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My ass is frozen

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,188
19,155
Canaderp
This is mostly for @Jm_ and maybe @Jozz or @slyfink

When I ride my fat bike, my ass and inner thighs are always the first thing to get cold.

What seats do yall use? My bike came with this plasticy feeling WTB saddle of some sort, I'm guess this is most of the problem.
 

Jozz

Joe Dalton
Apr 18, 2002
5,752
7,214
SADL
This is mostly for @Jm_ and maybe @Jozz or @slyfink

When I ride my fat bike, my ass and inner thighs are always the first thing to get cold.

What seats do yall use? My bike came with this plasticy feeling WTB saddle of some sort, I'm guess this is most of the problem.
Never heard of anyone freezing their ass off. I've used many saddles, none of them gave me a chilly butt. You wear a bike liner?
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
This is mostly for @Jm_ and maybe @Jozz or @slyfink

When I ride my fat bike, my ass and inner thighs are always the first thing to get cold.

What seats do yall use? My bike came with this plasticy feeling WTB saddle of some sort, I'm guess this is most of the problem.
I don’t much notice my ass and thighs, maybe that means they are frozen or warm. I always wear chamois shorts under, after learning my lesson trying to freeze my weener off. Today was chamois, base layer, light backcountry pants (mostly just a light shell). On warmer days I wear the chamois and some xc ski pants. The chamois does a lot to protect my sensitive bits.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
This is mostly for @Jm_ and maybe @Jozz or @slyfink

When I ride my fat bike, my ass and inner thighs are always the first thing to get cold.

What seats do yall use? My bike came with this plasticy feeling WTB saddle of some sort, I'm guess this is most of the problem.
I run a Chromag Lynx DT saddle. I used to run an old Trailmaster leather saddle but it eventually disintegrated. I can't say I really noticed a difference in cold comfort when I made the switch.

I usually run a thin shammy, micro-fleece bib-leggings, and softshell pants (unlined). If it's super cold (approaching -20), I'll replace the micro-fleece pants with proper old-school fleece pants, and maybe even windbriefs instead of the shammy. If it's above zero (and not wet), I'll wear knicker-bibs under the softshell pants and knee high ski socks.

The area I get coldest is my "love handles"! But I'm not worried about those, they can freeze and fall off for all I care! (that said, the bibs help keep this area moisture free and insulated)
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
if its your thighs as well, then it's probably your choice of attire that's causing the issue, not the saddle.

i use two layers, for winter either knicker bibs for full length bibs (depending on how cold it is), and a pair of riding pants. personally i have endura singletracks and very much like them.

if its very windy, you'll need something for that, because when its super cold the wind will cut right through you.
 

4xBoy

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2006
7,014
2,847
Minneapolis
Never have a problem there, hands sometimes, feet always.

It is tough getting enough clothes but not limiting movement.
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,825
13,054
I can't see that it's your saddle.
For me, Defeet woollie boolie long socks, bibs, pearl Izumi amfib tights, pair of baggy riding shorts, good to 7freedums, haven't tried riding in colder.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,188
19,155
Canaderp
Maybe I just have a delicate buttocks? I usually ride in this thermal base layer capri thing and some very lightly lined pants. If its a little extra cold ill toss in a pair of boxers between the pants and thermal thing. Whats frustrating is that my ass freezes before the rest of my body even gives the slightest hint of being chilly.

I'll try out padded riding shorts, but I hate the way they feel with the thermal tights and pants.

I was thinking it might be the seat partially causing this, as it's very hard and plasticy. It just feels cold...

Maybe what doesn't help is how warm bodied I am (translation, I'm fat and sweat a lot or give off a lot of moisture). I remember one particularly cold ride last year, where at the end there was ice visible on the top of my seat, right where I sit.

@6thElement I also use those almost knee high dafeet woolie boolie socks. They aren't bulky but keep me warm really well. Love them.
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,825
13,054
My fat bike has a 13+ year old SpecialEd Phenom on it with pretty much zero padding.
 

velocipedist

Lubrication Sensei
Jul 11, 2006
559
702
Rainbow City Alabama
SIUP?

I jest, in South Dakota when I would be foolish enough to ride in -19°F these long johns:


paired with flannel/knit carhartts or fleece lined schoeller pants (I think mine are mountain hardwear) always kept me toasty.

Only had one incident when I took my gloves off to visit the shed and I was seriously worried about frostbite. Good thing urine is 37℃.

