Overcoming butt pain

[Andra2000]

What techniques or gear can I use to help with butt fatigue after an hour or more in the seat? I want to work up to a 300 mile trip, but currently have to stop and stretch after the first hour and the second hour is uncomfortable. I love my Sun X-frame, but don't know how to cope with the sore-butt issue during longer rides. I'm riding 2-3 times per week.
Thanks

[K v f]

There is no such thing as a perfect seat but if you're riding more than an hour every time you get on your bike I would suggest investing in a brooks sadle. On the low range you can pick a new one up for about 110. Since they are made of leather and have an adjustment on them to "hammock" between the front and back, once you have broken the seat in the continual pains will stop. Also consider the clothes you are wearing and the position of your seat. You will become used to it eventually if nothing else

[FredHiltz]

It does take a while, as Kurt says. I spent about one season making friends with my Brooks.

But I'd try tweaking your present setup before spending big bucks. Remarkably small changes in riding position can make big differences in where the pressure hits.

The authoritative source is http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html. You will find much more with a search on this forum and on Google. Take these latter results with a grain of skepticism.

Fred

[John Nelson]

Trying to find a saddle that is a better match for you is a good idea. Brooks leather saddles are magic for some people (me included) but they don't work for everybody. Some shops will let you try out different saddles and exchange them if they are not comfortable for you. If you can find such a shop, it might save you from buying a dozen expensive saddles.

There are some other things you can do to help. While riding, shift up and pedal standing for 15-30 seconds at least once every 10 minutes. You can also lower your handlebars, lengthen your stem, move your saddle back and/or make sure your saddle is not tilted backwards--all of these things shift weight from your butt to your arms (then you'll have sore arms).

[litespeed]

I don't know if it would work for everyone but I wouldn't use anything but a Terry Liberator Y Gel saddle. http://www.terrybicycles.com/Saddles/Mens-Endurance/Liberator-Y-Gel-Saddle_2. The Y is the guy's saddle. The X is for women. I position the saddle as far forward as possible, level and fairly high. The only time I get any butt pain at all is after 80 miles in one day and, even then, just a little bit after a rest stop.

[dombrosk]

I've had good luck with another non-Brooks alternative, the Serfas RX saddle. Like the Terry saddles, it has a cut out section.  Serfas makes several of these model saddles, some are too wide, more like a 'comfort bike' saddle.  The one I have is narrower, I think they call it the 'performance' model now.

Before I got my first one of these saddles I had considerable pain after 50 miles which got very challenging above 70 miles.  My first ride on this saddle was magical.  I remember the distance- 82 miles, because I was so astounded that I had experienced no pain at all, actually zero.

I appreciate the love that Brooks owners have for their saddles.  For me, the ability to leave this saddle in the rain, zero maintenance, and especially the zero break-in time made it a better choice.

[grandfatherbike]

In 2009 I rode 3000 miles beginning in March. Because I live in New Hampshire and we had late snows I was unable to ride before I started in Texas. I had no issues with butt painI find a Brooks B 17, padded underwear (no padded shorts and a short break off the bike every hour or so go 5-10 minutes works great

[indyfabz]

Another vote for the Terry Liberator. If you can get one from R.E.I. you can return it for a full refund if it doesn't work for you.

[Bike Hermit]

A leather saddle will give good support with most of the pressure on the sit bones, not on the soft tissues. Leather starts out firm but has some give or spring immediately and the leather softens with use conforming to the anatomy. Finding the right shape and width is the challenge....a wider saddle generally works best with an upright  riding position when more weight is on the saddle. Correct saddle height becomes more important with a leather saddle. I don't think it's reasonable to assume there is any saddle one can ride without getting off once in a while or shifting weight around. I can't sit in my arm chair indefinitely without changing positions once in a while. But there shouldn't be any "pain"

[oldgroundhog]

If you really want to overcome butt pain, then ride a recumbent.  The Tour Easy and Rans Stratus are the tourists dream bicycle. 

[zonesystempro]

Like everyone has said "get the Brooks saddle" Here's the link: http://www.brooksengland.com/catalogue-and-shop/saddles/touring+%26+trekking/B17+Imperial/
I bought this one and it made a world of difference within the first 50km. Don't even think twice ... just get it. Now if you really want a treat and like to keep your back feeling great on long rides get the Nitropro plus seatpost. The combination of both make it a sweet ride. Here's the link:http://www.nitropro.com/  I know it will set you back a few dollars, but if you like riding a lot and want to forget about any discomfort and just enjoy the ride, the Brooks and Nitro are the way to go. Cheers!

Mike

[johnsondasw]

Everyone's discussing the saddle, but just as important is getting a professional bike fit from someone who really knows what they are doing.  With the right fit, you also solve the myriad of other physicla problems--wrists, back, knees, achiles, etc.  I rode for too long before I got fit right and the difference was noticeable on the next ride.

[bogiesan]

If you really want to overcome butt pain, then ride a recumbent.  The Tour Easy and Rans Stratus are the tourists dream bicycle.

Amen, brother.

I have forty-one thousand miles on my Tour Easy and eight thousand miles on my StratusXP The last time I experienced discomfort of any kind (wrists, glutes, knees, ankles, neck, back, elbows, feet) was thirty-nine thousand miles ago (took me a while to get both bikes dialed in).

Do not fear a recumbent. The physical comfort is only one aspect. The sheer joy of riding in a heads up position all the time is indescribable. We call it high def biking.
 

[vmax4power]

Serfas RX saddle. I do century racing, double metric centuries, ride every single day 25 to 60 miles. It is a comfortable seat for long distance with the right cloths. Also, putting time in the seat, lots of time is the only way to build up tolerance.

[bogiesan]

What techniques or gear can I use to help with butt fatigue after an hour or more in the seat? I want to work up to a 300 mile trip, but currently have to stop and stretch after the first hour and the second hour is uncomfortable. I love my Sun X-frame, but don't know how to cope with the sore-butt issue during longer rides. I'm riding 2-3 times per week.
Thanks

Re-reading the OP, "fatigue" is different from soreness. You can deal with soreness with the perfect saddle and bike fit (there goes $100-300 and you may go through four or more saddles) AND good bike shorts with a chamois design that fits your anatomy and a fabric you can wear next to yoru skin for eight or more hours.

Fatigue is a function of muscle tone, primarily, and fit secondarily. You don't need to invest in a saddle until you can ride a metric or full century because you need the endurance and strength. However, you may not want to ride your bike if the saddle is torture. I posit the saddle is adequate for now so invest in at least two pairs of mid-level shorts and RIDE. Put two or three hundred miles under your butt, make some changes, ride another hundred miles, change some things, fifty miles, try some other bikes, ride yours again and then think about shopping for a saddle. Once you've trained up and got five hundred miles on your bike, your perception of how your bike fits and how your body reacts willhave changed.