To all bike riders

You want a stiff seat with minimal padding so that blood does not pool in your soft tissues on long rides. You also want to break your body in to the seat and vice versa by riding 30-40 minutes at a time for the first week. Then, once you and the seat have bonded, you can increase the distance/time. How long were you in the saddle when you did your 26 miles?

Also, drop your tire pressures by 10 lbs/in for a softer ride.

Just give it time and don't overdo it. In due course, you won't even feel the seat and the bike will be an extension of your body.

Personally, I like the Selle seats. Others swear by the leather seats which conform to your body shape over time, and others express an equally strong dislike for them, saying that they are too stiff at first, then just right, then sag too much, forcing you to buy another one and begin the whole breaking-in process again.

 

and ensure your bike is professionally fitted. a very minor adjustment can make huge differences to comfort.

As a roadie, I personally prefer a Specialized Saddle, with minimal padding. I've seen some pretty awful saddles sold with high end bikes - designed to look 'comfy' but minimal support.

And wear cycling specific shorts, preferably bib shorts - I picked up a pair of Assos, fantastic. but not cheap.

Your local bike shop likely has lots of options.

It doesn't have to hurt

 

It all comes down to T.I.T.S. time in the saddle...well that and the other stuff already mentioned like proper fit and bike shorts.

On a personal note I picked up an ISM Adamo Road saddle which has been a great improvement over what came on my bike and has resolved some "numbness" issues I was having on longer rides.

 

Outstanding advice already offered....

But yeah, it really comes down to letting your body adjust and get used to the situation. It's like an initiation process, you have to put your time in the saddle. It may takes several weeks to adapt BUTT it will happen.

I concur with Zack, a common mistake it to put the cushion on the seat...whereas it's better to bring the cushion to the seat. A good 8-panel cycling bib will make a world of difference. Assos is about 2-3x the cost of most any other brand, but like the Ferrari it's well worth it. You want just enough padding to stay comfortable; more is NOT better; given misduided advice, I once wore padded underwear under padded shorts...on a padded seat: ridiculous! Turns-out you're not supposed to wear any underwear at all with these cyclings shorts/bibs, you want to avoid chaffing.

This site has a huge inventory/selection and a great return policy...and prices are great too. http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/TopCategories_10052_10551_-1

Pearl Izumi, Descente, Louis Garneau...all the major brands are solid.

Keep up the good work, cycling is an excellent low-impact activity and a lot of fun!

 

JUST BE SAFE!!! A Cycleist just died down the street from my how. Car hit him!!!!!!!!

 

Good point Armen!

Which brings me to another suggestion: forget the road!! Why suck exhaust, asbestos brake dust and endure people driving & trying to hide that they're talking on their cell phone....forget the assfault.

Find some local fire-roads and hit the trails. Enjoy some nature and fresh(er) air. I've been riding my local trails for over 3 years and aside from t-boning a dog and almost hitting a deer, there's been no cars or any of the road nonsense!

 

Why no recommendations for gel seats? I recently saw a bontreger gel seat that wasn't too cushy and was very light. I was tempted to give it a try.

 

If you're going to put any serious miles on a saddle I'd shy away from a gel seat. The harder seats are actually better since they don't allow soft tissue to sink into the seat and circulation to be cut off.