Saddle comfort advice

[RocketRacing]

Hi folks. So i have been riding for a while now, but more reciently upped my training/riding to include longer rides (mainly because winter, and because a trainer is more time efficient, so it allows me to find more time to ride). I am no fondo guy, so 2+ hrs is my definition of long.

Anyway, i have not been using my choice saddle on these indoor rides (berk lupina 132mm). What i have been using are saddles that fit me (i was measured, and i measured myself). I have now started to swap saddles to see what is most comfortable. I started with a firm saddle. Minimal padding. I swapped to a softer option that i will classify as light to medium padding. They lupina goes on next.

Even with padded shorts, i find my sit bones are getting sore. More specifially, after threshold efforts up the alp de zwift (under 1 hr max effort climbing in saddle). I do not think i am rocking with pedling. I don’t have much natural padding. I have no numbness of the in-between parts. Just really sore sit bones post ride.

Is this the nature of the beast with hard efforts? Do i need thicker shorts? Can a saddle be too wide? Do i just need a better saddle? Thoughts appreciated.

[wheelsONfire]

I think you will get different replies on this question. Bibs chamois affect how the saddle feels. A saddle feeling great in your underwear may feel like a bad choice with bib shorts. Ofcourse vice versa is true to. In all honesty, the weight must be distributed somewhere....
I hear many opinions when i ask, but i have tried + 25 saddles and i have more than i'd like to admit laying around here.
Best is trial and error, cost might be less funny

[GothicCastle]

Are you being conscious about getting up out of the saddle periodically? Riding a trainer can leave the body in a very static position: there are no little hills to change the angle of the bike and force us out of the saddle, no downhills where you shift forward.

Get out of the saddle every 10 minutes, get in the drops periodically. See if just moving around a little keeps you feeling fresh.

[bikeboy1tr]

Riding the trainer is hard on the ass no matter what saddle you have mounted for sure. I notice at the beginning of the season when I start into interval training that after each and everyone my glutes would be painfully tight until after like 5 minutes for when the next interval begins. Definitely makes sitting on the seat difficult. After the first month of intervals that sensation would go away and I am not sure if this is what you are feeling as I would think you have done this a few times by now but just a thought.

[froze]

I own the Romin Evo Expert Gel and the Aliante Gamma, but not the Berk, of those two I like the Aliante the best for long distance riding, the romin I get sore sit bones which is odd because it's exactly the size I'm suppose to be on.

[RocketRacing]

Are you being conscious about getting up out of the saddle periodically? Riding a trainer can leave the body in a very static position: there are no little hills to change the angle of the bike and force us out of the saddle, no downhills where you shift forward.

Get out of the saddle every 10 minutes, get in the drops periodically. See if just moving around a little keeps you feeling fresh.

Good tips for sure. I change hand positions frequently, and subtally, seating position. But i am not getting up till it hurts. The neo 2 trainer also allows for some bike lateral movement. But i will take note and try to get out of the saddle more also. For the alps, i just sit and hammer.

Of interest, i think i said it in the original post, but i get no numbness of my perenium.

[mattr]

If i'm planning to do a long ride indoors i try to have a semi set shcedule for things like satanding up for a handful of pedal strokes and taking a drink. As on the road, it's easy to take opportunities i.e up hill for standing, gradual downhills for drinking, that sort of thing. On a trainer, it's not so easy to remember.
Zwift and similar make it slightly easier, but it's still less intuitive than on the road.

[RocketRacing]

All good to know as i am new to longer rides, and to trainers, so i am not sure what is my skinny butt, the result of a hard ride effort, bad saddle, etc

[AJS914]

You may simply have to work up to longer rides. The tissues around your sit bones get a little bit of trauma every ride and then heal and build up stronger.

I recently injured my sit bone area on one side after five days in a row of base miles. It was only a 9 hour week and my longest ride was 3.5 hours. All of which I have done many times before. The doc thinks I simply burst a blood vessel near the sit bone.

Now I'm looking at saddles that are a lot cushier in the sit bone area.

[RocketRacing]

Update:

I took the advice of some here, and I did another zwift alps climb. This time, when grades went above 10% i shifted down a couple times to smaller cogs, and stood and hammered. I was not standing for large periods, but it made a difference. My hr was a bit higher by the top, but my average power went up from 204w to 211. So i managed to cut 2 minutes off the climb!

Plus, my bum was fine. No comparison. So the constant sitting when putting out “big” watts in the steep sections was likely part of the problem... and likely the lack of circulation to the tissue over my sit bones.