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Pains

by stucky
Wed, Aug 09, 2017 14:22
9

Hi everyone,

after having been fitted, trying several saddles and different short sizes, I still get pain in my man parts. It's mainly the left one (which I hear is the bigger one) and judging by feel, I would say it's actually the chamois which is too tight (although the rest feels fine) and ends up causing the pain. I'm confortable in a Medium and have also tried Large ( yes I do know sizes vary from brand to brand) but I still get the same pain (actually when I tried Large the chamois felt a bit loose at the back and I think the pain was worse) and I'm afraid it's making my rides less enjoyable. Any recommendations? 

Thanks

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9 comments

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Spangly Shiny | 6 years ago
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Or it could possibly be a leg length imbalance issue. If your left leg is a bit shorter than the right you are forced to reach at BDC of the pedal stroke. This can cause all sorts of knock on effects from swelling of the affected ischial tuberosity to feeling the inside of the thigh brush the top of the seat post.

It could be worth shimming out your left cleat by a few millimeters (mine took 6mm of shim to get it right) and giving that a try. A lot cheaper than replacing your saddle.

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ibr17xvii | 6 years ago
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No easy way round it, you just need to try different saddles until you get one that suits.

I'd go on eBay & buy used ones off there until you get the right one & then maybe buy new once you're satisfied. If you buy them all new & don't like it after a few rides it can turn out very expensive.

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madcarew | 6 years ago
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... or you could go the Armstrong route.....

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CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
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Tried different saddles, why are you new to cycling?  Saddle is far more important to comfort, padded shorts just allow you to ride for longer.  I would look at seat like Adamo https://www.ismseat.com/all-saddles/    slight tilt down no discomfort long ride saddles.  These saddles remove all gentlemen discomfort and place weight on sit bones only.

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dottigirl replied to CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
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CXR94Di2 wrote:

Saddle is far more important to comfort, padded shorts just allow you to ride for longer.

Yep, totally this. You should be able to do 30 miles or so without padding. (Although if you're new, you'll get some sit bone aching before they harden up.)

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stucky | 6 years ago
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waist shorts seem like they're worth a go indeed, i hadn't thought of that. I'll probably go for a ride wearing the ones i have without pulling up the straps. sure i'll look like an idiot but that should give me an idea of wether it helps or not?

regarding the saddle, I've tried a few and the problem is always the same. the Aliante acutally gave me arse pain on my first ride, but was fine after that - except for the usual problem.

 

I'm 31 and pratically hadn't ridden a bike since my mtb days at 16 

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kil0ran | 6 years ago
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I think pad position is important as sometimes I can ride for hours with no issues and sometimes I'm getting sharp/pinching pains within 20 minutes. Same bike, position, and shorts (in my case Decathlon 700 bibs and waists).

Waist shorts will compress your groin less than bibs which might deal with the immediate pressure you feel. Worth a go - I've started to prefer them over bibs even for longer rides. 

The other rabbit hole to go down is saddle design. Remember a bike fit won't necessarily deliver a comfortable position - the aim is usually a fast position. Do you ever get any arse pain? It might be that your weight is too far forward and putting pressure on your perineum. Not sure what age you are but if you're in your 40s might be worth getting a prostate check done. Peeing more frequently with a weak stream is usually the symptom of swelling in that area and cyclists are more prone to such issues.

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stucky | 6 years ago
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I'm right leg.

I've tried Endura Fs260Pro Sl, Btwin's better ones, dhb - don't know the model - and Sportful Giro. 

I read so much about the endura ones that I thought they would solve the problem, but they didn't.

The left one does hang lower than the right one.  They don't feel like they're going all over the place, they actually feel well in place, just uncomfortable after an hour or so. When I put the shorts on i feel some pressure on the bollocks right away, not too much pressure but i'd prefer some extra room there - although they do need to be held in place by the shorts being tight otherwise they just go all over the place. so I feel like i'm going in circles here and can't find a solution

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kil0ran | 6 years ago
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Are you left or right leg dominant?

Which shorts/brands have you already tried?

Are your bollocks low slung?

Wonder if you're bashing them from side to side with your pedal action. Some shorts have a specific area devoted to bollock management, ideally you need them held close to your body otherwise you're going to suffer from Linford's Lunchbox syndrome. 

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