Brand new Zwifter here - my first week. I was wondering if you had any tips on how to reduce saddle soreness. I got a basic, yet competent bike just for Zwift - and the seat is a nightmare. I’m in quite dramatic pain after about 20 minutes, which is disappointing as I used to ride along to Zwift’s ‘watch’ mode on my old exercise bike for an hour without any problems. (Unfortunately that seat won’t fit onto my bike.) I suspect the answer is probably just ‘get a new seat’, but I was wondering what you old pros do - I’d ideally like to ride for an hour every night to lose some weight.
Getting a properly sized saddle makes all the difference. So does having it set up more or less horizontal instead of too nose-down or nose-up.
You want a saddle that’s wide enough across the back to support you at the sit bones. Too narrow, and it’s an ass hatchet. Too wide, and it chafes your inner thighs. A quality saddle will have width measurements like in the range of 135 mm - 165 mm more or less
The width of the shell matters more than the amount of padding. Cheap cushy saddles sell themselves because cushion = comfort in our heads, but that’s not the case. Think about a really cheap sofa that feels cushy at first, but doesn’t support you at all. You’re squirming uncomfortably on it after 5 minutes. Cheap bike saddles can be the same way.
If you have a quality bike shop near you that’s open during the quarantine, call over and ask if they have saddles that you can demo. Many saddle brands offer a trial period on their products, either through a demo program, or a money-back program. Do look for a brand that offers one of those.
Pain after 20 mins sounds like the wrong shape/sized saddle or it may not be setup correctly (saddle height, fore/aft and/or tilt). Small changes to your bike setup may mean you are sitting on parts that are more comfortable, for instance moving saddle aft can mean the load is spread more, or mean you contact with softer parts, and vice versa. Just experiment by changing one thing a little at a time.
A good pair of bib shorts (clean and dry) with a good pad is also a must (unfortunately it is one area where the more you spend, generally the better quality pad and fit you get) and using chamois cream/vaseline may help if the soreness is rubbing rather than pressure.
Also be aware that riding on the static trainer can be a challenge for the nether regions. I can happily ride for 5+ hours outdoors (shifting around, standing, stretching occassionally etc) without any issues, but on same bike on trainer anything approaching 90mins can become painful depending on the activity, and even worse, some days are just better than others.
Thanks for the reply! I’ll try a few saddles when the shops open post-covid. Did 54 minutes this morning and had better success sitting a bit further back, but was still in oodles of pain by the end!
Don’t underestimate decent bibs - can make a world of difference. On saddles - this is a good way to measure seat bone width which will help choose the right one. There are lots of versions of this on You Tube too.