[peterg]

Will this pain ever go away! I've just switched from running to biking and have a good pair of biking shorts, but after an hour or so....ouch...I feel like a scarecrow on a pole.

[Xela]

Happens to most of us. With more saddle time, it will decrease. However, there are other variables than just your shorts that can cause or decrease rear end pain.

One of the most obvious is your saddle itself. Don't necessarily think that more cushion = better when it comes to saddles. Too much cushion can lead to pressure points on other sensitive areas, because you are sinking in to the cushioning and not sitting on your "sit bones". A lot of the saddles out there, e.g. the Specialized Body Geometry, are really designed so that you are properly sitting on your sit bones, and some even have various widths available. I have had good luck with my Specialized Toupe, though the padding is pretty minimal. The flexure of the seat and rails, if properly designed, can make a seat with little padding quite comfortable.

Another consideration is using some sort of chamois/butt creme, especially on longer rides. Whenever you have moving parts contacting each other, in our case skin rubbing, you will develop friction. Friction on the butt leads to saddle sores on the skin, which are another source of butt pain. Your local shop should sell chamois creme. Give this a shot before your next longer ride.

Another factor is related to the frame/seatpost and how much road vibration is being transmitted into your butt. If you are running your tires near the maximum recommended pressure, try backing that off a little (5 to 10 psi), and you'll be amazed at how much smoother the ride feels. See another thread I started about proper tire pressures for a good table from Camilo regarding how to calculate proper tire pressure.

Lastly, your seating position can affect butt pain. If you are not optimally positioned, you can be putting undue pressure on your butt.

However, one positive about agonizing butt pain is that you forget how bad your legs and lungs are burning.

Hope this helps.

[Xela]

By the way, what part of MO are you from? I'm in NW Arkansas, not far from the MO border.

[hophead]

Also, all shorts are not created equal. On long rides Performance brand shorts give me monkey butt, even their top of the line shorts. Pearl Izumi stuff works great for me. It's a little mors $$$, butt worth it!

[riderman14]

when i go ultra long distances,i always wear a pair of baseball sliding shorts under my padded shorts.they fit real tight and cut down any movement or friction that might happen!seems to work out for me.plus just time on the saddle will get that "area" good and calloused up!!ride on

[BigDumbBear]

I agree with everything said and just wanted to confirm that and add a little to it. As for seat width: it is a major factor in how the seat hit your "sit" bones(you fall on the ground and feel the bones hit the ground--It's those bones). Some people's sit bones are further apart than others so you may want to try a little wider seat and see if that fits you better. You'll need to get in 20 minutes or more on another seat before you can really make any call on how it'd gonna work out. Don't go too wide though... That will cause your legs to hit the seat, which causes other friction points and more work to pedal because you have another force you're pushing against.

You may also try adjusting your seat front to rear or just scooting your butt to set on a slightly different part.

Well designed seats and high-end shorts that are designed for really long rides will make things more enjoyable as well. I have a seat with nearly no padding on my mountain bike(I know we're talking about road bikes, but it's the same butt) and I can ride for 5 hours with no pain because it is a well made seat with a great-deal of flex and the correct width for my bottom.

Other things to consider are bar-height and distance from the seat. Ideally, you'll want some of your weight on the handlebars wich kind of balances out the weight making you more stable and more comfortable. How much weight on each is mostly up to you and your riding style.

When all is said and done, time on the bike is one of the biggest factors to minimize the pain. Everything else will add up to that. You can't just jump on and ride a couple hundred miles with no consequence. Just like when you started running, you have to gradually get your muscles and the parts of you body that recieve the shock and abuse used to all the new sensations. When cycling, that's obviously you butt...

Enjoy the ride.

[Grape Ape]

I am just getting back into riding. I am also on a mountain bike but use it for roads (narrow rough nasty roads) I had a major problem with butt hurt. I have not gone as far as getting the bike shorts and all the fancy stuff so my rides were in regular shorts etc.. I gave it some time to "get used to it", including making some adjustments to how it was set up, but it wasn't happening. I finally hit my LBS and they steered me towards a Serfas dual density reactive gel seat.

It is a bit wider than the seat that came stock on my Cannondale, yet it does not interfere with my riding. I did not get any new rubbing in different areas when I switched to the new seat. All rides since have been a breeze. As mentioned above, I now feel my lungs and muscles burning, not my butt hurting.

The seat has made a world of difference. They are definitely worth checking out. Mine cost $40 and is worth 10 times that to me in the comfort it as given me. Here is a pic of mine on my bike.

[bicyclerubber]

work on making the contact points comfortable: saddle, bars, pedals

get some decent advice on fitting your self to your bike - the relative position of bars, saddle and pedals is critical.

try as many components as you need to find the ones that are comfy for you. For me, after years of trials, I have Look pedals / Sidi shoes, SMP4Bike saddle, Bars with Lizard Skins DSP bar tape (my most recent find, its mint).

[glens2422]

A lot of good things have been said on preventing or minimizing pain in your ass. I will add if you're going to buy a new saddle buy it where they will let you exchange what does not work. Its the best way to make sure you get what works.

[Xela]

Here's a pic of the saddle I just ordered from my LBS. It will be my second Toupe saddle. I have worn my first one out after about 10k miles. I am really happy with it's combination of lightness and comfort. Specialized has some new models coming out, but they appear to be a little more rigid. I think this one is better for the endurance riding that I prefer.