Santa was good to me and there was a Specialized Transition Comp under the tree. My old bike was a Specialized Sequoia, which is a road bike with a very upright geometry and a well-padded seat. I am happy with the fit on the new bike from my LBS and they spent a lot of time to get me set up in a pretty relaxed aero position until I get used to it. The saddle that came with the bike is a tri saddle with a longer nose and a cutout in the middle that they LBS said was designed by a doctor to make sure blood flows correctly, etc. The more I ride, the more the area of my body that contacts the saddle is growing increasingly numb. This is a good thing because rides are getting increasingly comfortable, but the numbness doesn't really go away after the rides. The numbness doesn't affect any necessary functions, but does feel weird. Is this a normal part of adjusting to riding this way or do I need to look for a new saddle or look more closely at the fit?
Not normal to be numb for an
Not normal to be numb for an extended period after the ride. I'd look for a different saddle- what is the saddle on the bike now?
are you sitting the whole
are you sitting the whole time? i've heard that you're supposed to stand and pedal for a minute every twenty minutes so you don't get numb. i know if i just sit and pedal, after a while my feet start to get numb, so i stand and pedal for a minute or so.
This is the saddle I have
This is the saddle I have now - http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=42047&eid=348. Any recommendations for something better?
jacob wrote:are you sitting
[quote=jacob]are you sitting the whole time? i've heard that you're supposed to stand and pedal for a minute every twenty minutes so you don't get numb. i know if i just sit and pedal, after a while my feet start to get numb, so i stand and pedal for a minute or so. [/quote]
I second this. I did a charity ride this year for Bike MS. 350 miles in 2 days on a P2C was less than friendly to the nether regions. When I got off the bike on Sun evening I was numb. Numb numb. This lasted for 2 days after the ride. (this did go away on it's own, but the the gf was wondering why I was avoiding intimate contact.)
The problem comes from the forward rotation of the body and hips. It takes the load off the sit bones and places it on the perineum. Now, take into account that most tri positions benefit from a higher cadence to compensate for loss of torque.
Less weight on the pedals = more weight on the saddle.
It might benefit to get the bike fitted at a tri shop to make sure the saddle is adjusted right. Although, if this is the stock saddle that came with the bike, good luck. Most of them are very cheap and uncomfortable.
On a tri bike you want; really good shorts, most comfortable saddle possible, saddle adjusted for proper fit, and make time to gear up a few ratios and stand for a minute or two fairly often.
You could try a refit. Also,
You could try a refit. Also, a Specialized dealer should be able to measure your rear end and see if the saddle width is right (it looks like this is a 130 in the rear which is pretty narrow) could be you need a 143 or 155....anyway, Specialized is the one that came up with the foam to measure your sit bones. You might ask them about this.
Positioning is everything. I put a Specialized Phenom on my road bike and it hurt like absolute hell (I was ready to sell it) but then I made adjustments over time and now its super comfortable, no padding. I do get numb once in a while but it subsides shortly after the ride.
Congrats on the new ride! Quite a treat!
I have that saddle and it is
I have that saddle and it is a little stiff but I don't get numb. If you are looking for a soft saddle than the Adamo(?) is very comfortable. The only draw back is the short length of the nose. It was designed so your perineum does not get numb. It is around $150 but worth the cost for comfort. Good luck!
?normal numb or bad numb?
?normal numb or bad numb? Any numbness is bad. Physiologically numbness occurs due to mechanical or hypoxic trauma to nerves and nerves as non-replicating tissues do not repair damage well. Talk to some honest roadies and they will reluctantly admit to significant losses of function after 5-7 years of hard riding, no pun applies. One might accept the likelihood of some very temporary numbness after a century or ironman but if you are experiencing more than a few hours of symptoms, including burning with urination, after rides of 3 or fewer hours you definitely need to consider a different saddle and reassess your position and riding technique. With any saddle be thoughtful of changing where weight is applied and of getting out of the saddle every 20 minutes or so. Even brief lifts off the saddle lead to a subsequent change in pressure points. Saddles fit everyone differently but a split saddle is likely to be best. If you tend to move to the tip of your saddle over hours of riding or with your hard efforts you are better off with a narrow tip weighted slightly off center. If you remain locked onto the widest part of the saddle loading your ischia you may tolerate the big padded noses of tri saddles but only with a slightly elevated position. If your goal is to get a flat back with low head and shoulders you should have less in the way of your perineum in order to rotate your pelvis down and avoid restricting your thigh to torso angle. Find a shop that specializes in tri-fits and will let you try a few different saddles, even if just in the store on a trainer before you buy.
That's a bad numb...watch
That's a bad numb...watch that your anatomy doesn't go necrotic. JK
I just wanted to chime in
I just wanted to chime in and say that I have found (at least for myself) a GF friendly saddle. The Fizik Arione Tri 2. I have logged many miles on it and now feel that this is the best saddle I've ever seen or sat upon. It's padded without being tooo padded. It's narrow without causing unwanted pressure and it's slim design eliminates any chafing on the side of the thigh upto the inside of the leg crease. (I don't know how to say crotch joint with any level of tact.)
I have logged 2 dbl centuries and no numbness. I don't have to get up as often (or even at all on shorter rides) and it is so flat at the top that you can slide forward or back depending on where you want to position yourself without running into a ramp or angled taint syndrome as I like to call it.