Statistically, saddle discomfort is the most common complaint among cyclists. Newbies and riders who spend large amounts of time in the saddle are the most susceptible to developing saddle sores. Which is primarily caused by excessive pressure combined with heavy sweating, rubbing of the skin, high body temperature, lack of lubrication, improper riding positioning, incorrect saddle type, improper clothing, or riding with recently shaven skin or unclean cycling apparel.
Cycling and mountain biking should not be a pain in your butt. If it hurts when riding, then you need to remedy this situation to avoid saddle sores.
What are saddle Sores?
Saddle Sores: A range of skin ailments on the buttocks, genitals, and inner thigh, such as chafing, blisters, boils, folliculitis, redness, or worse.
Keep in mind that general numbness is not part of saddle sores and is a separate issue. If you experience numbness, then it’s also time to modify your bike set-up, get a different seat, change riding attire, or a combination.
So, why does your butt hurt when cycling? Find out below to avoid a sore butt or worse yet, saddles sores.
a Soft bum
If you’re new to cycling or mountain biking or are an occasional rider, then it’s highly likely that your butt will hurt from bicycling. Ideally, you should have 5 layers between your bicycle seat and your ischial tuberosities or ‘sit bones.’
Chamois (padded cycling shorts)
Muscles
Fat
Skin
Lubrication (chamois cream)
Beginner or novice cyclists usually only have 2 of the 5 layers. Generally, newbies forgo proper padded cycling shorts called chamois nor utilize friction modifiers or lubricants (more on this later).
Chamois is pronounced “sham-ee.”
Secondly, the more you ride the faster your butt gets into cycling shape, which means that your muscle tissues get firmer and provide a more comfortable and thicker layer between your bones and saddle.
Seat too soft
A nice cushy foam or gel seat will feel comfortable while strolling around the neighborhood or riding that beach cruiser. However, these types of saddles actually exert more pressure on your crotch and butt as your body sinks into the excessive padding from strenuous riding.
Notice the wide and padded seat on this beach cruiser?
Soft and wide for slower and shorter rides (i.e. beach cruiser)
Firm and narrow for speed and distance (i.e. triathlon bike)
READ: I have an entire article about this topic if you prefer an in-depth explanation.
wrong saddle
If you’re still riding the same saddle that came with your bike, it’s highly unlikely this is your optimal seat.
Saddle width is highly important and specific to your anatomy. Too narrow a seat places the majority of your weight on your body’s delicate soft tissue in very sensitive areas. Too wide causes chafing and makes pedaling inefficient.
Also, the shape and contours of the saddle play an important role in distributing weight while also elevating boy or lady parts from compression.
This saddle has a cutout that creates the perfect platform to support a beer.
Your Ideal Saddle
A proper saddle will support your body weight by your sit bones. The shape, contours, cutouts, and size then work together with your unique anatomy to essentially lift your body up. This makes room for your lady/boy parts and avoids compression of the nerves in your crotch.
The perfect saddle for one of your riding buddies could be the worst saddle for you and vise versa.
Not using Cycling shorts
Road cycling shorts are short and skin-tight which improve comfort and make you faster.
An elite cyclist wearing proper cycling shorts (Image Source: Flickr)
These shorts compress the legs, which reduces muscular fatigue, decreases wind resistance by increasing aerodynamic efficiency and protects the skin against repetitive friction with the seat.
Additionally, chamois draws sweat away from the skin to prevent chafing and cools you down through the process of evaporation.
Mountain Biking Shorts
Oakley MTB shorts and chamois (Image Source: Flickr)
MTB shorts are also padded but are baggier. This is fine for mountain biking but is not ideal for road, gravel, or cross-counting riding. Mountain bikers spend significantly less time in the saddle compared to roadies. Descending technical terrain is navigated almost exclusively standing up. This is why downhill and dirt jumping MTBs are designed with a low seat as it’s only used for gripping during maneuvers or resting.
Mountain biking while wearing cycling shorts is okay and many cross-country riders do this.
However, road cycling with MTB shorts is not advisable as these are not designed for an extended duration and are not aerodynamic.
READ: What does MTB actually mean? I asked the inventor of the mountain bike to find out.
Wearing underwear
Wearing underwear underneath your cycling shorts or everyday wear is bad.
Seams in all the wrong places while collecting sweat and keeping it in contact with skin. (Image Source: Flickr)
Cotton briefs have thick seems that bunch up and create pressure points in sensitive areas. Also, regular undies trap moisture and bacteria against your skin (chamois keeps moisture away).
