First Ride - very sore butt!?!

[Gustnado]

Hello,
Like many on here who have dived into the e-bike arena, I am a 49 year old male who is out of shape and trying to get active again through biking. It has been a long time since I have ridden (any measurable distance) on a bike. Yesterday, I purchased a lightly used 2016 Specialized Levo e-bike. I took my first ride (about 8 miles on country road) and about half way through, I started experiencing a lot of "butt" pain on my bottom (sit bones). I am too much out of shape to stand and peddle for much distance (even with the assist) so I actually ended up sitting kind of sideways on the seat shifting my weight between each cheek until I got home. I was told the seat is on this bike is actually a nice one [Henge seat] but to me it is fairly hard and very uncomfortable. I wanted to go for another ride today but after a few minutes of riding, I turned around and came back home as I realized it was going to be too painful to try and do??

I'm not trying to be a wimp, but man...my bottom feels somewhat bruised and is sore. Do I need to find a either a "gel" covering for the current seat or maybe purchase a new seat altogether that is softer, or wider or even cushier??

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I really want to be able to ride daily when possible!!

 

[Nova Haibike]

Everyone is different, so no one saddle works for everyone. Given that you essentially have not ridden a bike before, the sportier Henge seat is not for you. Saddle comfort is mostly about shape; cushioning is somewhat secondary. Softer saddles are okay shorter rides (and newer riders), but for longer rides a firmer saddle is better. The more upright you sit, the wider the saddle should be, and vice-versa. Don't mix the two; don't put a wide seat on a racing bike, or a narrow seat on a beach cruiser. Some full service bike shops have saddle demo programs where you can try different ones to find what is comfortable for you.

Make sure your saddle is adjusted properly. It is best to start with it relatively level (the nose should not point up or down), and at the correct height (you should have a bend in your knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Consider bicycle shorts; spandex shorts are best but if you'd feel self-conscious about wear them, there are of course padded shorts that look like regular casual wear.

 

[rich c]

Buy some biking shorts with padding, or liner with padding. If you started with a traditional bike, you would have gotten off a couple of times and rested in that 8 mile trip. Do the same with the ebike. No one starts off riding from a long layoff and rides 10 miles is comfortable. You can buy seats that look like pillows. I hate the feel of sitting on them. I had a 48 year layoff from riding bicycles. 6 mile trips on a traditional bike was quite the accomplishment. Now at 65 years old, anything over 20 miles on my ebikes and I wear padding.

 

[harryS]

I went out and bought a replacement seat that were reputed to be comfy,

 

[vincent]

i have the wide cruiser type seat on all my bikes and have to say all my non bike riding friends love them

we will go out for 15-25 miles and they are fine on them
i have tried several other seats and always come back to this one....
it is a cheap seat but seems to fit me

the way i picked it was went into a fairly large bike shop in town and ask for help picking a seat
the guy said get several seats and put them on the bench here and sit on them, pick the one that feels most comfortable to you...

dont know if i lucked out or what
but have been able to ride 25-30 miles right off the bat being totally out of shape and not a bike rider

all my real bike riding friends do not like this wide seat lol
but everyone else seems to like it

to the point they complain if that seat is not on the bike....

maybe try that and see how it goes??
good luck

 

[mrgold35]

I've got my 2016 Radrover around the same age as you. I already had a 2014 Transeo GT 700X40C commuter bike and had a few years to experiment with a comfy ride at +270 lbs. I like the combo of:
- suspension seatpost: tried Suntour SP-12 NCX and Kinekt Cirrus Bodyfloat v2.0 and really like the Bodyfloat the best
- Cloud-9 11.5X12.5 Cruiser seat: sit more on my buttocks instead of the more sensitive area. Very comfy from day 1 on paved bike and dirt trail riding. Equally comfortable on work commute rides of 18-22 mph. Can ride 35 miles with this seat.
- Padded bike shorts: either built into the shorts or padded underpants to wear under regular shorts

I adjusted the front suspension for the right amount of rebound that felt comfy for my weight, terrain, and speed. I also had to upgrade my Bodyfloat to the 420mm length because of slight knee pain with the 350mm seatpost. I added Sunlite 0-60 degree adjustable stem to aid in reducing "numb hands" and upper arm, shoulder, and back stress from leaning forward on long rides. Even upgrading from 30 TPI to a softer 120 TPI tire help smooth out the ride a little bit.

 

[Gustnado]

Everyone is different, so no one saddle works for everyone. Given that you essentially have not ridden a bike before, the sportier Henge seat is not for you. Saddle comfort is mostly about shape; cushioning is somewhat secondary. Softer saddles are okay shorter rides (and newer riders), but for longer rides a firmer saddle is better. The more upright you sit, the wider the saddle should be, and vice-versa. Don't mix the two; don't put a wide seat on a racing bike, or a narrow seat on a beach cruiser. Some full service bike shops have saddle demo programs where you can try different ones to find what is comfortable for you.

