Bike Seat Pain and Numbness? Know the Causes and Fixes
Bike seat pain? 20 years as a PT fitting bikes has taught me that getting a new seat rarely solves the problem. Solving all the other bike fit issues usually fixes the saddle problem, which can include pain, numbness, chafing, saddle sores, and sexual dysfunction to name a few.
https://youtu.be/xxvaVmzL6aI
Bike Seat Pain, common bike fit issues:
- Handlebar position plays a huge role in saddle comfort. Too long or too low is usually the culprit, but having too high or short a bike setup can be equally as bad.
- Not having the right amount of weight on your feet. You have to get balanced so the feet are bearing their fair share and from the 4 to 6 o'clock portion of the pedal stroke, you're finishing through the big toe. Proper seat height and cleat position are two of the things that can make sure this happens.
- Poor placement of the hips. We need to have our feet in front of our hips enough during the power phase to get the benefit of Newton's 3rd Law -- those pedals exerting an equal and opposite force on us which pushed our hips up and BACK on every pedal stroke. Get the hip/pelvic placement wrong and we lose the rear-ward force which can make us unstable on the seat.
Bike Seat Pain Tips:
- The "ass-o-meter" devices that measure sit bone width for saddle selection rarely work. Why? Because 1} We don't sit on our sit bones when we ride a bike (unless it's a recumbent) and 2} Everyone sits with a slightly different pelvic angle which makes for a narrower sitting surface the further forward our torso and pelvis are tipped (more aggressive position = narrower "sit bone" width). The standardized testing procedure with the ass-o-meters won't be useful to most riders.
- Your seat should be mostly level.
- Saddle cutouts or channels have been shown to only inconsistently relieve pressure. But they consistently decrease pelvic stability so care needs to be taken when they're used. If your saddle trouble already stems from a stability issue then they could make matters worse.
- Lastly, if you do your due diligence with your bike fit issues and you're still struggling with the saddle, then by all means begin to experiment with different saddles. But, DON'T just buy one and hope for the best. You will never quite know how a saddle will act until you ride it. So find a good bike shop or bike fit studio that has an extensive saddle library so you can borrow a saddle for a few rides before you buy