we both tried wearing two pair of bike shorts at a time. The under layer is a pair of “liners” – very thin shorts you would normally wear underneath your clothes in really cold weather. The outer layer was normal Pearl Izumi bike shorts. Both had chamois pads. Although it was quite disconcerting at first – you feel like you’re riding way up high – the two pads seemed to help spread the weight over a larger area, diminishing the impact to the sit bones. In the long run, though, this relief didn’t last.
In the long run, it really is about a whole combination of factors – good bike shorts, the type of saddle that works for you, proper posture and proper fitting. No one person will have the exact answer for everyone. And if you are one of those lucky people who don’t feel this pain after a bike ride, cheers to you!
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What seats or other options have worked for you? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
- This entry was posted on August 14, 2008 at 3:11 am, modified on August 14, 2008 at 3:13 am by bykgrl.
- Categories: Bicycle Seat Pain | trackback
February 2, 2009 6:36 pm
my but does hurt and i don’t know what to do but rest or ride standing up
May 3, 2009 2:27 am
Saddle pain (and other cycling related pain) can be caused by a few factors that can be modified to give you better comfort. 1. I think this is most important - bike fit, as in have a professional bike fitter who can take anatomical measurements and different tools (sometimes video motion tracking) while you are on your bike attached to a stationary trainer - getting the proper knee bend angle, proper seat hight, handlebar hight, reach ,and with. Once you have the optimum ergonomic position you will notice a huge difference in comfort and the bike will handle much better - also you will be more efficient. 2 . Finding the right saddle. I’ve tried lots of saddles and I’ve been very happy with a few saddles made by Specialized, they come in different widths (Not everyone has the same width sits bones) and they are very ergonomic, also they have a large line up of women specific saddles - I’d say check out the specialized website for more info. 3. Getting the right shorts, again I go with Specialized shorts, I’ve used a lot of Pear Isumi shorts in the past, but I find the Specialized shorts to have better chamois and fit better. And Yes, spend the extra money and get the comp or pro level shorts (or on ebay) for the good chamois. 4. Chamois cream/budder - this is last one really is a lifesaver if you do more that 20 miles at a time, apply a little (a dollop about the size of a half dollar coin) on your chamois, smear it around a bit then put your shorts on, of corse you can also apply with sorts half of too.
For more info about getting a good fitting, I recommend Wheels of Justice in Oakland vist http://wojcyclery.com/ I had the pleasure to be fit twice by those guys.
Hope this helps
David Stewart
July 1, 2009 1:54 am
I am really happy to come across your website! It seems like you really have fun riding and enjoying the scenery. Wish we could get together for a ride, but California is a long way from here…lol.
July 3, 2009 10:03 pm
I found this online and I bought one from them. The one I bought is called The “Classic” and I also bought the black sheepskin cover for it. This one is especially for men who don’t just have issues with the “sit bones” but also a issue with frontal numbness if you catch my drift. That’s the issue I’m having anyway after 2 hours a day of riding.
http://www.thebicycleseat.com/
That is the address. I haven’t gotten it yet because I just bought it from them online. I’m sure I will get it next week since it’s already the weekend. I hope this helps.
Mike
August 16, 2009 12:06 pm
Try a moon saddle. I am a customer, not any employee of moon saddle and they really do work well. moonsaddle.com
August 17, 2009 6:23 pm
Only two comments here. Firstly the numbness to the testicles. Can I suggest that you explore the Specialised Body Geometry range of saddles. A bit of research will tell you that the penile blood flow can increase from 18% to 80% with these split saddles, e.g. Avatar for the men. There are gel sections which work well if you get the right fit for your sit bones.
As for standing, if you are riding alone or with familiar friends, try mixing it up with a stand and twenty or so revolutions of the peddles every now and then (every 2 miles) to take the pressure off and readjust your sit. If you are in a pack, call “standing” and make sure that you don’t “back surge”. It is both protocol and polite to either pull out to the side or choose to sit on the back of the pack if you do this in an unfamiliar pack.
I wish you well. It bloody hurts and gets us all at some stage for a variety of reasons. But, don’t ever give up!
September 23, 2009 2:55 am
Sounds like you and your husband should try out some recumbent bikes or trikes. Butt pain be gone!
It might make an interesting video for your site to rent some trikes and review them!
October 12, 2009 3:40 pm
You really need a seat that fits right. For the testicle issue, 1/2 of that is the seat and 1/2 is the shorts. If your shorts ride too high you can get this issue at time.
I bought the E3 seat from Performance Bike. There is a lot of talk around it and it does what it claims to do. It’s not a comfort seat, but it keep blood flow to the areas that need it. Also, it was only $40 and weight 188 grams. High end stuff for not a log of money. Check out the Specialized concept store in Elk Grove. They will fit you with the right saddle and Specialized saddles are to knotch — although pricey.