What can women do to get comfortable in the saddle?

Question

I am fairly new to cycling and have a road bike which I am really enjoying but I cannot get comfortable in the saddle. Not so much bum bones, but lady bits! Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Saddles can be very specific to the individual...but some general advice:

• Try to find a local bike shop that will let you test ride different saddles. Five minutes on a trainer is not enough, a good bike shop will let you take a saddle on a real ride.
• Talk with others that have similar biking style. A great mountain bike saddle does not always make a great road saddle. A bit of an angle change or moving the saddle a bit forward or backward can have a big effect.
• Try some saddles that are "lady specific" and those that others say work well for the lady bits. I've heard good things about the Selle Italia Lady Diva and the saddles from Adamo (the Adamo's are not 'lady specific' but the cutout seems to have similar effect).

Also, you may want to invest in some decent bike shorts and a good anti-chafe creme (I like 'Blue Steel Sports').

Some of the "issues with the tissues" will fade as you spend more time on the bike, but some won't unless you get a saddle that works for you. Don't settle...try different saddles until you find something that works for you.

Answer 2

I have never had a sore seat. I started riding 20 to 30 minutes every day, and worked up from there. I am much stronger now (after commuting 10000 km in a year) than I was. My power goes through my legs (I wear bike shoes), so only part of my body weight is on my seat (because some of my weight is instead pushing down on my leg[s]): I think that's what happening, anyway.

The experience / riding style is very different from novices (e.g. children) who must sit on the seat, and have no strong legs.

Aside from that, they do make "lady-specific" and other saddles. It's surprising how much effect even a small difference has. A lady's bike would never fit me. Yesterday I tried on several pairs (different makes, similar sizes) before I found a pair of shoes that are comfortable.

Also my bike is a 'hybrid' style (the handle bars are flat, not dropped or raised): meant to be faster (tires and gears) than a mountain bike and more comfortable (riding position) than a racing bike. Perhaps you should reconsider your handle bars (etc.) as well as your seat/saddle, in order to make sure you are riding in a comfortable and efficient position, for the kind of riding you are practising at the moment.

Answer 3

For men there can be some issue about the compression of tissue, often brought on by mis-sized saddle. Maybe the advice from another post can help with your issues as well?

Answer 4

One trick I did to keep the nose from rubbing uncomfortably was to angle the nose of my saddle slightly downward. Yes, it is odd at first, since it tends to make you want to slide forward, but you should technically only have your sit bones on the saddle, which I can still do easily. The angled nose keeps it from knocking around between my legs.

Works for me, but everyone has to figure out their own perfect setup. Also, make sure your bike is correctly fitted to you and that the seat is at the appropriate height. It all plays into it.