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    Saddle change or new shorts


    I have a Trek Dual Sports 3 Gen 5 and i’m using it with the stock saddle. I use Van Rysel bibless padded shorts and on rides above metric century, i’m getting blisters in the butt area towards the wide exterior ends. Should i change my bib shorts or saddle?

    I have attached a link to the shirts i’m using.

    Men's Road Cycling Bibless Shorts RC500 – Black, Link is Here : https://www.decathlon.in/p/8645824/shorts/men-s-road-cycling-bibless-shorts-rc500-black

    by AirHummels

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    3 Comments

    1. abrakadabra93 on

      Sores are usually a result of improper bike fit first. Try measuring your inseam length and set your seat height accordingly. You can look this up online.

      Once seat height is set, move to better shorts. I have the same shorts but they are not great for long distances as the shorts move without the support of bibs. Get proper bibs with shoulder supports. They are worth.

      Saddle upgrade after the above two if your budget allows. Measure your sit bones and choose wisely.

    2. Linkcott18 on

      It’s honestly hard to know. And this may mean quite a lot of trial & error to figure out.

      Blisters mean chafing, so the first thing to do is figure out the source of the chafing. Does the it occur at a seam or edge of a pad in your shorts? Edge of the saddle?

      Is the saddle in the correct place for you? People often put their saddles too far forward. Have you had a bike fit, or used a DIY bike set-up method? If not, I would start there.

      You can try a new saddle. Most shops will let you try something for a couple weeks & then change it if it doesn’t work. Otherwise, the ones where they measure you sit bones (Specialized or Bontrager) seem to have slightly better odds of working.

      Regarding shorts, clothing choice is personal, but some basics (sorry if this is teaching granny to suck eggs, but…) don’t wear underwear under there and don’t wear more than one pair of cycling shorts. Otherwise, not everyone wants / needs cycling shorts, and some brands work better than others for each person. Since you seem to have a chaffing problem, you need stuff that will stay put on your body & move against the saddle. That might mean minimizing the padding, and finding something without ‘anatomical’ elements.

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