Although this is a well covered topic, I wanted to write up a little something about it from the perspective of someone riding in “every day” clothes, for every day trip lengths, because this issue can affect even the most casual rider if your bike fit or clothing choice is bad.

People of the world: It should not hurt “down there” to ride. Your butt shouldn’t hurt. You shouldn’t experience chafing. You should never experience “pins and needles” or numbness during or after a ride. Saddle sores? You should only get them if you are in the saddle for hours and miles without padded shorts or chamois butter. This can be an embarrassing, difficult topic to broach. Which is why I’m broaching it.

Years ago, looking for some extra cash, I hopped on my bike to ride food delivery a couple days a week. All of a sudden, I was spending a lot of time in the saddle, but this was a new saddle off a new bike, and within a few weeks’ time of riding for 4-6 hours a day I was in some serious pain. I had to walk into my Local Bike Shop, which had an all-man staff (who had recently sold me said bike with said saddle) and say, “Hey, do you have any womens saddles in stock?”. The cashier said, “What’s wrong with that saddle?” pointing to the obviously new, presumably fine saddle on my bike.

It hurts my vul–,

“OK! No need to tell me more!”

And at this point he had the good sense to look embarrassed for asking me. But to this day, I am glad that I said it point blank. They did have a few in stock, and I bought the WTB Speed She (which remains my favorite saddle, and this butt has sat on quite a few) to replace this saddle and haven’t looked back.

Now, what was wrong with that CRZ saddle? For my anatomy, it was a number of things: the nose was too long, meaning when I leaned forward while riding (I ride at about a 45 degree angle) there was too much pressure on the front of my pelvis, which hurt. The saddle was also too narrow for my sitz bones, meaning I was carrying the weight of my body on my genitals (Ouch!!). The saddle was a little too hard, and I had a tendency to lean forward to alleviate the literal pain in my rear (which was exacerbating the pain from the long nose). For many people with a wider pelvis (which people born with two Xs tend to have), this can be a major issue, as most bike seats are designed to be quite narrow and relatively long, to accommodate masculine bodies. Even some “womens” specific bike models are guilty of putting uncomfortable, anatomically incorrect saddles out on the road.

In my experience, I have observed the opposite problem more frequently: people riding on saddles that are too wide. A bicycle is not a chair, and a saddle that is too broad and too pillowy can cause just as many (though differently located) pains and problems in the body. Many people go from one extreme (too narrow) to the other (too wide), not understanding the various sources of pain and avoiding spending time in the saddle– or wasting a bunch of money trying to alleviate the wrong problem.

But that won’t be you, dear readers, because you’re here, learning about bike fit and how to buy a saddle that’s right for you.

I have most frequently heard people trying to buy a saddle to fit the width of their behind, assuming that a bigger booty necessitates a larger saddle, and that just isn’t true. Your sitz bones are what needs to be on the saddle, and regardless of your size, weight, or how much junk is in your trunk, those are generally narrower than the flesh of the butt, slightly narrower, in fact, than your hip bones in relation to the hip flesh (especially for folks with more pear or hourglass figures). Riding too-wide a saddle causes the hip joints to splay, pushing your hips out of alignment with your knees, which stresses the joints and causes injury over time. It will also tire you out faster, because you’re working harder to ride. Plus, the chafing! A too-wide saddle will rub on your thighs with every push of the pedal.

But how can I know if the saddle fits my sitz bones if I haven’t bought it or put it on my bike yet?

Well dear readers, you are in for a treat! Although not fool proof, this method does work quite well and can help you at least narrow down your options. First, a good saddle will have some give and some cushion, but will not be spongy, squishy, or contain gel. Gel is for the padding of cycling shorts, not saddles. You want a saddle to be firm and supporting. Next, depending on your anatomy, your saddle may need a cutout to relieve pressure on either the perineum or the vulva, though a saddle that has a little groove (but not a full cutout) can work just as well. Third, you don’t need a long nosed saddle if you don’t have any masculine anatomy. There’s nothing up front for that saddle to support. Once you’ve narrowed down your options to 3-5 saddles, sit on them!

A good method of trying a bike saddle is literally just putting it on a chair (preferably a flat one) and sitting on it. This won’t tell you 100% whether the saddle will hurt after a few hours (especially if you don’t ride sitting fully upright), but it will help you narrow it down substantially by letting you feel if the saddle is actually under your sitz bones or not. If you’re comfortable talking to someone about the problems with your current saddle, a mechanic or an experienced cyclist friend may be able to recommend a saddle that alleviates those issues. But every body is different, so expect to sit on a few duds before you find “the one”.

Some pain isn’t related to your saddle. When I first started riding for transportation, I had to adjust my dress habits. I found certain underwear or pants just weren’t going to cut it if I was going to commute (or ride for work). Some garments with especially thick seams or tight crotches, or loose thighs, rode up uncomfortably. Worse yet, low cut or loose pants and shorts migrated down when on the bike. My least favorite wardrobe malfunction while biking: when underwear creep around but the pants stay in place. Any time spent fussing with your clothes on a ride is sure to make it less enjoyable!

Pro tip: Seamless microfiber underwear are a godsend if you aren’t going to ditch your knickers altogether– and for casual riders and commuters, that isn’t always an option. They also allow you to continue to wear denim while biking, which without underwear I would not recommend. Some underwear styles are more comfortable than others– thongs are out of the question, but briefs (though I don’t recommend hipsters, either, as they tend to migrate) that are designed not to “bunch up” in the back work out great, and many folks swear by woolen underwear for it’s wicking and breathability.

For year round comfort without shorts or chamois, corn-starch or products that contain it work great for moisture absorption and chafing protection. Never put baby or talcum powder on or around your genitalia if you have a vulva, as talc has been linked to ovarian cancer,

The next post will detail saddle position and adjustment problems that can also cause pain or injury while riding.

Read part II: Bike Fit for All to learn more about cycling without pain!