For context, I work as armed security bike officer, on average I bike and patrol property 8 hours a day 5-6 days week, basically not stop riding. My gear and uniform is required so I got lots of weight with duty belt, firearm, and vest. The bike is the only issue bike with seat on it.
Is there any tips or suggestions I could do, wear, or buy seat wise to reduce strain for long periods, I'm averaging like 10-20 miles a day on this thing.
Appreciate any help.
by Imaginary-Guide2909
33 Comments
You could try bike shorts underneath, they are slightly padded but mostly reduce chafing. A supension seatpost might also help, maybe try some cane creek thudbusters.
Been looking at upgrades as well & curious about the “V Seat”. Mght be a good fit for you if affordable?
(Edit: there’s a few reviews on this sub to check out too)
On top on any kit people suggest, you may want to get out of the saddle every now and again to ease the load on your butt and let your legs take the weight for a bit.
Consider cutting/making the handlebars narrower. Also, if you’re just riding around the plant or facility at low speeds maybe maybe maybe consider getting one of those thick seat pads or padded seats. They’re terrible for most cycling but they might be perfect for your use.
Also though I don’t think it will necessarily be of much use make certain you have a quick release seat clamp so that you can move the seat up and down easily and this might reduce discomfort having different positions during the day.
0 — what’s your tire pressure? 30 to 40psi seems right. 100psi will suck.
1 — bike shorts on the bottom layer. Biggest win. Always use this. “The Black Bibs” are cheap/good.
2 — get a bike fit. You can book an expert session for $80 at good bike shops, and it’s worth doing for how much time you spend on this bike. bring the bike and gear. they will recommend small adjustments and they matter a lot.
3 — Saddle upate. Buy a “Ergon SM” mtb/allroad saddle or whatever the fitter tells you. Mid-tier is fine, it’s weight reduction for the expensive ones. (if you need to swap daily, get your own seatpost). Avoid exotic or padded saddles; trust bike riders.
4 — Flexy seatposts exist, but long travel suspension is usually not a good idea because you can’t get your butt in the air; circulation issue. But a carbon flexpost might be good. Expensive but Temu counterfeits are sometimes identical.
r/bicycletouring solves similar problems, read archives.
Padded shorts i wear mine under my normal shorts, it gets uncomfortable when off the bike tho. Also different saddle, i love my brooks b12? B-something i forget.
Get the absurd steerer tube extender off the bike. All your weight is on your butt. You need to be leaning forward somewhat so your arms and core can support some of the weight.
Definitely padded shorts and chaffing cream, better saddle wouldn’t hurt, but you’d have to try a few to find your best one.
Holy stem
Is it just the photo or are your bars look super wide? You can cut them shorter.
I believe the seat you have is a Selle Royal Avenue. It’s quite a soft gel seat already, and I don’t think you can really get anything softer than that. Maybe bike short liners can help.
You are definitely putting all your weight on the seat with that very upright handlebar, which isn’t helping. A lower handlebar could help distribute the weight more forward.
r/bikefit
Also describe your exact issue. Pain location, after how long, and your general use of the bike which I assume is relatively slow or at least not very intensive riding.
Double check the bike fit, particularly the seat might be too low and it looks like it might be angled up a bit. You want it high enough so your leg is almost straight, and typically you want the seat to be level or with a slight downward slope. You want to have lot of your support coming from your legs, and arms. When the seat is lower, you’re shifting more weight onto your butt.
Someone else mentioned bike shorts or a liner, they can provide helpful cushioning and prevent chaffing.
Seats are always pretty individualized, what’s comfortable for one person doesn’t work for another. For an upright bike like this, you generally can run a more padded seat, and probably wider too. A suspension seat post can help if you’re having issues with bumps kicking your ass.
Lower your handlebars and put some more weight on your hands
Seconding getting padded shorts for under the shorts
As many have pointed out, with handlebars that wide, you are likely putting all your weight on your butt. You also lose stability and maneuverability with them – esp if your arms aren’t really long.
While padded bike shorts or a softer seat may help – it sure looks like the problem is the bike. A pic of you on the bike with one pedal down would help so we can how much leg extension there is.
I have no idea why they would have those awful handlebars on a work bike.
lower your saddle 20mm and test it, then go up from there
wear a pair of bibs or shorts under, dont forget chamois cream if you chafe at all, look into a saddle that is right for you(youll probably have to try a few), and then just give it time. It took me about a month to not feel saddle pain much when I started cycling, gotta let your body get used to it.
That does not look like a L frame. Are you sure?
It’s too small for you. You could get away with it for short rides with the tall saddle and handlebar, but it’s not acceptable for longer rides.
If you can get the handlebar a little bit lower, that might help, if you get a saddle with better cushioning.
But you need a frame that actually fits you first.
Where are you experiencing discomfort/strain? That will help with answers, too.
That bike is not meant to be ridden with the handle bars that high. Raising the bars puts you in a more upright position. Saddles are position specific. With the bars that high you could try a shorter and wider saddle.
Buy that Australian seat that moves with your legs. Great investment.
Lower the handlebar or get yourself a couch as a saddle, as all of your weight is on your butt.
Measure your sit bones and use a saddle that fits them
This is step one
i just want to say riding 8 hours a day, 5-6 days a week & getting paid to do it, & not having to worry about being fast sounds like the best job ever.
How long have you been riding? As your strength builds and you put more power into the pedals, you tend to have less weight on your saddle. Follow the advice others are giving here, but if you are newish to cycling then it might just be a matter of building fitness for a couple of weeks.
Triple-butting is key.
That’s a weird looking Trek.
Get yourself a nice wide sprung saddle with plenty of padding.
That stem extension that raises up the handlebars may not be doing you any favors. They change the geometry of the bike quite a bit. Since the bars are so high, and close the weight shifts considerably rearwards, and lessens the effectiveness of the suspension.
It might be worth trying the bike without it. You can remove it with just a few bolts.
In addition to the padding options already mentioned, make sure you have a professional bike fit so your weight is better distributed among saddle, handlebars, and crankset. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment with different saddles. Everybody’s anatomy is different.
Song in my head: “Jesus Christ Pose”. Could those bars be any wider?
I can’t help it… sorry…r/BicyclingCirclejerk