YMMV

Maybe I just have a delicate buttocks? I usually ride in this thermal base layer capri thing and some very lightly lined pants. If its a little extra cold ill toss in a pair of boxers between the pants and thermal thing. Whats frustrating is that my ass freezes before the rest of my body even gives the slightest hint of being chilly.

I'll try out padded riding shorts, but I hate the way they feel with the thermal tights and pants.

I was thinking it might be the seat partially causing this, as it's very hard and plasticy. It just feels cold...

Maybe what doesn't help is how warm bodied I am (translation, I'm fat and sweat a lot or give off a lot of moisture). I remember one particularly cold ride last year, where at the end there was ice visible on the top of my seat, right where I sit.

@6thElement I also use those almost knee high dafeet woolie boolie socks. They aren't bulky but keep me warm really well. Love them.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
Maybe I just have a delicate buttocks? I usually ride in this thermal base layer capri thing and some very lightly lined pants. If its a little extra cold ill toss in a pair of boxers between the pants and thermal thing. Whats frustrating is that my ass freezes before the rest of my body even gives the slightest hint of being chilly.

I'll try out padded riding shorts, but I hate the way they feel with the thermal tights and pants.

I was thinking it might be the seat partially causing this, as it's very hard and plasticy. It just feels cold...

Maybe what doesn't help is how warm bodied I am (translation, I'm fat and sweat a lot or give off a lot of moisture). I remember one particularly cold ride last year, where at the end there was ice visible on the top of my seat, right where I sit.

@6thElement I also use those almost knee high dafeet woolie boolie socks. They aren't bulky but keep me warm really well. Love them.
I've heard of people having cold-ass syndrome, but I don't really get it, so I'm not very helpful. I doubt it's coming from the saddle, except that your ass is on the saddle and needs a bit of insulation to help, but saddles are generally not great conductors and your ass tends to have some pretty good insulation from fat. I did go through a period during the first year or two where I was riding with the XC ski pants and some regular boxers or undies and holy shit did I freeze my junk off a few times. It wasn't my ass though, but maybe it's all close enough. I put on the chamois first, with some butter if I remember, then the thermal base layer or XC ski pants.

How are you tucking in? One thing I find real important is a long enough upper base layer, to tuck fairly deep into the pants. That overlap is pretty important IME, whether it's your neck and the neck gaiter/baclava and turtle-neck or your socks/pants or upper base layer/pants. Just a little bit of exposed skin can lead to some significant cooling. Most of my upper base layers are super stretchy and able to do this just fine.

There is some validity to keeping other parts of the body warm and the body then using the colder parts for heat management/radiation. It seems like it always takes my body a few rides to "figure this out" in the winter, but then in the colder times I tend to use my face to regulate heat, as in covering it more and more, while the rest of my body is pretty well covered up. Another example is the down jacket-less sleeves I have. Yes, some people have sleeve-less jackets, but I have jacket-less sleeves. It's some sort of dorky hammocking product, two down sleeves attached with a strap, but hell if these don't boost the heat in my arms and to my hands. That way I can get my hands warm without turning my core into a sweat-fest. Yesterday when it was 0 to -5F I kept trying to put on my down jacket, but it was just too "warm" for that, but the down sleeves are a nice in-between. This is mainly to keep my hands warm, but the idea being that keeping one part warmer may keep something else warm. My lower legs are a combination of my Wolfgar boots, whatever sock combo I'm wearing, and snow-gaiters. I almost always wear the snow-gaiters, real tall OR 1000 denier ones that come up to about my knee. This means that between these and the chamois shorts, there's some significant wind blocking or insulation on most, but not all, of my leg. So what I'm working towards is that if your entire lower leg doesn't have anything but the thermals and pants, maybe that's contributing to making your butt cold?

The moisture thing is interesting to me, not from your experience, but my own and how everyone raves about wool. Just for shits and giggles, I got some "high end" smartwool layers this year to try out. I'm generally not liking them. They soak too easily and take too long to dry. This makes me colder. With exertion you have to remember to open everything up/unzip to have a chance, but it's usually too late when you notice it getting all clammy and stuff. I'm still convinced the wool industry sells this shit like the best thing every when the truth is much more in between. Wet synthetics do retain heat, but slightly less. They are warmer for the weight (synthetics). The wool can deal with more uses before requiring washing. The quickness at which synthetic dries/transport moisture though seems to win out though IME. I'm going out on a branch here, but I'm wondering if all of this pushing towards wool this and that isn't partially responsible for why some people are getting so sweaty and wet. Overdressing and not changing layers with conditions and output is probably partially it-as in the people that wear "hard" shell layers that won't breath with any exertion. Every ride I do with the wool base layers I end up noticing and am colder.
 
