Saddle pain in cyclists is very common!
Saddle pain is very common in cyclists, but it can be fixed.
Did you know that saddle pain and saddle sores are one of the most common, but least talked about problems in cyclists, from amateur to elite? Prior to the London Olympics, an anonymous survey revealed that it was the number one reason that members of the British Women’s Cycling Team missed a training session. Those survey findings sparked somewhat of a saddle pain revolution with significant investment in research and technology to help with the issue.
The saddle in a road cyclist, typically supports between 60-80% of the cyclist’s weight. It must also allow the pelvis and spine to roll forward for the arms to reach the handlebars, gears and brakes, as well as allow the thighs to slide either side of the seat to push the pedals between 80-100 times per minute. No wonder it is a source of problems!!!
Is it the saddle, or is it my bike position? How do I know which is the problem?
The typical first move for a cyclist with saddle pain is to change the saddle. The international bikefit and research team which Star Physio is a part of has identified that in fact only 20% of saddle pain is due to the incorrect saddle, and 80% is due to incorrect bike fit!
The use of dynamic pressure and stability analysis at the saddle is the only way to accurately identify and correct the issues related to saddle discomfort. Anything else is guesswork really! Check out the below picture of a saddle map of cyclist we saw recently in the clinic who was getting pubic area pain and discomfort. Even on high speed camera we could not see why she was in so much pain, but using our amazing Gebiomized saddle assessment tool, it was immediately obvious that the cyclist was taking too much load on the front of the saddle.
Star Physio in West Perth can analyse and correct for saddle pain and discomfort.
Interestingly, the map on the right is the same cyclist, on the same saddle, on the same day! You can see that we moved the pressure off the front of the pelvis and back on to the sit bones. Needless to say pain and numbness went away leading to a very happy cyclist!
Apart from showing us that the weight and pressure on the saddle is correct, this analysis also shows how stable a cyclist is while peddling, the gold standard for establishing correct saddle height and reach.
Read this blog for more information https://starphysiowa.com.au/saddle-pain-no-longer/
What if I do need a new saddle? Gebiomized saddles now available at Star Physio!
Gebiomized saddles available at Star Physio
We are proud to offer the incredible range of saddles from Gebiomized! Used by some of the best in the world including multiple Tour De France Winner Chris Froome and World Ironman Champion Anne Haug, these saddles are a game changer for those that have struggled with saddle pain, sores and discomfort!
After more than 15 years of concentrated experience with custom saddles in cycling, after more than 50,000 analyses of our saddle pressure mappings with thousands and thousands of cyclists whom we have put more comfortably on their bicycles with our bike fittings, we present you our gebioMized saddle line with the models Sleak, Area and the triathlon and time-trial saddle Stride. Available for sale from Star Physio and can be shipped anywhere in Australia. If purchased during a bikefit, Star Physio offer a 30 day money back guarantee if you return your saddle in perfect condition.
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