oh the pain!

[roserider]

Hi there, I'm new to forums and somewhat new to riding! I love being on the bike and have taken to riding long rides. My issue is that I get extreme vaginal pain almost every time which feels like I am sitting on needles instead of a saddle. I know I need to look at a new saddle but I don't know how or where. I don't feel so comfortable walking into a bike shop and telling the guys there that I have vaginal pain!!!! I use good quality bike knicks and have tried aussie bum cream and even a prescription cream to no avail. Any advice appreciated!

[fixie]

Welcome to the forums.

Sorry to read about your pain.

There are so many variables at work that it is hard to generalise. Position and posture on the bike, saddle shape and size vis-a-vis your shape and size. As you will find if you do a search on these and other forums, there is much debate on this topic. What works for some does not work for others so there is some trial and error involved.

I shall wait and see what experts on the topic have to say before commenting further.

[Canuck]

starting point: what kind of set up is required - riding 'upright' or in a more 'forward' position (e.g. like that on most road bikes)? how's your saddle setup and angle?

starting point: no need to detail your exact pains for bike boys; find a shop that helps measure (if you're not sure how to) and fit you to a saddle and allows good and proper trialling of saddles. I cannot recommend any particular shops, but I'm sure there are others on the forum who could do so - also, search the forum for this, as it's been discussed before. There are threads in the women's cycling forum that may be useful. As previously mentioned, it's also very individual, so you have to try one for yourself rather than rely on someone else's experiences.

But you should not be in that kind of pain. And you should not continue with it - get it sorted out.

[roserider]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I should have been more specific. I've had a quality bike fit with a specialist Equilibria - Physiotherapy clinic located in Caulfield South, Melbourne Australia. I've got a road bike with cross handlebars and definitely not in a racing posi at all. So my saddle and angle should be good but the pain seems to set in after maybe 10 km so clearly something is not right. Maybe I'll go back to equilibria - kevin is brilliant there and I'd recommend to others - maybe its time to have another visit!

[Canuck]

That sounds like a very good starting point!

Pins and needles *sounds like* nerve pain - so maybe mention that pain symptom to them (as opposed to 'chafed' = good chamois and creams tend to help this, and as opposed to 'squished bits' = still a problem, but slightly different...)

good luck!

[j9]

Since you've already had a bike fit then check your posture when riding.
If your core gets slack when riding then your pelvis will tilt forward causing pressure where it shouldn't be.

There's several women specific saddles around that have cutout/indented sections that provide a buffer zone for avoiding squishing.

Specialized have their WSD (Women specific designs), there's also the Selle Italia Gel Flow saddles like this
*


*image raided from RED buy/sell/swap post

[roserider]

Thanks again for all the fed back.. Has anyone heard of the no-nose saddle? I've seen it on line but looks like only in available in USA!

[fixie]

Thanks again for all the fed back.. Has anyone heard of the no-nose saddle? I've seen it on line but looks like only in available in USA!

A physiotherapist friend uses one because he is concerned about pressure on his prostate. He has seemed to be pleased with it. It is available here. You are right in that it is online only. Australia is served from the UK.

The main issue would appear to be a loss of the steering effect that seems to come from using a saddle with a nose. No reason that it would not help with your situation regardless of core strength issues.

Like I said earlier, you may be in for a little bit of trial and error testing. I would still go back to KL for a reappraisal of your fit, posture and position though. He may be concerned about a tendency to slide forward on a Moon saddle which would overload your arms and upset other aspects of your ride.

Take note of what Canuck and j9 have written. Words from the wise.

edit: It seems that there is an Australian distributor here.

edited one time in total

[roserider]

Wow - that moon saddle is certainly different. I've contacted them to see if they have a melbourne outlet. I've also emailed Kevin at Equilibria to make an appt in the NY. Thanks everyone and I'll keep you posted. Its nice to know that I can access this type of information. It was a bit of an embarrassing issue I guess to just go into a bike shop. I have taken to using the word 'vaginjury' which also gets a bit of a laugh. See you on the road!

[squeazasis]

For myself, using a harder saddle made a huge difference! (Apparently with softer saddles the weight of your butt on the saddle tends to push the soft filling of the saddle upwards in front - a problem for both genders!)

Also, in case you didn't already know, wearing no underpants under your knicks is a must!

[JAC]

Gran Prix Bicycles, 710 Glenhuntly Road, Caulfield South would appear to be a bike shop near you?

They usually have a good range of womens saddles in store (and a good reputation for being helpful too).

http://www.granprixbicycles.com.au/women/Saddles.html

[teamcoffee]

http://lovelybike.blogspot.com.au/2011/ ... ddles.html

this is an excellent article about ladies seat problems. I too am experiencing some pains (and my friend too) So im about to test ride a fizic saddle... if its no good im going to try that selle one... it looks really nice!

there is a warning to men not to read this article if they are faint hearted lol.

[kacjp]

http://lovelybike.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/on-female-anatomy-and-bicycle-saddles.html

this is an excellent article about ladies seat problems. I too am experiencing some pains (and my friend too) So im about to test ride a fizic saddle... if its no good im going to try that selle one... it looks really nice!

there is a warning to men not to read this article if they are faint hearted lol.

This is what I love about this forum - this particular topic is discussed

My commuter bike is ok, only ride it 9.5km each way to work, and is a lot more comfortable if i wear padded bike shorts rather than gym pants - so I'm doing that more now.

However, I'm going to have to investigate all the issues mentioned in that blog post for my longer road bike rides.

I think the best part is that I've convinced 2 other females to take up riding (they've both just bought bikes in the last couple of months) and they are increasing their k's. I've now sent them an email with that blog post in it, so now they understand they're not alone and to keep experimenting until they find the right solution for them It is one of the reasons I stopped riding my bike as a teenager and didn't get back to it until I moved back to Melbourne and wanted to start riding to work for fitness (and now it takes same amount of time as PT). If I had been able to get this sorted out when I was a teenager then I would have continued to ride!

[rjk]

Hi I have just post in this topic about the selle smp saddles have a look at it, this saddle has a very wide cutout and it works for lots of people both men and women

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=24681

[fixie]

Hi I have just post in this topic about the selle smp saddles have a look at it, this saddle has a very wide cutout and it works for lots of people both men and women

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=24681

With a selection of 6 sizes, 16 models and 10 available in a "Lady" version, the choice is bewildering. You do need to know exactly what your problem/issues are and how a particular version will meet your needs.