Indoor saddle recommendations

[Daninplymouth]

Hi, on the road I don’t really get any discomfort but now I’m back into winter training on my wattbike I notice a lot more soreness after a 90min effort.
Has anyone tried one of the big padded style seats? I’m not sure if they’d get in the way with pedalling but after trying a couple of other road saddles after a few rides I’m still not that comfortable so looking for ideas on the static bike

[jarsson]

I am just after change of saddles - before I was using Specialized Romin Evo and just bought Ergon SR Allroad - and it completely bum-changing experience.

Sitting 3h-4h on the indoor bike is no problem at all - and I am talking sitting without any breakes or standing in the pedals. It was not about padding but rather shape of the saddle - Ergon is flatter on the back and gives me better support. It was my 4th different saddle I have tried and definitely it will become my goto from now on.

[mcneese.chad]

Some existing links worth a look if you haven’t seen them already.

FAQ: Saddle Pain, Soreness, Numbness on the Trainer

This is a summary post to capture some of the common problems and proposed remedies for Saddle Pain, Soreness, Numbness while riding on the Trainer. Initial info was sparked & pooled from this thread. Considerations: Is this the same bike and saddle setup that you use outside? Do you experience issues with this setup outside as well? Or, are your issues only apparent while riding inside? Possible Solutions: Is your bike properly fit for your needs? Consider a professional bike fit. Th…

Padded saddle for indoor instead of bibs?

This may be a longshot, but I have a baby coming this spring and I’m expecting to have to cram 30min sessions… I love the fit of my castelli bibs and pro stealth saddle, but I was wondering if I could remove the hurdle of having to “get dressed” for training and use a slightly padded saddle and boxer briefs? It would also be handy during the off season to not have to do separate laundry or add a bunch of extra wear to my kit. Anyone have experience or tips?

Specific saddle just for indoor training?

Just curious to see if anyone uses a specific saddle just for indoor cycling due to undercarriage discomfort, numbness, etc. I have my set up 98% dialed in, but the endurance rides over an hour still get to me…

[batwood14]

I would suggest you take into consideration whether the discomfort is:

1. Coming from your sit bones, IE “my butt hurts” or,
2. Coming from your perineum, IE “My undercarriage is numb”

Sometimes it’s both, sometime it’s one or the other. I used to have both.

First thing I would do before you buy a new saddle is to prop the front of your bike up a minimum of 1-inch, and see what that does. This was the game changer for me. I think you can go as high as 2-inches without really changing the muscles you work, but @mcneese.chad could speak more to the specifics of this.

If it’s perineum specific discomfort, I’d try a triathlon/TT saddle if you’re making the switch.

Good luck … it’s a finicky problem to sort out.

[mcneese.chad]

In short, since this appears to be 2 separate setups:

1. Outside bike
2. Wattbike inside

A key starting point is what saddle(s) are in use on either or both bikes?

• If they are the same, move on to saddle setup.
• If they are different, consider why and if that is appropriate.

After that, you can consider how similar the saddle height and fore-aft position are. Match within reason if possible, then move on to the front end. Ditto here with matching stuff like reach and drop to the main position on the bars (could differ a bit because components likely do not match).

Essentially, until the two bikes are setup “the same” within a few millimeters, that is a large question mark. If that is already done, the next step is considering the lack of motion between each.

• Front end higher is a proxy for shifting weight a bit like the push-back we get from wind resistance outside.
• Then the super rigid nature of most indoor bikes can be an issue for some riders. Hacking some foam under the feet is the super easy way to get some movement without the effort or cost of a full on rocker. It may be enough on it’s own, or enough of a taste that shows a more elaborate solution could be worthwhile (rocker plate).