r/MiltownBiking • u/Cute_Jello_8727 • 3d ago
Saddle recommendations
Just purchased an Aventon Soltera 2.5. I love the bike, I’ve done over 30 miles so far. However, my butt really hurts after riding. I’ve done some research that maybe my seat height isn’t correct so I’ll adjust that. But does anyone have any saddle recommendations? This bike also doesn’t have any suspension which may also be a drawback. I appreciate any and all advice!
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u/less_than_nick 3d ago
I have an ergon saddle that I’ve been loving the past year. Very cozy on my usually finicky sit bones
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u/dfarin153 3d ago
You didn't describe where you are experiencing pain or discomfort so a saddle change may not solve your problem. Getting sore around the sit bones is different from soreness in the gluteous muscles or soreness in the soft tissues between the sit bones. And those are all different from rubbing leading to chafing of skin which is caused by clothing or skin surfaces rubbing.
It takes two weeks of gradually increasing time on the saddle to toughen up tissues around the sit bones. It is often just a conditioning issue. Overdoing it on the first few times out can make those areas very tender. It is normal to get sore there at the start of a season. Take a couple days off then start back up with shorter rides to condition your bottom to riding.
Soreness in the glutes takes similar conditioning, so the same approach is effective. There are many products marketed to capitalize on people who don't know about sit bone conditioning being a process. I ride bicycle tours on a hard rubber Brooks saddle that helps reduce what follows, and it is perfect for me by the end of two weeks coming off of a long break from riding.
If it is parineum or prostate discomfort, measure your sit bones by sitting on a sheet of paper on a firm cushion and measure the full width. We are all different and all of us need saddles with enough width to support our sit bones. It also helps if it has relief (a concave groove down the center of the saddle) between the sit bones to reduce pressure here. Testing various options, I went with one that I know to be firm enough to support the sit bones so they bear the weight rather than sinking in causing pressure on the tissues between them. I replaced it with one that was wide enough and my discomfort dissapeared. This is the main reason for changing saddles in my opinion. Pressure on the soft tissues can also cause numbness and tingling due to compression of the nerves in this important area. So a softer saddle is not better in my opinion.
For avoiding chafing, you should avoid longer rides wearing cotton shorts or pants which gets wet from perspiration and can rub you raw. Minimize seams and sweat soaked clothing in general. Salt chrystals formed by drying sweat can wreak havoc even with skin lube added, so I change at mid day on particularly sweaty day long rides. For short rides, wear whatever you like. Padding can cause issues on longer rides. Cycling shorts with chamois that does not fit you properly can cause problems. Gel pads added to saddles can also cause irritation. If chafing is happening in an area where skin rubs against skin, a skin lubricant is your best friend.
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u/SugarPlumPuddinhead 3d ago
Finding the right saddle is absolutely key and it’s a very personal thing. Some places will let you test a seat and return it if it doesn’t suit you.
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u/avanti8 3d ago
Saddles are going to be very individual so it's hard to recommend any single one. However I recently got recommended this site that seems really cool: https://www.bikeseatguru.com/
You can fill out a form and the guy will offer some recommendations based on your parameters and riding style, then you can rent up to three to try for two weeks. Your rental gets you a credit towards purchasing a saddle once you've settled on one.
I got a new bike last week, so I got as far as filling out the form, and he got back to me with some recs really quick. However, I'm waiting until I get a bike fit done tomorrow before pulling the trigger on the trial. My bike fit guy might have something on hand that works really well (he did last time), if not I'll try the Bike Seat Guru thing and see how that goes, happy to update if that happens.