Question Padded seat covers Yes or No

[hayneplane]

Looking up and getting conflicting advice on the pros and cons of using a seat cover to improve comfort.

For my situation I am somewhat overweight, but putting in the distance on my road bike to improve this, cycle in either standard sport shorts or jogging bottoms depending on the temperature.

I have only recently brought the bike back out from its winter hibernation and have a bit of swelling just below my buttocks but it does not look red or inflamed like it could be infected.

Do you think that swelling will go down with a little rest and getting the body used to being seated on the saddle?

Are there any creams I should apply to the skin in that area to reduce swelling and chafing whilst riding.

 

[keith davies]

Hi - I'm no expert but:

1. Get a good pair of bib cycling shorts/leggings with a good chamois pad. Do not use sports shorts or jogging bottoms as these are not tight fitting there is more chaffing.
2. Apply chamois cream to your body and the chamois to reduce chaffing, inflammation and bacterial infections
3. Padded saddles are the opposite of what you need. They might seem attractive if you are just popping to the shops but if you are doing long rides, the idea is to have as little contact with the saddle as possible so there is less to rub. So although road bike saddles may look hard, slim and therefore uncomfortable, the opposite is true.

Hope this helps and good luck

 

[JayKosta]

Cycling shorts would be a help - they are made to not have 'folded seams' that can cause rubbing and abrasion. No underpants are worn with padded cycling shorts.

If you desire to wear underpants, women's 'snuggies' might be good.
Also men's 'dress shorts' are usually made with less bulky seams.

For especially tender skin, you could try 'A&D Ointment'. If infection is a worry, I used 'Betadine solution' first, and A&D over it.

 

[jmdirt]

-Be sure that the saddle isn't too high
-Cycling shorts
-Body Glide
-It may take a few rides to get your pelvis reacquainted with cycling

 

[BlueRoads]

Padded seat covers are the worst, if you ask me. But I'm a woman, I don't know what it's like for men.

 

[hayneplane]

Thanks for the advice. It definitely sounds like I should invest in a couple of decent pairs of cycling shorts as a priority plus a barrier cream/ointment

 

[The GCW]

"decent pairs of cycling shorts" may be ok for an average cyclist. If You have issues with the area which relates to the saddle, GET REALLY GOOD SHORTS, (the BEST) as a possible PART OF THE combination of fixes. -No undies, no any other kind of shorts: that's a given. Get 2 or 3 pair after figuring out what You prefer and wash them after every use. Wash them with a detergent like a sport wash which leaves less residue.

Another part of the combination, is to look into the exact saddle: there are so many and some may be more beneficial to the specific concerns You have. ---some may help other problems but perhaps there's a type for Your needs.

Combinations to help include realizing the concept with road cycling, a basic understanding is that (potentially & vaguely) 30% of Your weight is on the bars, 30% is on the pedal and 30% is on the saddle. So: Don't allow Yourself to spend too much time with more weight on the saddle...

Start out with shorter rides if it's early season, for You.

If, "overweight, but putting in the distance on my road bike to improve this", is part of the consideration, THEN DIET is part of the combination of things to help. TO MAKE IT SIMPLE for start, GET ALL PARTIALLY HYDROGINATED FOODS OUT OF YOUR HOUSE. Start there and get hip on diet. But no cyclist should allow that in the door of Your house. Bad juju and to keep it short, that's all for now.

I see you've been a poster since 2017, so I'm thinking You may be familiar with much of what I just wrote, however, hope to add to Your knowledge.

 

[jmdirt]

-Support your LBS!

-But since you are experimenting with what works, shop a discount website so that its affordable to try several different options as needed. For example, I like a chamois that my LBS doesn't sell, but I regularly find them at about 50% off on the www (reg. $199-220, on www $90-110). I don't want to advertise, but if you message me I will offer suggestions for discount places on the www.

-Be careful of too many 'lines'. Each one of those lines may help the chamois form to your body, but each line is also a potential chafer.

-Thicker is not better. Don't think of a chamois as a "pad".

-As GCW said, the seat shape can make a difference but that is a deep, expensive, time consuming rabbit hole. With a little attention to seat position 'most' can be comfortable.

-Error on the side of low. Obviously not so low that you cause other issues.

 

[hayneplane]

Discount suggestions very welcome. I don’t have a huge amount of disposable income to spend on top of the range gear.

In an average week through March - September I will likely aim to average 8 hours a week riding with half of that on one long ride per weekend so it’s not like I am doing 250km a week.

Have made a strong start to weight loss and improving diet particularly with swapping for healthier snacks. Would welcome more info about partially hydrogenated foods.

 

[The GCW]

Partially hydrogenated oil:

It’s in most breads, crackers, pastries, cookies and so many other foods.

