Bicycle seat

[Malum Prohibitum]

I rode a bike everywhere as a kid.  Never worried about the seat or the pedals or anything.

Now I am an adult.  I am a 230 pound bodybuilder sort with very close to a half century of life.    My new bicycle hurts like hell to ride.  Hurts up in the private area, between the legs, between the genitalia and the area from which you excrete (not sure how else to explain it, sorry).

I have for several months had a Brooks Classic seat to install, but have not done so yet.  It was purchased at the suggestion of a bicycling friend.  It looks like this https://www.rei.com/product/784767/brooks-england-b-17-saddle-mens?CAWELAID=120217890000868630&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=15877513960&CATCI=pla-132752602120&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C404_10461%7C7847670003%7Cnone%7C7553a97d-0877-40af-9956-4b4dee8aebeb%7Cpla-132752602120&lsft=cm_mmc:PLA_Google_LIA%7C404_10461%7C7847670003%7Cnone%7C7553a97d-0877-40af-9956-4b4dee8aebeb%7Cpla-132752602120&gclid=CIT3_K-BtdACFYEdgQodqEkI7g

I have not ridden with padded pants.

I want to use this bike for a 5 mile one way commute.

I have been avoiding riding because the first experience was so unexpectedly unpleasant.

Do I really have to wear padded pants to bike 5 miles?  Seems a little silly.

Please share your suggestions.  Is this an adjustment thing?  Will the Brooks seat fix the problem?  Do I need to buy tight, padded pants? 

[lthenderson]

It's a personal to you thing. Everyone is different and everyone reacts to bicycle seats differently. I would definitely change your seat and try the Brooks one you own and see if that helps. If that doesn't work, try a different style. Eventually you will find one that works.

For five miles, I never wore padded shorts and was fine. However, everyone is different and also the more you ride, the more your body adapts. That first ride in spring always makes my butt hurt in short order. That last ride of the year I can do many hours before I start feeling it. Perhaps try wearing padded shorts under your clothes to see if that helps.

[JJ-]

The area you're referring to is lovingly called "the taint" in our area.

As somebody mentioned, it could be the bike fit, it also could be the saddle tilt or even the saddle width.

Unless you have a huge drop from seat down to handle bars, make sure your seat is level or even tilted slightly upward. This helps make sure you're sitting far enough back that your sit bones are nestled in the back of the seat where they should be and that you're not sliding forward.

They might be inclined to say it's got a lot to do with your weight, but as a fellow 220 lber that's not always true. I had a saddle that once just didn't fit right width wise and it bruised the heck out of my sit bones, to the point where I couldn't ride. A saddle swap fixed it. 

And as far as bike fit goes, I rode bikes too small for me for years at 5-10 mile distances daily without saddle problems, so dont let a shop sell you a new bike on that notion. 

I also only throw on padded shorts for 30+ mile rides.

[Malum Prohibitum]

The area you're referring to is lovingly called "the taint" in our area.

  LOL!  I was going to use that term, but I did not know if people would think it was too vulgar.  Anyway, I swapped the saddle to the Brooks B17 and lowered the seat and moved it a little forward.  Then I rode a couple of blocks.  It went well.  No taint issues.

I think the seat was too high and too far back.  It might also be that the Brooks B17 is just that much better, I do not know, but I am going to ride 5 miles this afternoon and see how it goes.

Thanks for the input, everybody.

[GuitarStv]

Saddle shape matters a huge amount, and there seems to be no reliable way to figure out what will work for you other than trial and error (even measuring width between ischial tuberosities is still pretty hit and miss).

Having a saddle too high will certainly hurt your ass . . . you'll be sliding back and forth on the saddle, grinding your crotch with extra friction.  Having a saddle too low is just as bad . . . you'll be more upright which means that more weight will be pushing into your 'nads rather than distributed between feet/arse/hands.

Padded shorts help a bunch with butt discomfort (as will better technique . . . you want to lift your butt off the saddle every time you go over bumps to minimize the amount of vibration your butt is absorbing every ride), but you should be able to set up nearly any bike to be comfortable for short (5 mile) rides with the right saddle, saddle height, handlebar height, and reach.

[Malum Prohibitum]

Well, I made it home, 5 miles, and my taint seems to be fine.

Now my pace is another story.  5 miles took me 29 minutes (10 mph), and I thought I was doing slower than walking up some of the hills.

[JJ-]

Well, I made it home, 5 miles, and my taint seems to be fine.

Now my pace is another story.  5 miles took me 29 minutes (10 mph), and I thought I was doing slower than walking up some of the hills.

Hills will get faster. 10 mph isn't bad if walking is faster up hills. Unless you're really trying to burn it out, 12-15 mph in urban settings is fairly normal without hills.

[Metric Mouse]

Well, I made it home, 5 miles, and my taint seems to be fine.

Now my pace is another story.  5 miles took me 29 minutes (10 mph), and I thought I was doing slower than walking up some of the hills.

That's a pretty average pace on a bicycle. I mean, one can do better, but it's not abnormally slow. Even at the blazing speed of 15mph, that five miles would still take you twenty minutes; not a huge time savings in the long run.