I was gone all weekend, riding the Solstice 300K on Saturday and visiting Daddy yesterday for Father’s Day. When I got home last night, I got to see the new endurance bike that Robert bought for me! It’s a Trek Domane. My sweet husband/soigneur has been switching out my dynamo hub and rack on my Marin Stelvio for my long brevets, and understandably, he’s getting kind of tired of that. Also, the Domane should be more comfortable on such rides.
When I pulled into the garage and saw my new bicycle hanging on the wall with my other ones, I was struck by the difference in saddles:
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| L-R: TT bike, cyclocross bike, endurance bike, road/racing bike |
I’ll be getting another Adamo Prologue saddle for my endurance bike. Here’s why.
I rode thousands of miles over many years with a sore bottom, figuring it was just part of the deal in a sport that I otherwise loved. I don’t know how noticeable it was, but I would ride a little to one side on the saddle. After literally years of this, I developed a thickened, fleshy callous on the side of my lady parts. It’s like those fat pads around the cavity of a whole chicken from the grocery store.
I didn’t think it was anything serious, but I figured that during my annual Pap smear, I ought to tell my doctor where it came from. He didn’t hear me as I started talking about chicken fat pads, but the nurse did. She and I cackled.
Over the years I had tried a few saddles, but none seemed to make much of a difference. One day Robert showed me a saddle he had bought, an Adamo Prologue. It didn’t work for him because it had a wide nose that chafed him. He asked if I wanted to try it. I thought, sure, it couldn’t hurt.
Wow! After 18 years I found a saddle that is truly comfortable! I determined that I need a saddle with a wider nose because it distributes my weight better. No longer do I have to ride a little to the side. I’ve ridden 300, 400, and even a 600K without thinking about that old soreness. The chicken fat pad has even shrunk.
After I found a solution to my problem simply by chance, someone shared an article with me about this very issue:
http://www.cobbcycling.com/innie-or-outie/
Pretty enlightening, huh? It makes sense that it took me so long to find the right saddle. I don’t go around looking at my lady parts, much less talking about them, especially to my cycling friends, who are mostly guys. I hope that by sharing this, I can help a few other women avoid pain and keep pedaling.
I’m really looking forward to trying out the Domane on my next brevet, the Fried Green Tomatoes 200K in July. (But of course I’ll be riding it lots between now and then – with an Adamo Prologue!)
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