The first question I get asked when I tell people I love to bike tour long distances is almost always, “Doesn’t your butt hurt after those long rides? I could never do that because my butt hurts too much!!!” In response, I always say the bike seat can make or break the entire ride!!! Deffintally get measured for a bike seat!
My first ride on my Stock Seat Road Bike
We were so excited the day we bought my road bike off of craigslist we immediately went out for a long ride. I was so used to my commuter bike when we started biking, I could not believe how light and fast I could feel on my road bike. We zipped to the end of the trail and then started sipping right back. Before we were halfway back, I was having lots of pain and issues in my butt. It was so weird because it was not a long time on the bike, and we had done many rides for longer, and I had less pain. I knew I would have to go purchase a better bike seat before we could ride again!!
My first ride on my Upgraded Seat
The difference was night and day for my comfort after getting measured and changing my bike seat. The cost for the proper seat size was steep, especially compared to an upgraded seat for a man. However, I would happily pay the price again for the amount of comfort I had during and after my long bike rides.
For my first bike ride with the new seat, we did a 35-mile tour de brew of Lee Summit MO. We hit a few different breweries that day to test the beers as well as viewed the ride as our last training ride before we rode for kids cancer with the Great Cycle Challenge in September 2020.
Stock Seat
Most bikes come with a stock seat that, as a woman, is a little too narrow for our sit bones. When you ride on a stock seat that does not support your sit bones, you are actually sitting on the connective tissue between the sit bones, which will cause a lot of extra pain. Sitting on the connective tissue will also cause pain earlier in your ride!!!
Getting Measured for a Bike Seat
Most bike shops have a way to measure your sit bones and help you find the best seat. Some are basic and have you sit on a memory foam base and then measure. Some are high-tech and have you sit on a screen that transmits to a tablet and the tablet can measure.
Other Factors
There are a few other factors that can help with the sore butt issues including wearing padded bike shorts, having your seat correctly adjusted, and seat endurance training.
Padded shorts
Everyone has the padded shorts brand that works best for them. I prefer shorts with a thin layer of padding where my husband prefers shorts that have a bit more. Two different shorts with about the same amount of padding can feel completely different when riding. What I suggest is try a few brands out before you truly settle on one!!! I am still testing out a few brands. However, I keep returning to my favorite brand…. maybe that should tell me something.
Padded shorts can be pricy however they are worth the money to me providing that little bit of extra comfort. Test a pair out for yourself and see if it makes a difference for you!!!
A side note to go with the padded shorts… They are meant to be worn with no underwear while also having some chamois butter on hand is always a good idea (there are so many different brands out there to try!!!).
Having the Seat Correctly Adjusted
There are many different micro-adjustments that can be done to the seat to help worth comfort. The seat can be moved forward and back to help maintain the correct reach. If the reach is too long you may be sliding forward off the sit bones and onto the connective tissue.
The seat height is also important. it is important that you are getting the full push stroke of the leg. However it also crucial that you are not over extending and causing rocking from side to side.
The final adjustment that can be made with the seat is the angle. Changing the angle of the seat even a little bit can have a surprising amount of help or hurt!!!
Seat Endurance training
Training your sit bones is as important as training your legs and lungs. if you are only used to riding for 5 miles and then go out for a 50-mile day your sit bones will be sore and tired. Slowly building up the long mile days on your bike will help train those sit bones.
What’s the magic button?
Sadly there is no magic button that will take all the pain and soreness of riding a bike away because, at the end of the day, you are sitting on a bike seat for long periods of time. However, if you make sure you have the correct size seat by getting measured, have the bike is set for your size, use padded bike shorts, and train your sit bones your recovery time will lessen dramatically!!!
