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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2014 15:41:32 GMT
Looking for some idea of what to alter first. I've had a 51cm Triban for a month now, (injured my knee so haven't been on it much until now!).
Size wise it felt great at the time, and still feels great, I'm short, 5ft2 - 29inch inside leg female, currently over weight to put it nicely! The heel test doesn't flag it up as a wrong size, but seat is at its lowest point. It's my first Road bike ever after using MTB on the roads.
The problem is I don't think I'm on my sit bones, I'm leaning on to the area above the perineum, so genital area, it isn't pain but more pressure that builds up to a pain since my weight is resting there. I guess it's better to describe it as the soft tissue area around the pubic bone as it actually isn't genitalia that's effected.
I've tried moving the seat forward, helps reach a lot more but pressure is still there. Tilting the seat down I feel definitely on my sit bones but then I end up sliding forward! Tilting the seat up cups me more onto the seat bones, but I feel incredibly hunched/awkward.
Will flipping the stem take the pressure off that area and put it back where it should be on the sits bones since I won't be leaning as low?
Somehow I feel the most comfortable when cycling up hill.
Thanks for reading. Appreciate any opinions!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2014 18:04:16 GMT
Hi and welcome to the forum. I am no expert in this and hopefully one of our lady members will be along to offer better advice. I do know however that generally speaking females have a shorter upper body reach than males. If you are over reaching for the bars it will tend to pull you forward off your sit bones and your weight will be shifted as you have described. A shorter stem may help here but it is a simple task to flip the stem and try that first (a few of us oldies have done that). If you are using the original saddle they are certainly not oriented towards the female form and not overly comfortable for men anyway. You could try swapping to your mtb saddle for a short test ride to see if you have the same problem. Let us know how you get on.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2014 19:13:41 GMT
Good idea above, swap the seats and see how that changes things initially
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Post by taffytim on Apr 10, 2014 10:35:06 GMT
flipping the stem should help you. The handle bars will be higher so you will not be reaching so far forward and bringing your bodys contact position with the seat forward. With a higher stem you should see the contact position roll back a bit. Good luck.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2014 14:10:30 GMT
Thanks for the answers, unfortunately I sold my main mtb so I can't try that seat, but I do have an old Brooks mtb saddle on an early 90s bike, I'll have to clean it up and see if it'll go on the rails!
The stem is already a 90mm stem fitted on the 51s, whilst reach isn't a massive issue as braking is okay a lot of things are getting use to the positioning so I may be stretching without knowing it and assuming it's normal.
I think I'll definitely try flipping the stem next as I'm not a aero (yet)! oh and thanks for the welcome, I've been one of those pesky lurkers for a while.
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Post by captslog on Apr 10, 2014 15:03:46 GMT
Although flipping the stem could help, you are curing the symptom and not the cause.
I used to have a page bookmarked that explained this really well but I can't find it now. But basically, as you are in a more dropped position than you were on your MTB, you need the 'v' of your sit bones to be in contact further forward too. The more you drop, the narrower your saddle can be as you 'sit' with a narrower portion of the 'v', however, it still has to fit and it sounds like yours isn't.
Not wishing to be indelicate, but look for a wider one.
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Post by bandit3 on Apr 10, 2014 17:44:45 GMT
My Wife bought a new saddle, a Specialized female one , they asked what type of cycling it was for ie road, race, mtb, touring ect & then they got her to sit on a pressure mat thing to mark where her sit bones were.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2014 6:18:16 GMT
Although flipping the stem could help, you are curing the symptom and not the cause. I used to have a page bookmarked that explained this really well but I can't find it now. But basically, as you are in a more dropped position than you were on your MTB, you need the 'v' of your sit bones to be in contact further forward too. The more you drop, the narrower your saddle can be as you 'sit' with a narrower portion of the 'v', however, it still has to fit and it sounds like yours isn't. Not wishing to be indelicate, but look for a wider one. Oh don't worry about being delicate, I would rather cure the cause than the symptom. More important to get the issue sorted than faff about with sensibilities. At least I now know where to look. I think just the worry of having gotten the wrong size was the main niggle at the back of my mind as everything suggests it's fine. This thread made me realise it can all be down to the saddle so I'm appreciative of that.
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Post by wardyuk on Apr 11, 2014 6:59:57 GMT
check out your lbs... some "good ones" have a proper saddle fitting gizmo.. you sit on it, and it has a load of sensors that shows what shape/saddle is best for you...
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2014 10:24:03 GMT
I'd like to thank everyone for their responses, especially concerning the saddle. I hadn't thought of it could cause so much trouble!
I managed to try a few (unfortunately old and tatty) mtb saddles out for the width and they instantly felt better, only been on a street length trial but the difference was pretty instant so it's looking good!
I know now what I'm looking for, thanks a lot!
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Post by Phil on Apr 12, 2014 14:49:39 GMT
My Wife bought a new saddle, a Specialized female one , they asked what type of cycling it was for ie road, race, mtb, touring ect & then they got her to sit on a pressure mat thing to mark where her sit bones were. Really recommend this. I diverted a mid-week ride via one of the LBS in town to do this and got a new saddle. Gave the new one its first run out this morning and much better than the stock one. If you can get to LBS with the Specialized or similar bum measuring device, it might yield better results than just trying out a host of different saddles.
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Post by taffytim on Apr 13, 2014 18:14:11 GMT
I'd like to thank everyone for their responses, especially concerning the saddle. I hadn't thought of it could cause so much trouble! I managed to try a few (unfortunately old and tatty) mtb saddles out for the width and they instantly felt better, only been on a street length trial but the difference was pretty instant so it's looking good! I know now what I'm looking for, thanks a lot! Great stuff, good luck in getting the right saddle
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2014 18:46:25 GMT
I was told by my old fella, who used to be a pro cyclist (100 years ago when technology was different)that your saddle should only take 70 % of your body weight the rest goes through legs to peddles and arms to bars. Saddle height makes the biggest difference to set up. Flipping the stem will put more weight on your bum, and if saddle is too high the legs cannot take their share. Having said that cycling is a sit down occupation so you have to be comfortable, people have laughed at my gel MTB saddle but it suits me and most important is that it is comfortable. In short, don't listen to old pro's, get what ever is comfortable, regardless of what other people tell you, everybodys set up is different anyway.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2014 11:29:48 GMT
I was told by my old fella, who used to be a pro cyclist (100 years ago when technology was different)that your saddle should only take 70 % of your body weight the rest goes through legs to peddles and arms to bars. Saddle height makes the biggest difference to set up. Flipping the stem will put more weight on your bum, and if saddle is too high the legs cannot take their share. Having said that cycling is a sit down occupation so you have to be comfortable, people have laughed at my gel MTB saddle but it suits me and most important is that it is comfortable. In short, don't listen to old pro's, get what ever is comfortable, regardless of what other people tell you, everybodys set up is different anyway. Ah, yes I have to say I do feel a little shame in the (old!) tatty mtb seat but it'll do for now and knowing my luck it'll be more comfortable than anything I could buy. The seat height was a concern, but I think it was down to not being on my bottom at all. Ride was uncomfortable, slipping forward and potholes just threw me forward, as I guess that's where my weight was and created that nagging fear of wrong size which have been silenced now. Gone for a longer ride today and the same road bumps that were throwing me forward now aren't. Feel miles better, and no pressure. :-)
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