Seat Problem...

[alexn]

Looking for some advice on seats for my bike. I currently use a Sella Italia SL seat. But I seem to have picked up a strain that is between my right harmstring and my glutes. It seems the seat makes it worse and I had to shift my weight to ensure less pain throughout the Cobra on Sunday.

 

Has anybody else experienced this kind of pain from a seat? And can anybody recommend a lightweight seat, similiar to Sella Itala Sl, but maybe one that distributes the weight better?

 

[Christopher Brunsdon]

Personaly I would first recomend that you fit your saddle correctly. Check out old Sheldon Brown and what he has to say.

 

I was picking up problems this last month with my bike - sore knee. Using the power of Google I fitted my saddle Saturday morning and it was pleasure it was this morning on my commute. No sore knee and hitting the uphills was such a pleasure.

 

[alexn]

Have had a bike fitting, so I think its the seat. 

[Woofie]

Where exactly is the pain?

I also sometimes get a pain on my inner upper right leg.

I have suspected that it is from my saddle.

 

Can you post a diagram so I can see if the pain is in the same area?

 

What could it be from?

Cutting off blood supply?

 

 

[alexn]

Pain is is on the right leg: right between the glutes and harmstring on the left hand inside side of the right leg. Just where the leg stops and the butt starts.

 

I havn't yet figured out yet why I have it, and I presume its down to the seat, as it has almost no cushion on it and I m pretty heavy already. I ve been resting it since Sunday's cobra race, and I can still feel it, but it has gotten a lot better. Been doing no cycling or running for that matter, just stretching and icing it in the evening.

 

[samson99]

have same pain, would like to see what the solution is from this discussion

 

 

[Woofie]

Yep. I think that is the same place as me.

 

Often if I start cycling and if I push hard from the beginning then the pain comes.

The pain normally disapears after about 45 min though.

So I thought maybe it has something to do with warming up as well.

 

?

Very weird.

Sometimes when the pain comes, even just quickly riding out the saddle takes it away.

 

Oh and how does your pain feel?

Mines not that that sore, more something like a ligiment pain.

I dont know.

 

[BradleyWelch]

When I bought my new bike I had a quick set-up done in the shop and thought I could tweak it as I know bikes and have the mechanical ability. Everything felt comfortable althought different from my previous bike but I changed to a compact frame (Giant) and put it down to the different geometry. 1 month of riding and I had a sharp pain in my hammy bewteen glute and knee. Mine was more pronounced at the knee but I could feel tenderness along the whole length of the tendon. Also had rest & ice, numerous bike set-ups by various learned people, much physiotherapy and am still (4 years now) battling to find sweet spot in the setup. The biggest improvement was a forward shift in the seat (5mm) so it was a substantial change. Obviously seat height had to be raised to compensate.

I wouldn't think that a seat itself can cause a hammy problem but rather it's positioning. It may be slightly thicker/thinner than the previous seat making the hamstring stretch further or work in a different direction to from what it is used to.

 

If you have had a fit, then best thing is to evaluate yourself on the bike. Feel if the hammy is stretching further than is normally comfortable. Check if your knees are not rotating in/outwards to the frame. Compare left and right legs. (I have a slight discrepency in leg left that also adds a different dynamic). Ask your riding mates what they think of your riding position,"Does it look like I am sitting too high, too low, is my backside hanging off the back of my seat, etc...

Hope this helps.  But best advice is to get it sorted out quickly as tendons can take time to heal properly.

[Fitter]

This sounds like a repetitive strain injury and can be traced, one way or another, to your setup on the bike. However, unless you go to a really skilled fitter, you're not going to get much joy as there are very few indeed in our industry. Typically, if your core activity is cycling, the top-of-hamstring strain is a result of "reaching" with that leg. The problem is, what is causing the reaching? This could be anything from excessive forefoot varus to incorrect saddle width to incorrect saddle height to incorrect handlebar reach or drop. Or it could be leg length discrepancy (skeletal or functional) or a pelvic rotation. So really, in the absence of a really skilled fitter, don't expect the solution to be much more than pure luck.

You're in the Western Cape. PM me and I'll refer you to someone who could assist.

 

[Weight Weenie]

Cycle could you provide the details of skilled bike fitters in Pretoria/Johannesburg  ?

 

Thanks,

WW.

[Bike Mob]

Specialized have launched a new Demo Saddle program!

 

If you want to try some of the best saddles around get in touch with your local spesh dealer.

 

I would suggest the Phenom SL for the bigger dude. Toupe for racing snakes.

 

the new Romin might be worth a try too.

 

[Sloggy]

how about the WTB Rocket V seems to fair well anyone used one

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