Make sure your saddle is adjusted properly. It is best to start with it relatively level (the nose should not point up or down), and at the correct height (you should have a bend in your knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Consider bicycle shorts; spandex shorts are best but if you'd feel self-conscious about wear them, there are of course padded shorts that look like regular casual wear.

There is a "full service" bike shop about 45 minutes away from where we live. I called them this morning and they said they have device that can measure your sit bones and then suggest a saddle from there. I will probably check that out next time I am shopping near there. Thanks for the idea and other info!!

 

[Gustnado]

I've got my 2016 Radrover around the same age as you. I already had a 2014 Transeo GT 700X40C commuter bike and had a few years to experiment with a comfy ride at +270 lbs. I like the combo of:
- suspension seatpost: tried Suntour SP-12 NCX and Kinekt Cirrus Bodyfloat v2.0 and really like the Bodyfloat the best
- Cloud-9 11.5X12.5 Cruiser seat: sit more on my buttocks instead of the more sensitive area. Very comfy from day 1 on paved bike and dirt trail riding. Equally comfortable on work commute rides of 18-22 mph. Can ride 35 miles with this seat.
- Padded bike shorts: either built into the shorts or padded underpants to wear under regular shorts

I adjusted the front suspension for the right amount of rebound that felt comfy for my weight, terrain, and speed. I also had to upgrade my Bodyfloat to the 420mm length because of slight knee pain with the 350mm seatpost. I added Sunlite 0-60 degree adjustable stem to aid in reducing "numb hands" and upper arm, shoulder, and back stress from leaning forward on long rides. Even upgrading from 30 TPI to a softer 120 TPI tire help smooth out the ride a little bit.

Yeah, there is a good chance that I will end up going with some type of wider seat like the Cloud-9. I'm glad to hear that you can ride a long distance with a different type of seat installed.

Funny you mentioned "numb hands" as I also experience that, especially in the second half of my ride the other day. I thought it was due to me sitting at an angle trying to reduce the pain I was experiencing but now I'm wondering if my posture angle needs adjusting when I take a longer ride?

 

[mrgold35]

Funny you mentioned "numb hands" as I also experience that, especially in the second half of my ride the other day. I thought it was due to me sitting at an angle trying to reduce the pain I was experiencing but now I'm wondering if my posture angle needs adjusting when I take a longer ride?

Adding the 0-60 degree adjustable stem along with padded riding gloves really helped reduced numb hands by shifting me into a more upright riding position. My Radrover also has narrow handlebars compared to some MTB. I still get numb hands on occasions; but, not as severe as before when the numbness would travel up my arms sometimes. Usually, just changing how tight of a grip I have and moving my hand placement around gets me back to normal. My ebike already comes with ergonomic wide paddle shaped hand grips and that helps spread out the hand pressure a little better than round hand grips.

 

[mrgold35]

If none of the other suggestions work, try this: platform pedals and shoes with hard soles helped me. My behind is less sore because I need to exert less force on the pedals and I’m moving my hips less. It works wonders, and I even threw away the padded pants which were causing bruises. Good old stiff shoes do it for me. The stiffer the sole, the better.

I just purchased a pair of Northwave MTB Escape Evo shoes and love them. I would just wear my old running Nike shoes before; but, they had really soft soles and flexed a lot when pedaling. The harder soles really aid in pedaling and you can add pedal clips to these shoes if you want.

I'm looking into getting a pair of winter MTB cycling shoes to replace my old Hi-tec hiking boots I'm using now when it gets below freezing.

I also always wear full or 3/4 spandex under my biking shorts and that does prevent any bruises or chafing (spandex, padded underwear shorts, and knee level biking shorts).

 

[PowerMe]

I think I'm now convinced that all new(er) riders and new in the season riders and out of shape riders really need to get off their bikes every 5 mi (or 20 min) and walk around, stretch out their hamstrings and get the blood flowing. I include myself in this list . No matter how great a seat, an un-toughened tush is going to feel it. Muscles will feel it. Someone 40+ is going to feel it more than someone 20 yrs old. And the first few rides on a new bike, especially if someone hasn't ridden in awhile is best kept at 10 mi or less. Better to be in the saddle every day for 5 mi, building up slowly, than do a 20 or 30 mi ride and then be limping around for the next 2 days (IMO).

 

[Alex M]

It's a compromise either way. Bike seat isn't a car seat or sofa. Your weight is distributed between seatbones, hands and feet.

Softer seat - sinking deeper, discomfort on longer riders. Wider seat - interfering with downstroke. Upright position - more pressure on the butt. Lean forward - more stress on hands and possible back problems.

