Coccydynia... Bah, medical terms aside - I have a sore butt

No pain, no gain? Well, no gain if the pain keeps you from riding, right? Yesterday, I pedaled 15 miles for the first time, burned 750 calories, and it took me an hour. There are much better cyclists who can do five times this distance in likely the same amount of time, but as Pedal Poppers and I continue getting in shape, the more time I spend in the saddle, the more I have to wonder if many other riders have experienced tailbone pain like I've been having. I think I can do 20 miles at a time if I can keep my butt from becoming too sore. It is somewhat moderate to severe pain that alleviates a bit after sitting for a while, but is worse when I first sit down or stand to adjust my seat.

When I look this problem up in the hopes of finding a better bike saddle, I find dozens of riders with similar pain. A few folks recommend gel saddles for perineum pain and saddles with cutouts for the prostate, while others say that gel saddles do little to no good in preventing bone pain and may even cause more pain and circulation issues to other areas (namely the reproductive organs). We can find a number of ways to get proper sit bone measurements online to help us choose saddles that prevent pain where the sit bones hit the saddle, and some riders expound upon how padded shorts with chamois help to prevent chafing - something Pedal Poppers and I refer to as "chub rub." But please, while there are a number of posterior and nether region ailments due to bike saddle insufficiency, let's not get too sidetracked.

I've seen a number of reviews on bike saddles in general in terms of price and comfort, but nothing specifically that addresses various painful regions from riding. What I've been hoping for is a list of saddles that work specifically to prevent tailbone pain - a.k.a. coccydynia, so we can keep on riding. Since perineum pain is also common, if the saddle addresses both these issues, all the better. In fact, if there is an all-purpose saddle that addresses a number of problems, great. But for now, thigh chafing is not the issue, nor are saddle sores, nor is a mashed prostate. The issue is tailbone pain from riding a bike five miles or more every day, with perineum pain a distant second. Sit bone pain would be the third consideration, but since proper measurements can largely help that concern, we need some seats that eliminate painful contact where pressure sensitivity is at its greatest.

Since I haven't found such a list as of yet, in the hopes of helping myself as well as other new bikers suffering from coccydynia, I thought it best to make a list of bike saddles going on the reviews I've read thus far for 2015.

1. The RIDO R2: An all-purpose saddle, not constructed from gels or foams that compress, but of a more rigid moulded skeleton covered with a skin that offers localized flexibility where needed most, many reviewers indicate that this saddle solves the majority of their riding pain in the tailbone, perineum, and sit bones. This particular saddle can be used on commuter and touring bikes. There is a lighter-weight version for racing - the RIDO RLt. These saddles are from the UK, come in a variety of colors, and can be ordered directly from the RIDO site for 42.50 Euros or close to $47 in the US for the R2, and 68.50 Euros or $77 for the RLt.

2. Specialized Body Geometry Saddles: There are both female and male versions of a number of seats in the Specialized line-up. Most of these appear lightweight and race ready, but there are more leisurely saddles to be found in this line-up as well. Many of these are made to suit a variety of sit bone measurements as well as desired padding levels. For the different biking activities, such as mountain biking versus cyclocross versus road racing or even touring, there are many options, all of which are intended to meet the highest levels of biking comfort with minimal pressure to the tailbone, sit bones, and perineum. A common feature on these saddles is the cutout region for the perineum and tailbone. Some are waterproof, some use gel for comfort preference, while others are more lightweight, using carbon shells for racing. Prices can be up to $300 for the highly rated S-Works Romin Pro, whereas the Romin Pro, Romin Expert Gel (pictured), and Romin Comp Gel range from $200 down to $100.

3. Sunlite Cloud-9: I haven't forgotten those folks that like riding for leisure around parks and campgrounds, around neighborhoods, and perhaps just commuting to work each day. Maybe those racing saddles have the cut-outs you need to save your butt, but you might be thinking that on a three-speed or cruiser, they'd look a bit out of place. The Cruiser Gel Sofa (pictured left) is one of the Sunlite Cloud-9 series saddles with many strong reviews. It features a deep cutout for the tailbone and perineum, and is very affordable at around $27 to $45 depending on the seller. There are a number of other seats from this maker with shallower cutouts, springs, more padding in the sit-bone region, and even a sportier version (the Non-suspension Sport Saddle, pictured below) for touring or even racing if you're in the market for a saddle under $25.

If looking to address tailbone and perineum pain caused by bike riding, it really appears that above and beyond gel cushioning, what is really necessary are what I will call "coccyx cut-outs." These types of seats are likely to help prevent coccydynia. If this can also solve perineum pain and sit bone pain, all the better. To me, while I will likely get my sit bone measurements at my local bike shop, the seat that I am going to try after this bit of research is the RIDO R2. Mid-range in price and with construction that appears to resolve most PITA issues, I'll let you know how this works for me. Until then, safe and more pain-free riding to you all.

Catch you later.

-Sprocket