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eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,185
13,439
directly above the center of the earth
They don't make these in mens sizes but the womens xl fits me. these suckers are warm. I have used them riding down to 32 and snowshoeing down to 5F. windproof and water resistant. I originally got them for training endurance horses in the winter. now I use them on my bike and hiking in the mountains in winter, suckers are indestructible too.

 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,188
19,155
Canaderp
I SUIP'd it last night and just trudged on with a frozen ass, though my thighs also froze at the end.

My pockets and inside of the pants felt warmish and moist, so I think the heat is there. But maybe part of the problem is that these pants are too tight when I'm in the seated pedaling position? I started to feel warmer as soon as I stopped for a few seconds last night to take a few pictures.

Been using the pants for a few years, but only just realized last night looking at the tags that they are a slim fit design. And they are hiking pants, so probably not the best shape for biking with?

I think they are a previous version of these: https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5053-465/Ferrata-Pants

Tonight I'm going to leave the bottom layer off and just wear a bigass butt pad.
 
I SUIP'd it last night and just trudged on with a frozen ass, though my thighs also froze at the end.

My pockets and inside of the pants felt warmish and moist, so I think the heat is there. But maybe part of the problem is that these pants are too tight when I'm in the seated pedaling position? I started to feel warmer as soon as I stopped for a few seconds last night to take a few pictures.

Been using the pants for a few years, but only just realized last night looking at the tags that they are a slim fit design. And they are hiking pants, so probably not the best shape for biking with?

I think they are a previous version of these: https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5053-465/Ferrata-Pants

Tonight I'm going to leave the bottom layer off and just wear a bigass butt pad.
The wet ass chronicles.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
I SUIP'd it last night and just trudged on with a frozen ass, though my thighs also froze at the end.

My pockets and inside of the pants felt warmish and moist, so I think the heat is there. But maybe part of the problem is that these pants are too tight when I'm in the seated pedaling position? I started to feel warmer as soon as I stopped for a few seconds last night to take a few pictures.

Been using the pants for a few years, but only just realized last night looking at the tags that they are a slim fit design. And they are hiking pants, so probably not the best shape for biking with?

I think they are a previous version of these: https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5053-465/Ferrata-Pants

Tonight I'm going to leave the bottom layer off and just wear a bigass butt pad.
I find that slimmer layers are better for heat retention and wicking, the looser layers will make it so there's no fabric on contact with my skin, that leads to moisture and cold pockets IME. If you are using a base layer, the outer layer doesn't have to be super slim or tight, that is ok to to have a little baggy, but the base layer should always be a stretchy-base layer IME.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,188
19,155
Canaderp
I find that slimmer layers are better for heat retention and wicking, the looser layers will make it so there's no fabric on contact with my skin, that leads to moisture and cold pockets IME. If you are using a base layer, the outer layer doesn't have to be super slim or tight, that is ok to to have a little baggy, but the base layer should always be a stretchy-base layer IME.
My base layer are tights. I was under the impression that you should have some air between the outside layer and the base layer, which adds to the insulation? Maybe the layers i wear are compressed enough while I'm pedaling that the heat just radiates right out of the fabric?
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
Most of my lower layers are windblocking, whether xc ski or backcountry ski. The backcountry ski are light, but they are inherently looser. I don’t wear a base layer with the xc ski pants, but I do with the backcountry pants and I use them for generally warmer colder temps. Both of these with a chamois underneath too.

the base layer issue I ran into is when the base is loose, then I would get crazy cold pockets, my theory is the moisture wasn’t transporting.

It's like this in terms of hierarchy:

shorts with base layer or yoga pants

XC ski pants with chamois underneath

backcountry ski pants with base layer and chamois underneath

marmot full side-zip hardshell over XC ski pants with chamois underneath

backcountry ski pants with xc ski pants with chamois underneath

full side zip mountaineering puffy pants over backcountry ski pants with base layer and chamois underneath, these are like the full on -20 to -40F setup.
 
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