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Hi guys
Been doing some research on saddles on the site, but wanted to see if anyone had any first hand experience or recommendations. Been riding mountain bikes for a little over a year now and typically ride 5 days a week now. Recently I have been having some issues with discomfort and pain in the nether region. After several tests and exams the doc informed me it is caused from swelling of the prostate caused by extended saddle time. Nothing serious, but supposed to take a few weeks off. Just wanted to reach out and see if anyone had any recomendations for saddles that were still lightweight, but may help with the issue. The doc recommended one with a center cut out to relieve pressure
Side note: I already ride in bibs with solid pads and the current saddle is set up properly.
Thanks!
TLDR: saddle hurts my parts, need suggestions.
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Perfect timing… we’ve been doing some research about popular saddles for a graphic that’s dropping tomorrow.
Do you know how wide your current saddle is? Trying a saddle with a cutout could be helpful, especially if your doc says so.
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The width of my current saddle is just a standard 143. It’s the basic bontrager saddle that comes factory on most of the Trek hardtails I’ve seen. I’m currently riding the x-cal 9.
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That’s just slightly narrower than the average. It’s possible your sit bones are set wide, leaving your middle parts to support all the weight while the sit bones hang off the side of your saddle. A cut out might help relieve some of the stress and a wider saddle could help too. The Selle Italia Gel Flow is a popular saddle that fits both requirements: https://www.selleitalia.com/en/saddles/man-gel-flow/
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Definitely get a saddle fitting done, to eliminate any guesswork regarding how wide your sit bones actually are. From there, you can test different saddles that are all the same width, and then dial in which saddle in that width is the most comfortable to you. I use a Specialized Power saddle, which has a cut out, and is available in a variety of widths.
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In terms of width, you also need to take into consideration your riding style. The degree to which you flex at the trunk when riding is taken into the equation. The more upright you ride (think, all-mountain/trail riding), the more contact made on ischial bones requiring a wider saddle whereas a more aggressive position (road biking, cross-country) moves contact points to the pubic bone obviating the need for additional width. And by additional width, I mean the width above and beyond the actual width of your sit bones. So if you measure 120mm from bone to bone and ride all-mountain, you’ll add 20-30mm on the overall width of saddle you need (140-150mm). I reviewed the Active 611 from SQ Lab (linked below) which is the most comfortable saddle I’ve ever used. I’m not saying it’s for you, but their theory behind fit is very good so take a look at SQ Lab website, too:
Also, make sure you select a gear that, when riding, provides good pedal pressure. If you’re always riding in the upper cogs spinning out, there’s less pressure on your foot and legs as it’s transferred to your crotch. A gearing that requires more from your legs will effectively “lift” the pressure from your crotch.
You mentioned little of exactly what’s going on down there (and that’s ok with us), but if you’re getting sore, make sure to strip down and get into some clean shorts for the ride home. Maybe even use some baby wipes to clean up. Sounds like you might try a post-ride anti-inflammatory if it’s a swelling prostate.
If you ride with a backpack, see if you can lighten it up to the basics. Dial down exactly how much water you need as that is where most of the weight will come from. Hard to advise people to prepare less especially in the winter months but any weight you can shed will decrease saddle pressure.
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