New Saddle for Trek 4500?

Question

Just bought a Trek 4500 and started riding. The seat is crazy uncomfortable to sit on and hurts the Perineum area. I'm pretty new into bikes and started looking at new saddles to replace the one that came with the bike. Does anyone have any recommendations?? Those Gel ones look like they would be comfy, but do they make ones specifically for mountain bikes??

Answer 1

I don't have much advice except go to the bike store and get a new one.  But I will tell you my boyfriend just got that exact bike Friday, and was complaing about the seat being real harsh.  He's a roadie, so it can't be beginners but or posistion.

Answer 2

With any new bike, you need to make adjustments for the first few times you ride and see if you can find a comfortable seat position.  

There are three things you can adjust on a bike seat:

- The pitch angle (tilt the seat's front tip up or down)

- Horizontal position (forward or backward)

- Height (move the seatpost up or down).

Even a TINY change can make a HUGE difference.  Just one degree of pitch can dramatically shift your front-to-back weight distribution on the seat, for instance.

It took me about 3 months of fine-tuning to "dial in" a comfortable seat position when I bought my bike.  Don't be afraid to alter the seat positioning.  Bring a multitool with you when you ride so you can make on-the-spot adjustments to see if it feels better.

If you can't find a comfortable seat position no matter what adjustments you made, then it might be time for a new saddle (the stock one might be too wide or too narrow to properly support your sit bones).

Good luck.

Answer 3

There may be a combination of many things going on here.

First, your bottom needs to toughen up.  This will happen over time, and there is really no way around it.  Just keep the faith that you will toughen up and feel better.  If you are somewhat bruised, a couple days off will help with the healing process.

Secondly, you may have a saddle positioning issue.  It doesn't look comfortable, but the most comfortable position of the saddle is level to slightly nose up.

Thirdly, you may have a saddle design issue.  Perineal area pain can be alleviated by a saddle with a relieved center area.  This groove down the center helps avoid pressure on this tender, nerve filled area.

Finally, you may have a saddle width issue.  You want your body weight to borne by your pelvic bones.  Everyone's anatomy is different, so saddles come in different widths to accommodate varying pelvic widths.  Specialized, in particular, has a measuring system where you sit on a gel pad, measure the resulting indentations, and buy the proper width saddle.  I, for example, found I have a very narrow pelvic structure.  (My kids tell me I am a tight a$$, but that may be a different issue.)  I have a Specialized saddle I have found very comfortable.

I'd recommend against a gel saddle.  Gel actually squishes up and puts pressure where you don't want it.  Beleive it or not, the most comfy saddle for the long haul is one that fits right, is positioned correctly and is hard as a rock.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

First, is the seat adjusted correctly?  Is the nose of the seat sitting too high?  The seat should be basically level, maybe a little nose high.

Second, are you wearing cycling shorts?  That will make a serious difference.  If the geek factor bothers you, wear baggy shorts over them.

Third, more miles usually equals less pain.  We all go through a little discomfort at the beginning of the season.

Fourth, if it is the seat itself, talk to the shop where you bought the bike.  They may let you try a couple of different seats.  If you go with a gel seat, avoid the temptation of the really cush ones.  Although they are initially comfortable, they will rob you of power and also end up less than comfy after a few miles.

EDIT:  Thanks for MR and sfr1224 for the additions.

Answer 5

Zinnproj... has a very good answer but I'll add a little. 1st, you should have most all your weight on your sitting bones. That's behind your perineum region on your butt proper.

While your saddle may not fit you right, like mentioned above, have a knowledgeable person check your bike's setup 1st. How you sit is a function of many things: saddle height, handle bar height and reach, general frame fit, saddle tilt etc. Your saddle should be pretty level. Tilted forward, you side up on the saddle, tilted back, you put pressure on the perineum area. Padding has little to do with comfort. Saddle fit and adjustment as well as bike fit are most important.

Also, if you just started cycling you need to become accustom to the saddle. This can take several weeks. This initial pain should be general and not localized to the perineum area only.

Finally a note on padding, gel or otherwise: Most seasoned cyclist and all racers use very lightly padded well adjusted saddles that fit them well. These cyclists can ride 100+ miles with little pain is any. Now the occasional cyclist may be better off with a moderately padded saddle as long as the padding is dense (not squishy) Softly padded saddles can cause chaffing and actually add pressure to the perineum area. Like many cyclists, I use a narrow unpadded saddle, that to a novice looks uncomfortable, but in reality is wonderful.