[proglife]

my nether regions are getting torn to shreds and I need to figure out what to do.

I'm 6'1 or so and am on a 59cm frame. All my weight is on my perineum and none of it is on my butt. My saddle is moved as far forward as the indicators on the rails recommend. The bike came with a 120mm stem. I went to a 110mm/9 degree stem flipped up and that helped the reach of the hoods and drops, but I'm still crushing my sensitive area.

The saddle in this position seems to be good with the knee-over-axel rule of thumb.

What would you try next? Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Westy]

Is the saddle too skinny? Personally I need wide saddles to be able to put weight on my sit bones instead of my fun bone.

 

[proglife]

not sure if it's wide relative to other saddles. it's a Selle San Marco Ischia.

if i push against the bars, i can scoot myself back against the back of the saddle, but my natural tendency is to fall forward on the saddle. it definitely appears level. maybe I should tilt the nose up some?

 

[loco-gringo]

What is the top tube and how much drop are you running? Torso length is more crucial to your fit than your total height. I wouldn't put you on anything larger than a typical 58, but can't say for sure until I know what the T-T length is. Fit is better done by people that can see you on your bike though. It's impossible to pin point what it is without specifics.

 

[splat]

This may sound Odd, But it is too narrow look at getting a woman saddle. My ureologist told me to use a Woman split rail saddle if I had to ride ( He claims I'm going to get impitant from riding . ) I told Him I had too

 

[proglife]

What is the top tube and how much drop are you running? Torso length is more crucial to your fit than your total height. I wouldn't put you on anything larger than a typical 58, but can't say for sure until I know what the T-T length is. Fit is better done by people that can see you on your bike though. It's impossible to pin point what it is without specifics.

i'm attaching the spec sheet. my frame is the 59'er

This may sound Odd, But it is too narrow look at getting a woman saddle. My ureologist told me to use a Woman split rail saddle if I had to ride ( He claims I'm going to get impitant from riding . ) I told Him I had too

yeah, it's not making everything feel 100% normal. it worries me

 

[proglife]

whoops. not helpful without top bar

 

[SuspectDevice]

Sounds like you have a leg length to torso issue that would be better served with a steeper seattube angle to allow you more hip rotation. Saddles play a pretty big role too. I keep one of every high end saddle on the market in stock as a demo... Find a good shop and someone who knows what they are doing... The internet can not look at your taint. FWIW, your perineal area will harden up eventually.

 

[proglife]

i've heard this "hip rotation" term a few times, but i'm not understanding what it means?

 

[proglife]

let's assume the problem is my frame is too big and i will never fully correct my fit issue (i bought on the internet to save 500 bucks....didn't want to invest too heavily in my first road bike as I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it)

do i just have to suck it up, sell it and buy something that fits? do bike shops do trade-ins? There's probably less than 600 miles on this.

 

[maddog17]

go get a fitting by a pro. if your not happy with the bike now, i'd sell it and go get fit. SD makes some good points, but until a fitter sees you on a bike you won't be able to solve your problem.

 

[proglife]

go get a fitting by a pro. if your not happy with the bike now, i'd sell it and go get fit. SD makes some good points, but until a fitter sees you on a bike you won't be able to solve your problem.

sounds like the smart thing to do, but a new bike is not an option right now

i'm afraid i'll spend 200 bucks to hear "you need a shorter top tube"

 

[SuspectDevice]

Think of your comfortable leg to back angle as a clam shell... Hip rotation is rotating the whole clamshell. I see lots of dudes who can't for various biomechanical or structural reasons, rotate their clamshell... The surefire way to get these guys in a better position is to change the seat angle of the frame, as that changes the relationship to the other contact points.... Sliding the saddle forward doesn't.

Doing some stretching and core strength work (especially your ab's) will do the most good for you....

In other words.... It's not the bike. It's you and the bike!

 

[proglife]

Doing some stretching and core strength work (especially your ab's) will do the most good for you....

In other words.... It's not the bike. It's you and the bike!

so is pushing back against the bars in order to keep my butt planted further back on the saddle a reasonable way to ride?

 

[Westy]

sounds like the smart thing to do, but a new bike is not an option right now

i'm afraid i'll spend 200 bucks to hear "you need a shorter top tube"

You still have a ot of stem on that thing. I would think it would be wiser to go with a shorter stem before getting a new frame. I roll with an 80mm.

 

[loco-gringo]

so is pushing back against the bars in order to keep my butt planted further back on the saddle a reasonable way to ride?

If you don't stay reasonably well put when riding, you don't have the right fit. You will likely be able to make some adjustments to make things work for now. They will likely never be perfect.

I agree partly with SD - I think within reason you can make fore/aft adjustments to the saddle that will help you out. If you are 6'1" and really do need a 575 TT, you might need a shorter crank. Your legs just may be short. Of course, the internet can't tell you that.

 

[proglife]

really? i got a superficial "fit" at the LBS and the guy said he wouldn't put me on anything less than 100mm

 

[proglife]

if i could take some measurements of myself, would that shine any light on the problem? maybe my body is way off of normal?

 

[loco-gringo]

Measurements are the only way we can kind of help.

 

[eric strt6]

just a thought, have you tried lowering the seat by a mm or so you might have it a tad too high which would create the pressure points?

 

[Westy]

Sprinkle cocaine on your chamois before riding.

 

[proglife]

just a thought, have you tried lowering the seat by a mm or so you might have it a tad too high which would create the pressure points?

i have not. i'll give it a shot

Measurements are the only way we can kind of help.

ok. i'll get measured up. thanks

Sprinkle cocaine on your chamois before riding.

my grundle already has a contact high

 

[SuspectDevice]

Measurements aren't anywhere near as usefull as pictures of you on the bike.

 

[OGRipper]

maybe I should tilt the nose up some?

Actually I would try the opposite. Tilting the nose down usually means less taint contact, you'll be more likely to sit on your cheeks.