Getting back on the bike often rhymes with pain in the posterior. How to explain these discomforts and how to avoid them? Answers with Doctor Yves Yau, from the French Cycling Federation.
- Buttock pain fades naturally when you get back on the bike.
- If the pain persists, check that the saddle is wide enough for your body type and check the width of the tires and their pressures.
Have you just come back from a bike ride and your butt hurts? It may be a saddle problem. “It depends on the morphologies of the individualsexplains Doctor Yves Yau, sports doctor for the French Cycling Federation. The best are the old leather saddles that mold.” The best way to avoid this kind of problem is to try several in a specialized store, in order to choose the most appropriate shape. For women, who have a wider pelvis than men, it is recommended to favor wider saddles with a shorter “beak”. In general, the wider the saddle, the more you reduce the pressure exerted on your pelvis.
However, the shape of the saddle is not responsible for all the pain, because this discomfort generally appears when resuming the bike but disappears quickly. “I regularly supervise cycling tripsreports Dr. Yau. The first week, cyclists talk about it a lot and then the subject disappears by itself. Even in a seasoned cyclist, the pain reappears after a few months of stopping when resuming. Do not be discouraged and avoid excessively long outings at the start.” He estimates that it takes on average a dozen outings to no longer feel any discomfort.
Check your tires
However, this pain in the posterior can also be caused by a bad adjustment or an unfortunate choice of tires. “The wider the tire, the less it is inflated, and the better it absorbs shocksassures the referent doctor of the French Cycling Federation. For leisure practice, I recommend not to take a tire below 28mm in width, including on the road.” Regular training should therefore alleviate this torment. The inclination of the saddle is another parameter to take into account if you ever want to improve your comfort on the bike. According to the doctor, the saddle should be adjusted as horizontally as possible to avoid putting too much pressure on the front or back of your pelvis. “Don’t hesitate to use a spirit level to properly position your saddlehe recommends. Also be careful to do it in an environment that is itself horizontal.”
The doctor is however skeptical about the commercial accessories sold to limit this penalty, such as waders for example. On the other hand, he advises against the use of anti-irritation creams which can “block the ports” and therefore cause further harm. “We must avoid maceration and sweat, I recommend the use of ventilated shorts for leisure cycling”. says Doctor Yves Yau. Patience and meticulous adjustments should allow you to limit this difficulty to enjoy the physical exercise on the little Queen.
.
