Silly/Embarassing Bicycle Problem

Hey All,

The only.. ONLY problem I have with riding my bicycle is that after a certain period of time, it starts to really hurt me... "down there" (I am female). It gets a bit numb and starts to feel very irritated. Do you think padded bicycle shorts would help?

I'm certain I could double my rides, and I would ride tons more often if it didn't feel so crappy to do so.

 Thank

You can get female bike seats which have an area cutout...trust me it helps. Link below to show what they look like.

http://media.rei.com/media/dd/3b770345-660c-4 2bd-8ab0-79ff4de4a464.jpg

Padded shorts will help as well if you don't want to buy a new seat.

I do have a hybrid bike with a wide seat. It has a slight concavity to it, but no area cut out. I may have to give the shorts a try until I can go for a new seat.

Definitely buy bike shorts adn a female fitted seat. It will make a huge difference. But it also just takes time for you to get used to it. A little while into each ride it can get uncomfortable, but it goes away.

Those big plushy seats look comfortable, but they really not suited for long/longer rides. Ideally you want your weight to be on your seat bones, with nose of the saddle slim to reduce chafingt. I also hear good things about Brooks saddles, but they are expensive. Another alternative are the women saddles from Specialized, www.specialized.com. They even offer different size saddles, because ass size (well seat bone size) is a personal thing. :) I use the mens version, and it's one the best saddles I have ever used.

Shorts will help with chaffing, but I doubt they will be of much help for that particular problem. As calgarygeologist said, the new saddle should help. Also check the fit on your bike. Most people have their saddle way too low. Not only that will cause problems for the knees, it also puts pressure on places that shouldn't have any pressure applied to them.

UD

I bought a gel bike seat cover.  It is squishy comfy and makes riding so much better.  I like it better than the bike shorts.  Its more padded and I dont have to wear special clothes just to take a ride.

Well "special" clothing is more for comfort. It keeps a person cooler and more comfortable by wiking away sweat, and reduces chaffing in those umm sensitive areas. :) That being said, for short rides it's not really necessary. Plus it looks silly he he. For bum comfort what matters more is the saddle, and the fit of the bike. As for gel seat covers, as with cushy saddles OK for short rides leisurely rides, but for longer rides not so much.

UD

I really like UD's suggestions.  It is very important to make sure you are pushed back on the padded part of your seat.  Also, check the level of your handlebars because when  you are pushing back on your seat, your are going to be torquing your back so you may want to raise them a bit until your are used to be in that position.

Don't cheap out on your bike shorts either.  The difference is in the paddding.

When I teach my spinning classes, I tell the new students, the hardest thing about spinning is the seat!  Honestly, your sitz bones will become accustomed to cycling and it will become less of an issue with time!

Good luck and have fun!

Victoria

I second UD's suggestion of the Specialized saddle. I have the women's Lithia Gel saddle and love it. It doesn't feel super squishy to the touch, but it has the "love channel" and a little bit of gel padding under the sit bones - perfect for long rides. I bought mine at a local bike shop for $75, but have seen some on eBay for less.

if you have a lady's seat and padding and still hurt, it could be the angle your seat is at.  I actually used to bruise my clitoris on a regular basis because of that and not knowing what was wrong.  Actually, I couldn't adjust my seat perfectly so I was always sitting on it incorrectly. 

yeah, I know, TMI.