Proper seats/saddles (especially for an e-bike)

[Jeremy McCreary]

It could be an aid to visibility. Remember: Safety first.

View attachment 158349

I'm afraid safety cuts both ways with these shorts. Could also signal that you're in heat. If you thought oblivious pedestrians meandering down MUPs are a safety problem, wait till they get amorous instead.

 

[MacCrackin]

With the caveat that everyone is different, @Stefan Mikes makes some good points.

I too, have had periods of Saddle Woe. Most cyclists end up having them. I note if you have a serious injury nothing is going to work well until that injury heals, so maybe you need to stay off the bike until it has healed and then start over.

So a few suggestions:

1. Get a Second Opinion on that bike fit. Ask around and ideally find a physical therapist or sports medicine PA who can either do the bike fit or can refer you to someone who can.
2. Find a bike shop with a Saddle Library where you can try many different kinds of saddles. I personally doubt this is a saddle problem, though.
3. What clothing are you wearing on the bike? Maybe mix it up a bit and experiment there.
4. Sometimes too much padding, either in the saddle or the padded shorts, can cause as much or more problems than not enough padding.
5. Generally I find the more layers between your bare behind and the saddle the more problems you will have.
6. Bikes aren't necessarily super-comfortable contraptions, and you should expect to have to gradually break in and build up butt endurance over time.
7. You say you are "sore and red" after 20-30 miles. So experiment a bit. What happens when you ride a dozen miles, take a long break of an hour or so, and then ride another dozen miles?
8. Again, you might need to stay off the bike until your injury completely heals to make progress.

My Fav'd seat cover for over twenty years,
especially long cross country cruising across the US, using Official Long Hair Sheepskins.
Keeps one cool on hot days, and toasty on chilly nights.
Even used to modify seats in BMW, for 1700mile tour to Texas from Mpls.
This happened in attempt to leave town in first hour where I did 180 back to the house being the sporty suspension was just too stiff on rough freeways where every joint & crack is felt.
They were then modified to the next level with strip of memory foam full length- then sheep skin refitted over it.

Nothing to this day can beat this combination for all out comfort for long 15 hours of driving.

My new bike just picked up last week, where someone had added a jell pad under nice breathing cover, so that person knew what worked the best as well.
Good luck getting this condition to final remedy.
Obviously seats that don't breath, and hard faced next to flesh, & constantly flesh in motion on it, is no different than shoveling dirt all day with no gloves,
where one will end up with open oosing blisters.
You might find, sitting on 4.5" of fur covered memory foam saddle the only option to heal up the damage. If it's just a quick grocery pitstop.

Making darn sure to raise butt with any approaching change in pavement. Standing on pedals that very moment of impact, even if just an inch in rise.
I haven't discovered a set of fork shocks front or rear that eliminate road shock impact - if they can't react to running over a #2 pencil, you're feeling the hit coming.

If its tough to find a custom seat, order a memory foam pad topper for a mattress and order largest size, slicing off extra thats not needed and now use it for bike,
make a couple pads for the outdoor patio seating as well. It comes is a few different grades as well. Save a stretch of it for camping. Placed on a cot, under sleeping bag, you're not going anywhere all night.
Cheers