Want to ride a bike, but seats hurt.

[Basmah]

Hi all,

I am hoping that I will feel good enough to ride a bike again by this spring or summer. I want to buy one, but the seats tend to hurt due to weight loss and inflammation in the rectal area. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to look for in a bike that may be more accommodating?

 

[DJW]

Have you checked to see if one of the oversized padded seats might work for you?

 

[Basmah]

I actually hadn't thought of that. It's been a REALLY long time since I last rode a bike lol. Is that an addition to an already built in seat, or would I have to replace it?

 

[DJW]

It's a new seat. Check out local bike shops. I believe they have gel padding.

 

[Lisa]

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i:aps,k:gel bike seat covers

Amazon, Wal-Mart, Sears etc have them, either covers or new seats....get a good one, they do work!

 

[Basmah]

I have a local shop by my work, so I will check it out. Thank you so much!

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

Well...I found this website made mostly for women. But, am thinking that there might be something to it.

http://www.otherwaysblog.com/bicycle-saddles-for-women-with-chronic-pain

 

[Nym]

THE WORLDS MOST COMFORTABLE BICYCLE SEAT!

The SEAT® takes the pressure off soft tissues and tender organs. The Seat reduces the risks of impotency and other injuries with its revolutionary “horn-less” design. It is in compliance with recommendations from NIOSH & the CDC.

The SEAT® is endorsed by DOCTORS & Police for professional riders for long pain free bike rides.

The SEAT® solves the universal problem of bicycle seat pain, chaffing and numbness.

The SEAT® is a healthier alternative to conventional bike seats.

http://www.thecomfortseat.com/

 

[Nancye50]

A lot of times, butt soreness from bike riding is from friction. Just keep that in mind. That's why people sometimes think the giant, oversized seats hurt worse; more surface area = more friction.

 

[firemama]

I see more recumbent bikes in DC, but no personal experience. Maybe try one of those out? The pressure points and weight distribution would be totally different.

 

[DJW]

I didn't even think of that. Might be a good idea.

 

[Basmah]

Thank you all of the suggestions! I am going to do a bit more research, but I might start out with buying a cover seat to try at the gym. It's too snowy out here in good ol' Minnesota

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I want to concur with what the others have said - I got myself a gel padded bike seat (not a cover, but a whole new seat). It is worth every penny! They also make padded bike shorts, although I haven't tried those myself - they do look kind of funny which deters me from getting a pair. I've heard they're good as well though. I don't ride my bike far, usually less than 10 miles total in a day (my typical thing to do is to ride 4 miles to the gym, do some weights, then ride 4 miles home - like you mentioned though, it's winter here in the upper Midwest so I haven't done any bike rides for a while and I won't do any again until it's firmly springtime!). I did have some booty soreness when I first started riding my bike, but I think that was just my body getting used to riding and didn't have anything to do with IBD specifically. I've done bike rides with both the regular seat and the padded gel seat, and there's no comparison - the gel seat is a zillion times nicer!