Pain and saddle soreness is common while cycling — here’s how to improve it

Cycling has a reputation for being a literal pain in the arse.

Saddle soreness, pain or discomfort from the pressure of the seat of the bike, affects many cyclists: from the everyday to the elite.

“It’s a problem for everyone, because you’re putting a lot of pressure on a pretty soft part of the body,” says Chris Steffanoni, a professional bike fitter based in the regional Victorian town of Gisborne.

“Sometimes I see people who have pain going to the toilet, and things that are a bit more escalated that need to be addressed from a health perspective.”

As an example, Steffanoni says many women experience vulval irritation when riding.

If left untreated, this can result in permanent structural changes to the labia, such as tissue enlargement or the formation of nodules.

“The labia can become thickened and enlarged, and even result in infection,” he says.

“But once you resolve that infection, for instance with antibiotics, the tissue doesn’t go back [to its original form].

“So you basically have extra tissue that causes pressure points, which can be very problematic.”

Steffanoni says while anyone can experience saddle-related problems, they are more common in females.

One survey of over 500 women found that almost half had been turned off recreational cycling because of vulval or perineal discomfort.

Another study of elite female British cyclists found that all respondents were struggling with saddle soreness, but “with a male doctor, physio and predominantly male coaching staff, they didn’t feel comfortable mentioning it”.

There are a range of potential reasons for the gendered discrepancy, including the fact bike seats have traditionally been designed for men, and the male-dominated cycling industry.

“I could rattle off the professional female bike fitters in Australia on one hand,” Steffanoni says.

“So it’s challenging to access help. 

“Are you going to feel comfortable opening up to the dude at the bike store about [saddle soreness]? You’re the exception if so.

“Unfortunately we know that women are a lot less likely to get these problems addressed [as a result].”

What can you do to improve saddle comfort?

Thankfully, there are a number of adjustments that can be made to a bike to improve saddle soreness.

The first is to look at the type of saddle you are using.

“The traditional seats, which have been designed for blokes, are quite narrow,” Steffanoni says.

“So if they’re too narrow [for you], your sit bones drop off the side of the seat, and you get a great deal of pressure in the middle of the saddle.”

But while Steffanoni says cycling is a “traditional” sport, where technology advances slowly, more modern saddles are made with a ‘cutout’ through the centre that is designed to alleviate pressure through the pelvis.

“Most riders have more luck with the newer design, but that’s not a rule that works perfectly for everyone,” he says.

There are also now a range of so-called “women’s” saddles on the market, which take into account the fact a female pelvis is generally wider than a male’s, but these are not a sure-fire fix.

Kate Perry, a lecturer at La Trobe University and former elite cyclist, says while women’s saddles have come a long way, it is more important to make sure yours is of the correct width.

“I never had a women’s specific saddle when I was racing,” she says.

“But I did make sure that the width of the saddle was relative to my sit bones.”

She advises visiting a bike store and getting your sit bones measured to ensure you are purchasing a saddle of the right width.

This usually involves sitting on a device made of memory foam, which leaves an indent where your sit bones are.

“If the saddle width is wrong, people will generally sit too far forward, too close to the nose of the saddle,” she explains.

“But you’re designed to sit on your sit bones, on the widest part of the saddle.”

How high to have your saddle, and how to set up your handlebars

There are other more general biomechanical adjustments that can help improve comfort when cycling.

As a general rule, Perry, who is also an elite cycling coach, says you should also aim to have a “neutral spine” on the bike.

In simple terms, this means not sitting too upright, but not having your spine curved too much, either.

Getting that right can be difficult, and involves several subtle adjustments, including changing the height of your saddle.

Essentially, Perry says, you want to ensure that your leg is not completely extended at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

“If your seat’s too high, you’ll get hyperextension in the knee, which will put strain on the hamstrings,” she says.

Your muscles also will not efficiently produce power.

Conversely, if the seat is too low, some muscles – such as the hip flexors – will be working in a shortened position, which will put more pressure on your quads and knees, Perry says.

This can lead to an unstable pelvis, and, again, saddle soreness.

But while it is critical to get your seat height right, the handlebars are equally important.

As Steffanoni explains it, you can get someone sitting “perfectly” in the saddle, but if their handlebars are in the wrong position, they will move into a different part of the seat to compensate.

Don’t be afraid of lycra, or leaving your pubic hair alone

If you are struggling to get your set-up right, it can be worth making an appointment with a professional bike fitter.

But there are also simple changes riders can make to improve saddle soreness which do not require on-bike adjustments.

Perry recommends wearing a pair of cycling shorts — with a padded section called a chamois — and buying a female-specific pair if appropriate.

This creates a barrier between the pelvic area and the saddle, which can act like a cushion.

Stefannoni also recommends a good chamois, with an important caveat.

“They’re not designed to be worn with underwear,” he says.

“Surveys show that up to 20 per cent of riders are still wearing underwear beneath their bike shorts, but we know that that increases friction with extra seams and whatnot. So we want to discourage people from wearing underwear under their shorts.”

Another industry secret is to avoid grooming the pubic area where possible, with Stefannoni arguing this “drastically reduces” the chance of developing folliculitis and saddle soreness.

And while he recognises these may be uncomfortable conversations to have, he hopes it will normalise an issue so many face.

“We know that people — particularly women — stop cycling because of saddle discomfort, and that’s obviously not what we want,” he says.

“If we can raise awareness of these problems, we can get people to realise that they’re really common, and there are things that can be done to prevent them.”