READ: I also have covered this topic in-depth. Feel free to read it for more info on why you should wear underwear with your cycling shorts.
Substantial riding time
Sudden increases in mileage, time, or frequency, especially with improper gear will create a pain in your butt. Signing up for a Century Ride or triathlon is great, but not having a proper training regime that builds up incrementally will wreak havoc on your bum.
Stand up
If you were to sit in the same spot for hours, even in a comfy recliner you would get sore. This is why you naturally shift around while seated. - take-home point - stand up from time to time
Most common cyclist injuries
Not replacing saddle
Just like any bicycle component, saddles wear out over time. High mileage and frequent use weaken the structure, which compromises its ability to support you optimally.
Changing Riding Style
Also, keep in mind that different riding styles require different saddles. Going from a leisurely cyclist to a competitive rider requires a different seat. Pedaling in an aerodynamic position rotates your pelvis, which changes where your sit bones are supported on the saddle.
This is the reason that cruiser bikes have large seats while triathlon bikes have narrow saddles (different bones support your body in different positions).
This also means that your road and mountain bikes might need different seats, depending on how they are set-up.
incorrect bike fitting
There are dozens of bicycle settings and they all interact with each other. Improper saddle tilt for the terrain can be a pain in the butt. A good place to start is with a level saddle.
Also, if your seat height is too low/high or if your saddle is too far forward/backward, then you will be sitting in a place that wasn’t designed for sitting. Handlebar height is equally important. Handlebars positioned lower than the seat place significantly more weight on your groin and moves the pressure to sensitive areas.
This means that even your perfect saddle will cause discomfort if it’s not positioned correctly.
Need help dialing in your ride? Check out our bike fitting tutorial
excessive body weight
Performance bicycle seats are narrow and don’t support your entire body weight as it's distributed between the pedals and handlebars. The more upper-body weight you have, whether it’s muscle or fat, is more pressure being exerted onto the saddle.
Also, fat is squishy and muscle is firm. A soft bum will compress into the seat more than a firm butt (see picture above).
wearing dirty clothes
Your cycling apparel, especially your chamois, should be washed after every ride. Soiled clothes don’t function the same. Elasticity and smoothness are lost while bacteria are constantly multiplying and ruining your functional wear.
Make sure that your shorts get thoroughly washed and rinsed since leftover laundry detergent can cause skin irritation.
Equally important - Your shorts need to be completely dry before wearing (clean, rinsed, and dried is very important).
recently shaven skin
Shaving causes micro-abrasions, if you notice any tiny bumps, then you are already past this point. Shaving your groin region, then sitting on a tiny saddle while being soaked in your sweat is a formula for irritation, discomfort, or worse.
If you do shave your pubic hair, shave at least 24 hours before a ride. The same goes for waxing.
Not using chamois cream
Less than 50% of serious cyclists use chamois cream. While not every ride calls for it, this cream reduces friction between your skin and shorts.
When to use chamois cream
Sudden increases in mileage (i.e. training for a long ride)
Hot and humid conditions (i.e. riding in Brevard in the summer)
That’s right! This lube has been formulated by a Patagonian tribologist for maximum speed.
Final Thought
There’s a difference between a sore butt and saddle sores. Understanding why your butt hurts is important so you’re able to remedy the situation before it worsens. As you can see, many factors determine the comfort of your saddle. Simply swapping out your old seat for a new one won’t fix the issue if your discomfort is caused by a poorly fitting bicycle or improper gear.
Also, guys and gals have different anatomy with separate pressure distributions, which means the contact points are different. However, even though ladies have wider hips than men on average, the differences within each gender are larger than the differences between sexes. This means that some men’s ideal saddle will be branded as female-specific and vice versa.
Quick Summary
Recommendations for the prevention of sore butt and saddle sores:
Correct saddle type for your anatomy and riding style
Properly fitted bicycle (all settings dialed in)
Wash all cycling gear after each ride
Wear quality cycling shorts with a clean chamois
Apply chamois cream to fight rubbing, friction, chafing
Do NOT wear regular underwear. The seams and material can cause saddle sores or discomfort
Jesse is the Director of Pedal Chile and lives in La Patagonia (part of the year). Jesse has a Master of Science in Health and Human Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Hobbies: Mountain biking, bicycle commuting, reading, snowboarding, researching, eMTBing, and sampling yummy craft beers.
Sources & References for “Why Does My Butt Hurt When I Cycle”
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Intro image
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