Some of this will not be applicable to your MTB. Ex., you won't get really upright position because handlebar is "wrong". Try replacing the seat. Cloud 9 is popular (I think they have 2 models now, newer is slightly better).

 

[Nova Haibike]

Cloud 9 is brand

Cloud 9 is popular (I think they have 2 models now, newer is slightly better).

Cloud 9 is the house brand of the JBI. The offer over 20 different saddles.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Got to watch out for the numb hand thing, folks... a friend yesterday had to abandon his TransAm trip (ride across the country on the ACA route) at about 900 miles because he can no longer feel the last two fingers on his right hand. He's already ridden across the country in three installments, so he's not exactly new at this. All about positioning and pressure on different nerves, I guess... for me, the Ergon style grips (mine are Bontrager which came on my Trek) make a very large difference, giving you that sort of table top surface to rest your hands on instead of always having to really hold onto the bars.

 

[christob]

I think I'm now convinced that all new(er) riders and new in the season riders and out of shape riders really need to get off their bikes every 5 mi (or 20 min) and walk around, stretch out their hamstrings and get the blood flowing. .

I agree... even with an ebike, jumping from "no biking" to "20 mile days" is a huge leap all at once.
Ease up to it -- and stopping every so often for a water break or just a few steps around a bit, and a stretch - great idea.
I've taken to breaking up my leisure rides this way (even though I'm now 900 miles in on the new bike)... just more comfortable all around.
I also add stretches before getting on the bike at the start -- pulling my ankle up to my rear (one at a time, standing on the other foot) for ~30 seconds, and bent-straight-over toe touches (well, nearly touching) with legs locked.
I did switch up saddles -- but I think the padded bike shorts were the single biggest improvement in my gear!
I would also add -- I like the product called Body. It is a solid-stick (like a deodorant stick) that you rub on those areas most likely to chafe, before getting dressed. I think it made a huge difference in comfort, as I gradually "toughened up" my saddle-side

 

[PowerMe]

I have padded bike shorts (3 pairs!), and the body glide stick, but when the issue is muscular then doing those all important slow stretches with long holds and really working the hamstring stretches every day of the week, riding or not, I think will make a difference. That plus getting off the bike, walking around, and giving one's butt a 5 to 10 min break.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Buy some biking shorts with padding, or liner with padding. If you started with a traditional bike, you would have gotten off a couple of times and rested in that 8 mile trip. Do the same with the ebike. No one starts off riding from a long layoff and rides 10 miles is comfortable. You can buy seats that look like pillows. I hate the feel of sitting on them. I had a 48 year layoff from riding bicycles. 6 mile trips on a traditional bike was quite the accomplishment. Now at 65 years old, anything over 20 miles on my ebikes and I wear padding.

Anything over 10 miles gets padded shorts for me.

Padded seats are over-rated. Says the guy who just bought one. (Ha ha.) I bought it for the springs, not the padding, and for the price, which was one-fourth the Brooks B-17 I had been thinking about buying. The Cloud 9 cruiser saddle is a nice trade-off, though. It's fairly firm. The padding isn't designed to cushion your butt. It has layers that dampen the impact of the bumps you're riding over. So, not as firm as a leather saddle, but not as cushy as some.

Don't get a seat cover, @Gustnado. They slide and bunch up. Could easily make things worse.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I recommend both padded bike shorts and a properly fitted saddle. Which brand and model will work for you depends on the shape of your butt.

One thing I will do is wear either the shorts or padded liners with a very light and breathable short over them. They sell "mountain biking shorts" with a padded liner and an overshort but they aren't very breathable and have too many pockets. A wet and sweaty butt is at risk for chafing and saddle sores, which can be traumatic.

 

[Ebikefevercure]

Rad Rover (my Avatar) Selle Royal Journey (also shown) with the nose slightly down (I mean slightly, barely) just enough so, when your bones press the cushion, the cushion doesn't press the base of the Gem-Bag... No chaffing. 15 mile rides, 3+ times a week in cargo shorts or jeans. Thudbuster post gave me lower back pain from many short punches to my underside. Stationary post is perfect with SR Journey saddle. I do not recommend the thudbuster, maybe a different suspension post. I'm 200lbs now and less at the end of season lol.

Actually my avatar shows the angle I use perfectly. The "butt bone contacts" high with the nose flat for thigh steering and stability. SR Journey is a king's throne for $35.

 

[Alex M]

Sorry, I meant Sunlite Cloud 9 Cruiser. Probably because I ride a cruiser. There are just a few, you'll find them on Amazon. Wide and comfy.

But then, cruiser saddle without a cruiser posture is a questionable improvement...

They are not top of the line. Average Chinazon quality, and priced accordingly.