Thanks for the update @Mikep
Saddle sores update - I had been suffering from a persistent one through the spring and early summer. Then a full week off due to surgery let it mostly heal but not quite.
Hygiene: I have tried all of the suggestions on here and narrowed my preference down to a combination of 2. For all skin to kin contact and a narrow strip from sit bones to pubic synthesis I use a chammy creme. My preference is called Velochampion but I will use Aesos if I run out. Tried others but none come close for me. Then I apply Noxcema directly onto the chammy as recommended by @Terry. I love it.
Shorts: I have now found, through a process of random purchasing over the years, a short which I love. This includes the pad. My preference is a Castelli short with quite a hard pad. I am 100kg so it needs to be pretty resilient. These are the only shorts that I have in my drawer. I have now accumulated 6 pairs which are rotated.
Saddles: I have run up to a problem with my Infinity saddles due to my anatomy. They are amazingly comfortable until I want to ride in any kind of aero position. Due to the high nose and my anatomy I canât rotate my pelvis without significant pain as it jams up against my softer tissues. I then sit upright and bend in my lower back by pulling with my abs and my arms. This has led to a long running ab / hip problem. I went back to my go to traditional saddle which is a Selle Italia SLR Max. Really comfy for an hour on the trainer but not more. I disappeared down a whole 3D printed saddle rabbit hole, first trying a cheap one from aliexpress. That saddle was WOW! Just incredibly comfortable and supportive but allowed me to rotate my pelvis really nicely. Unfortunately the lack of attention to detail in the design / manufacturing led to another saddle sore. In the end I have a 3d printed SLR Max which I love.
Now with another 2 weeks off the bike due to surgery, I will restart on the SLR Max. If I need to do long rides on the trainer, then I will put the infinity back on.
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Whatâs the benefit of a 3D printed saddle? Are they making it specifically for you? Thanks!
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Also curious on what is different about a 3d printed saddle? I have the exact issue with Infinity.
Ok, you asked for it.
A saddle is usually made up of 4 elements: rails, chassis, padding and cover. We can basically ignore the chassis and the cover as these are only marginally relevant for comfort. The chassis gives the saddle itâs shape and dictates which parts of the saddle flex more or less. It is generally the chassis that gives the saddle its initial fit - is it comfy when I first sit on it. The padding is usually a variation on a (closed cell polyurethane) foam. The foam spreads load across a broader area than the specific part of your anatomy that touches the saddle. The properties of the foam are uniform across a sheet, so whether the foam is under a high load area like you sit bones, or a lower load area like under soft tissue you get the same stiffness. There are essentially two options to deal with this either use a thinner piece of the same stiffness foam or try and blend different stiffnesses of foam into the same saddle. Neither provides a very elegant solution.
3D printed saddles seek to address the pressure maps you see like this https://images.app.goo.gl/EYEd8jZYbuFf5wqS7
The rails and chassis are essentially the same and they typically have no cover. The difference is in replacing a uniform foam with a 3d printed structure. This can have a different amount of material, and therefore different stiffness, in different places. More material and higher stiffness under the sit bones and less material and lower stiffness elsewhere.
As every padding is printed individually, it is very easy to customise this and fit to a standard chassis. A saddle like the SLR MAX that I bought has a different stiffness in different parts so is potentially a significantly more comfortable saddle than the standard version. Most importantly for me, it has a chassis that I get on very well with. I would definitely go for a customised one but only if I believe that the chassis will be comfortable.
I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for posting this @Kicikacsa, very useful. Do you go and see someone to get this done or are you doing this at home/work with specialist equipment. Thanks!
There are different ways of doing the pressure map. There is sitting on a gel pad, sitting on a one time polystyrene cushion and the electronic version. I have done all 3 at varying points all as part of bike fits.
I forgot to mention that I havenât gone for a fully customised 3d printed saddle because I am not convinced that the chassis shape would work for me.
do you use any other cream or just this?
i mean chamios ?
My favourite is a relatively cheap one from Amazon.
That goes on the skin where there is any chance of skin to skin contact. Basically around the gentlemanly anatomy. Then Noxzema on the pad prior to putting the shorts on.
I thought it was time that I posted an update on the saddle sore issues that seem now to be resolved. I am not sure which of the following has had a larger effect in addition to the hygiene points earlier in this chain.
- bike fit - I have reduced my reach by 1cm and reduced the saddle to bar drop by the same. I have never felt uncomfortable before but decided to try this and will stick with it.
- the 3d printed saddle is a dream. It is just so comfortable.
Net of all is that I can manage 5 hours on the trainer with no issues. I have done this twice in the last couple of weeks.
Now I am looking for the same comfort on my TT bike. I have just invested in a bi-saddle, but that is for another threadâŚ
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Julian thats great news. Fingers crossed for you.
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Thank you sir thatâs very kind of you.
This is great news and hope for us all!!
Great to hear the results youâre getting from the changes. Mike