*When We sprint and / or exert lots of energy, We burn glycogens / stored sugars for energy and We have a short, limited supply of that.

*When We ride long distances for hours at tempo or easier pace, We burn fat for fuel.

Our bodies need fat. But it needs to be good fat.

*When Our bodies burn fat, the last fat it will burn is partially hydrogenated oils. Some nutritionists indicate Our bodies don’t ever burn it.

So We utilize all the good fat & end up with the bad fats left in the body and those bad fats are the ones which clog arteries and create other bad health issues. It leads to obesity.

**Double whammy: When Your eating bad fats, You’re not getting the good fats.

Look at shelves and shelves of grocery store breads and You will barely find bread without partially hydrogenated oils. -That example extends to crackers, pastries, cookies and it’s in almost anyplace that it can be introduced. It take extra work to rid Your house of that crap.

Look at labels and don’t ever bring it into Your home. -Avoid it like a heart attack.

 

[JayKosta]

...
Have made a strong start to weight loss and improving diet particularly with swapping for healthier snacks. ...

-------------------------------------------------------
When you get the urge to 'snack' (for enjoyment, not nutritional needs), try drinking canned flavored seltzer water FIRST, and also always have apples available (or other convenient fruit). Another option is oatmeal - quick to make in microwave without needing the 'quick oatmeal' type - use large (quart size) glass measuring cup.
Mentally - keep telling yourself that being a little hungry is GOOD - that's when you're losing weight. Limit meals to what's necessary for nutrition.

 

[Unchained]

No. What little meat should be on your b-tt. Needs pressure..a place to rest and push against. A sheep or skin is certainly pleasurable..comfortable..But not part of bike racing..
You needed to d do 325-450 per week to understand what your hole and cheeks should feel like before..a bath mat or welcome mat carpet should be discussed

 

[OnTheRopes]

Don't ever use a padded seat cover.
Get a saddle fit at a shop if you can, everyone is a different shape. Or try different saddles until you find the most comfortable for you, we are all different.
Buy the best shorts you can afford, bear in mind even then some shorts can chafe.
Use a medicated chamois cream, at least to begin with, apply it to your contact points or chafing on your flesh, not onto the chammy.
Ride regularly, it will seem to get worse at first, especially early on in the ride, bum bones will be bruised but the more you ride the less this will be and will eventually stop all together.
Treat any chafing with medicated cream like germolene.
if you get saddle boils start, treat immediately and regularly, Teatree oil helps, germolene too, treat them regularly and don't let them get a grip. Don't be tempted to squeeze them or they will get worse.
Never wear a pair of shorts more than once before washing.

 

[MikeS369]

Finding the right saddle is a pain in the butt. No pun intended. I tried several saddles from bike shops and never was able to find on that worked for me. Then I spent about $700 on saddles that I could not try from a bike shop until I found one that worked for me and I still have this one tiny spot on my right side that gives me hell from time to time. One thing I learned is it is not about the saddle padding. At least for me.

Another thing to consider is saddle width. According to my measurement I should use a narrow saddle but none of them worked for me. The one that worked was a wider width saddle. And it worked so much better than all the others I bought spares.

 

[davidsonduke]

The problem is that you have to ride a saddle a couple of weeks or more to tell if it is right for you or not. Last winter when I was training on Rouvy indoors, I purchased 4 different saddles on eBay and tried each one for a couple of weeks--differing styles and widths--about 200 miles per saddle. The advantage of testing them on the trainer is that you sit on the saddle for longer periods of time.

Also, as you ride more, you want a little less padding on the saddle, as a general rule. The squishy saddles (or pads) that seem so nice just starting out are terrible once you get some miles under your belt.

One of the most popular saddles on the market (Specialized Power) was terrible for me. I ended up with a saddle designed for women, but it works great for me. I have lost a lot of weight in this process (close to 70 lbs), so when I get down to a stable weight (another 30 lbs) I may look again, but only if I'm having problems. Once you find a good saddle, you don't want to give it up.

 

[Blimpie21]

Hi - I'm no expert but:

1. Get a good pair of bib cycling shorts/leggings with a good chamois pad. Do not use sports shorts or jogging bottoms as these are not tight fitting there is more chaffing.
2. Apply chamois cream to your body and the chamois to reduce chaffing, inflammation and bacterial infections
3. Padded saddles are the opposite of what you need. They might seem attractive if you are just popping to the shops but if you are doing long rides, the idea is to have as little contact with the saddle as possible so there is less to rub. So although road bike saddles may look hard, slim and therefore uncomfortable, the opposite is true.

Hope this helps and good luck

Padded shorts and a little padding on the saddle should be plenty