Dear Coach Rick Schultz,
When setting this new saddle with a
spirit level, where should I sit the level on the saddle? The saddle appears
level to about 2 thirds of the way from front then the rear section has a
built-in rise. When set with spirit level from front nose to rear I am getting
very sore on my left sit area. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
-John
Hi John,
First off, great choice in picking a
great saddle. I highly recommend this saddle and actually have this saddle on 2
of my bikes!
A good saddle helps solve several
potential causes of pain. These include but are not limited to pain caused by (a)
old and worn out saddle, (b) saddle too soft/too hard, (c) too much padding,
(d) no cutout for soft tissue, (e) wrong design, etc.
So, next, we need to look at other
possible causes. This checklist includes but is not limited to (a) your weight
distribution, (b) saddle height, (c) saddle fore/aft, (d) saddle width, (e)
saddle tilt - maybe you need to go more nose up/down, (f) handlebar height, (g)
cleat placement, (h) how you are sitting on the saddle - pelvis rotated or
sitting straight up, (i) flexibility, (j) leg length discrepancy - functional
vs structural, etc.?
As you can see, there are numerous
items that a pro-level bike fitter looks at to ensure that you can cycle
strong, safe and pain-free. Usually, it's not just one item that causes
discomfort but several small out-of-adjustments that lead up to pain when
cycling.
I'm sorry to say that, at this point,
if you continue to ride, you will experience more and more pain. I am a level 3
Bike Fitter with the IBFI Institute (http://ibfi-certification.com/)
so I recommend you look for a level 3 or 4 in your area.
SUMMARY
A pain ‘here’ might indicate a
maladjustment ‘there’. For example, referred pain (also called reflective pain)
is where pain is perceived at a location other than the site of the pain
stimulus. Another good example in cycling is kinetic chains where tight
hamstrings can cause lower back pain.
A good bike fitter is part scientist,
part artist and part coach. A good bike fitter looks at everyone as an
individual where there is no blanket solution. Each person is not only
asymmetric but we are all different from
one another. This implies that just because two people have the same symptoms,
the solutions are usually quite different, quite complex, and there is usually
not a single solution meaning that in this case, the bike fitter might find
that the current saddle is too narrow, the nose of the saddle needs to be
dropped, the saddle needs to be moved forward, the stem is too long, the handlebars need to be rotated, and, the
cyclist needs to be sitting with their pelvis rotated instead of sitting straight
up and down.
A good bike fitter will also know when to
refer the client to a medical professional (usually a physical therapist) so
that the client can be healed where the bike fit can resume. A good bike fitter
will never try to diagnose any possible medical condition – so be aware and
interview your potential bike fitter first.
